Whether it is Italian beans or Italian blended beans, as the name suggests, they are all raw materials used for extraction by Italian coffee machines, which is the origin of espresso. So what are the characteristics of this kind of coffee? In addition to making espresso, can you also make Pour over(V60) coffee?This article of FrontStreet Coffee will discuss it with coffee fans.
What is an Italian coffee blend?
As mentioned above by FrontStreet Coffee, blended coffee beans are mainly used to make Italian coffee, and blended coffee beans are a mixture of coffee beans from different origins and varieties. Generally, it is more common to mix two or three coffee beans. The purpose of blending is obvious, which is to bring together the flavors of different coffee beans to present a new flavor to achieve a more balanced effect, and also to serve as the store's signature.
For example, if one type of coffee beans is smooth but lacks aroma, another type of coffee beans with rich aroma can be added to complement each other's strengths and avoid weaknesses. Another purpose of Italian blended coffee beans is to reduce costs. The traditional Italian blended beans are mixed with Robusta coffee beans, because Robusta coffee beans have a mellow flavor. Although the cupping score is not as high as that of single-origin coffee, when paired with single-origin coffee, it can provide richer and thicker crema for Italian coffee. At the same time, as the base of milk coffee, it can provide a viscous and smooth taste.
And according to FrontStreet Coffee, the original Italian blended coffee appeared because the rich, sweet and bitter espresso was popular at that time, while coffee from a single origin has a heavy flavor, that is, both advantages and disadvantages coexist. In addition, high-quality single-origin coffee beans are expensive, and blended coffee is more cost-effective and cheaper than single-origin coffee, but the flavor can also be unique. Therefore, many Italians chose blended coffee instead of single-origin coffee at that time. This is how blended coffee developed and is popular today.
What is pour-over single-origin coffee?
Single-origin coffee beans refer to pure coffee that is produced from a single origin and does not add milk or sugar when brewing and drinking. Single-origin coffee has strong characteristics and a special taste, either fresh and soft, or mellow and smooth. The cost is higher, so the price is also more expensive.
For example, the more famous single-origin coffees in FrontStreet Coffee include Front Street Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, Front Street Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Coffee, Front Street Indonesian Mandheling Coffee, etc., all of which are single-origin coffees named after the place where the coffee beans are produced. These coffee beans also represent the flavor of the production area; secondly, the single-origin coffee can be traced back to the manor and story of the production area, such as the manor's planting conditions, processing methods, etc. These information can ensure the flavor and quality of the coffee beans. Therefore, each package of coffee beans of FrontStreet Coffee will also have some relevant brief information on the packaging.
The difference between blended coffee and single origin coffee
From the above description of FrontStreet Coffee, we can see that blended coffee refers to mixing several single-origin coffees from different production areas together to form a blend, while single-origin coffee refers to coffee beans from a single production area. The reason why they are distinguished is because the espresso machine has a characteristic that amplifies the bitter flavor of the coffee beans, so FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) Coffee) does not use a single variety of coffee beans to make espresso coffee, otherwise the flavor of the coffee beans will be very unbalanced and affect the taste. This is why espresso coffee is made with blended coffee beans.
However, single-origin coffee beans can actually be made with an espresso machine. Coffee beans in this mode are called "soe coffee", but its parameters need to be constantly adjusted, and the flavor is also very unstable. The original intention of the founding of FrontStreet Coffee is to allow coffee fans to drink the stable flavor of the coffee production area, so they do not dare to risk launching soe coffee for the time being.
Can Italian blended coffee beans be used as Pour over(V60) coffee?
Since single-origin coffee beans can be made with an espresso machine, Italian blended coffee beans can also be brewed in the form of Pour over(V60) coffee. However, the brewed flavor is always slightly different from the flavor brewed by an espresso machine. Similarly, the grinding parameters for Pour over(V60) coffee also need to be adjusted, and the flavor may be more "special". It mainly depends on personal preference. If you are interested in coffee fans, Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) Coffee) you can also try it. FrontStreet Coffee will provide hand-brew data reference for coffee fans below.
Front Street Pour over(V60) coffee parameters: V60 filter cup, powder volume 15g, water temperature 90°C, powder-to-water ratio 1:15, grinding degree (the passing rate of No. 20 standard sieve is 80%, which is coarser than the grinding degree of Italian coffee)
FrontStreet Coffee brewing method: Segmented extraction, use 30g of water to steam for 30 seconds, pour water in a small circle until 125g, then segment. When the water level drops and the powder bed is exposed, continue to pour water to 225g and stop pouring water. When the water level drops and the powder bed is exposed, remove the filter cup. (Steaming starts timing) Extraction time is 2'00".
Recommended Italian blended coffee beans from Front Street
Furthermore, FrontStreet Coffee believes that blending coffee beans is an art, because roasters must understand the different flavor characteristics of coffee from major production areas in order to mix attractive aromas and extract delicious coffee. This not only requires a lot of coffee experience and inspiration, but also precise calculation of the ratio. Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to say that the process of blending coffee beans is an art. Next, FrontStreet will share some of the blended coffee beans launched by FrontStreet Coffee. You can choose according to your own needs:
"Front Street Nuanyang Blended Coffee Beans" 79 yuan/227g: Ethiopian sun-dried red cherry coffee beans + Honduran coffee beans, with a rich aroma of wine, vanilla cream, sweet and sour berries, and the flavor of roasted nuts.
"Front Street Blend 100% Arabica Coffee Beans" 75 yuan/454g: Colombian washed coffee beans + Brazilian semi-dried coffee beans, with flavors of nuts, dark chocolate, and caramel.
"Front Street Commercial Blend Coffee Beans" 60 yuan/454g: Robusta washed coffee beans + Colombian washed coffee beans + Brazilian semi-dried coffee, with flavors of nuts, cocoa, and caramel.
"Front Street Basic Blend Coffee Beans" 50 yuan/454g: Yunnan washed small coffee beans + Brazilian semi-dried coffee beans, with soft fruit acid, caramel, and nutty flavors.
"Front Street Classic Blend Coffee Beans" 33 yuan/100g; Brazilian semi-sun-dried coffee beans + Indonesian Mandheling coffee beans + Vietnamese coffee beans, with rich coffee oil and mellow taste;
"Front Street Strawberry Candy Espresso" 43 yuan/100g; Costa Rican coffee beans + Panama coffee beans + Ethiopian coffee beans. It has the aroma of roses, strawberry candy and glucose. The sweet and sour fruit is prominent and has a pleasant taste.
For more specialty coffee knowledge, please pay attention to: Frontstreet Coffee
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
