Why Do We Love Coffee Even Though It Is Bitter?

Abstract

Sensory evaluation by taste sensitivity measurement differs depending on the evaluator, which means that there is a gap between the coffee that the average consumer finds tasty and the coffee that experts evaluate positively.

In this study, I used data from taste sensor measurements of coffee and a questionnaire survey of ordinary coffee drinkers to identify the characteristics of coffees with a high satisfaction level. The taste sensor uses a sebum film to identify and measure tastes, such as sourness, initial bitterness, initial astringency, umami, and after astringency. In the questionnaire survey, I asked the participants to select words to evaluate their coffee in order to show that even ordinary consumers can clearly evaluate the taste of coffee.

These data were used to develop a LASSO regression model to clarify the differences between high and low satisfaction coffees. The model obtained was sufficiently interpretable, and its discriminant accuracy was also high.

Results indicated that general consumers, prefer the fruity characteristics of coffee, such as aroma and mildness, rather than bitterness.