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‘A lot more goes into it than I realized’: College class teaches chemistry behind making coffee

‘A lot more goes into it than I realized’: College class teaches chemistry behind making coffee
ONE DISTRACTED DRIVER. GULSTAN: YOU WANT COLLEGE STUDENTS TO GET A WELL ROUNDED EDUCATION. THAT HAPPENS EVERY DAY AT U.C. DAVIS BUT STAFF HAS TAKING THE IDEA OF AN ELECTIVE TO A NEW HEIGHT. AS KCRA 3’S JASON MARKS SHOWS, U THERE IS A LOT BREWING ON CAMP.US REPORTER: THERE IS A CERTAIN BLD ENTO ANY COLLEGE CAMSPU AND UC DAVIS IS NO DIFFERENT >> THERE IS NO GOOD SERVICE TO SMACK IT. REPORTER: A MIX OF YOUNG MINDS. WITH A THITRS >> I DRINK A LOT OF COFFEE. REPORTER: FOR SOMETHING MORE THAN KNOWLEDGE >> IT KEEPS AWAKE MAKES ME DO MY HOMEWORK >> SOMETIMES IT GIVES ME THE ENERGY THAT NEEDI >> F.UN I LOVE COFEFE REPORTER: THE CAMPUS COFFEE HOUSE, I DRINK A LOT OF COFF.EE PROVIDES THE BACK DROP TO STUDY THE PERFECT POUR >> STUDY THE PERFECT POUR WHAT GOES INTO COFF?EE UM A LOT ACTUALLY >> NO, NO. I JUST BUY IT AND I DRK ITIN REPORTER: B RUTIGHT ACROSS THE STRE.ET >> I NEVER EVEN KNEW A CLASS LIKE THIS EXISTED AT DAVIS REPORTER: SITS, THE SCIENCES LAB BUILNGDI >> THERE IS A LOT MORE MATH THAN WHAT WE THOUGHT REPORTER: WHERE IT’S BUSINESS ABOUT THE ANBE >> OH IT’S REALLY HARD TO CONCENTRATE. IT SMELLS SO GOOD THE SMELL, THE SMELL IT'’ >> EXCITING. >> IT IS VERY GOOD >> I LOVE EVERY TUESDAY MORNING COMING IN AND JUST HAVING THE ROOM SMELLING LIKE COFEFE REPORTER: THIS IS THE CHEMISTRY COFOFFEE >> I TOLD ALL MY FAMILY AT THANKSVIGING AND THEY WERE LIKE YOU’RE TAKING A CLASS ABOUT COFFEE WHAT THAT’S KELI REPORTER: A UC DAVIS STAPLE SINCE 2013 WE STARTED WITH 18 STUDENTS NOW MORE THAN 600 STUDENTS SIGN UP EACH SEMESTER >> WHEN I SAW THIS CLASS I WAS LIKE OK THIS SOUNDS LIKE A FUN CLASS BUT IT ACTUALLY A LOT MORE GOES INTO IT THAN I REALIZED >> DO YOU SEE HOW THE FFDIERENT IS? A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK COFFEE IS JUST ADDING POWDER TO HOT WATER IT’S SO MUCH MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT. >> THERE IS A WHOLE SCIENCE BEHIND IT AND IT IS COOL THAT WE CAN EXPERIMENTED IN THE CLASSROOM. REPORT:ER WHO KNEW THERE COULD BE SO MUCH EDUCATION GROUND UP >> THEY ARE DEFINITELY PECULATING REPORTER: IN EACH CUP OF JOE >> THE PRESSING ALLOWS THE COFFEE TO FILTER THROUGH AND WE WILL HAVE ABOUT 200 GRAMOFS COFFEE. >> THIS IS THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY PER BEAN AND IF WE MULTIPLITE BE THE AMOUNT OF BEANS WE USED >> THINK IS GOOD. >> THIS CLASS IS MUCH MORE DELICIOUS THAN YOUR STANDARD DISSECTING FROG BIO LAB >> WE WILL BE READY TO STUDY FOR FINALS LATER TODAY. REPORTER: WHAT’S DONE IN IS THIS CLASSROOM IS A CAREFUL CRAFT, >> IT’S JUST LIKE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENWAT Y OF LOOKING AT CO FFEE. REPORTER: A CHANCE WITH LEARN >> HIGH NUMBERS EAR GOOD LOW NUMBERS ARE BAD. REPORTER: AND BECOME A CONNOISSEUR AND DO IT WITH A BIT A JOLT >> I KNOW. CAFFEINE LEVELS ARE RINGSI >> SOME OF THE BEST COFFEE I’VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE HAS BEEN PREPARED BY STUDENTS IN ISTH CLASS. REPORT:ER IN DAVIS >> I ONLY WISH I WAS A TA RFO THAT CLASS THEN I COULD TAEST THEIR GREAT WORK. REPORTER: FOR PHOTOJOURNALIST DREW FAULK >> NOW EVERY TIME I SMELL COFFEE I THINK OH COFFEE LA JASON MARKS KCRA 3S.EW BRAN:DI IT IS DEFINITELY BETTER THAN DISSECTING THE FROG. THEY ARE ALSO BUZZED. WE JUST SAW THE INTRODUCTORY COFFEE COURSE AT DAV
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‘A lot more goes into it than I realized’: College class teaches chemistry behind making coffee
In 2013, University of California, Davis professor Dr. Bill Ristenpart created a new class on campus, but he had no idea it would be so popular."This class is much more delicious than your standard dissecting frog bio lab," said Ristenpart.This semester, more than 600 students signed up for the Coffee Lab. It's a course that teaches the math and chemistry behind a good cup of joe."When I saw this class, I was like, 'OK, this sounds like a fun class,' but actually, a lot more goes into it than I realized," added sophomore Heidi Spence. "A lot of people think coffee is just adding powder to hot water," Ristenpart said. "It's so much more complicated than that."The class is just the first in a series of coffee-related classes on campus. Ristenpart says there are more advanced classes, and that several UC Davis graduates are working in the coffee industry right now."Some of the best coffee I've ever had in my life has been prepared by students in this class," he said.

In 2013, University of California, Davis professor Dr. Bill Ristenpart created a new class on campus, but he had no idea it would be so popular.

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"This class is much more delicious than your standard dissecting frog bio lab," said Ristenpart.

This semester, more than 600 students signed up for the Coffee Lab. It's a course that teaches the math and chemistry behind a good cup of joe.

"When I saw this class, I was like, 'OK, this sounds like a fun class,' but actually, a lot more goes into it than I realized," added sophomore Heidi Spence.

"A lot of people think coffee is just adding powder to hot water," Ristenpart said. "It's so much more complicated than that."

The class is just the first in a series of coffee-related classes on campus. Ristenpart says there are more , and that several UC Davis graduates are working in the coffee industry right now.

"Some of the best coffee I've ever had in my life has been prepared by students in this class," he said.