Visit UC Davis’ New, Unique Coffee Research Center: ‘It’s Really Fascinating’

The fall academic quarter begins Monday. It’s time to rise and shine in the new UC Davis Coffee Center.

The 7,000-square-foot complex opened in May and is the first academic center in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to advanced coffee research and education.

Formerly a military research facility, the coffee center has been renovated and outfitted with labs, industrial roasters and a double-blind cupping (tasting) room. Private donors have contributed nearly $6 million toward its creation, from philanthropic alumni to industry titans such as Folgers, Peet’s Coffee and La Marzocco.

UC Davis has had a coffee lab in Everson Hall since 2015, but the new center will provide a space for more in-depth graduate-level research. A controlled environment to see what molecules are present in certain beans, test soil pH for optimal plant growth and study how green beans respond to different storage temperatures will lead to new discoveries — and job opportunities, said center director and chemical engineering professor William Ristenpart.

“We’re trying to create a pipeline of academic talent to support the coffee industry, which is extremely important to the American economy and culture,” Ristenpart said.

UC Davis’s first real foray into the world of coffee came in 2013, when Ristenpart started a course called “The Design of Coffee.” What began as an 18-person lab course now has 800 students enrolled or on the waitlist for the fall semester, which begins Monday; the Aggies voted it UC Davis’s top elective of 2016.

Ristenpart teaches classes with chemical engineering professor Tonya Kuhl before students break out into labs of 36. A few have experience in the coffee world, like Keegan Thompson, a barista at Philz Coffee and senior communications major who was hired as a roaster intern at the UC Davis Coffee Center late this summer.

“It’s really fascinating to learn about the impact of the temperature of the water, the hardness of the water versus the coarseness or fineness of your grind,” Thompson said. “And then as a barista, you learn a lot about, ‘I’m going to grind these beans and give this coffee to somebody,’ but you don’t learn as much about the process of getting those coffee beans and having them roasted and having them picked by people all over the world.”

You can purchase bags of dark-roasted beans (Aggie Bold) or medium-roasted beans (Aggie Blend) from the UC Davis Coffee Center at the campus bookstore or online at coffeecenter.ucdavis.edu/shop. The cow-spot bags cost $10 for three ounces or $20 for 10 ounces, with proceeds supporting student research. Ristenpart recommends grinding the coffee just before brewing, as with all coffee.

What I eat

After advocating for trips to Apple Hill in September in last week’s newsletter (early season = no crowds and many varieties are ripe now), I put my money where my mouth was on Sunday. Apple picking at Pine-O-Mine Ranch, browsing the shelves at Abel’s Apple Acres, and wine tasting with a helping of pie at Delfino Farms all led to dinner at Smith Flat House, Placerville’s best fine dining restaurant.

Founded in 1853 as a Gold Rush hotel and community hub, Smith Flat House combines its historic setting with modern California cuisine. The spacious courtyard patio was rented out for a private event during our visit, banishing all other guests to the subterranean basement dining room that still bears signs of its mining past.

Wooden benches and tables atop wine barrels give the Smith Flat House basement a rustic feel and provide a fitting backdrop for the risotto pizzaiola ($27). Housemade marinara sauce combines roasted red peppers, whole cherry tomatoes, and mozzarella in a casserole reminiscent of ratatouille’s cousin.

There is also a range of stone oven pizzas, including the seasonal stone fruit ($17 for a 9-inch pie, $30 for a 14-inch pie) on the menu until the last bit of summer. Contrasting flavors intertwine on the medium-thick crust: salty prosciutto and Sierra Nevada Cheese Co. feta, sweet Beals’ Orchard peaches and caramelized onions, tangy lemon juice enveloped in peppery arugula.