Today, coffee comes in a variety of forms. Not only do they differ in price, but the processing technology behind them also determines the final taste and health risks.
If you asked Front Street to make an unofficial ranking of mainstream coffee products on the market based on comprehensive taste and flavor, we would definitely put freshly ground coffee at the top of the list, ear-hanging bags and capsule coffee at the second "top", and cold brew espresso liquid at the middle of the "top". As for freeze-dried coffee powder and instant coffee, they would be at the bottom of the "NPC" and "finished" respectively. As for why they are ranked in this way, Front Street will explain it to you in one article today.
First tier: freshly ground coffee
Freshly ground coffee, as the name suggests, means freshly ground coffee beans. Coffee brewed on-site requires filtering coffee grounds because it uses complete coffee raw materials for extraction. At the same time, because it is freshly ground and brewed without adding any additional ingredients, the aroma can be retained in the coffee most completely, making it taste richest and more in line with our needs for healthy drinks.
Not only are there many ways to make freshly ground coffee, but there are also different flavors to choose from. Hand brewing, espresso, French press, moka pot, siphon pot, Aeropress...as well as the most common production methods such as cold brew and ice dripping, all can be classified into the category of freshly ground coffee.
As a concept closely related to specialty coffee, freshly ground coffee is often the first choice for flavor pursuers. It is also the most recommended category for novices to get started with, because it can better help everyone accumulate sensory appreciation and basic knowledge.
If you want to learn how to brew by hand, buy Front Street Indonesian Mandheling, Front Street Yirgacheffe, Front Street Colombian Cymbidium, Front Street Brazilian Cerato... This kind of high-recognition ration coffee beans, freshly ground and brewed to experience the purest flavor;
If you are making Italian coffee, we recommend specialized Italian beans such as Front Street Black Cocoa Basic Blend, Front Street Classic Blend, and Front Street Strawberry Candy espresso blend. Only freshly ground and brewed can the concentrate have the essence of coffee oil and mellow taste.
The second echelon: ear-hanging bags and capsule coffee
If the purpose of the first echelon is to pursue flavor, then this group is more about providing convenience. The ear-hanging bags and capsule coffee are brewed by pre-grinding the beans into powder and using filtering tools. The convenient design allows us to drink a cup of freshly brewed delicious refreshing drinks more quickly and easily.
Their extraction principle is actually the same as that of Pour over(V60) and Italian-style freshly ground coffee. They all adopt a processing mode without additives, so the coffee retains its original flavor and nutrition, and is highly selectable. The difference is that because the powder has been ground in advance, some complicated techniques and parameters are omitted. As long as there is hot water, a cup or a capsule coffee machine, we can achieve the freedom of coffee anywhere. The disadvantage is that the aroma will dissipate faster over time.
The third echelon: espresso liquid/cold brew coffee liquid
The espresso liquid and cold brew coffee liquid are obtained through high-pressure extraction and low-temperature soaking (filtration) respectively. The entire process needs to be operated in a sterile purification workshop, and then filled with freshness or sealed in bags. Because it is a pre-made version of the coffee liquid and no other substances are added, its shelf life is shorter and the taste will be closer to the original taste of coffee.
It should be noted that some cold brew coffee liquids on the market may have added sugar, preservatives and other ingredients. They may be cheaper, but they may affect your health, so be careful when purchasing.
The fourth echelon: freeze-dried coffee powder
Judging from the production process, freeze-dried coffee is actually a type of instant. However, compared with traditional instant, freeze-drying has lower production efficiency and higher cost, so the price will be more expensive.
The full name of freeze-drying is "freeze-drying", and its principle is the sublimation of ice crystals. The coffee is first dissolved into a concentrate with a concentration of about 65%, and then condensed in an environment of -5°C. It turns into a paste and is then transferred to a freezer at -40~-50°C. When the coffee slurry condenses into hard lumps, it is broken into small particles of 2~3mm. Finally, these particles are sent to a vacuum drying chamber for heating and drying, and finally they can be transformed into freeze-dried coffee.
Since the entire process is in a low-temperature environment, part of the aroma substances of coffee can be retained, so some coffee brands will use better Arabica beans instead of Robusta to produce flavored freeze-drying. Of course, complex processes and expensive materials will also increase costs.
The fifth echelon: instant
To produce traditional instant coffee, roasted coffee beans are first ground into powder and the substances inside are dissolved. Then the coffee liquid is transformed into countless small water droplets through the nozzle and sprayed into the high-temperature drying chamber. The water evaporates and the rest is instant coffee powder that forms a powdery solid.
Due to the high-temperature processing, most of the flavors in the coffee are completely gone, leaving only the bitter coffee taste., so the raw materials for instant cooking are usually Robusta beans with poor taste, and thenAdd large amounts of non-dairy creamer and sugar to dilute the bitterness, thusBecome "two-in-one", "three-in-one" and other products. This is why instant coffee has become synonymous with "low-end coffee", because the early instant coffee was not healthy.
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
