What Kind of Coffee Beans Do Convenience Store American Coffee Machines Use_ Recommended Coffee Beans for American Coffee

American Drip Coffee Makers Use Atmospheric Pressure Extraction

Nowadays, the coffee culture in China is gradually heating up. Not only are coffee shops opening everywhere on streets and alleys, but even convenience stores have started offering freshly ground coffee - just press a button and you'll get a cup of drip-style American coffee. So is this American coffee the same as what we drink in coffee shops?

There are many devices for brewing coffee, including French press pots, moka pots, pour-over cones, and various coffee machines. Among them, mechanical coffee machines are mainly divided into drip coffee makers and espresso machines.

American drip coffee makers have a relatively simple structure, making them more affordable and functionally simpler. Drip machines typically have two layers - an upper funnel-shaped container holding filter paper or a metal filter, and a lower glass or ceramic coffee pot. American drip coffee makers also let hot water pass through coffee grounds into the lower pot to extract coffee, but compared to the espresso we drink in coffee shops, the hot water is extracted under atmospheric pressure. Besides brewing coffee, they can also make tea.

Because the principle of American drip coffee makers is to pour water over coffee grounds and then let it flow into the lower pot without external force, the coffee tastes relatively light. Of course, it cannot be used as a base for milk coffee, so it can only make black coffee. If our requirements aren't too high and we just want to drink a cup of freshly brewed coffee, FrontStreet Coffee thinks American drip coffee makers are also an excellent choice.

Espresso Machines Use Pressurized Extraction

Espresso was invented in the early 19th century. To extract a rich cup of coffee in a short time, Italians thought of using steam pressure to force high-temperature, high-pressure water through coffee pucks to speed up the original drip-style extraction rate. With continuous improvements and updates, this led to the semi-automatic/fully automatic espresso machines we commonly see today.

Espresso machines typically have a boiler that pressurizes hot water and passes it through a coffee portafilter to extract coffee, hence they are also called pump coffee machines. Coffee brewed with this high-pressure hot water is richer and has emulsified oils, which we call espresso. The American coffee we drink is based on it, so baristas need to adjust a standard espresso shot to ensure stable quality in the store.

Espresso symbolizes complex and concentrated coffee flavor - no other brewing method can present such richness and texture. To get a delicious espresso, excellent extraction is essential, achieving a balance of aromatic and taste compounds in the cup. FrontStreet Coffee has said so much, and I believe everyone now understands that espresso machines are much more complex than American drip coffee makers!

What is American Coffee?

American coffee is a type of black coffee composed of espresso + water, with no other additives. During World War II, coffee was very popular in the US military. Americans weren't used to the strong bitter taste of espresso, so they added water to dilute the coffee liquid to reach their preferred concentration. Later, Italians opened cafes in America and "adapted to local customs" by launching "water-diluted coffee" based on espresso. Since then, this coffee has become widely popular.

There is no fixed ratio for American coffee - each shop has its own standard, aiming to present the coffee's flavor and texture. According to FrontStreet Coffee's multiple test adjustments at a 1:6 ratio, 40g of coffee liquid poured into 240g of 88°C hot water completes the hot American coffee. For iced American coffee, hot water is replaced with 120g of ice cubes and 120g of room temperature water, with the best taste before the ice melts completely. FrontStreet Coffee's iced American presents rich whiskey aroma, berry sweet and sour notes, and is refreshing - especially popular in the hot Guangzhou stores; hot American highlights roasted nuts and chocolate richness, tropical fruit fermented acidity, with a vanilla aftertaste.

Coffee Bean Recommendations for American Coffee

When you buy coffee beans at FrontStreet Coffee, we will ask about your brewing method. If it's an atmospheric American drip coffee maker, FrontStreet Coffee thinks all the coffee beans on the shelf for pour-over are suitable - just choose your preferred flavor profile.

But for pressurized espresso machines, it's different. Because espresso is extracted with fine grinding, high water temperature, and high pressure, the concentrated coffee brings together multiple flavors, with various flavor compounds impacting our tongue exponentially. Therefore, if we use light-roasted single-origin coffee beans for extraction, the taste might be too strong and mask the coffee's aroma. So FrontStreet Coffee suggests using blended coffee beans, employing the principle of complementing strengths and weaknesses to ensure each batch of coffee beans presents balanced and stable aroma and texture.

FrontStreet Coffee recommends our own roasted "Sunflower Warm Sun Blend Coffee Beans," made from Ethiopian natural red cherry coffee beans (30%) + Honduras sherry barrel-aged coffee beans (70%). When made into espresso, it presents very rich dark chocolate flavor with strong caramel notes, and the aroma released after swallowing is endlessly memorable. Whether it's American coffee diluted with water or latte coffee enhanced with milk, both present rich aroma and texture. To ensure everyone can enjoy the full aroma of coffee and experience the most complete tasting period, FrontStreet Coffee only ships coffee beans freshly roasted within 5 days.

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style)

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee's private WeChat (FrontStreet Coffee), WeChat ID: qjcoffeex

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

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