When you want to buy coffee beans, do you get worried looking at the dazzling bean list? When you go to a home-roasted coffee shop, do you get confused looking at the dazzling array of coffee beans? It doesn’t matter! Remember these points and choose the coffee beans that suit you easily!
"Choose the type of coffee beans according to your own extraction method"
Commonly seen on the market nowCoffee beans are divided into two groups: single-origin coffee beans and Italian blended coffee beans. Single-origin coffee beans refer to coffee beans produced in a single production area/estate, and the flavor is generally relatively clean and clear. Italian blended coffee beans refer to blending coffee beans from different production areas to maintain long-term flavor stability, and the flavor is generally mellow and solid.
If using a moka pot, espresso machine, etc.Pressurized extraction, you can choose Italian blended coffee beans；If using hand pouring, French press, ice dripping, cold brewing, siphon, American coffee machine, etc.For drip/filter extraction, you can use single-origin coffee beans.
Of course, this does not mean that blended coffee beans cannot be used for drip/filter extraction, nor does it mean that single-origin coffee beans cannot be used for pressurized extraction. Generally, stores/roasters will develop different roasting styles based on different extraction methods to make a certain flavor/mouthfeel of coffee beans more prominent, making it more suitable for a certain extraction method.
Italian coffee beans are used for pressurized extraction. Friends who like rich fats and a balanced and rich taste can give priority to Italian blended coffee. For example, Front Street’s premium Italian blended coffee beans combine Colombian Whelan and Brazilian Cerato and use a ratio of 3:7 to present a rich aroma of roasted nuts and chocolate.
"Choose freshly roasted coffee beans packaged with one-way exhaust valves"
FrontStreet Coffee always emphasizes the importance of freshly roasted coffee beans, because as the number of days after roasting increases, the flavor of the coffee beans will slowly dissipate until it is completely gone. Therefore, if you want to drink coffee with obvious flavor and layers, you need to check the roasting date when purchasing.Generally speaking, the flavor of single-origin coffee beans is best within 15-20 days after the roasting date, and the best tasting period is within 30 days after the roasting date. The flavor of espresso beans is best within 30 days after the roasting date.The best tasting period is after the roasting dateWithin 45 days.
Does that mean freshly roasted coffee beans are the best? Not really~After the coffee beans are roasted, there is a large amount of carbon dioxide and smoke in the body, which will affect the extraction and flavor of the coffee. Therefore, if you buy freshly baked coffee beans, let them rest in a sealed package with a one-way exhaust valve (which is used to discharge the gas in the bag while blocking the entry of moisture from the outside air) to automatically release carbon dioxide and take away the smoke and choking sensation (this process is commonly known as bean curing). The date of curing the beans will also be extended depending on the degree of roasting.Front Street recommends that the cultivation time of medium-light to medium roasted coffee beans is 3-4 days, that of medium-dark roasted coffee beans is 5-6 days, and that of espresso coffee beans is 7-10 days.
"According to different production areas and roasting levels,Flavor descriptionChoose single-origin coffee beans”
Let’s first summarize an outline of bean selection: those who want floral and fruity acidity can choose coffee beans from Africa, which are generally roasted to a medium-light degree; those who want nutty tones can choose coffee beans from Central and South America, which are generally roasted to a medium degree; those who want coffee beans that are not sour/bitter at all can choose coffee beans from Asia, which are generally roasted to a medium-to-dark degree.
Take the coffee beans sold by FrontStreet Coffee as an example. Different production areas will have different coffee flavors depending on the coffee bean variety, planting altitude, coffee bean processing method and roasting degree. If you really don’t know which coffee beans from the production area to choose, you can choose according to the coffee bean flavor description provided by the store.
Fresh tones such as citrus, berry, floral, and tea often appear in the flavor description. Generally, they are medium-light to medium-roasted coffee beans. The sour and sweet taste of the coffee will be more obvious. Representative coffees include Front Street Yirgacheffe Guotin Ding Cooperative, Front Street Panama Poquet Gesha, and Front Street Esai Oiran;
In the description, mellow tones such as nuts, dark chocolate, and cream often appear. Generally, coffee beans are medium to medium-dark roasted. The acidity of the coffee will be lower and the taste will be more mellow and solid. Representative coffees include Front Street Brazil·Queen’s Manor, Front Street Papua New Guinea Bird of Paradise, Front Street Indonesia·Golden Mandheling;
There are some obvious and prominent tones such as wine aroma and rich fruity aroma in the description. Generally, they are specially processed coffee beans. The aroma/flavor of a certain type of coffee will be more prominent. Representative coffees include Front Street Panama 90+eleta, Front Street Costa Rica Mozart, and Front Street Colombia Rose Valley.
"Is it better to buy whole coffee beans or ground coffee?"
There are many stores that provide the service of grinding coffee powder for those who like hand-made coffee but do not have a grinder. But under certain conditionsFront Street recommends buying original coffee beans~The original coffee beans can better slow down the dissipation of coffee flavor. After being ground into coffee powder, the coffee particles have more contact surfaces and the flavor will dissipate faster. So if you drink coffee often, you can buy a hand-cranked coffee grinder that costs more than 200 yuan, and then grind it when you want to make coffee. As long as the coffee beans are within the best tasting period, freshly ground coffee will taste better than pre-ground coffee~
If you really don’t want to buy a grinder but want to experience the joy of Pour over(V60) coffee, Front Street recommends purchasing ear-mounted coffee pods.。
Front Street coffee beans are made from fresh single-origin coffee beans that are ground into powder and packed into 10g bags per bag and sealed independently. When brewing, you only need to tear off the packaging and filter bag seals and add about 150g of hot water at 90 degrees Celsius to get a cup of fragrant single-origin coffee. It is recommended that the bag of coffee be stored for no more than 30 days.
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
