Pu’er Coffee

 Today, vacuum packaging is a perfectly ordinary way to keep food fresh. But if we turn the clock back to the early 19th century, preserving coffee over long-distance transport was a serious challenge. Once coffee beans are roasted, they oxidize easily and lose their flavor quickly. If someone could solve that problem, it would be nothing short of a technological revolution. That’s exactly what we’re exploring today: who invented vacuum packaging for coffee, and how this invention went on to carry a coffee brand through more than a century of history. Before we get to the invention itself, we need to understand a coffee brand with over a hundred years of heritage—Hills Bros. Coffee, from the United States. As early as 1873, Old Austin Hills, a shipyard worker, traveled from New England to California with his two sons, Austin Herbert and Reuben Wilmarth. After settling down, the younger Austin and R.W. (as Reuben was usually called) began selling coffee, tea, and dairy products from...

 If you’ve ever ordered from an independent coffee shop, chances are the barista reminded you: “Coffee tastes best when it’s hot.” Seasoned coffee lovers even swear by the “15-second golden window” for espresso. But many people wonder — is this just a habit or superstition? What really happens when coffee cools down — does it just taste different, or does it actually go bad ? 🔥 The Science of Heat and Flavor The truth behind “drink it hot” lies in how temperature shapes flavor. When we taste coffee, aroma and flavor are inseparable — aroma comes from volatile compounds, and temperature directly determines how much of that aroma reaches our senses. At higher temperatures — especially around 61–62°C (about 142°F) , widely considered the optimal drinking temperature — the fruity, caramel, and floral notes in the beans are released most vividly. Take the “Mozart” beans from Costa Rica’s Musician Series, for example: right after brewing, the jasmine fragrance hits you first, fo...