POTENTIAL, a cold brew collaboration between Atomic Coffee Roasters and Overpotential
First access
The first cold brew made with electricity.
We did one run with coffee scientist Dr. Christopher Hendon. Sign up for first access and buy it before anyone else.
We love cold brew, but it has a ceiling.
Cold brew is a big part of what we do here at Atomic.
The single origins we’re proudest of on the roasting side almost never end up in a can, because the process won’t do them justice.
This is the first time that door has been open for us.
What we did
We worked with coffee scientist Dr. Christopher Hendon and Overpotential to run the brew through an in-line electrochemical step, using electricity to bring its natural fruit and sweetness back to the surface.
It’s the first cold brew made this way.
Who’s Dr. Coffee
The coffee world’s scientist, with his name on a can for the first time.
Dr. Christopher Hendon co-wrote Water for Coffee with barista champion Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood, and his research is where the turbo shot came from. He teaches chemistry at the University of Oregon, where he runs the Oregon Coffee Laboratory, a public lab studying the electrical properties of coffee extracts. The specialty coffee world calls him Dr. Coffee. POTENTIAL is the first coffee made with Overpotential’s technology.
Atomic is a second-generation family roaster in Boston that has made and canned its own cold brew for years. That’s why the first one happened here.
“We had this idea to control flavor chemistry using electricity, and Atomic is the first adopter of both our technology and our brand. We are excited to help bring this coffee to its full potential, and hope you enjoy it.”
Made with Dr. Christopher Hendon, co-founder of Overpotential
Canning day · Friday, September 18
A world first.
One run, canned with Chris in the room, and as far as we know this is the first commercially available cold brew made this way. Our QC team tasted it before a single can was filled, and we were ecstatic with the results.
As reported in Daily Coffee News: Atomic Coffee and Overpotential Combine for Electrified Cold Brew →
We chose Gera Estate, a natural from Djimma in western Ethiopia we’ve sourced for three years running. It has the berry notes you’d expect from an Ethiopia natural, plus mango and a floral note that carries through. Those are exactly the things cold brew flattens first.
The finish is the part that surprised us. Cold brew usually leaves a heavy, lingering weight behind. This one doesn’t.
Taste what this coffee was meant to be all along. Its full potential, realized.
The questions we get
Answered by Overpotential.
How the reactor works isn’t ours to explain, so we asked them. These are their answers, in their words.
- How does it work?
- Coffee contains thousands of chemical compounds, each contributing their own unique flavor to the cup. Extraction is a balancing act: pull as much of the good out of the grounds as possible while leaving the harsh compounds behind. Overpotential uses electrochemistry to selectively convert bitter and astringent molecules into forms that let the coffee’s natural sweetness come through.
- What does the reactor do that cold brewing alone doesn’t?
- Every water-soluble compound migrates from the grounds into the cup, so even the best brews carry some compounds you’d rather not taste. Overpotential’s reactor sits after extraction and affects the compounds that brewing can’t leave behind, leaving the coffee’s best expression in the cup.
- Is anything added to the coffee?
- We don’t use any added ingredients or adulterants. Instead, we take the chemical profile supplied by nature and apply finely-tuned electrical inputs to reach a new flavor profile.
- Is this really the first cold brew made this way?
- Yes!
Answers from Doran Pennington, Founder & CEO, Overpotential
One run. You’re first.
- One coffee, one batch, one day.
- Sign-ups buy before it’s public.
