What espresso blend recipes and extraction parameters should you use?

Crema and body in espresso come from the blend formula and roast level as much as from the machine. Front Street Coffee publishes six espresso blend recipes covering balanced, bitter, acidic, wine-aroma, specialty and basic styles, and lists the coffee-to-water ratio, grind size and extraction time for each, so home users and cafe operators can pick a daily setup.

Espresso coffee beans, also called blended coffee, are the base for milk drinks and water-based drinks alike. For thick crema, many comparable blends add Robusta or push the roast darker; Front Street's commercial espresso blend contains 10 percent Robusta. Freshness is the baseline: beans are shipped two to three days after roasting, once resting has let the full flavor develop.

To make an espresso with rich crema and a full-bodied taste, the key lies not only in the machine, but also in the bean blend formula and roast level. Front Street Coffee has long insisted on fresh roasting, providing coffee beans two to three days after resting so the flavors are fully released. This article systematically compiles six Front Street espresso blend recipes, covering balanced, bitter, acidic, wine-aroma, specialty, and basic styles, and explains in detail parameters such as the coffee-to-water ratio, grind size, and extraction time. It also shares key points for selecting blended beans: removing defective beans, understanding bean variety characteristics, and differences in roast level. Whether you are a coffee enthusiast or a cafe operator, you can find an espresso bean solution and extraction approach suitable for daily production.

Friends familiar with Front Street all know that Front Street always takes fresh roasting as its core product philosophy. Freshly ground coffee and fresh coffee are not the same thing, and coffee beans are not better the newer they are—Front Street usually delivers beans to customers two to three days after roasting is completed, because after a few days of resting, the coffee can show a more complete flavor when brewed. In addition to single-origin beans, Front Street also supplies espresso beans, and no matter which category, freshness is Front Street's basic requirement. Front Street espresso coffee beans are also called blended coffee beans, and people often ask the shop which beans have rich crema and a full-bodied taste. The key to determining the taste of Front Street espresso coffee beans lies in the blend formula and roast level, which is also the biggest difference between them and single-origin beans. When it comes to abundant crema and a thick mouthfeel, many similar espresso beans on the market have added Robusta beans (abbreviated as Robusta), and another approach is to use a dark roast.

The picture shows Front Street commercial espresso blend coffee beans (containing 10% Robusta).

What are espresso coffee beans? What is Front Street Coffee's blend formula? Espresso coffee beans are also called blended coffee, and they are the main beans used for fancy coffee, usually paired with milk or water. Almost all currently popular espresso drinks fall into the category of blended beans, and common espresso drinks include latte, Americano, flat white, cappuccino, and so on.

Generally speaking, when two or more different varieties of coffee beans, or beans of the same variety but with different roast levels, are mixed together, this mixed bean is called espresso coffee beans or blended coffee beans. This kind of composite coffee is not simply an addition, but relies on the blender's understanding of flavor to let different beans complement each other's strengths and offset weaknesses, creating a blended bean with outstanding flavor.

Taking Front Street's blending approach as an example, it combines according to several dimensions: acidity, bitterness, sweetness, aroma, and body, forming coffee with a unique flavor. After a good composite coffee is blended, it has a fragrant aroma, is smooth and refreshing, and has a golden color, making it a top-grade coffee. When made into a latte, the sweetness of the milk and the richness of the espresso are perfectly matched, and neither the milk nor the espresso steals the spotlight.

When making latte art, the crema of the espresso is just right—not too thick to affect the fusion of milk and coffee, and not too thin to cause the milk and coffee to scatter when they combine—laying a good foundation for creating latte art patterns.

In Front Street espresso coffee bean blend recipes, depending on the type of coffee, the blended espresso coffee beans will also show different characteristics in taste and flavor.

1. Balanced-tasting espresso coffee beans

Formula: Guatemala (30%), Colombia (30%), Brazil (20%), Tanzania Kilimanjaro (10%).

This Front Street composite blend coffee is relatively balanced in acidity, bitterness, and aroma—neither too sour nor too heavy—making it suitable for friends who are just getting into espresso coffee. Tanzania Kilimanjaro coffee beans with strong acidity, Guatemala coffee beans with rich fruity aroma and smoky flavor, Colombia coffee beans with both acidity and a full-bodied taste, and Brazil coffee beans with mild bitterness—Front Street blends these coffee beans in proportion, ultimately forming Front Street composite blend coffee with a balanced taste and moderate strength.

2. Front Street commercial espresso coffee beans dominated by bitterness

Formula: Colombia (30%), Brazil (60%), Robusta (10%).

Considering the diversity of the audience, Front Street must choose coffee beans with rich flavors to create blended beans with a strong taste. Such coffee beans include Colombia coffee beans with a rich nutty and chocolate flavor, Brazil coffee beans with mild bitterness, and Robusta coffee beans known for a full-bodied taste and rich crema. The coffee beans blended in this way have a relatively strong bitterness, are deeply loved by coffee enthusiasts, and are also very suitable for the daily production needs of coffee shops.

3. Espresso coffee beans dominated by acidity

Formula: Tanzania Kilimanjaro (40%), Yirgacheffe Red Cherry (20%), Brazil (20%), Colombia (20%).

To make coffee beans with strong acidity, coffee beans that represent acidity should be the main component. Front Street selected two African coffees famous for their acidity: Front Street Tanzania coffee beans and Front Street Yirgacheffe Red Cherry coffee beans. On this basis, Brazil coffee beans and Colombia coffee beans are added, so a composite coffee with prominent acidity but not overly stimulating sourness can be blended.

4. Front Street Sunflower Warm Sun espresso blend coffee beans dominated by wine aroma

Formula: Front Street Honduras Sherry (60%), Front Street Yirgacheffe Red Cherry (40%).

Front Street named this uniquely flavored Front Street espresso coffee bean Sunflower Warm Sun. As the name suggests, the aroma of this special Front Street Sunflower Warm Sun espresso coffee bean is as comfortable as warm sunshine, and its taste and flavor are striking. With Front Street Honduras Sherry coffee beans rich in fermented wine aroma as the main component, paired with Front Street Yirgacheffe Red Cherry coffee beans known for their acidity, a fragrant and rich composite coffee can be blended.

5. Front Street specialty espresso blend coffee beans

Formula: Brazil (70%), Colombia (30%).

For people who do not like overly distinctive flavors and do not love single-origin coffee, but pursue coffee quality, this Front Street specialty espresso coffee bean should be the first choice. It uses medium-dark roasted coffee beans, mainly balanced-tasting Brazil coffee beans, paired with Colombia coffee beans with mild fruit acidity and a nutty sweet aftertaste. The flavor is classic and thought-provoking, meeting the daily opening needs of coffee shops.

6. Front Street basic espresso blend coffee beans

Formula: Yunnan coffee beans (40%), Brazil (60%).

This espresso moka pot coffee bean recommended by many baristas—Front Street Black Cocoa blend coffee beans—presents the most popular taste and flavor with extremely high cost performance. Whether it is friends new to coffee or heavy coffee enthusiasts, they can easily accept this espresso coffee bean. The first choice is balanced-tasting Brazil coffee beans, and on this basis, Yunnan coffee beans, whose flavor and taste are weaker than Brazil's, are used for adjustment. It is suitable for shops and home users who prioritize cost and have average flavor requirements.

What aspects should be noted when blending Front Street espresso blend coffee beans? The originality of espresso coffee beans lies in the blend formula, and every coffee shop's espresso coffee will have a different taste. We have already learned the specific blending data of several Front Street espresso coffee beans. Next, Front Street will share a few points to note before blending coffee beans.

1. Choose high-quality coffee beans. Actually, Front Street also feels this sentence is a bit redundant. Using poor-quality coffee beans will greatly impair the flavor of the coffee. Even if the coffee beans blended with them are excellent, it is impossible to make delicious coffee. Choosing high-quality coffee beans is the biggest key point.

2. Remove defective beans. When defective beans are mixed in, the taste will become worse. Anything worm-eaten or with holes, abnormally developed, or with shell but no kernel should all be picked out. Of course, when the coffee beans you select contain too many defective beans, it also indicates that the quality of these coffee beans is poor.

3. Understand the characteristics of the coffee beans. If you do not know much about the coffee beans to be blended, it is very difficult to blend good espresso coffee beans. At this time, you are like a team manager; you must understand your members very well so that each can give full play to their strengths. If you give blind orders without understanding, everything will become a mess.

4. Understand differences in roast level. Different coffee beans will have different roasting levels, which is also why Front Street emphasizes in-house roasting. When a roaster understands the quality characteristics of a certain coffee bean well enough, they will naturally know what roasting parameters it is suitable for, and the final coffee flavor presented will conform to the regional characteristics and the most essential taste of the coffee bean. For example, Brazil coffee beans need to highlight their full-bodied taste and nutty chocolate flavor, so a medium-dark roasting method is required.

How does Front Street choose? Front Street Coffee chose blending as the shop's espresso coffee bean offering. At present, it uses a Front Street Sunflower Warm Sun espresso blend coffee bean made with Front Street Honduras Sherry barrel-fermented coffee beans and Front Street Yirgacheffe sun-dried Red Cherry Plan coffee beans. The ratio is 7:3. Seventy percent Front Street Honduras Sherry barrel coffee beans provide flavor and body for this blended bean, while thirty percent Front Street sun-dried Yirgacheffe provides more aroma and acidity.

Can espresso coffee beans be used for pour-over?

Espresso coffee beans can of course be used to make pour-over coffee, and the resulting flavor will not be bad. Some friends even try blending beans themselves. Front Street Coffee's suggestion here is to first understand what flavor of coffee you like, then blend or ask the shop for recommendations, so the chance of stepping on a landmine will not be too high.

Front Street pour-over coffee parameters: V60 dripper, 15g coffee dose, 90°C water temperature, 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, grind size (75% passing through a No. 20 standard sieve, coarser than the grind size for espresso production). Pour-over coffee is actually very simple. With the right brewing parameters, beans with a grind size suitable for brewing, and the right equipment, and by ensuring during the brewing process that the poured water passes through the coffee grounds and forms a bowl shape, the pour-over coffee extracted in this state will very "naturally" taste good.

Regarding the pour-over brewing method, Front Street uses staged extraction: use 30g water for a 30-second bloom, pour in a small stream in circles until 125g for the stage break, and when the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring until 225g and stop. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper. (Timing starts at the beginning of the bloom.) The extraction time is 2'00".

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