Photo by Reeta Asmai/UC Davis
UC-Davis-Coffee-Lab
UC Davis undergraduate students explore engineering principles through roasting and brewing coffee in the chemical engineering course, “The Design of Coffee."
US
Espresso machine manufacturer La Marzocco recently pledged $750,000 to the University of California, Davis, to support the college’s new Coffee Center building and its coffee science research efforts. The pledge is the largest gift to the Coffee Center.
UC Davis will renovate a 6,000-square-foot campus building to become a center for coffee research and education. The La Marzocco Brewing and Espresso Laboratory will be a cornerstone of the university’s coffee research and education efforts, the company said in a statement. La Marzocco will also provide state-of-the-art espresso machines for the laboratory.
The building also will include a pilot roastery, a green bean storage laboratory, a sensory and cupping laboratory, an advanced chemical analytical laboratory, a classroom and an outdoor event space.
“The forward motion of the coffee industry has always been the core of our mission at La Marzocco,” said Kent Bakke, La Marzocco’s international c.e.o. “We believe the Coffee Center at UC Davis represents a renewed focus on understanding the science behind coffee that will lead us to better practices for growers, importers, roasters, and cafes. Our international team is expanding our research and educational initiatives and we hope UC Davis can be a partner in this effort.”