Flat vs conical burrs research says no one can reliably taste the difference (2013)
I wonder what your opinions are on this research paper done by the Speciality Coffee Association by a Masters degree researcher specialised in taste.
According to this testing people with all kind of different amounts of experience cannot taste the difference for a flat or a conical burr reliable. Even with some flavor wording training people can barely distuingish the flavorprofiles between conical and flat burrs.
Why doesn’t this article show up more in James Hoffmans of Lance Hedricks video’s? They keep on insisting the flavor profiles really are different, but looking into this paper it is clear there is no taste difference and hence it doesn’t matter what grinder to get?
What are your opinions? Past couple of weeks I have fallen in this rabbit hole and there seems no clear answer except through this paper
Edit: I have found the seminar they held about this paper here on youtube:
https://youtu.be/3XYTi6OBecA?is=bCC4va08wZ954tJB
Around min 30 the author of the study begins
2nd edit: in the video the researcher does recommend new research in espresso making
But reading the comments, I can happily sleep now knowing that indeed only a small percentage of people claim to distinguish flavor in burr difference
But what astonishes me is that some people are very critical about the method of the research and the way it is performed 13 years ago, so much that they neglect the results. Resorting back to just anecdotal evidence, some opinions from influencers and subjective self tasting on only 1-3 grinders. Humans are fascinating