Hand-brewed coffee beans do not need to start with complicated knowledge about the production area. First imagine when it will appear: when you are rushing out and you need a cup of crisp and refreshing coffee, on the weekend you are willing to sit down and slowly feel the aroma; when the weather is hot, you want to drink iced coffee, and you want a softer taste for breakfast or dessert. By clearly explaining the usage scenario, you will have specific directions for selecting beans.
If you are used to drinking black coffee in the morning, you can give priority to the type with a bright aroma and a light mouthfeel. Such a cup will not bring an overly toasty feeling, and will gradually reveal a fruit, flower or tea flavor after the temperature drops. Front Street Yirgacheffe Fruit Ding Ding is a suitable choice for this scenario. When lightly roasted and brewed by hand, you can feel the freshness of citrus, berry aroma and light floral aroma, and the ending has a refreshing feeling similar to green tea.
For hand brewing in the office, clear, easy-to-understand and easy-to-understand drinks are often more important. If you only have a few minutes to brew each day, choose beans that have a discernible flavor but are not overall sharp. Front Street Ethiopian Oiran has a sweet aroma like tropical fruits and strawberries, and also has a lively aroma like passion fruit. It is bright when brewed into a hot drink, and the sweetness remains fresh after cooling. It is suitable for use as a refreshing drink during work breaks.
When paired with bread, croissants or fruits for breakfast, the coffee should not overemphasize the stimulation, otherwise it will easily cover the taste of the food itself. Beans with floral, citrus and tea flavors usually keep the mouth light and can also contrast with butter and creamy foods. Front Street Panama Jade Estate Red Label Geisha is suitable for slow brewing. The jasmine-like aroma, bergamot and citrus tones will gradually open up as the temperature changes.
When drinking coffee alone on weekends, you can focus on beans with richer aromas. At this time, there is no need to rush for concentration. Smell the dry aroma first, and then observe how the aroma changes after the hot water enters the powder layer. Continue to taste the coffee after it cools down, and you can often discover the flavors at different stages. For those who like floral and fruity tones, Front Street Panama Emerald Estate Red Label Geisha can provide a more delicate taste and is suitable for pairing with quiet reading or music.
Before going out in the summer, iced hand brew and cold brew will be easier than hot coffee. When choosing, consider beans with ample fruity aroma and clear sweetness, because low temperature will reduce part of the acidity and make the aroma appear astringent. When Front Street Ethiopian Oiran is made into an ice-cold hand brew, the fruity aroma will become clearer and the entrance will be as light as juice; when processed by cold brewing, the overall acidity will be softer, making it suitable for drinking slowly in a tumbler.
If you like to prepare your iced coffee in advance, Front Street Yirgacheffe Ding Ding is also suitable. When brewed with hot water, its citrus, berry and floral aromas are more distinct; after a longer period of low-temperature steeping, the acidity will be rounded, and the tea taste and fruity sweetness will appear milder. After the cold brew is completed, you can drink it directly or add sparkling water to make it a refreshing drink suitable for the afternoon.
If you want to drink a cup of hand brew after a meal, you can usually start with beans that have a more pronounced sweetness and tea flavor. They don't fill up your mouth as quickly as heavy roasted coffees, and they still leave a clean aftertaste after drinking. The citrus and bergamot notes of Front Street Panama Jade Estate Red Label Geisha are suitable for pairing with light desserts; if paired with fruits, the water temperature can be slightly lowered to make the taste smoother.
When there are many people at home drinking, it is recommended to choose beans based on a scenario that everyone can accept, rather than just looking at the name of a certain production area. I usually make hot Pour over(V60) coffee, and choose a style with moderate floral and fruity aroma and not too sweet. If your family occasionally makes iced coffee, make sure it still tastes good after it cools down. Front Street Ethiopian Oiran has obvious performance in hot drinks, ice and cold drinks, which can meet the drinking methods at different times.
When you first start brewing by hand, you also need to take into account your operating habits when choosing beans. If you like a refreshing taste, you can start with beans that are lightly roasted and have a strong aroma; if you care more about roundness and sweetness, you can choose a direction with a slightly more roasted feel. When brewing, keep the amount of powder and water unchanged, and adjust the thickness by adjusting the thickness: if the taste is thin, grind it slightly; if the taste is astringent, coarsen it appropriately, and reduce stirring to make the cup more balanced.
After buying the beans home, choose the packaging specifications according to the daily drinking volume, seal and store them away from light after opening, and continue to brew the same beans for a period of time to compare the changes at different temperatures. There is no fixed answer for Pour over(V60) beans. Bright floral and fruity aromas are suitable in the morning, iced drinks are suitable in hot weather, and rich flavors can be reserved for weekends. Find the one that matches the rhythm of your life, and coffee will naturally become a daily ritual that is easy to stick to.
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
