Let's address static electricity in coffee. You have certainly come across static in your coffee when grinding. This causes your coffee grounds to fly everywhere, sticking to your hands and making a mess on your counter before you even start brewing. Different grinders, coffees and environments can produce more or less static, but we can reduce this with the “Ross Drop Technique” – or RDT for short. It's named after David Ross, who appears to have pioneered the idea in 2005.
Just add a few drops of water to the beans before grinding them. Although the idea may seem scary, since the instructions are to keep your coffee in a dry, ventilated place, away from light and protected from humidity to better preserve your beans.
The important thing is that the drops are distributed quite evenly among the grains. Therefore, the simplest way to do this is to use a spray bottle. This can be a handy way to keep water on hand, but you'll still need to stir the grains afterwards.
The reason this works is also quite simple. Static electricity causes coffee grounds to fly everywhere because there is an imbalance between the charge of the coffee particles and the grinder. These charges cause the particles and the grinder to behave like two magnets with their north poles facing each other: they repel each other. The more water there is in the air, the more conductive it is – which is why you may have noticed that the grind becomes more static during the drier months. By adding a little water, we make the environment inside the grinder more conductive, which allows static charges to flow and dissipate, thus preventing these particles from flying across your countertop.
Let's talk about precautions. Use minimal water. While grinders can handle some moisture without damaging or rusting, they aren't big fans of the material. Stick to what is safe and use as little water as possible to produce the most beneficial effects.
Furthermore, the Ross droplet technique should only be used in a single dosage and water should always be added immediately before grinding. Leaving beans in contact with water for any length of time will result in the breakdown of the internal compounds, which means they won't taste as good when you prepare them. This technique can be used for espresso coffee, as long as it is a single dose, which means that you should not pour water on the beans in the grinder dome and for preparation methods, since we are going to dose the beans, so you can use the RDT to reduce static.
According to a study published in the scientific journal Matter, coffee beans that have a higher level of internal humidity and produce less static electricity lead to a more consistent and intense espresso.
The researchers then advise adding a few drops of water when grinding the coffee. They explain that when coffee is ground, the process creates friction and generates electricity that can cause coffee particles to clump together and stick to the grinder.
In the study, this favorable moisture level was achieved by simply adding a little water to the beans before grinding them. The authors explain that it is precisely this characteristic that determines the amount of charge that is formed while the coffee is ground.
“Water not only reduces static electricity and therefore reduces mess during grinding, but it can also have a big impact on the strength of the drink and, potentially, the ability to access higher concentrations of flavors," the article states.
Does spraying water on grains make sense to you? Leave your opinion here
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