Aroma is the soul of coffee beans, and freshness is the guarantee of their quality. Therefore, Front Street believes that to buy coffee bursting with rich aroma, you need to choose freshly roasted coffee beans. Below are six tips and guidelines on buying coffee beans that Front Street has compiled for you, dedicated to all coffee lovers.

When buying roasted coffee beans, it's best to discuss these questions with the staff (whether in a physical store or online):

●1. What kind of coffee equipment will you use to brew the coffee?

Because each type of coffee brewing equipment has a different extraction principle, the resulting coffee taste will vary with the bean type and operating parameters. Before buying coffee beans, it's best to tell the staff which brewing method you use. The most common brewing equipment includes espresso machines, American drip coffee makers, pour-over, smart cups, cold brew...

Based on this, the staff can recommend coffee beans suited to your needs. You might even exchange tips with them. For example, espresso machines use pressure extraction, suitable for medium-dark roast beans; we recommend Front Street Classic Espresso Blend, Front Street Queen's Estate, and Front Street Strawberry Candy Espresso. Smart cups are immersion type, suitable for Front Street Mozart, Front Street Bird of Paradise, and Front Street Strawberry Candy. Cold brew is low-temperature extraction; we suggest Front Street Kenya Little Tomato, Front Street Sidra, and Front Street Big Belly.

●2. Your preferred coffee taste

Describe to the staff what flavors you like in coffee. There's no need to sound as professional as a coffee cupper—just keep it casual, like saying you prefer it stronger or a bit more sour. That way, the staff can recommend the coffee that best suits you based on their own coffee's flavor characteristics. For those who like strong coffee, we suggest Front Street Golden Mandheling, Front Street Colombia Huila, and Front Street Brazil Cerrado. For those who enjoy a fresh acidity, you can choose Front Street Yirgacheffe, Front Street Panama Elida Estate, and Front Street Huakui.

●3. Don't blindly believe claims about a certain coffee's flavor

Do you often hear descriptions like "Colombian coffee is sour" or "Indonesian Mandheling is very bitter"? If you've been influenced by these and take them as universal truths, even using such standards to judge the quality of coffee beans you buy, then I'm sorry to tell you, this is a misconception.

Because from green coffee beans to dark roasted beans, there's a crucial step: "roasting." Although coffee beans have distinct regional characteristics, during roasting, the roaster may adjust based on their understanding of coffee flavor, and the final taste is the effect they intend to present. For example, to highlight the berry notes of Front Street Kenya coffee, Front Street uses a medium-light roast. To preserve more white floral aromas, we prioritize a light roast to present Front Street Fruit Punch.

●4. Pay special attention to the roast date of the coffee beans

As a food product, roasted coffee beans naturally have a "shelf life" indicator. Coffee beans are similar to seafood—the fresher, the better—and the indicator for freshness is the "roast date." It's worth noting that after roasting, coffee beans contain a lot of gas, which hinders the release of flavor compounds. So to brew a full-bodied aromatic coffee, you should let the beans rest for 4–7 days. However, over time, the aroma starts to fade after about 1 month, until only bitterness and a woody taste remain. Therefore, to let everyone experience the beans at their freshest, Front Street ships coffee beans roasted within 5 days, so that when you receive them, they're just about ready to be enjoyed at their peak.

●5. Buy whole bean coffee

Basically, many shops offer free coffee grinding services, grinding whole beans into coffee powder for customers—just tell them your brewing method. But you should know, the most alluring part of coffee is its aroma, and grinding greatly diminishes volatile compounds. The longer it's stored, the more the precious aroma gradually dissipates. So Front Street believes that if you want to fully enjoy a cup of coffee's flavor, we recommend buying whole beans, pairing them with a grinder, and then you'll find that freshly ground and brewed coffee is truly fragrant.

●6. Based on your drinking habits, buy in small amounts more frequently

As Front Street mentioned above, after a month, roasted coffee beans gradually lose their aroma, which means we must finish them as soon as possible. Roasted coffee beans are usually measured in "grams" or "pounds"; one pound is 454 grams. Many specialty beans are sold in half-pound bags, i.e., 227 grams per bag. At two cups a day, using 15 grams of grounds per cup, that's enough for nearly 15 days—during which the beans remain within their fresh period, allowing you to fully enjoy coffee's wonderful aroma and taste.

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