Aroma is the soul of coffee beans, and freshness is the quality guarantee of coffee beans. Therefore, Front Street Coffee believes that to get and buy aromatic coffee, you need to choose freshly roasted coffee beans. Below are six suggestions and guidelines on coffee bean selection that Front Street Coffee has compiled for everyone, dedicated to those who love coffee.
When purchasing roasted coffee beans, it's best to communicate with the staff (in physical stores or online shops) about these questions:
●1. What kind of coffee equipment is used to brew coffee?
Because each coffee brewing device has a different extraction principle, the taste of the coffee made will vary with the type of beans and operating parameters. Before buying coffee beans, it's best to tell the staff which coffee brewing method you use. The most common brewing devices include espresso machines, American drip coffee makers, pour-over, smart cups, cold brew...
Based on this, the staff can recommend suitable coffee beans for you in a targeted way; in addition, you might also exchange usage tips with the staff. For example, espresso machines use pressure extraction, suitable for medium-dark roasted beans, and it is recommended to buy Front Street Classic Espresso Blend, Front Street Queen's Estate, Front Street Strawberry Candy Espresso; smart cups are immersion type, suitable for Front Street Mozart, Front Street Bird of Paradise, Front Street Strawberry Candy; cold brew is low-temperature extraction, and it is recommended to purchase Front Street Kenya Little Tomato, Front Street Sidra, Front Street Big Belly.
●2. Your preferred coffee taste
Describe to the staff what kind of coffee flavor you like. There's no need to speak as professionally as in coffee tasting; keep it relaxed, for example, saying you prefer a stronger taste or a more sour flavor. In this way, the staff can recommend the most suitable coffee for you based on the taste characteristics of their own coffee. For friends who like strong coffee, it is recommended to choose Front Street Golden Mandheling, Front Street Colombia Huila, Front Street Brazil Cerrado; for friends who like a fresh sour taste, you can pick Front Street Yirgacheffe, Front Street Panama Elida Estate, Front Street Flower Kui.
●3. Don't be superstitious about the so-called taste of a certain coffee
Do you often hear descriptions like "Colombian coffee is sour" or "Indonesian Mandheling is very bitter"? If you have also been influenced by these descriptions, thinking this is an axiom-like fact, and even using such standards to judge the quality of the coffee beans you buy, then I'm sorry to tell you, this is a misconception.
Because from green coffee beans to dark roasted coffee beans, there is a very important step, which is "roasting". Although coffee beans themselves have obvious regional characteristics, during the roasting process, the roaster may adjust according to their own understanding of coffee flavor, and the final taste is the effect they want to present. For example, to highlight the berry flavor of Front Street Kenya coffee, Front Street will use a medium-light roast; to retain more white floral notes, we will prioritize a light roast to present Front Street Fruit Ding Ding.
●4. Pay special attention to the roast date of coffee beans
As a food item, roasted coffee beans naturally have indicators like a "shelf life". Coffee beans are similar to seafood; the fresher, the better, and the indicator for judging freshness is the "roast date". It is worth noting that roasted coffee beans contain a large amount of gas after roasting, which hinders the release of flavor substances, so to brew a full-aroma coffee, you need to properly rest the beans for 4~7 days. However, as time goes by, the aroma of coffee beans begins to gradually dissipate after 1 month, until only bitterness and a woody taste remain. Therefore, to let everyone experience the freshest state of the beans, the coffee beans shipped by Front Street are all roasted within 5 days, so that when you receive them, they are just about ready to be enjoyed.
●5. Buy whole bean coffee
Basically, many shops offer free coffee bean grinding services, which means helping customers grind whole coffee beans into coffee powder; you just need to tell them your brewing method. But you should know that the most tempting part of coffee is its aroma, and during the grinding process, the volatile substances are greatly weakened. As the storage time increases, the precious aroma components will gradually dissipate. Therefore, Front Street Coffee believes that if you want to fully enjoy the flavor of a cup of coffee, it is recommended to buy whole bean coffee and pair it with a grinder. Then you will find that freshly ground and brewed coffee is really aromatic.
●6. Based on drinking habits, buy in small quantities multiple times
As mentioned above by Front Street, after one month, the aroma of roasted coffee beans will gradually fade, which also means we must finish drinking them as soon as possible. Roasted coffee beans are generally measured in "grams" or "pounds"; one pound is 454 grams. Many specialty beans are sold in half-pound bags, which is 227 grams per pack. If you drink two cups a day, using 15 grams of powder per cup, it is enough to drink for nearly 15 days. During this period, the coffee beans are all within their fresh period, allowing you to fully enjoy the wonderful aroma and taste of coffee.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
