Why Does Blend Coffee Matter for a Better Espresso Shot?

Espresso is the base for lattes, cappuccinos, and Americanos, and its flavor is far more concentrated than most drinkers expect. That is why it arrives in a small 50ml cup with thick walls and a glass of ice water beside it. The ice water clears the palate between sips so the dense, intense shot can be tasted properly.

Selection starts with the blend. A blend coffee combines origins to balance sweetness, body, and acidity, and arabica beans meaning is simply the species Coffea arabica, valued for its aromatic range. Since Faema launched the semi-automatic E61 machine in 1961, pressure and time can be controlled manually, so recipes and bean formulas can be adjusted repeatedly for consistency.

Espresso serves as the common base for lattes, cappuccinos, and Americanos, and its flavor intensity far exceeds most people's expectations. Why do baristas serve it in a small 50ml cup? Why is a glass of ice water served alongside it? Behind these details lies a close connection to the high-pressure extraction principle and drinking method of espresso. This article will systematically sort out the key elements of a qualified espresso, from production parameters and tasting methods to blended bean selection, and introduce several espresso blends from Front Street Coffee with different styles, helping coffee lovers find espresso beans that suit their taste.

Friends who often read Front Street articles or have visited Front Street stores should have the impression that the latte produced by Front Street has a particularly full aroma, which benefits from the repeated refinement of the espresso bean formula used in the store. After everyone learned that Front Street's espresso has wine-like characteristics, many people could not resist their curiosity and wanted to taste for themselves what Front Street's espresso actually tastes like.

People who order espresso for the first time are often surprised—what the barista brings over is a small cup with a capacity of only about 50ml and thick walls. Many people wonder: why is there only this little? Is it too perfunctory?

Front Street Coffee wants to say seriously here: that is absolutely not the meaning!

If you observe carefully enough, you will also notice that when Front Street serves espresso, it always includes a glass of ice water beside it. What is this glass of ice water for? How should espresso be drunk? Next, Front Street will talk with everyone about the tasting method of espresso.

As everyone knows, cappuccino, latte, and Americano are all based on espresso. They are simply made by diluting the espresso with a large amount of milk or water, yet even so, the finished drink's flavor is still quite prominent. This shows that a single shot of espresso has a highly concentrated flavor, even strong enough that many people find it hard to accept at first.

The reason for this is inseparable from the extraction method of espresso. In 1961, Faema launched the world's first semi-automatic espresso machine, the Faema E61. Since then, extraction pressure, time, and various other parameters can be manually controlled. After that, the extraction pressure of espresso has basically stabilized at 9 bar, with water temperature controlled around 93°C. Espresso beans are usually dark-roasted, and combined with such high-pressure and high-temperature conditions, the resulting espresso naturally has a strong flavor and a thick, viscous mouthfeel.

No matter which café you walk into, as long as you order espresso, it will basically be served with a glass of ice water and a small spoon. The purpose of the ice water is to let you clean your palate, remove miscellaneous flavors, and awaken your senses before taking a sip, so that you can more accurately capture the flavor and mouthfeel of the espresso. The small spoon is used to stir the coffee evenly before tasting, or to observe the condition of the shot. Of course, you can also choose not to stir it and feel the layered changes brought to your tongue from the top layer of crema to the lower layer of espresso. After finishing it, take a sip of clear water to rinse your mouth, which helps you better appreciate the coffee's sweetness.

To extract a qualified espresso, many variables are involved, including dose, yield, grind size, flow rate, time, and pressure.

【Dose】It is usually determined by the capacity of the portafilter basket. The basket used by Front Street is 20g. Too much coffee may make it impossible to lock the portafilter onto the group head, or even cause excessive pressure; too little coffee can easily lead to uneven extraction.

【Yield】Generally, the coffee-to-liquid ratio is about 1:2, that is, 20g of coffee extracts 40g of espresso.

【Grind size】The finer the grind, the smaller the coffee particles, the more fully they contact water, and the more substances are extracted, which may cause over-extraction; the opposite is also true. Therefore, finding the right grind size is very critical.

【Extraction rate】At a normal flow rate, the coffee liquid flows out with a slightly thick, caramel-like texture. If the flow rate is too fast, soluble substances do not have time to be fully extracted, resulting in a weak aroma and a thin, watery mouthfeel; if the flow rate is too slow, the concentration is too high, and over-extraction may even occur.

【Time】The soluble substances in coffee will continue to dissolve as extraction time lengthens, and these may also include bitter flavor components.

【Pressure】The ideal pressure is about 9 bar. If the pressure is too low, less oil is extracted, and both flavor and mouthfeel are compromised; if the pressure is too high, the coffee structure is excessively damaged, the powerful water flow reacts violently with the coffee grounds, the extraction rate of insoluble substances rises, and bitterness increases accordingly.

Front Street Coffee Espresso Production Parameters

Coffee machine: Lelit Bianca V3

Pressure: 9 bar±2

Temperature: 90.5~96°C

Time: 20~30 sec

Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:1.7~1:2

Dose: 12g (single espresso) 20g (double espresso)

Extracted espresso yield: 20ml (single) 40ml (double)

If you prefer a rich mouthfeel and abundant crema, you can try Front Street. Front Street Classic Blend. This bean combines Indonesian Mandheling with Brazilian espresso beans, retaining both the wild aroma of Mandheling and the smooth mouthfeel of Brazilian beans, with the two forming a complementary and balanced flavor. Front Street Classic Espresso Blend adds Robusta to the Mamba formula, significantly improving the coffee's crema performance, making the body of the espresso more solid and the extraction more stable. It is very suitable for home users and for opening a shop.

In addition to the full-bodied Front Street Classic Blend, Front Street has also developed several espresso blend coffee beans with different styles for everyone to choose from.

Front Street. Specialty Blend Coffee Beans

Variety: Arabica

Processing method: Washed process

If you like espresso with nutty and chocolate notes as the main profile, you can choose Front Street. Specialty Blend. The acidity is soft and faint, with a sweet, nutty aftertaste.

Front Street. Commercial Blend Coffee Beans

Variety: Arabica & Robusta

Processing method: Washed process

If you are after roasted aromas such as nuts, cocoa, dark chocolate, and caramel, then buy Front Street. Commercial Blend beans. The acidity and sweetness are balanced, and because Robusta beans are mixed in, it has a slight bittersweet note, a long finish, and rich crema.

Front Street. Black Cocoa - The espresso moka pot coffee beans recommended by many baristas - Front Street Black Cocoa Blend Coffee Beans

Variety: Arabica

Processing method: Washed process

Front Street. Black Cocoa - The espresso moka pot coffee beans recommended by many baristas - Front Street Black Cocoa Blend has soft fruity acidity, caramel sweetness, and nutty and dark chocolate flavors. It is smooth and viscous, but the taste is on the lighter side.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.