Hendon, ChristopherBumbaugh, Robin2025-02-242025-04-302025-02-24https://hdl.handle.net/1794/30466This thesis presents groundbreaking research on using electrochemicalmethods in conjunction with % Total Dissolved Solids (%TDS) as a marker for brewed coffee qualities. The study emphasizes the necessity of brewing reproducible coffee for accurate measurements. It highlights the impact of adding water to coffee beans before grinding, which reduces electrostatic charge and results in a more uniform particle size distribution, enhancing consistent extraction during brewing. The research further examines the relationship between roast degree, measured by Agtron value, and %TDS, utilizing cyclic voltammetry (CV) as a novel technique for analyzing brewed coffee. A strong correlation is found between the integrated area of the observed reduction wave and %TDS, linked to hydrogen underpotential deposition (HUPD) on a platinum electrode. It is also found that coffee matrix molecules adsorb to the electrode surface, block reaction sites, and suppress the HUPD signal with multiple CV cycles. The study further explores the effects of varying brew parameters (grind size, water temperature, water amount, bean amount, and brew time) on CV characteristics, demonstrating linear correlations between %TDS, HUPD reduction wave area, and peak height, with shifts in brew parameters impacting these metrics. Additional CV characteristics, peak center and peak full-width-half-maximum both of which are known to relate to solution composition, are observed to shift with brew parameters but do not correlate to %TDS. The innovative use of CV for assessing coffee quality opens new avenues for electrochemistry techniques in food science, with potential applications in other acidic liquids such as wine and tea. Future research could leverage multifactor analysis for standard protocols in coffee scaling and flavor targeting, possibly incorporating electrochemical devices in brewing processes to allow consumers to adjust for individual flavor preferences. This dissertation includes previously published and unpublished co-authored materialen-USAll Rights Reserved.CoffeeElectrochemistryElectronic Thesis or Dissertation