James Hoffmann vs My Impossible Hot & Cold Coffee

Summary

In this video, Chris revisits his innovative hot and cold drink concept, initially developed during his time at Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck restaurant. Inspired by molecular gastronomy, the concept combines hot and cold coffee in a single cup, creating a unique sensory experience. After several trials and collaboration with coffee expert James Hoffmann, they refine the recipe using gellan gum and coffee concentrate. Hoffmann enjoys the final result, describing the split sensations as fun and novel. The video concludes with real customers trying the drink, offering mixed but intrigued reactions.

Takeaways

• ☕ Heston Blumenthal's hot and cold coffee experiment is inspired by his previous dish, hot and iced tea, which he developed at the Fat Duck restaurant in 2004.
• 🧬 The key to creating the dual temperature drink is thixotropy, a property of liquids that thickens when undisturbed and thins when stirred.
• 🔬 Gellan gum, an obscure thickener with extreme sheer-thinning behavior, is used to create the fluid gel for the hot and cold sides.
• 🧪 The recipe requires precision in pH, mineral content, temperature, and stirring to ensure the gellan gum hydrates properly and forms a smooth fluid gel.
• 📅 After months of trial and error, Chris figured out how to create a drink that allows both hot and cold liquids to coexist in the same cup without mixing.
• 🥶 The experiment was adapted from tea to coffee, with Cometeer frozen coffee concentrate helping overcome consistency issues.
• 🎨 This technique creates a strange sensory experience, as the mouth perceives hot and cold simultaneously with the same sip.
• 🌍 The experiment faced challenges due to differing mineral content in water between locations, but adjusting the recipe improved consistency.
• 🎥 Coffee expert James Hoffmann was brought in to try the recipe, and after initial challenges, he successfully created a version he enjoyed.
• 🎉 Customers at a Seattle coffee shop were invited to try the hot and cold coffee, leading to mixed reactions, with many finding the experience surprising and unusual.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The video focuses on creating a hot and cold coffee inspired by a recipe for hot and iced tea developed at Heston Blumenthal's experimental kitchen. The process involves using gellan gum to create a fluid gel that allows both hot and cold coffee to be experienced in the same sip.

What is thixotropy, and how does it relate to the recipe?

Thixotropy is a property of certain liquids that are thick and viscous when left undisturbed but become thin and flow when agitated. This concept is essential in the creation of the hot and cold coffee recipe, where gellan gum helps maintain the separation of hot and cold layers while allowing them to flow smoothly when consumed.

How did the hot and cold coffee idea originate?

The idea for hot and cold coffee came from a similar concept used in creating a hot and iced tea dish at Heston Blumenthal's restaurant, inspired by a meal Heston had at El Bulli, where a pea soup dish was served with both hot and cold layers.

What were the main challenges faced during the development of the hot and cold tea?

The main challenges included getting the right pH and mineral content in the tea, properly hydrating the gellan gum, heating it to the right temperature, and ensuring the tea mixture was stirred continuously as it cooled. Any misstep would result in failure.

How was gellan gum used to create the hot and cold effect?

Gellan gum, a sheer-thinning thickener, was used to create fluid gels that maintain the separation of hot and cold liquids in the same glass. It allows the liquids to remain separate until consumed, where they blend in the mouth, creating a unique sensory experience.

Why did James Hoffmann’s initial attempt at making the recipe fail?

James Hoffmann's initial attempt failed because the gellan gum did not hydrate properly, likely due to the mineral content in his hard water. Additionally, boiling the coffee to hydrate the gellan gum resulted in an unpleasant flavor.

What solution did James Hoffmann suggest to improve the recipe?

James suggested using coffee concentrate, such as Cometeer, which would allow the gellan gum to hydrate properly in water before adding the coffee. This method would preserve the flavor of the coffee and make the process more consistent.

What adjustments were made to the recipe after James’ feedback?

After James' feedback, Chris adjusted the recipe by using bottled water with lower mineral content and incorporating Cometeer coffee concentrate into the fluid gels after the gellan gum had been properly hydrated and cooled. This solved the consistency and flavor issues.

How did customers at the local coffee shop react to the hot and cold coffee?

Customers at the local coffee shop found the experience unique and surprising. They described the sensation as feeling like one side of their mouth was cold while the other was hot. While some found it fun and interesting, others preferred the hot and cold elements to be separate.

What is the purpose of using a divider in the cup during preparation?

The divider is used to keep the hot and cold fluid gels separate while pouring them into the cup. Once the gels are in place, the divider is removed, allowing the drinker to experience both hot and cold in a single sip.