Thursday, January 15, 2015

Electron Microscopy Images Of Coffee

Getting really close to an object can reveal things that you'd never imagine just looking at it with your naked eye.  When photographers and scientists train their eye on coffee with an electron microscope, the results can be breathtaking.

This false-coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) shows caffeine crystals.
This false-coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) shows caffeine crystals. Photo by Annie Cavanagh, Wellcome Images



Ground Coffee by Maria Carbajo, FEI
Ground Coffee
by Maria Carbajo, FEI


A coloured scanning electron micrograph of a roasted coffee bean Picture: SPL / Barcroft Media
A coloured scanning electron micrograph of a roasted coffee bean Picture: SPL / Barcroft Media


Back in 2013 Nestle's in-house food scientists produced photographs of microscopic food particles that in their words "reveal hidden worlds in everyday products", and published them on their Flickr page. https://www.flickr.com/photos/nestle/sets/72157646848720320  Below are what they found when focusing on coffee particles.


"These glittering flakes are particles of sucralose (a non-caloric sweetener) and roast and ground coffee."
These glittering flakes are particles of sucralose (a non-caloric sweetener) and roast and ground coffee.


"This image of freeze-dried coffee reveals its ‘micro gas’ cells and cavities. When the cavities come into contact with hot water, they create ‘crema’, a naturally formed foam of coffee and air."
"This image of freeze-dried coffee reveals its ‘micro gas’ cells and cavities.
When the cavities come into contact with hot water, they create ‘crema’, a naturally formed foam of coffee and air."


"Cappuccino ‘foam booster’ granules are particles of carbohydrates and protein loaded with gas bubbles. When they meet hot water, they release the gas, lifting the creamer to the surface to form an instant, milky foam."
"Cappuccino ‘foam booster’ granules are particles of carbohydrates and protein loaded with gas bubbles.
When they meet hot water, they release the gas, lifting the creamer to the surface to form an instant, milky foam."


"What looks like a cave network is really the interior of a green coffee bean. Changes that occur to a coffee bean’s internal structure during roasting can have an impact on its overall quality."
"What looks like a cave network is really the interior of a green coffee bean.
Changes that occur to a coffee bean’s internal structure during roasting can have an impact on its overall quality."


"A meteorite shower? We’d say it’s more of a storm in a tea cup… These are particles of spray-dried instant coffee, with entrapped pieces of finely-ground roast coffee."
"A meteorite shower?
We’d say it’s more of a storm in a tea cup…
These are particles of spray-dried instant coffee, with entrapped pieces of finely-ground roast coffee."


"It could be a piece of coral. In fact it’s the cell structure of roast and ground coffee."
"It could be a piece of coral. In fact it’s the cell structure of roast and ground coffee."



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