Coffee is a drink brewed from coffee beans. Front Street believes that the special thing about coffee is that the green beans need to be roasted before they can be used for production, and the roasting temperature is as high as more than 200 degrees Celsius, which is much higher than the roasting temperature of nuts. The length of roasting time is related to the depth of roasting, so the flavor and taste of beans with different roasting degrees are different!
Before the third wave of specialty coffee, that is, from the 1970s to the 1990s, there was no specialty coffee at that time, which was mainly commercial coffee beans. If the commercial coffee beans were lightly roasted or medium roasted, it would be easy to drink the coffee with defective flavors, unclean taste, or some aged beans due to moisture loss. It is easy to drink out the woody flavor. If roasted to the second crack, these bad flavors will be difficult to drink out. This is why the third wave of coffee is popular in light roasting. With the improvement of coffee cultivation and coffee post-processing technology, we can get a cup of coffee that is cleaner, sweeter and more focused on regional flavor. Light roasting can bring out the flavor of the coffee’s place of origin. For example, if a bean has a citrusy floral aroma, it must be beans from Ethiopia. If the beans are roasted to a dense second crack, these good flavors will be lost.
Why is coffee roasted?
Coffee is originally just the seeds of the fruit. It becomes green coffee beans after processing. The green coffee beans can only stimulate the flavor of the coffee beans after being roasted. Different roasting will cause the coffee beans to show different flavors.
Why do green coffee beans develop flavor after being roasted at high temperatures? In fact, it is because of chemical changes that occur during the baking process. Let’s explain what chemical changes there are.
[Maillard reaction]
This reaction occurs at about 150°C, when the coffee beans are still absorbing heat and continue to release heat during the roasting process. The heat causes reactions between the beans' carbohydrates and amino acids, resulting in changes in color, flavor and nutritional content.
The color change is mainly due to the production of melanoidins. These large amounts of substances not only turn the coffee beans brown, but also affect the taste and body of the coffee.
Just a small change in the temperature and time at this stage of the Maynard reaction may have a big impact on the final flavor.
Coffee that spends a longer time in the Maynard reaction will increase its viscosity, and a shorter Maynard reaction will produce more sweetness and acidity, because if the Maynard reaction is too long, the fruit acids and the acids that convert into sweetness will be destroyed.
When Front Street roasters experiment with roasting coffee beans, they also vary the length and intensity of the Maynard reaction and record how these changes affect the final flavor.
[Caramelization reaction]
When heated to about 170°C, the heat causes a large amount of complex carbohydrates to break down into smaller sugar molecules that can be dissolved in water, which means the sweetness of the final brewed coffee will increase.
This reaction continues until the end of the roasting process, and it also contributes to the sweet aromas in coffee, such as caramel and almond.
Through Menard reaction and caramelization reaction, you can know how the reaction caused by coffee roasting will affect the flavor of a cup of coffee. I have heard others say that among the factors that affect a cup of coffee, green coffee beans actually account for 70% roasting, 20%, and brewing 10%.
Coffee beans must be roasted in a high-temperature environment to have such a strong aroma and rich taste! Depending on the roasting time and temperature of the coffee beans, the same coffee beans will show diverse and different coffee styles!
It can be roughly divided into three categories: light roasting, medium roasting, and dark roasting.
But the subtlety of the taste is subdivided into eight levels: Light Roast～talian Roast
Light roast:Light Roast (light roast) and Cinnamon Roast (cinnamon roast) have strong aroma and obvious fruity taste.
Medium roast:Medium Roast (medium roast), High Roast (dark roast), City Roast (city roast) have more coffee bean aroma, sweetness, slight fruit acid, and typical Viennese coffee flavor.
Dark roast:Full City Roast (Full City Roast), French Roast (French Roast), Italian Roast (Italian Roast) have strong caramel flavor and rich and strong taste.
one of themcoffee beans roastingThe degree has largely determined the direction of the flavor of this bean.coffee beans roastingIt can be simply divided into three levels: light roast, medium roast and medium/dark roast.
"Light Roast/Cinnamon Roast"
Bean dropping time: from first crack to intensive
Flavor: The surface of the beans is cinnamon color, the grassy smell has been removed at this time, the acidity is strong and slightly aromatic, and they are often used to brew American coffee.
- Front Street Sidamo Oiran Coffee Beans -
Country:ethiopia
Production area/processing plant: Sidamo Hambela Buku Abel processing plant
Planting altitude: 2250-2350m
Treatment method: Sun treatment
Variety: Ethiopian native variety
Flavor description: passion fruit, fermented wine, strawberry, jackfruit
"Medium Roast/Medium Roast"
Bean dropping time: from the first burst to the end
Flavor: The surface of the beans is chestnut color, the taste is light, sour and bitter, and the aroma is moderate. It retains the original flavor of the coffee beans and is often used as American coffee or mixed coffee.
- Front Street Costa Rican Tala Beans
Production area: Tarazhu
Planting altitude: 1500m
Treatment method: washing treatment
Variety: Kaduura, Kaduai
Flavor description: toffee, sweet orange, honey, nuts. It is a balanced coffee with a typical Costa Rican coffee style.
"Medium Dark Roast/City Roast"
Bean dropping time: after the first burst, that is, between the first and second bursts
Flavor:The bean surface is light brown, the taste is bright and lively, the acidity is balanced between sourness and bitterness, and the acidity is light, and it releases the high-quality flavor of coffee. It is a standard roasting level and is also the most popular roasting level.
- Front Street Brazilian Queen Estate Coffee Beans -
Production area/manor: Morgiana Queen's Manor
Planting altitude: 1400-1950m
Treatment method: Semi-sun treatment
Variety: Yellow Bourbon
Flavor: Nuts, Buttered Peanuts, Cane Sugar, Fermented Fruit
"Dark Roast/Italian Roast"Also known as "Italian Baking"
Bean dropping time: from the end of the second crack to the time when the surface of the beans turns black and the oil comes out
Flavor:The bean surface is black and shiny. Before the coffee bean fiber is carbonized, it has a strong and complex taste, a strong bitterness, and a strong roasted and burnt aroma. It is mainly popular in Italy and is often used in Italian coffee Espresso.
- Front Street Sunflower Warm Italian Style Blend of Comprehensive Coffee Beans-
Production area: Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia + Massaguala, Honduras
Planting altitude: 1700-2200m+1500-1700m
Treatment method: sun treatment + fine washed whiskey barrel fermentation treatment
Variety: Ethiopian original variety + Kaduura, Kaduai, Pacas
Mixing ratio: 3:7
Flavor description: rich fermented wine aroma, sour berry aroma, vanilla cream, nutty caramel
Lightly roasted coffee beans recommended
1. [Front Street Yirgacheffe sun-dried red cherry coffee beans]
Production area/treatment plant: Yirgacheffe Aletaland treatment plant
Planting altitude: 1700-2200m
Treatment method: Sun treatment
Variety: Ethiopian native variety
Flavor description: The overall taste is well-structured and the aroma is relatively obvious, with lemon, floral and fermented wine aromas. The entrance has a full fruit juice feel, citrus, citric acid, weak nut flavor, and a sweet aftertaste with the taste of honey.
2. [Front Street Kenya Azalea Coffee Beans]
Producing area/processing plant: Asali processing plant in Thika
Planting altitude: 1550-1750m
Treatment method: 72 hours water washing treatment
Variety: SL28, SL34
Flavor description: The wet aroma has the aroma of ripe tomatoes and flowers, the taste of cherry tomatoes and ebony plums, bright acidity, clean and the most solid and rich taste, like the weight of an African elephant! The sweetness in the middle is prominent, with a fruity feel, and the aftertaste is berry fruity, brown sugar sweet, and green tea aroma.
3. [Front StreetPanamaFlower butterfly coffee beans】
Production area: Poquette production area
Planting altitude: 1600m
Treatment method: washing treatment
Varieties: Gesha (70%), Kaduura, Kaduai (30%)
Flavor description: floral, black tea, berry, citrus, slightly nutty aftertaste, smooth taste, low bitterness, moderate acidity, medium aftertaste
【Front Street Brewing Parameters】
Amount of powder: 15g
Pink to water ratio: 1:15
Water temperature: 90℃
Grinding degree: medium to fine grinding (pass rate of No. 20 standard sieve is 78%)
Filter cup: V60
【Front Street Brewing Technique】
Steam 30 grams for 30 seconds. After steaming, add water in a circle to 125 grams. After the water level drops by half, continue to add water to 225 grams. The total extraction time is 2 minutes.
Medium-dark roasted coffee beans recommended
1. [Front Street PWN Golden Mandheling Coffee Beans]
Production area/processing company: PWN Company, Aceh, Sumatra
Planting altitude: 1100-1600m
Treatment method: wet planing
Variety: Ateng
Flavor description: The overall level of coffee is varied, mellow and clean. Rich nutty and caramel aroma with hints of chocolate, long lasting finish and high balance.
2. [Front Street Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 Coffee Bean]
Production area/Manor: Clifton Manor in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica
Planting altitude: 1310m
Treatment method: washing treatment
Variety: Typica
Flavor description: The taste of Blue Mountain is very clean, very mild, chocolatey sweet, and very strong body. The taste is rich and mellow. The sweet, sour and bitter flavors of coffee are perfectly matched. There is no bitterness at all, only a moderate and perfect sourness, and a long-lasting fruity taste at the end.
3. [Front Street entry-level selection-Brazilian Cerato red bourbon coffee beans]
Origin: Cerado
Planting altitude: 1000m
Treatment method: Semi-sun treatment
Variety: Red Bourbon
Flavor description: This is a balanced coffee with a typical Brazilian coffee style. The flavors of nuts and chocolate are prominent, and the sweetness of sucrose is obvious.
【Front Street Brewing Parameters】
Amount of powder: 15g
Water to powder ratio: 1:15
Water temperature: 86℃
Grinding degree: medium-coarse grinding (pass rate of No. 20 standard sieve is 75%)
Filter cup: KONO
【Front Street Brewing Technique】
Steam 30 grams for 30 seconds, add water in a circle to 125 grams, drop the water level by half and continue adding water to 225 grams, the total extraction time is 2 minutes and 10 seconds.
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
