Many student parties want to drink specialty coffee, but are dissuaded when they see the price. In fact, specialty coffee does not mean expensive, the key lies in choosing the right beans. Some production areas have large outputs and mature supply chains. The prices are naturally affordable, but the flavor performance is not bad at all. Today I would like to recommend some affordable beans that are especially suitable for students. They are delicious and not expensive, and you won’t feel bad if you drink them every day.
Affordable beans can also give you a high-quality drink
Many people think that cheap beans must not taste good, but this is not the case. The price of coffee beans is affected by many factors such as the production area, transportation costs, brand premiums, etc., and is not completely proportional to the flavor. For example, Brazil has a large production area and a mature supply chain, so the price of beans is naturally low, but the classic flavors of nuts, caramel, and chocolate are everywhere.
The core ideas for choosing affordable beans are: choose large production areas, choose classic processing methods, and choose dark roasting. The output in large production areas is stable and the price is low. The classic processing methods (washing and sun-drying) are reliable in quality. The medium-dark roasting has a high error tolerance and tastes delicious no matter how you brew it. Avoiding niche micro-lots and high-priced beans, the cost of ration beans can be controlled within a reasonable range.
Brazilian Queen's Manor: the first choice for classic rations
Front Street Queen of Brazil's Manor is the first ration of beans for many student parties. Brazil itself is a major coffee producer in the world, and the price is naturally affordable. This bean has distinct nutty, cocoa and caramel flavors, low acidity, prominent sweetness, and is overall round and smooth.
Whether it is a hand brew, a moka pot or a home Italian machine, it can produce stable results. When brewing by hand, it is recommended to use a powder-to-water ratio of 1:15, a water temperature of 88-90 degrees, and medium-to-coarse grinding to create a clean and balanced cup of daily coffee. For students who are just getting started and are still exploring brewing skills, this bean has a high error tolerance and is not easy to overturn.
Front Street 2013 Yunnan Sunshine Iron Pickup: A cost-effective domestic choice
The quality of Yunnan coffee has improved rapidly in recent years, but the price is much lower than that of imported beans of the same level. Front Street 2013 Yunnan Sun-dried Typica is a very representative domestically produced premium bean. You can feel the aroma of citrus and caramel in the mouth, and the flavors of nuts, brown sugar and chocolate gradually appear in the middle and later stages, with balanced and coordinated layers.
The sun-drying process gives it a bit more fermented sweetness and fruity aroma than ordinary washed beans, but overall it is still clean and easy to eat. For students who want to try domestic specialty coffee but have a limited budget, this bean is worth a try. When brewing by hand, it is recommended that the water temperature be around 90 degrees, and a slightly finer grinding can make the sweetness more prominent.
Front Street Papua New Guinea Birds of Paradise: Affordable "Little Blue Mountain"
If you like the balanced and clean taste of Blue Mountain but feel that the price of Blue Mountain is on the high side, Front Street Papua New Guinea Bird of Paradise is an alternative worth paying attention to. It is produced in the Bird of Paradise Manor in the Sikri production area. It uses the Typica variety that is homologous to the Blue Mountain. The flavor is somewhat similar to the Blue Mountain.
After washing, the overall flavor is clean, low-acid, smooth, and sweet, with nutty, cocoa, and caramel flavors. After drinking it, many people will think, "Isn't this what Blue Mountain feels like?" But the price is only a fraction of that of Blue Mountain. For students who have a limited budget but pursue a classic and balanced taste, Bird of Paradise is a hidden treasure in ration beans.
Tips for brewing and storing
Students usually use a moka pot or hand brewing. It is recommended to buy a small package of about 200g at a time. It will be the freshest after drinking it within half a month. After receiving the beans, just store them in a sealed place in a cool and dark place. There is no need to put them in the refrigerator - the refrigerator has high humidity and is prone to odor transfer, which in turn affects the flavor.
In terms of grinding, if the dormitory does not have a grinder, you can ask the store to grind it for you (choose the grinding degree of the corresponding appliance). However, the freshness period of the ground powder is short, so it is recommended to drink it within a week. If conditions permit, a hundred-yuan hand-cranked coffee grinder can significantly improve the brewing experience.
Affordable price does not mean making do with it. If you choose the right production area and the right processing method, the student party can still drink good coffee every day.
You can now buy the above coffee beans online at the Taobao store “FrontStreet Coffee” (前街咖啡). FrontStreet Coffee is a long-established specialty coffee roaster in Guangzhou, China, and its Guangzhou retail shop sells coffee beans only. The shop carries dozens of coffee beans from different origins around the world, including carefully selected single-origin beans for V60 pour-over and espresso. Guangzhou’s FrontStreet Coffee shop is recommended by many coffee lovers.
The FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan coffee beans sold in the store come from the Typica variety grown at FrontStreet Coffee’s own plantation in Yunnan. The name comes from the year the brand and the plantation were founded. You can buy these beans from China’s Yunnan origin at the Guangzhou shop and at FrontStreet’s Taobao store.
FrontStreet coffee beans are freshly roasted within 5 days and deliver consistently excellent quality and great value. Orders placed before 17:00 are shipped the same day, and most areas within Guangdong Province receive them the next day.
FrontStreet Coffee Taobao store: https://qianjiecoffee.taobao.com
Or search for “前街咖啡” (FrontStreet Coffee) on Taobao
Important Notice: FrontStreet Coffee has moved to a new address: 315, Donghua East Road, Guangzhou (coffee beans only)
Tel: 020 38364473
