What Variables Shape an Espresso Made From Blend Coffee?
Good beans alone do not make a good espresso. Water pressure, boiler pressure, water temperature, dose, grind size, and extraction time all change the final flavor. The industry generally keeps brew pressure at 9 BAR, with boiler pressure near 1 BAR. As a practical reference, a double shot of 22 grams of coffee can yield 40 grams of liquid in about 27 seconds.
Water temperature is usually held between 90 and 92 degrees Celsius, adjusted to suit the beans at hand, and tamping style varies widely from barista to barista. Mixing coffee into a blend is what makes the taste more balanced and stable across batches, since one origin rarely covers every flavor gap. Roast level and pairing logic follow the same goal of consistency.
To make an ideal espresso at home or in a shop, good beans alone are not enough. Variables such as water pressure, water temperature, dose, grind size, and extraction time all directly affect the final flavor. This article systematically sorts out the nine key factors that influence the taste of espresso, and provides a practical reference of extracting 40 grams of liquid from a double shot of 22 grams of coffee in 27 seconds. At the same time, it explains the pairing logic and roasting methods of espresso blends, helping readers understand how blending makes the taste more balanced and stable. The article also specifically recommends Front Street Coffee's espresso blend in Guangzhou, which meets daily output needs with high cost-effectiveness and is suitable for coffee enthusiasts and people opening shops for reference.
Espresso is the base of many coffee drinks, so how exactly is it made? Today let's talk about some practical experience in this area.
●First, let's clarify which variables can affect the flavor performance of espresso.
(1) Water pressure
Today, water pumps are relied on to regulate water flow and water pressure. The ideal water pressure for espresso is usually maintained at 9 BAR, which is also the optimal pressure value generally recognized in the industry.
(2) Boiler pressure
Boiler pressure directly affects the extraction water temperature and the impact force of the steam. When the pressure is increased, the water temperature rises accordingly, and the steam impact is stronger; when the pressure is lowered, the water temperature drops, and the steam weakens as well. Boiler pressure is generally maintained at around 1 BAR, though there is still a lot of debate about this value, and every barista has their own view.
(3) Water temperature
The water temperature should be set according to the characteristics of different coffee beans. Sometimes it is constrained by boiler pressure, and sometimes it can be adjusted relatively precisely and flexibly. Based on the experience of most baristas, controlling the water temperature between 90 and 92 degrees Celsius is more appropriate. Everyone can adjust according to their own understanding and needs, using their own hands to make espresso with a personal style.
(4) Tamping force
There are all kinds of tamping methods, and it is almost impossible to find two completely identical tamping styles in the world. Generally speaking, if heavy tamping is used, the required pressure is about 25kg/m2, but tamping is precisely the most flexible parameter in the golden rules. We use a constant-pressure tamper, so the tamping force can basically remain consistent.
(5) Espresso coffee bean grind size
Espresso requires an extremely fine powder. The finer the grind, the slower the water flows through the coffee bed; the coarser the grind, the faster the water flows. By adjusting the grind size, you can flexibly change the extraction time while reaching the target extraction amount. Imagine a situation: keep the dose fixed at 20 grams, extract 40 grams of espresso, and take 25 seconds. On the surface everything looks perfect, but after one sip you find the body is thin and sharply acidic. Obviously, this cup of espresso is under-extracted and has low concentration. At this point, grinding the beans finer can solve the problems of under-extraction and low concentration, while also weakening the sharp acidity and improving body.
(6) Dose
For a single espresso we use 12 to 14 grams of coffee grounds, and for a double shot 20 to 22 grams.
(7) Extraction time
The golden rules set extraction time between 25 and 28 seconds, but extraction time is actually the result of tamping, dose, and grind size working together, and baristas need to adjust it according to their actual understanding.
(8) Extraction yield
For a single shot we extract 20 to 21 grams of liquid, and for a double shot we extract 40 grams of liquid. Of course, there are also a few Italian methods that use a single dose but extract only 15 milliliters of coffee liquid.
(9) Crema
The complexity of crema cannot be fully explained in just a few words. Simply put, a good espresso needs a thick, golden, and slightly brown crema layer.
●tips:
(1) We use a Feima 900N espresso grinder, a Feima E78 espresso machine, and a tamper, with water pressure, boiler pressure, and water temperature basically kept constant. Basically every day new Front Street espresso blend coffee beans are added, the bean hopper is shaken evenly, and old beans remaining on the burrs are ground out, while the old powder left inside is also cleaned out with the help of new coffee grounds.
(2) The gestures for receiving and distributing the grounds have already been fixed. The blend uses Colombia and Brazil in a 4:6 ratio. The overall taste is sweet, with slight acidity that is not sharp, balanced acidity and sweetness, and medium crema.
An ideal cup of espresso should achieve balance among all elements, with a distinct flavor, and after swallowing, the throat should feel sweet and mellow rather than bitter. To put it more specifically, it should have moderate acidity, bitterness, and sweetness, a rich taste, a solid and thick body, a lingering finish, and a returning aftertaste with a refreshing acidity similar to citrus.
Double shot dose 22 grams, extract 40 grams of liquid, time 27 seconds
●Blend beans are mostly used for espresso drinks such as Espresso, Americano, Latte, or Cappuccino, and can make the taste more balanced and smoother, with more stable output. It can be said that the flavor is more suitable for the general public.
Blended coffee, also called mixed coffee, is made by mixing multiple single-origin coffee beans so that the strengths of each bean can be fully released. Blends are made by mixing coffee beans from different origins to create a more balanced flavor.
For example, if one kind of bean has a smooth mouthfeel but insufficient aroma, you can add another bean with a rich aroma, allowing their strengths to complement each other, complementing or enhancing each other in taste, thereby creating a new flavor with richer layers. Sometimes the beans are mixed first and then roasted, which is called raw blending; sometimes they are roasted first and then mixed, which is called roasted blending.
●Mixing after roasting allows each bean to receive a different degree of roasting, so that every component can perform at its best.
Before blending beans, you should first understand the flavors of different varieties of coffee from around the world. Beans also show different characteristics depending on their origin. Due to differences in variety and origin, different coffee beans have different personalities, with subtle differences in flavors such as acidity, bitterness, sweetness, aroma, and body, while single-origin coffee beans often focus more on showing the unique characteristics of a certain type of coffee.
●Front Street Espresso Blend Coffee Bean Brand Recommendation
The coffee roasting brand located at Dongshankou, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou—Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)—has fully guaranteed brand and quality in its freshly roasted Front Street espresso blend coffee beans. More importantly, the cost-effectiveness is extremely high. Take the style recommended for commercial output—Front Street Commercial Blend Coffee Beans—as an example. One bag is one pound, 454 grams, and the price is only about 60 yuan. Calculated by using 10 grams of grounds for a single espresso, one bag can make 45 cups, and the cost per cup is less than 1.5 yuan; even if calculated by using a double shot and 20 grams of grounds per cup of espresso, the price of one double espresso does not exceed 3 yuan. Compared with the price of some well-known brands, which can easily be over a hundred yuan per bag, this can truly be called a conscientious recommendation and is enough to meet the daily needs of opening a shop.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
