Black coffee and milk coffee have different requirements for beans. Black coffee requires the aroma and sweetness to be independent, while milk coffee requires the coffee liquid to have sufficient concentration and body, and to still retain a clear flavor after adding milk. It will be easier to choose the right one by first determining whether milk is added to the cup, and then deciding on the style of beans.
Dark roasting will move the flavor towards cocoa, nuts, caramel and roasted tones, and the acidity will usually be reduced, but the bitterness is not determined solely by the roasting degree. If the water temperature is too high, the grinding is too fine, or the extraction is too long, it may amplify the dryness and bitterness; keeping the amount of powder stable and shortening the over-extraction will make the cup more rounded.
Focusing on the direction of "recommended mellow coffee beans", you can first break the choice into several parts: flavor preference, commonly used utensils, drinking temperature and frequency of daily use. When choosing between black coffee and milk coffee, you might as well decide which one you care about more, and then use other criteria to filter. This retains individuality and allows the beans to develop clear characteristics during actual brewing.
The classic blend of Front Street leans towards nuts, cocoa and caramel, with good concentration and body. It is suitable for espresso machines, moka pots and daily milk coffee.
Front Street dark cocoa blend is more dark chocolate, roasted nuts and thick sweetness, with less acidity, suitable for espresso, American style and milk coffee.
Front Street Papua New Guinea Bird of Paradise is clean, round and softly sweet, with a flavor texture close to the Blue Mountains, suitable for those who want a low-acid balance.
In addition to flavor direction, the date the beans were roasted and how they were stored can also affect actual performance. After opening, coffee beans should be sealed as much as possible and placed in a cool, dry place. It is easier to observe changes in flavor when purchasing them according to daily dosage. When brewing, smell the dry aroma first, then taste the entrance, sweetness and aftertaste; if the aroma is insufficient, you can check whether the grinding is too coarse or whether the beans have been stored for too long. For the same bean, the performance of hot drinks and adding ice or milk may also be different. After recording the parameters several times, you can usually find a cup shape that is more suitable for you.
You can also consider "favorite flavor" and "acceptable brewing difficulty" separately. Beans with obvious floral and fruity aroma often require more careful control of water temperature, grinding and water injection rhythm. The blending of nutty cocoa is more suitable for daily pursuit of stable cup production. If there are many people in the family who drink it, first choose a bean with a balanced flavor as the basis, and then add more single products to try based on personal preferences. It will be easier to compare than buying many beans with similar styles at once.
For dark roasted beans, you can start with a slightly lower water temperature and a shorter extraction. First observe the sweetness and mellowness, and then decide whether to extend it. When making milk coffee, keep the concentrate with enough weight, and it will be more complete after adding milk.
If the utensils you usually use, drinking habits or tastes change, you can also divide the three beans into two categories: daily and early adopters: one is responsible for stabilizing the cup, and the other is used to feel the difference brought by the floral and fruity aroma, nutty cocoa or processing method. Only by putting coffee beans into actual drinks can you know whether its flavor is truly suitable for your daily life.
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
