Quantification of taste of coffee using sensor with global selectivity

The tastes of different kinds of coffee were measured using a taste sensor. It was found that the lipid membranes of the sensor can be used safely at temperatures as high as 60°C for half a year. Coffees processed by a roasting-brewing procedure were easily discriminated; very high correlations were found between the response electric potentials of the taste sensor and the results of sensory tests by humans for acidity and bitterness, which are the characteristic tastes of coffee. The results imply that the taste of coffee can be quantified by this objective measure. The taste of commercial liquid canned coffees was also quantified, and a two-dimensional taste map was obtained. These results are due to the global selectivity of the taste sensor, which responds simultaneously to tastes of various substances in foodstuffs and classifies them into characteristic groups of taste qualities.