Single Origin Coffee Beans vs. Blend Coffee Beans: Which Tastes Better?

The history of coffee blending dates back centuries, with people mixing Indonesian Java coffee with Yemeni Mocha coffee as early as the 17th century, creating the famous Mocha Java blend. Later, blends became widely used in espresso coffee, with well-known recipes like the Mengba blend, which combines Mandheling and Brazilian beans in specific proportions for espresso. So what are the benefits of blended coffee? How should one create a blending formula? FrontStreet Coffee will share their own blending formulas.

What Are Espresso Coffee Beans?

Espresso coffee beans are actually known as espresso blend coffee beans. "Blending" refers to mixing coffee beans from different origins and varieties, typically combining two or three types of beans. The purpose of blending is quite evident—it's to bring together the flavor characteristics of different coffee beans, creating an entirely new flavor profile that achieves a more balanced effect while also serving as a signature blend for coffee shops. For example, if one coffee bean is smooth but lacks aroma, another bean with rich fragrance can be added to complement and enhance each other's strengths. Another purpose of espresso blend coffee beans is cost reduction, as traditional espresso blends often incorporate Robusta beans, which can provide richer, thicker crema for milk-based espresso drinks while creating a viscous, smooth texture as the base for milk coffees.

Four Principles of Espresso Blend Coffee Beans

1. The original beans used for blending should feature coffee beans with distinct characteristics, avoiding beans with similar flavors such as those with the same processing method, origin, or flavor profile.

2. Blending ratios: Each coffee shop creates different ratios based on their unique characteristics. Generally, a 1:1 ratio should be avoided, as equal proportions may suppress each other's distinctive flavors. Therefore, blends should have primary and secondary components to create flavors more wonderful than single-origin coffees.

3. Blending roasting methods: Coffee beans can be blended before roasting (raw blending), where green beans are mixed according to ratios; or after roasting (post-roast blending), where beans are combined after roasting is complete, depending on the desired flavor profile.

4. Flavor balance principle: Blends should achieve sweet and sour balance. Generally, 2-6 types of coffee beans are used. Regardless of the bean types or roasting degree, too many varieties can make it difficult to express the unique characteristics of the coffee.

5. Blending requires continuous experimentation. The goal of blending is typically to achieve flavor stability. Before blending, a mathematical combination approach should be used to draft a blending plan, then the optimal formula is determined through cupping sessions.

Before Blending:

1. Determine the blending goal, such as the general flavor profile direction.

2. Understand the characteristics of each coffee bean, familiarizing yourself with the subtle relationship between each single-origin coffee's characteristics, roasting degree, and flavor.

3. Identify the most prominent characteristics of each coffee bean in the blend. Since multiple beans are used, it's essential to clarify each bean's most distinctive quality—whether it's meant to highlight smooth bitterness, bright acidity, or heavy body.

When considering how to blend espresso with Yunnan small-bean coffee, the ideal Espresso should have low acidity and high body thickness, with rich, velvety, thick reddish-brown Crema containing the coffee's aroma and flavor. Crema is an important indicator of Espresso quality—it must capture the coffee's intense flavor. During the Espresso extraction process, steam is trapped in fine oil foam, and when drinking Espresso, these foam explosively release volatile aromatic molecules that travel from the mouth to nasal olfactory receptors. This foam also adheres to taste buds, creating a long-lasting aftertaste that can last up to an hour. The advantage of using Yunnan as a blending bean lies in the Catimor variety's Robusta genetics, which inherently provides the elements needed for traditional espresso coffee.

To add flavor components to your formula, you can choose one or two coffees you truly love for their aroma and taste. Brazilian coffee is characterized by moderate body thickness and low acidity. Next, you must balance this formula—all distinctive characteristics should blend together without any single element overpowering others. It should be smooth, gentle, and full-bodied, without uncomfortable bitterness, and perceived as low in acidity. The Crema should be rich, smooth, velvety, and not easily dissipate. Special attention should be paid to the aftertaste—the aroma must be very pleasant. Both Brazilian and Yunnan small-bean coffees are medium-dark roasted, providing sufficient body thickness. The Robusta genetics of Catimor provide the necessary oil factors, creating a blend with balanced texture, low acidity, moderate body thickness, and stable crema.

Let's take FrontStreet Coffee's four espresso coffee beans as examples: Basic Blend, Commercial Blend, Specialty Blend, and Sunflower Warm Sun Blend.

I. FrontStreet Coffee Basic Blend Coffee Beans:

Flavor: With soft fruit acidity, caramel sweetness, nut and dark chocolate flavors, smooth and viscous, but with a relatively light taste.

Formula: Yunnan : Brazil = 3:7

II. FrontStreet Coffee Commercial Coffee Blend:

Robusta beans have strong disease and pest resistance and high yields. They typically lack the acidity of Arabica beans and often carry a slightly woody aroma. With a caffeine content of 2.2% (higher than Arabica's 1.2%) and higher chlorogenic acid content, they are quite bitter and are usually used in commercial beans as they are less expensive than Arabica beans.

In terms of individual bean flavor, commercial beans produce coffee that is much inferior in taste to specialty coffee beans. Generally, commercial beans are chosen for blending, and through proper blending, they can produce excellent-tasting coffee suitable for making lattes, cappuccinos, and other espresso drinks. When FrontStreet Coffee's commercial blend is used for Espresso, the presence of Robusta beans creates richer crema, classic taste, caramel sweetness, nut and cocoa flavors, dark chocolate notes, balanced sweet and sour, with a slight pleasant bitterness and persistent aftertaste.

Flavor: Caramel sweetness, nut and cocoa flavors, dark chocolate notes, balanced sweet and sour, with a slight pleasant bitterness and persistent aftertaste.

Formula: Colombia : Brazil : Robusta = 3:6:1

III. FrontStreet Coffee Specialty Coffee Blend:

The Colombian beans selected by FrontStreet Coffee come from Huila, located in southwestern Colombia, one of the main coffee cultivation regions. Colombian coffee generally grows at altitudes of 1500-1800 meters, with mostly Bourbon and Caturra varieties, washed processing, high density, uniform bean size, and full-bodied beans (thicker from bean core to surface). Because the Huila region is dotted with famous coffee cultivation areas, the names of various small regions have become brand names and are circulated. Although the cultivation conditions in this region are excellent, the coffee cultivation infrastructure and surrounding facilities are not yet well-developed. Green bean drying equipment or washing processing facilities are incomplete, which is regrettable. Coffee from the Huila region has intense flavor and heavier texture. Especially the nutty, chocolate, and caramel aromas and appropriate acidity of Huila region coffee can be called high-quality specialty coffee.

Brazilian coffee generally grows at altitudes of 1000-1300 meters, so its density is relatively low. Mostly Bourbon variety, using semi-dry processing, with moderate moisture content, softer bean texture, and thinner thickness from bean surface to core, making it unsuitable for roasting at too high temperatures. The inner wall temperature of the roasting drum would scorch the bean surface, creating burnt bitterness. We want to express the characteristics of nuts, milk chocolate, and good body thickness, and use it as a blending base, so FrontStreet Coffee uses a medium-heat bean introduction method, maintaining heat through the dehydration stage, making fine adjustments as temperature rises after first crack begins, promoting more complete caramelization, and discharging beans when temperature approaches second crack.

Flavor: Soft, slightly acidic, with clear sweetness, nutty aftertaste, overall feeling is not too stimulating, balanced, with medium crema.

Formula: Colombia : Brazil = 3:7

IV. FrontStreet Coffee Sunflower Warm Sun Coffee Blend:

FrontStreet Coffee's Sunflower Warm Sun Blend uses sherry barrel-processed coffee beans and natural-processed Yirgacheffe Red Cherry Project beans, with a ratio of 6:4. Sixty percent Honduras sherry barrel coffee beans provide flavor and body thickness for this blend, while forty percent natural Yirgacheffe provides more aroma and acidity.

Flavor: Obvious fruit acidity, light berry aroma, wine fragrance, rich chocolate flavor, with distinct aftertaste.

Formula: Honduras Sherry : Yirgacheffe Red Cherry = 6:4

FrontStreet Espresso Extraction Parameters

Grinder: Mahlkönig E65S

Grind size: 1.6

Pressure: 9 bar

Temperature: 94°C

Time: 20~30 seconds

Dose: 20g (double shot espresso)

Yield: 40ml

Espresso extraction flavor: Smooth texture, medium body thickness, with obvious fruit acidity accompanied by light berry aroma, whiskey fragrance, rich chocolate flavor, and distinct aftertaste.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473