How does a capsule work?
A coffee capsule is practically a small container that contains ground coffee. The capsule is airtight, meaning that the coffee cannot “spoil” inside, so it retains its quality much longer than ground coffee. Of course, some oxygen gets inside, so it is good to “blow out” the capsule with nitrogen during production, because in an oxygen-free environment, the coffee cannot oxidize or “flatten”. When we put the capsule into the coffee maker at home, when we close it, it tightens into place, and a hole is made at the bottom so that the machine can pump water in. By pressing the green button, a vibrating pump pumps water into the capsule, the foil on top of which breaks, and the finished coffee flows out.
How is a capsule made?
Freshly roasted coffee is ground and filled into the empty capsule in an oxygen-poor environment, then sealed. This process would be very difficult and uneven if done manually, so it is good to mechanize it. The different work phases are clearly visible in the video below:
We use a so-called disc machine, i.e. a circular disc goes around and around, and the capsule travels on it between each work phase (it goes to the house for coffee). Thanks to the programming, the same amount of coffee is put into each capsule, and each capsule is sealed (soldered) in the same way. Since the entire machine is closed, no dirt (dust, other materials, etc.) can get inside, so we can work in a completely clean environment. (In the picture above, the foil that seals the capsules is loaded, an arm takes it from there and places it on top of the capsule. Of course, everyone in the factory wears protective clothing and hair nets, since we deal with food, in accordance with the strictest hygiene regulations.)
What can be set on a capsule?
Almost everything, even coffee beans themselves, requires a lot of experimentation. It doesn't matter how you roast each type, each one requires a different profile. In addition, the coffee that goes into coffee machines in cafes requires a slightly different roasting profile than capsule coffee. At the same time, you also have to experiment with the grind to see how fine it should be so that the capsule "comes through" nicely in every home machine and still tastes delicious. The filling amount is also related to this. The more coffee you put into a capsule, the better an older, weaker pump machine will cope with it, but the less there is in it, the more watery the finished drink will be.
How long does it take to set up?
This is always changing. It can be said that a batch that has been encapsulated once will never behave the same in the next production, at most we can use the old settings as a guide. By constantly modifying the parameters, we find the setting that makes the coffee from the capsules of the new production exactly the same as from the previous ones. This is sometimes a short process, sometimes a longer one, but if we strive for quality, we should never work only from the checkered notebook, we must always taste and measure.
That's why it's good that Samurai Shoelace capsules are made by coffee experts!
We are used to the fact that in a café, the coffee has to be adjusted every morning, and most of the time it has to be adjusted again during the day so that the guests can drink good coffee. Something always changes, which makes the coffee beans “behave” a little differently, i.e. the taste of the coffee will be different. Sometimes we hardly notice this, sometimes the guests would notice it too. We work similarly with the capsules, we always adjust them again, and we constantly taste them during production. Of course, we are also constantly developing and learning, so our capsules will be better and better!