How do ratio and time shape SOE espresso?

SOE stands for Single Origin Espresso, espresso pulled from beans of one origin rather than a blend. To keep a shot from turning too intense or too weak, control the dose, yield, and time together. One example uses 20 grams of ground coffee extracted for 27 seconds to yield 40 grams of liquid.

Single origin beans with high flavor distinctiveness suit SOE, and roast level matters: beans headed for an espresso machine are usually roasted darker than the same lot used for pour-over. Front Street Coffee has offered an Ethiopian natural red cherry SOE, a medium roast built for home espresso machines.

SOE coffee has been making frequent appearances in barista competitions and specialty cafés in recent years. It emphasizes the flavor distinctiveness of a single origin, standing in sharp contrast to traditional espresso blends. But what exactly does SOE mean? What are the essential differences between it and pour-over or espresso blends? In the extraction process, how should the coffee-to-water ratio, time, and flow rate be controlled so that a shot of espresso is neither too intense nor too weak? This article will start from the concept, combine it with actual offerings from Front Street Coffee, break down the similarities and differences between SOE and espresso one by one, and provide actionable extraction parameter suggestions to help coffee enthusiasts consistently reproduce a cup of espresso with clear flavor and balanced taste at home.

In recent years, the popularity of SOE coffee has continued to rise, and many baristas choose to use it to present their work in competitions. Compared with blend beans, SOE often better highlights the unique flavor and rich body of a particular origin. So what exactly is SOE? Its full name is Single Origin Espresso. It is worth noting that although the name contains "single origin," it is not automatically equivalent to specialty coffee, so bean selection is especially important. Usually, single-origin beans with high flavor distinctiveness are chosen to make SOE, so that a cup of espresso with a clear personality can be produced.

Front Street Coffee has also launched SOE products before, using an Ethiopian natural red cherry with very prominent flavor characteristics. This bean comes from Front Street Red Cherry, a collaboration between a Dutch merchant and a local Ethiopian cooperative. Only fully red cherries are picked during harvest, and then they undergo natural processing, so the beans have rich fruity sweetness and floral aroma. They are not only suitable for pour-over but can also be used for cold brew. As a highly recognizable representative of Yirgacheffe, Front Street Coffee has also specifically launched a medium-roast Front Street Red Cherry SOE for home espresso machines.

We take 20 grams of Front Street Red Cherry coffee grounds, extract for 27 seconds, and finally obtain 40 grams of coffee liquid. If you look carefully at this espresso, you will find that the surface is covered with a layer of brownish-red crema and has an inviting aroma. On the palate, you can feel citrus, berry, and fermented aromas. The body is syrupy, the bitterness is medium, and the acidity is medium-high, with the overall acidity bright and lively.

Interestingly, if you use the same natural red cherry beans to make pour-over, there usually will not be crema on the surface of the coffee liquid. The reason is that the filter paper used in pour-over intercepts part of the coffee oils.

SOE and pour-over share one thing in common: in order to highlight the flavor of the origin, the roast level of the beans used is generally not too dark. For example, Front Street Coffee's single-origin pour-over beans cover more than 50 origins, and the vast majority are medium-light roasts. Only in a few special cases will medium-dark or dark roasts be used according to the characteristics of the origin.

Now that we have discussed the differences between SOE and pour-over, what makes it different from espresso blends? The beans used in traditional espresso are mostly blends of multiple coffee beans. Some recipes even use as many as ten types, while the smallest number still uses more than three. The biggest advantage of multi-bean blending is that the flavor and mouthfeel are more stable. Chain brands such as Starbucks and Luckin adopt the espresso blend approach.

SOE, on the other hand, takes the single-origin route. Although the origin's personality is more distinct, its shortcomings are also obvious. It is greatly affected by seasons, because the harvest time and yield of each production season are not fixed, and the supply of single-origin beans itself is prone to fluctuation. In addition, coffee is an agricultural product, and factors such as weather, cultivation, and farming can all interfere with yield. Moreover, the grade of SOE is usually higher than that of blend beans, so the pricing of SOE in cafés on the market is often noticeably higher than that of ordinary espresso.

The blend beans generally used for espresso have less stringent requirements for green beans than SOE, and they can be freely combined according to the target flavor. For example, Arabica beans are rich in oils and have good flavor and mouthfeel, but their body is not enough, their acidity is relatively high, and the coffee color is not bright enough. Therefore, many baristas add an appropriate amount of Robusta beans when blending to improve body and color brightness. Robusta is relatively cheap, so espresso blended with it will not be priced as high as SOE.

Front Street Coffee itself is a roaster, and the espresso blend beans used in its stores are also formulated according to its own and the public's preferred flavors. Among them, Front Street Commercial Blend is designed specifically for opening a coffee shop. It uses an Arabica combination of Colombian washed beans and Brazilian semi-natural beans, with a small amount of Robusta added, presenting flavors of nuts, cocoa, and caramel. Compared with other espresso coffees, Front Street Commercial Blend follows the classic combination of Brazil and Colombia, then adds a small amount of Robusta to enhance the original layers. It tastes of compound nutty aromas such as toasted bread, almonds, and walnuts, with good crema fluidity, low acidity, and a rich mouthfeel.

When customers get tired of the traditional darker-roast flavor, many will want an Americano or latte that is not bitter. At this point, they can try Front Street Strawberry Candy espresso blend. As the name suggests, it has high sweetness. It is composed of three single-origin beans from different regions. In addition to its own rose aroma, when made into an Americano or latte, you can also taste flavors of grapes, dried blueberries, sweet orange, and fruit candy, making the mouthfeel quite special.

I wonder if everyone has noticed that Front Street Coffee actually does not have many types of espresso blend beans. Generally speaking, if the types of blend beans are too complicated, not only will they fail to achieve the original purpose of blending, but they will instead make the flavor chaotic and defeat the purpose. Therefore, Front Street Coffee recommends using no more than five types of beans when blending.

In addition, regarding the extraction parameters of espresso, whether it is the SOE mentioned above or regular espresso, adjustments need to be made from time to time. This is because conditions such as the concentration and extraction time of espresso are much stricter than those of pour-over, and slight deviations are magnified exponentially in the espresso cup.

When Front Street Coffee makes espresso, the coffee-to-water ratio is usually controlled between 1:1.5 and 1:2.5, with 1:2 being the most commonly used, that is, 20 grams of coffee grounds extracting 40 grams of liquid. If the ratio is lower than this range, the coffee will be very intense and heavy, and may even bring out bitterness. If it exceeds this ratio, the coffee will become very weak and may also reveal sharp acidity.

Next, let's talk about extraction time. Whether it is pour-over or espresso, there are problems of over-extraction and under-extraction. Usually, the extraction time of a shot of espresso is between 20 and 35 seconds. Finally, there is the issue of flow rate: if the first drop of coffee liquid begins to fall about 5 seconds after you press the extraction button, and the flow rate is relatively even afterward, that is normal. If it takes a long time for liquid to come out, or the flow rate is too fast, it may be caused by the grounds being too fine or too coarse.

Once you have adjusted all the parameters properly, Front Street Coffee believes that whether you are making SOE or espresso, it will become much easier.

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