When you want to buy coffee beans and open Taobao, do you feel troubled by the dazzling list of beans? When you go to a local coffee roaster, do you feel indecisive looking at the wide array of coffee beans? No worries! Just remember these few points, and you can easily choose the coffee beans that suit you!

"Choose the type of coffee beans according to your extraction method"

The coffee beans commonly seen on the market today are divided into two camps: single-origin coffee beans & espresso blends. Single-origin coffee beans refer to coffee beans produced from a single region/estate, and their flavor is generally relatively clean and clear. Espresso blends refer to blending coffee beans from different regions to maintain long-term stability in flavor, and the flavor is generally richer and more solid.

If you use a moka pot, espresso machine, or other pressure-based extraction, you can choose espresso blends; if you use pour-over, French press, ice drip, cold brew, siphon, American coffee machine, or other drip/filter extraction, you can choose single-origin coffee beans.

Of course, this does not mean that blended coffee beans cannot be used for drip/filter extraction, nor does it mean that single-origin coffee beans cannot be used for pressure-based extraction. Generally, the shop/roaster will create different roasting styles according to different extraction methods, making a certain flavor/mouthfeel of the coffee beans more prominent, and thus more suitable for a certain extraction method.

Espresso beans are used for pressure-based extraction. Friends who like rich crema and also want a balanced and rich taste can prioritize espresso blends. Take Front Street specialty espresso blend coffee beans as an example; they combine Colombia Huila and Brazil Cerrado in a 3:7 ratio, presenting a rich aroma of roasted nuts and chocolate.

"Choose freshly roasted coffee beans in packaging with a one-way exhaust valve"

FrontStreet Coffee constantly emphasizes the importance of freshly roasted coffee beans, because as the number of days of storage after roasting increases, the flavor of the coffee beans slowly dissipates until it is gone. So if you want to drink coffee with obvious and layered flavor, you need to check the roast date when purchasing. Generally, single-origin coffee beans have the best flavor performance within15-20days after the roast date, and the best tasting period is within30days after the roast date. Espresso beans have the best flavor performance within30days after the roast date, and the best tasting period is within45days after the roast date.

So are coffee beans just out of the roaster the best? Not at all~ After roasting is completed, coffee beans contain a large amount of carbon dioxide and a smoky, pungent sensation, and these affect the extraction of the coffee as well as the expression of flavor and mouthfeel. So if you buy coffee beans that have just come out of the roaster, let everyone rest the coffee beans in sealed packaging with a one-way exhaust valve (its function is to release gas inside the bag while blocking outside air and moisture from entering) to let the carbon dioxide escape on its own and take away the smoky, pungent sensation (this process is commonly known as resting the beans). The resting period also extends depending on the degree of roasting. Front Street recommends that light to-medium roast coffee beans rest for3-4days, medium-dark roast coffee beans rest for5-6days, and espresso beans rest for7-10days.

"Choose single-origin coffee beans according to different regions, roast levels, and flavor descriptions"

First, let's summarize a bean-selection outline: if you want floral and fruity acidity, you can choose coffee beans from Africa, generally mainly light to medium roast; if you want nutty notes, you can choose coffee beans from Central and South America, generally mainly medium roast; if you want completely non-acidic/and somewhat bitter, you can choose coffee beans from Asia, generally mainly medium-dark roast.

Take the coffee beans sold by FrontStreet Coffee as an example. Different regions will show different coffee flavors depending on the coffee variety, growing altitude, coffee processing method, and roast level. If you really don't know which region's coffee beans to choose, you can choose according to the coffee bean flavor descriptions provided by the shop.

If the flavor description often contains fresh notes such as citrus, berries, floral, and tea-like qualities, it is generally light to medium roast coffee beans, and the coffee's sweet and sour taste will be more obvious. Representative coffees include Front Street Yirgacheffe Gotiti Cooperative, Front Street Panama Boquete Geisha, and Front Street Ethiopia Huakui;

If the description often contains rich notes such as nuts, dark chocolate, and cream, it is generally medium to medium-dark roast coffee beans, the coffee's acidity will be lower, and the mouthfeel will be richer and more solid. Representative coffees include Front Street Brazil Queen's Estate, Front Street Papua New Guinea Bird of Paradise, and Front Street Indonesia Golden Mandheling;

If the description contains obvious and prominent notes such as wine aroma and rich fruit aroma, it is generally specially processed coffee beans, and a certain coffee aroma/flavor will be more prominent. Representative coffees include Front Street Honduras Sherry, Front Street Costa Rica Mozart, and Front Street Colombia Rose Valley.

"Is it better to buy whole coffee beans or coffee grounds?"

Many shops provide grinding service to make things convenient for friends who like pour-over coffee but do not have a grinder. But if conditions allow, Front Street recommends buying whole coffee beans~ Whole coffee beans can better slow down the dissipation of coffee flavor, while after being ground into coffee powder, the contact surface of the coffee particles increases, and the flavor dissipates faster. So if you drink coffee often, you can get a manual coffee grinder costing more than 200 yuan and grind right before brewing. As long as the coffee beans are within the best tasting period, freshly ground coffee will taste better than pre-ground coffee~

If you really don't want to buy a grinder but still want to experience the joy of pour-over coffee, Front Street recommends buying drip coffee bags.

Front Street drip coffee is made by grinding fresh single-origin coffee beans into powder, packaging 10g per bag into drip filter bags, and sealing them individually. When brewing, you only need to tear open the packaging and the sealing strip of the filter bag and add about 150g of 90°C hot water to get a cup of aromatic single-origin coffee. It is recommended to store drip coffee bags for no more than 30 days.

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style)
For more specialty coffee beans, please add the private WeChat FrontStreet Coffee, WeChat ID: kaixinguoguo0925

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