Phoebe Sothern, a fourth-year art studio major with a passion for illustration and curiosity for what goes into a great cup of black coffee, is the creative mind behind three new coffee bean bag designs hitting the shelves at UC Davis Stores this November.

A new Scientific Reports study by UC Davis Coffee Center researchers shows that coffee beans follow a universal color curve during roasting, offering significant implications for the coffee industry and how “light,” “medium” and “dark” roast levels could be more consistently defined.

Researchers at the UC Davis Coffee Center found that cold brew coffee might not need 24 hours to shine. Their study reveals roast level and brew temperature matter more than time — offering new insights for commercial brewers and curious caffeine lovers alike.

UC Davis Coffee Center researchers, in collaboration with the Coffee Science Foundation, are investigating how physical defects in green coffee affect flavor. By identifying sensory thresholds for defects, their work aims to refine coffee grading standards and improve quality assessment in the coffee industry.

A new fund established for Katherine “Kat” Di Iulio honors the barista’s passion for coffee by supporting students to grow their own coffee knowledge.

As the first academic research facility in the U.S. dedicated to coffee, the UC Davis Coffee Center is brewing up serious science. From roasting chemistry to flavor perception, Professor Bill Ristenpart talks with Atlas Obscura about the center’s mission to uncover what makes the perfect cup.

Researchers at the UC Davis Coffee Center have collected years’ worth of data to update the decades-old Brewing Control Chart. The new Sensory and Consumer Brewing Control Chart combines new coffee science with consumer research and a more user-friendly approach.

Biological systems engineering master's student Willian Klippel-Huber hopes to take what he learns in his research at the UC Davis Coffee Center back to help his home community in Brazil, where he grew up on a coffee farm.

Watch Jerry Baldwin in conversation with Bill Ristenpart, professor of chemical engineering and director of the UC Davis Coffee Center. Baldwin reflects on his professional journey, the evolution of the coffee industry and his hopes for the future of coffee.

As a multidisciplinary hub for innovative research and unique educational experiences, the Coffee Center in the College of Engineering collaborates with the $28 billion U.S. coffee industry to tackle key challenges in sustainable farming, roasting, brewing and more.