What are blended beans? They are made by mixing coffee beans from different countries/regions, and generally appear in espresso. The counterpart to blends is single-origin coffee, also called SOE, which has a clear style when drunk, mostly dominated by fruity acidity. Espresso blends, because they combine coffee beans from multiple places, usually produce espresso with a balanced taste and an affordable price. When medium-dark roasting is used, they can also express rich aromas of caramel, chocolate, and cocoa, making them suitable as an everyday household staple and an entry-level option for beginners.

As is well known, there are many kinds of espresso blends, so choosing coffee beans has become the primary issue for beginners. In fact, to easily buy a type that suits you, we only need to grasp three key points: freshly roasted, medium-dark roasted, and rich in crema.

1. Freshly roasted coffee beans are very important

No matter which coffee brewing method is used, fresh beans are extremely important, because once coffee beans have been left for more than two months, all their essential aromas have most likely disappeared completely. Then the moka pot coffee made from them will have almost no crema and will not taste good either. Therefore, what we need to do is make sure the coffee beans are freshly roasted, preferably within 10 days.

Front Street Coffee beans are all freshly roasted within 5 days. The coffee bean quality is stable and excellent, and the price is extremely cost-effective. They are shipped within 24 hours, so the coffee beans everyone receives are still in a very fresh state, which also means a longer enjoyable drinking period.

2. Medium-dark roasting can highlight the rich, mellow taste of espresso

As the roast level deepens, the internal structure of coffee beans becomes looser, flavor compounds shift from acidic to caramelized, and there are more roasting-related aromas, giving the coffee a rich, mellow taste. The coffee beans also accumulate a large amount of gas, which is released more intensely in the form of small bubbles when they meet hot water, thus forming what we see as coffee crema. Therefore, when beginners buy espresso blend coffee beans, they should prioritize freshly medium-dark roasted coffee beans, which generally come with flavor descriptions such as hazelnut, butter, chocolate, cocoa, cream, nuts, and caramel. We only need to choose accordingly.

3. Blended coffee rich in crema not only brings a rich aroma, but also provides a better base for latte art.

I. Rich crema profile — Front Street Classic Blend Coffee Beans: An espresso coffee bean that combines Mandheling flavor, rich crema, and nutty aroma. Made from Indonesian Mandheling coffee beans + Brazilian semi-washed coffee beans + Vietnamese washed coffee beans, it has flavor notes of nuts, dark chocolate, and caramel.

II. Rich and full-bodied profile — Front Street Commercial Blend Coffee Beans: An espresso coffee bean focused on body. Made from washed Robusta coffee beans + washed Colombian coffee beans + Brazilian semi-washed coffee, it has flavor notes of nuts, cocoa, and caramel, with high body.

III. Slightly acidic and mellow profile — Front Street Dark Cocoa Blend Coffee Beans: An espresso coffee bean that is slightly acidic and mellow. Made from Yunnan washed small-bean coffee beans + Brazilian semi-washed coffee beans, it has flavor notes of soft fruity acidity, caramel, and nuts.

IV. Stunning floral and fruity profile — Front Street Strawberry Candy Espresso Blend Coffee Beans: This bean usesmedium-roast coffee beans and can be used in both household coffee machines and moka pots. The extracted coffee liquid naturally has aromas of roses, strawberry gummies, and dried blueberries, with moderate sweetness and acidity of grapes and citrus, and a sweet aftertaste with almond aroma.

Purchasing channels for freshly roasted blend coffee

To buy high-quality blend coffee, prioritize professional roasters or brand flagship stores. We recommend a Guangzhou local roaster established 13 years ago — Front Street Coffee. Consumers can buy from offline physical stores and the online Front Street Tmall flagship store, with better guarantees for quality and freshness.

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