tags: [] - coffee/science - coffee/brewing aliases: - coffee refractometer - TDS measurement - coffee total dissolved solids created: 2026-05-10 updated: 2026-05-10
Refractometry¶
Tags: #coffee/science #coffee/brewing Aliases: coffee refractometer, TDS measurement, coffee total dissolved solids Related: Brewing Control Chart | Specialty Coffee MoC Status: 🌱 Stub
Overview¶
Refractometry in coffee uses a hand-held or digital refractometer to measure the total dissolved solids (TDS) of a brewed coffee, expressed as a percentage. Combined with the brew ratio (dose to water), TDS enables calculation of extraction yield — the percentage of the coffee's mass that was dissolved into the cup — allowing brewers to assess whether a coffee is under-, over-, or optimally extracted. The VST refractometer became widely adopted in specialty coffee from around 2010, bringing objective measurement to a domain previously governed by taste alone.
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