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Front Street has found that many people think SOE is simply applying single-origin beans to espresso machine extraction, thereby making a single-origin espresso series, until they take home beans with various floral and fruity flavors, try them on a coffee machine, and only then discover something is off. First comes the splashing mess like below, then they are startled by the extremely sour espresso and dare not take a second sip, and then they start to wonder if their equipment is too poor or if they made a mistake in operation.
In fact, the reason you cannot make the same SOE at home as in the shop is likely not your equipment or technique, but that the roast level of this coffee bean is simply not very suitable for making espresso. Based on the experience of Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) baristas, choosing a coffee bean suitable for SOE extraction not only makes it easy to produce a delicious espresso, but also makes Americano or latte made by adding water or milk much more effective. On Front Street’s bean list, there are two single-origin coffees offered in SOE versions: one is the strawberry-scented Front Street Huakui, and the other is the classic Yirgacheffe-style Front Street Konga Red Cherry. When ordering, we only need to check the espresso roast option.
Yirgacheffe Coffee
Yirgacheffe has long been one of the most important coffee regions in Ethiopia. It was once part of the Sidamo coffee region, and later became an independent coffee region because of the unique flavor of Yirgacheffe coffee beans. It can be said that Yirgacheffe is not only the name of a coffee region, but also a term describing a specific coffee flavor. The Yirgacheffe coffee region is considered a high-altitude coffee region, with an elevation of around 2,000 meters. The Yirgacheffe coffee region has more than 40 cooperatives, mainly managing coffee cultivation through family-run models.
Under the Yirgacheffe coffee region, there are also many well-known micro-regions, such as Kochere, Misty Valley, Gedeb, and so on. These micro-regions all have excellent cooperatives, and the Yirgacheffe coffee beans they produce each have their own distinctive flavor characteristics.
Front Street Yirgacheffe is regarded as specialty coffee because of its light, bright citrus-lemon acidity and delicate floral and fruity fragrance. Such prominent flavor characteristics make Yirgacheffe not only the name of a coffee region, but also a symbol of a typical coffee flavor. Generally speaking, Yirgacheffe can be divided into two major categories according to processing method: Front Street natural Yirgacheffe and Front Street washed Yirgacheffe. Today Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) will talk about the differences between them. Apart from obvious differences in appearance (natural has less silver skin, washed has more silver skin), in terms of flavor, Front Street washed Yirgacheffe represents the most typical flavor characteristics of Yirgacheffe, while Front Street natural Yirgacheffe adds fermented notes and sweet aroma on that basis.
Detailed Method for SOE Yirgacheffe Latte
The coffee machine at Front Street’s store is a commercial single-group “Lelit Bianca,” which can adjust extraction by changing pressure, with a maximum pressure of 11 bar. A home coffee machine only needs to reach 9 bar of pressure to satisfy extraction and milk frothing functions, paired with an espresso grinder.
Sharing SOE Coffee Extraction Parameters
Coffee beans: Front Street Ethiopia Natural Red Cherry Coffee Beans
Dose: 20 g
Yield: 40 g
Dose-to-yield ratio: 1:2
Extraction time: 26–33 seconds
Grind setting: Galileo 2.0
Front Street uses the capacity of a double basket, with a dose of about 18–20 grams. For Front Street’s output, 20 grams of coffee grounds are used.
Usually the ratio of coffee grounds to coffee liquid is between 1:1.5 and 1:2.5. Front Street’s extraction ratio is 1:2, that is, 20 grams of coffee grounds extract 40 grams of coffee liquid. Time is related to the flow rate of the coffee grounds. Generally, a single extraction is controlled within 20–35 seconds, because within 20 seconds the coffee usually tastes thin, while over 35 seconds it is prone to over-extraction and burnt bitterness. Front Street’s espresso mostly falls within the range of 28–30 seconds.
Front Street first wipes the basket dry, turns on the grinder, grinds out the amount for a double dose of coffee grounds, places it on an electronic scale and adjusts it until it reaches 20 grams. Then use a tool to distribute the grounds evenly, and tamp the coffee puck firmly to ensure more stable extraction. Then turn on the extraction switch to release water, wetting the brew head while also carrying away the coffee grounds stuck to it. Lightly and slowly lock the portafilter onto the brew head and begin extraction. When the electronic scale shows that 40 grams of coffee liquid has been extracted and the time is about 28–33 seconds, the extraction switch can be turned off, and a cup of SOE espresso is complete. According to personal preference, we can add an appropriate proportion of ice water or 80°C hot water to make a cup of Yirgacheffe SOE Americano.
When making an SOE hot latte, Front Street uses a 1:6 ratio. Add 40 grams of espresso to a preheated coffee cup, then use the espresso machine’s steam to froth 240 g of milk. The milk temperature is best controlled between 50–65°C, so that it forms a dense milk foam with moderate thickness, then blend it evenly with the coffee liquid. The Yirgacheffe SOE latte made this way tastes like eating a lemon-flavored cookie at the first sip, with a rich, fragrant, and smooth mouthfeel. After finishing it, the whole hot drink immediately makes you feel warm.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
