Coffee beans in space

It is the year 10.991, tired from a long space journey to a desert planet, you are greeted by your host who offers you something warm to drink. What specifically? It is, of course, coffee beans.

In any case, this is how Frank Herbert imagined the future in 'Dune' (1965), widely regarded as the best science fiction novel ever written. In the enduringly popular two-part film adaptation directed by Denis Villeneuve, coffee is brewed (traditionally in a metal pot over a campfire!) only once, but in Herbert's novel it is drunk more often. All in all, not surprising, after all coffee beans is ideal for any situation.

How was coffee once enjoyed in space?

During the first human expeditions to orbit around the Earth, every American astronaut or Soviet cosmonaut was a unique individual with many talents and horse health. But an astronaut is also a human being and needs a cup of coffee! A lot of tasks await in orbit. One has to be mobilised and ready to perform under difficult conditions, a coffee beans a perfect wake-up call. Although we owe many inventions to space expeditions (e.g. the infrared thermometer or the cordless hoover), nothing better for a post-sleep boost than coffee beans has been invented by spaceflight specialists.</p&gt;</p>

The first coffees in space were drunk either as a powder mixed with cold water or as a ready mix squeezed from a tube. Hot (powdered) coffee appeared during the Apollo 11 mission, the first to end with a moon landing. On the space shuttle, astronauts drank freeze-dried coffee mixed with hot water. Coffee not coincidental - at NASA, a blend from the Kona region of Hawaii is drunk in orbit. In 1980, it was suggested to NASA by Ellison Onizuka, who came from there. Unfortunately, Onizuka and the other six crew members were killed during the tragically ended Challenger mission in 1986, but Kona coffee is still delivered by NASA to astronauts in orbit today.</p&gt;</p>

Ground coffee beans brewed in space

Is freshly brewed coffee beans Is coffee in space possible? Yes! For 32 months between April 2015 and December 2017, astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) were able to enjoy coffee brewed in a specially constructed coffee machinegracefully named ISSpres. Of course, as in the case of space missions, it is not just pleasure that makes a living. Useful in this case were the studies carried out on this occasion on the mechanics of fluids under high pressure and temperature in the microgravity conditions prevailing on the orbiting ISS. But it must be said that these were tasty experiments in which coffee beans played a key role.

We brew space coffee beans!

If you want to try space coffee, you can, of course, brew the Hawaiian blend used by NASA, the Kona Extra Fancy. Ze costs money because of its cosmic reputation. So we will go a step further, leaving the Earth and its orbit behind. We are going to try space coffee from the planet Arrakis, the coffee bean that the heroes of 'Dune' drink in the distant future. This coffee is unique. It is mixed with a spice called melange, a substance found only on the desert planet Arrakis that makes interstellar travel possible.</p></p&gt;>

What we know from the book about spiced coffee</strong>? The coffee was characterised by a distinct smell of cinnamon ("coffee with mélange (the intense cinnamon scent of the spice spread in the air over the table)") and a high caffeine content. ('- Bring something to stimulate you. Preferably caffeine. Maybe there's some spiced coffee left over?"). We also know that it was brewed traditionally. ("On a low table to the right rested Paul's inherited coffee service from Jamis, made of fluted silver and jasmonium alloy") and drunk from cups. ("A dark hand slipped between the curtains beside her (Lady Jessica - IM note) and withdrew, leaving a cup on the table. The aroma of spiced coffee wafted from the cup.)".

Of course, melange does not occur on our planet, but as a fan with a lifelong love of Herbert's novel, I tried a few suggestions found on the internet for coffees that mimic the one from Arrakis. The one I liked best was the one made with the recipe below, modified by me.

Ingredients:

• Freshly brewed strong coffee beans
• 1 glass (200 ml) of water
• 3 teaspoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla flavouring
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preparation:

1. In a saucepan, heat the water with the sugar and vanilla.
2. Bring to the boil, remove from heat, add cinnamon, stir.
3. Cool and pour into a jar for storage in the fridge.
4. Add 2-4 teaspoons of the prepared solution to a cup of your favourite, freshly brewed POWER coffee beans.
5. Welcome to Arrakis!!! 🙂 🙂

A cosmic ending

Space travel may seem remote, but coffee beans will always remain close to our hearts (and cups). Whether you're on Earth or dreaming of distant planets, this drink will always give you the energy and flavour you need to explore new worlds.</p></p&gt;>

Written by Igor Maćkowski