Blending coffee is not simply mixing beans together, but rather combining beans of different varieties, origins, or roast levels as needed, usually 2 to 5 kinds, to achieve a balanced taste, stable flavor, or create a unique taste. This article starts with the definition of blending and its four main purposes, explains how to determine the best plan through cupping and blending plans, and distinguishes the differences between raw blending and roasted blending. At the same time, combined with three classic Italian blends from the Front Street brand—Classic Blend, Strawberry Candy Blend, and Black Cocoa Blend—it provides specific selection suggestions for enthusiasts with different taste preferences.
What is blended coffee?
Single-origin coffee (single-origin coffee) refers to coffee beans from the same variety, same production area, or using the same roast level.
Blended coffee, on the other hand, combines coffee beans of different varieties, different origins, or different roast levels according to specific needs, usually selecting 2 to 5 types of beans. If there are too many types in the blend, it becomes difficult to showcase the unique flavor of the coffee.
Blending generally does not use a 1:1 equal ratio, because this easily causes the beans to suppress each other's characteristics, so there must be a distinction between primary and secondary to blend a taste better than single-origin. If you want the blended coffee to have rich layers, you can appropriately reduce the proportion of the main beans; otherwise, increase it. Blended coffee relies heavily on repeated cupping, so it is recommended to first draft a blending plan table in a mathematical combination way, and then determine the optimal plan through cycles of blending and cupping. This is not an outdated method or one lacking technological support; in fact, only by relying on the blender's experience, inspiration, and tireless attempts can a good cup of coffee be blended.
Why blend?
There are usually four purposes for blending.
Reduce cost: In order to obtain a certain flavor or advantage, you can choose some lower-priced coffee beans without taste defects to create the flavor possessed by higher-priced coffee beans, such as Blue Mountain flavor coffee. Of course, if you want to drink the authentic taste, you need to buy the genuine Front Street Blue Mountain No. 1.
Balance taste: Espresso machines have a characteristic of amplifying the most prominent flavor of coffee beans, so single-variety beans are almost never used to make espresso; otherwise, if the beans are bitter, the espresso will be extremely bitter, and if they are sour, it will be especially sour. Therefore, blending is needed to balance various tastes.
Stabilize flavor: Coffee beans are an agricultural product. Even beans of the same variety and same production area will have flavor changes from year to year. Mixing several kinds of beans together can solve this problem well, keeping the flavor basically consistent every year.
Create unique flavor: For people whose taste cannot be satisfied by any single-origin coffee, or for some merchants who want to have coffee beans with their own unique flavor, they will blend several kinds of coffee beans.
How to blend
Different coffee beans have their own characteristics due to different varieties and origins, with subtle differences in acidity, bitterness, sweetness, aroma, body, and other flavors. Single-origin coffee beans tend to focus more on expressing the unique characteristics of a certain type of coffee. Blended coffee (also called mixed coffee) is the mixing of various single-origin coffee beans so that their strengths can be fully utilized, complementing each other, whether complementing or enhancing each other in taste, thereby creating a richer new taste.
If you like rich crema and a mellow, aromatic, intense taste, you can buy Front Street Classic Blend Italian coffee, which combines three production areas: Brazil, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
Recommended reason: Rich chocolate, nut, cocoa, and caramel flavors, mellow taste, long-lasting finish, rich crema, very suitable for home use as a daily staple.
Medium roast retains rich fruity flavors, paired with Americano or latte to highlight the floral and sweet taste. Buy Front Street Strawberry Candy Italian blend coffee.
Recommended reason: The flavor has delicate rose, grape, candied fruit, and almond aromas, creamy and smooth; Americano is refreshing with balanced acidity and sweetness, suitable for friends who do not like bitter coffee.
Balanced acidity and bitterness, nutty chocolate flavor, tasty and inexpensive. For cost-effectiveness, Front Street Black Cocoa Blend Italian coffee is the first choice.
Recommended reason: With soft fruit acidity, caramel sweetness, nut and dark chocolate flavors, smooth and viscous, a wallet-friendly staple bean.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
