5.

2 Starbucks Research &

Development
Starbucks Research & Development Team Empowers
Our Baristas

The Starbucks Research and Development (R&D) team in Seattle crafts

the brewing recipes that are followed every day in our stores around
the world. The R&D team does not work alone; they partner closely
with the Coffee Development team, master roasters and the partners
that develop Starbucks equipment to find the brewing recipe that
brings alive the flavor profile of each Starbucks® coffee.

But exactly how much extraction creates the right balance of flavors,
and how do we get to this optimum point? In coffee laboratories, such
as our Research and Development labs in Seattle, extraction
percentage (solubles yield) is measured with refractometers to allow
our experts to calculate what percentage of the solubles of the coffee
bean was dissolved. This data, along with sensory analysis of cup
profiles, guides our R&D team in creating the Starbucks recipes that
are used every day in our stores.

There are many different factors that affect how much extraction
occurs during the brewing process. Some you are very familiar with,
like the crucial Four Fundamentals that guide our customers to brew
great cups of coffee at home: proportion, grind, water and freshness.
But many other brewing variables also affect extraction.

Think for a moment about the different processes used for pulling a
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 shot of espresso and batch brewing. If the extraction was measured for
a correctly pulled shot of espresso and a freshly served cup of coffee
from the brewer, both measurements would be similar, but the amount
of extraction was reached in different ways. Other brewing variables
include the amount of time the grounds and water are in contact, the
turbulence of the water as it comes over and passes through the bed of
coffee, the depth of the bed of coffee, and even the permeability and
thickness of the filter. These are all important factors in extraction and
therefore important influences on flavor in the cup.

The brewing recipes, equipment and procedures in our stores help

Starbucks baristas manage these many brewing variables and guide
them to that desired optimum extraction. Regardless of brew method—
batch brew, pour-over, siphon, Toddy® Cold Brew System—each time
you brew, you should be following a recipe that has been extensively
tested to create cup profiles we are consistently proud to share with
customers here and around the world.

Video: Starbucks Brew & Craft (4:33)

Brewing Recipes Create Global Consistency in Quality

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 We use recipes in our lives in different ways for the same reason: they
help us consistently achieve the same result. Whether you are cooking
dinner or baking a cake, or brewing great coffee, to transform the raw
ingredients you need to follow the steps and techniques outlined in the
recipe.

We are proud of the brewing recipes we use in our stores. There is a

unique recipe designed for each brew method, specifying the
equipment and smallwares to use, along with precise ratios of coffee to
water and the steps to follow. Brewing recipes set up our partners for
success—from a neighborhood drive-thru to a Starbucks Reserve®
Roastery—and allow us to create great coffee experiences that are
consistent around the world.

Some Starbucks brewing recipes highlight floral, high-toned notes in

certain coffees while others aim for body that is rich and creamy. Our
recipes replicate the cup profile our coffee experts validated during
development, and they create the flavor experiences our customers
rely on and look forward to. Every cup of Starbucks® coffee we serve
faithfully represents Starbucks history and heritage.

Yes, there are many possible ways to brew coffee, but it is extremely
important that you follow the Starbucks brewing recipes that have been
crafted, tried and tested by our R&D team—and proven over and over in
our stores for years. These recipes have become as much a signature
part of the Starbucks Experience as our individual roasts and blends.
Customers love the comfort of consistency—it’s reassuring and
satisfying. They know that when they visit a Starbucks® store,
wherever it may be, they will enjoy the familiar coffee experience they
have come to cherish and rely on. Recipes are crucial in achieving
utmost consistency in our coffee, and they contribute to reliable quality
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 in immeasurable ways throughout tens of thousands of stores globally.

All coffee brewing starts with the same three basic ingredients: coffee,
water and a filter. Each of the three plays an important role in brewing.
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