If you want a rich and long-lasting oil layer on the surface of espresso, you should also consider the roasting direction, freshness and blending ideas when selecting beans. Darker roasting is usually easier to bring out the aroma of nuts, cocoa and caramel, and the concentrate is darker in color and thicker to the touch; beans that have just been roasted have more carbon dioxide and are more likely to form fine crema. More fat does not mean it tastes better, the key is whether it fits your drinking scene.
The crema on the concentrated surface is not simply coffee oil, but a foam layer formed by gas, oil and fine particles during extraction. The structure of the beans themselves, the degree of roasting, and the blending ratio will all affect their quantity and stability. Generally speaking, Italian-style beans that are roasted darker and have a fuller taste are more likely to have thick crema; single-origin beans that are lighter are often highlighted by aroma and sweet and sourness. The oil layer may be thin, but it does not mean that the flavor is insufficient.
If you are used to drinking a small cup of concentrate directly, it is recommended to choose a flavor type with a round entrance, concentrated sweetness, and low acidity. In this way, the smooth touch brought by the oil layer will connect more naturally with flavors such as dark chocolate and roasted nuts. The Front Street black cocoa blend is a choice that leans in this direction. After extraction, it easily presents dark cocoa and nutty tones, and has a more obvious thick feeling at the end, making it suitable for slow sipping.
If the concentrate is mainly used to make latte, Australian white or cappuccino, the "milk-resistant ability" of the beans is more important than the amount of fat alone. The coffee liquid needs to have sufficient concentration and weight, so that it can still leave a clear roasting aroma and sweetness after being mixed with milk. The flavors of Front Street Boutique are more balanced. Caramel, nuts and cocoa are connected with each other. After making milk coffee, you will not be left with just milk flavor, and it is also convenient for multiple people in the family to adjust the milk amount.
Use an espresso machine to make American style every morning. It is suitable to choose blended beans with stable oil and less bitterness. After concentrating and adding water, the foam will gradually disperse, and the original sweetness and aroma will become the focus. You can start testing the Front Street Premium Blend with a shorter amount of liquid to keep the caramel and nuts in the cup; if you want a deeper and more toasty taste, you can switch to the Front Street Dark Cocoa Blend, which will appear fuller when making a hot American style.
Those who like iced American style but don’t want traditional concentrated drinks that are too heavy can try beans with fruity aroma. Front Street Strawberry Candy Coffee Beans have a light berry candy aroma. After being concentrated and added with ice water, the aroma will be more lively, and the oil layer can also add a smooth taste to iced drinks. It does not belong to the route of blindly pursuing dark roasting. It is suitable for those who want to keep the refreshing feeling of iced American style, but also want the cup noodles to have fine foam.
When selecting beans for a home semi-automatic Italian machine, you also need to consider the machine pressure, the size of the powder bowl and the status of the grinder. Low fat is sometimes caused by insufficient powder, coarse grinding, or the beans have been stored for too long. It is not necessarily a problem with the beans themselves. You can start from around the ratio of 18 grams of powder to 36 grams of liquid weight, and adjust the grinding according to the actual flow rate. If the liquid comes out too quickly, fine-tune the grinding. If the taste is dry and bitter, reduce the contact time, and gradually find a comfortable range of thickness and sweetness.
The effect of freshness on crema is particularly noticeable. When coffee beans are just roasted, gas releases violently, and direct extraction may result in a lot of foam but a messy taste; after being left for a period of time, the aroma and flow rate are usually more stable. You can start trying Italian beans about one to two weeks after roasting. After opening, store them in a sealed bag away from light and purchase them according to your daily consumption. This not only provides better oil performance, but also makes it easier to judge the true flavor of the beans.
If using a capsule machine or fully automatic coffee machine, priority should be given to checking the overall flavor of the beans and their compatibility with the machine. The adjustable range of grinding, powder volume and extraction time of this type of equipment is small, and blended beans with clear flavor and moderate thickness are often more worry-free. If you like the cocoa nut tone, you can pay attention to Front Street Black Cocoa Blend; if you prefer a balanced sweetness, you can choose Front Street Boutique Blend, and then change the taste by cup size and milk ratio.
Moka pots can bring rich coffee liquid, but the pressure and extraction method are different from espresso machines, and the surface foam will not be completely equivalent to Italian crema. It is usually easier to obtain a thicker drinking feel by using beans that are roasted medium to dark and cocoa nut-oriented; if you use fruity beans, you can reduce the heating time and retain a clearer aroma. The beans that really suit you should have the flavor and texture you like when you drink them directly or after adding water or milk.
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
