Sources & Methodology
Last reviewed: 23 September 2026
Brew Bench uses the references below as starting points for its educational tools and guides. Coffee outcomes vary with beans, water, equipment, technique and personal preference. A source supports the method or context stated here; it does not turn a calculator result into a certification or a guaranteed outcome.
Brewing calculations
The ratio and extraction tools use transparent mass-balance arithmetic. Target windows and sensory descriptions are treated as adjustable reference points, not universal pass/fail rules.
- Specialty Coffee Association: Towards a New Brewing Chart — context on the Coffee Brewing Control Chart, extraction and TDS.
- Specialty Coffee Association: Brewing Handbook resources — further professional reference for brewing practice.
Brewing methods and equipment
Recipe timing, grind descriptions, dose suggestions and equipment capacities are editorial starting points assembled for home use. They should be adjusted by taste, drawdown, yield and manufacturer instructions.
- SCA: Brewing-chart background — explains why measured results and sensory preference must be interpreted together.
- SCA Handbook resources — further reading for brewing and water practice.
Water and mineral guidance
Unit conversions use their stated mathematical definitions. Suggested hardness ranges are practical references, not a complete water-safety assessment. Follow local drinking-water advice and equipment-maker requirements.
- Specialty Coffee Association store resources — includes the SCA Water Quality Handbook among its reference publications.
- SCA: Brewing-chart background — context for separating measured variables from personal preference.
Sensory language and cupping
The Flavor Wheel and tasting-note tools use sensory vocabulary as prompts, not diagnoses. The former 100-point cupping calculator is explicitly labelled as a legacy learning format because SCA CVA standards supersede the earlier protocol.
- Specialty Coffee Association: current coffee standards — current CVA standards, including SCA-102, SCA-103 and SCA-104.
- Specialty Coffee Association: Coffee Value Assessment — CVA documents and methodology.
- World Coffee Research: Sensory Lexicon — coffee aroma, flavour and texture terminology.
- SCA Coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel — licensing and background for the SCA/WCR wheel.
Freshness, storage and processing
Freshness windows and processing guidance are approximate practical aids. Roast development, packaging, storage temperature, grinder retention and brewing method can all change the result; use sensory evaluation and roaster information alongside the tools.
- SCA Handbook resources — includes coffee-freshness and brewing reference material.
- World Coffee Research Sensory Lexicon — vocabulary for documenting changes observed in the cup.
Corrections and source requests
If a reference is superseded, a method is unclear or a statement needs a better source, email [email protected]. Please include the page URL and supporting source so the editorial team can assess the correction.