Process for treating coffee beans to make a better-tasting coffee.

摘要

The invention is a method for treating coffee beans to make a better-tasting coffee. Green coffee beans are first partially roasted to a Hunter L-color between about 33 and about 60. The partially roasted beans are treated with either an alkaline solution, a coffee bean extract solution, or water. Then the treated beans are roasted to a final roast color. Preferably, the partially roasted beans are treated by soaking them in the solution at a temperature between about 65 DEG F (18 DEG C) and about 120 DEG F (49 DEG C) for a time between about 2 hours and about 24 hours. The invention is also a roast and ground coffee composition comprising volatile and nonvolatile coffee compounds, said volatile compounds including ketones, diketones, aldehydes, methyl esters, furans, phenolics, and substituted pyrazines, wherein the volatile compounds are present in the coffee composition so that f(d) is greater than 145, where f(d) = <MATH> and wherein the composition has a Hunter L-color of not more than 24.