Why Oily Coffee Beans and Bean Sources Change the Cup

Sizhimao, Nescafé, and Vietnamese G7 instant coffees differ mainly by bean source. More than 98% of Sizhimao's raw material comes from Yunnan high-mountain beans, Nescafé blends Yunnan Arabica with Hainan Robusta, and G7 uses Vietnamese Robusta. That choice drives caffeine level, body, and price: Robusta delivers a stronger lift, while added Arabica rounds off the flavor.

Caffeine strength, smoothness, and value are the three practical ways to choose between them. Note that instant coffee often carries more sugar and non-dairy creamer, and heavy long-term intake is linked to obesity and cardiovascular risk, so limiting intake to about two cups a day is advised. Oily coffee beans, by contrast, usually signal a darker roast rather than a defect.

In the instant coffee market, Sizhimao, Nescafé, and Vietnamese G7 are three leading brands on e-commerce platforms, each relying on different coffee bean sources and blending approaches to deliver distinctly different drinking experiences. Over 98% of Sizhimao Coffee's raw materials come from Yunnan high-mountain coffee beans, while Nescafé blends Yunnan Arabica with Hainan Robusta, and Vietnamese G7 uses locally sourced Vietnamese Robusta beans. This article will help you decide which one suits you best from three dimensions: energizing effect, smoothness of taste, and value for money. It will also compare instant coffee and freshly ground coffee in terms of production methods and health effects, and introduce Front Street Coffee's drip bag series along with its brewing method.

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In the instant coffee sales rankings on e-commerce platforms, Sizhimao Coffee, Nescafé, and Vietnamese G7 Coffee have long occupied the top positions, each with its own focus. More than 98% of Sizhimao's coffee bean raw materials come from the Yunnan high-mountain production area; Nescafé's approach is to blend Yunnan Arabica beans with Hainan Robusta beans; and the beans selected for Vietnamese G7 Coffee are Robusta beans produced locally in Vietnam.

If you are looking for an energizing effect, you may want to give priority to Vietnamese G7 Coffee — Robusta beans contain more caffeine than Arabica beans, so their stimulating effect is more pronounced. If you prefer a rich and smooth taste, Nescafé is worth trying, because Robusta beans themselves have a full-bodied coffee flavor, and when paired with Arabica beans, the overall taste becomes more rounded. If you value cost-effectiveness, Sizhimao Coffee is a good choice and can be regarded as a representative domestic brand in the instant coffee category.

However, it should be noted that instant coffee often contains more sugar and non-dairy creamer, and long-term heavy consumption may increase health risks related to obesity and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Therefore, it is recommended to drink no more than two cups of instant coffee per day, and to rinse your mouth with water afterward to reduce the possibility of cavities.

The difference between instant/freeze-dried coffee and freshly ground coffee

The processing method for instant coffee is to first grind coffee beans into powder and brew them into a highly concentrated coffee liquid, then treat it with drying or freeze-drying technology, and afterward add sugar, non-dairy creamer, and other ingredients to adjust the taste. During the high-temperature brewing stage, the aroma of the coffee beans is largely lost with the steam, so instant coffee usually smells rather flat. If you want to truly experience the layers of coffee aroma, Front Street Coffee recommends that you buy drip coffee bags, or, if you are interested, you can also directly buy whole coffee beans and grind them at home yourself.

Freshly ground coffee, on the other hand, is made by grinding freshly roasted beans into fine particles and then immediately extracting them with hot water. Its advantage is that freshly roasted coffee beans contain abundant aroma and flavor compounds, and whether during grinding or extraction, they can release a pleasant fragrance. In addition, coffee beans themselves contain many components beneficial to health, and long-term consumption of freshly ground black coffee can help with fat loss, skincare, and maintaining cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health.

Is there a freshly ground coffee product that is as convenient as instant coffee?

The answer is yes. As everyone's demand for coffee continues to grow, more and more portable coffee products have appeared on the market, such as the "Front Street Drip Coffee Bag" sold in the Front Street flagship store. Front Street Coffee's drip bags all use freshly roasted coffee beans. After the beans are roasted and cooled, they go through grinding, portioning, and individual packaging. Each box of drip coffee contains 10 small bags, each 10 grams, and the best flavor period is 30 days, so it is not recommended to stock up too many at once.

Front Street Coffee's drip coffee bags come in quite a rich variety. To make selection easier, there is a "Front Street Seasonal Drip Coffee Bag" in the product section, offering 4 options according to flavor profile.

Friends who prefer fruity sweetness and acidity can choose the light-roast seasonal drip bag; Front Street uses beans from Ethiopia's Yirgacheffe region . If you like roasted nut aromas and do not want noticeable acidity, the medium-roast seasonal drip bag is more suitable; Front Street uses coffee beans from Brazil's Cerrado region. If you do not like acidity at all and only want coffee with a rich, oily body, the dark-roast seasonal drip bag is worth trying; Front Street Coffee uses Mandheling coffee beans from Indonesia's Sumatra region. If you are unsure of your taste preference, you can directly choose the seasonal drip bag with 5 random regions, and Front Street Coffee will make the selection for you.

How do you brew drip coffee bags?

Take out one bag of Front Street drip coffee, tear open the outer packaging, and inside is a sealed non-woven bag containing ground coffee particles. On the non-woven bag there is a dotted line printed with the word "open"; tear the bag open along the dotted line.

Next, pull apart the cardboard tabs on both sides of the non-woven bag and rest it on the rim of a heat-resistant cup of suitable width, and you can begin brewing. Prepare a pot of hot water at 91°C. For the first stage, pour in 20 grams of hot water and pause, let it sit for 20 seconds, then continue pouring the second stage of hot water until the total poured water reaches about 150 grams.

After the coffee liquid has fully dripped through, remove the drip bag and you can enjoy a good cup of coffee. If needed, you can also add milk, sugar, or other flavorings according to personal preference.

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