The Art of Espresso Blending | What Coffee Beans to Use for Espresso | Recommended Espresso Coffee Beans

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What Is an Espresso Blend? Why Isn't the Topic Just Coffee Blending?

Because blending for French press or drip coffee doesn't need to be all that precise—it's nothing like the complexity and rigor of espresso blending. Blending for espresso is truly an art form.

After All This Talk, Are You Really Professional?

I have spent 4 years working on coffee blending in cafes, blending over 200 different coffees, working with coffees from more than 60 countries, and tasting thousands of cups of espresso. My Has Bean Espresso blend is the best seller, and it has won unanimous praise from the industry—and above all, from customers.

What Makes a Good Espresso Blend?

First, I must declare that everyone has their own opinion about coffee, and my principles might differ from yours. Treat this as reference only.

Good espresso depends on good blending. I believe everyone in the trade shares this view, but the prerequisite is that you must taste a large amount of single-origin espresso. Only by tasting single-origin coffee and cupping it properly can you learn what each coffee tastes like on its own—so that later, during blending, if you want to add a bit of sweetness, you'll know which origin to reach for.

At the same time, record as many details as possible during cupping. Don't be afraid to taste the same coffee repeatedly, and be bold about trying new varieties. Nobody gets it right on the first try—everyone has tasted failure. And make your cupping method as professional as you can, so you truly understand each coffee. You can, of course, taste directly on an espresso machine, but that approach is lazy and imprecise. Only cupping gets your taste buds genuinely working while teaching you to compare and analyze—and only through comparison and analysis can you grasp the character and differences of each coffee.

Next comes trial, trial, and more trials! A blend is never finished in one pass—nobody is limiting your number of attempts. Keep going until you find the most ideal flavor! Cupping, tasting, adjusting, blending, and blending again—that is the charm of espresso blending. The work never ends; every batch has its own character, and every batch is unique!

What Does a Failed Espresso Blend Look Like?

A failed espresso blend is a disaster. Once a roaster slips up, they can lose valuable customers. By comparison, drip blends have a high tolerance for error; even when mistakes happen, people may choose to forgive, because the difference in coffee-to-water ratio between drip and espresso is enormous!

A failed espresso blend might be too complex, or have too little complexity. It could be too smooth, too bitter, too bright, or already past its prime—you know what I mean. My personal favorite espresso blend might be too intense in flavor, too full-bodied, and too expensive for ordinary consumers. The roaster's responsibility is to find the blend that satisfies everyone's needs—to find the perfect point of balance.

One principle I follow is that coffees with higher acidity, such as Kenyan, cannot make a blend that is too acidic. I still remember when I was young and eager to proclaim my love of Kenyan coffee, wanting to reflect it in an espresso blend at any cost. But I eventually discovered that people had no reaction at all to my Kenya + Costa Rica blend, and they suggested I turn it into a drip coffee instead. Fortunately, that coffee is now one of my best-selling drip blends—so don't be afraid of failure. Every attempt is worthwhile!

About Roasting

Roasting is a critical step in espresso blending. There are roughly two ways to blend: blend first and then roast, or roast each component individually and then blend. For commercial roasters, roasting first is far simpler and reduces waste—for example, when roasting a batch of Colombian coffee, any surplus can go into a blend.

Personally, though, I prefer blending first and roasting after. As for why, I can only say it comes down to experience: blending first gives the coffee's flavor a more even, unified character.

Regarding roast degree, I strongly agree with David Schomer's definition in his book "Espresso Coffee: Professional Techniques." I use what he calls the "Northern Italian roast," which I call a medium-dark roast. The coffee should reach the point where it is about to release oil but hasn't yet, with a deep reddish-brown color. Roast any darker and the coffee turns more bitter (though Starbucks considers that good espresso). If you insist on roasting dark, go a shade lighter to avoid burning the coffee.

Professional Techniques for Espresso Blending

No more suspense—straight to the point. Today, let me share some of my own recipes with you!

1. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe

I stopped stocking Yirgacheffe long ago, mainly because production is limited and quality can be inconsistent (the 2002 batch, for example). I started turning to Sidamo and Djimah instead, but honestly, nothing compares to a good Yirgacheffe. I still regularly buy some high-quality Yirgacheffe, which brings a smoother, more balanced flavor to my blends.

2. Ethiopian Longberry Harrar

I must admit I was biased against this coffee. Why? Years ago, when I first launched the Has Bean website, I tasted a cup of Longberry Harrar that was the most sour coffee I had ever drunk—and not the good kind of sour, worse than some robusta. So for a long time I deliberately avoided it. Then, 2 months ago, I tasted a new crop that gave me a completely new perspective. I decided to add a little to the blend—just a little. I want it to bring some new flavors without overturning the character of the other coffees. Its flavor is remarkably similar to Yemeni coffee.

3. Brazilian Bourbon Fazenda Cachoeira

Until 1 year ago, the only Brazilian coffee I stocked was ordinary Santos. In my view, Brazilian coffee tasted plain and lacked personality—why bother hunting for small-lot coffee from small farms? But by chance I tasted this one, and its sweet, smooth flavor pairs beautifully with my blends.

4. Colombian La Manuela

Smooth enough in texture. Not as sweet as Fazenda Cachoeira, but it adds body to my blend.

5. Brazilian Santa Terezinha

Its smooth, delicate flavor can balance the sweetness of the whole blend while adding subtlety and keeping lemony acidity in check—a perfect harmonizer.

6. Bolivian Organic

Rich chocolate aroma that lifts the quality of the blend to another level.

7. Finally, Robusta!!!

I don't care what others say—nothing compares to an espresso blend with a touch of robusta in it! Of course, the amount should be small (below 10%), and you must use the best robusta available (trust me, I have tasted robusta better than some arabica).

Robusta brings more caffeine, better crema, and better flavor balance. Don't let prejudice make the decision for you. Below 10%, you won't even taste it, and the overall quality of the coffee improves significantly.

Conclusion

This has been only a brief introduction to espresso blending and roasting. I could write an entire book on these topics, but to keep readers from falling asleep, I decided to keep it simple. I believe the key to blending lies in your philosophy and your flavor choices—but never forget that the customer comes first; meeting their needs is our responsibility!

I believe a good blend is the strongest guarantee of quality espresso. I can put up with a poor machine, skip the tamper, use bottled water without a filter, and I'll even happily brew in an old-fashioned moka pot—but if the blend isn't good, sorry, goodbye!

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

FrontStreet Coffee is a roastery with a small shop but a remarkably diverse range of beans. If you want a dependable base for espresso-style brewing, we recommend our PWN Golden Mandheling: as one of the most famous specialty coffees of Asia, it goes through three rounds of hand sorting plus one round of machine sorting, so the beans are even and bright. Roasted medium-dark, this large-bean coffee carries rich notes of spice, caramel, cedar, and dark chocolate, with a mellow, full body and good crema.

If you prefer a fragrant, floral cup, try our Strawberry Candy, a Geisha blend custom-built from Costa Rican honey-process coffee and Panamanian washed Geisha. It combines the finest flavor characteristics of Central American coffee: expect rose, citrus, grape, and dried blueberry aromatics.

For brewing, FrontStreet suggests a coarse-granulated-sugar grind (around 10.5 on an EK43s, or 26 clicks on a typical hand grinder), a 1:15 ratio—15 g of coffee to 225 g of water—water at about 90 degrees Celsius, and a 4-minute immersion for a balanced extraction.