Single Origin Coffee Bean Brand Recommendations_Why Are Single Origin Coffee Names So Long?

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Understanding Single Origin Coffee Beans

Simply put, single origin coffee beans consist of only one type of bean without being mixed with other varieties. Examples include Colombian, Blue Mountain, Brazilian, Mandheling—each type varies in bitterness or acidity depending on its origin and roasting method. You can choose your preferred variety based on personal taste. However, the most popular is Mandheling+Brazilian blend, especially since Mandheling tends to be more acidic, and adding Brazilian beans helps balance its acidity.

Brewing Methods and Bean Quality

Using a siphon brewer makes it easier to discern the quality of coffee beans. If you're making espresso with a moka pot, you don't need exceptional beans because you typically add a lot of milk and foam, which covers up the beans' rich aroma. However, siphon brewing requires more skill. When buying beans, the staff told me it's best to first run the brewer with water (no coffee) as a preheating cycle. The second time, add ground coffee powder, and the brewed flavor will be more aromatic. Of course, the inherent quality and freshness of the beans absolutely affect whether your brewed coffee is rich and delicious!

Why Are Single Origin Coffee Names So Long?

We often see English letters, numbers, or some strange unknown names in coffee product labels. Friends new to specialty coffee must have had this confusion, for example: Kenya AA, Ethiopia/Yirgacheffe/Kocheha Station G1, Guatemala SHB, Indonesia Sumatra/Lintong Mandheling 20 mesh... How exactly should we understand these combinations? What do each of them represent?

The Most Common Coffee Naming Formula:

Country + Region + Variety Name + Estate Name (Processing Station, Group Name) + Processing Method + Grade...

Through naming, you can directly understand the basic flavor and quality of this coffee, so today I want to explain to everyone that these seemingly complex names represent important information about each coffee!

Coffee Naming Methods

Export Port Name Naming

Examples: Brazil Santos, Yemen Mocha. Additionally, coffee produced in Ethiopia is also sometimes called "Harar Mocha."

Original Species Name, Variety Name Naming

When Arabica and Robusta varieties are shipped simultaneously, the variety name will be indicated under the country name.

Examples: Cameroon—Arabica, Uganda—Robusta, etc.

Coffee varieties also have different flavor expressions, and rare varieties will be specifically marked.

Examples: Bourbon, Pacamara, Geisha.

Mountain Name Naming

Examples: Jamaica Blue Mountain, Tanzania Kilimanjaro Mountain, etc.

Exporters, Group Names

Examples: Costa Rica La Minita, Panama Casa Luisa, etc.

Grading Methods

Coffee varieties are numerous, and each country's climate, soil, altitude... are quite different, so different producing countries have their own grading methods. These grading standards mainly come from the following key points:

1. Green Bean Physical Differences: For example, size, shape, defect ratio.
2. Green Bean Growing Environment and Its Effects: For example, altitude, hardness.
3. Cupping Quality Judgment After Roasting: Determined through cupping quality assessment.

Defective Bean Ratio

The lower the defective bean ratio, the higher the bean grade. Examples: Ethiopia, Peru.

Ethiopia's green bean grades range from G1 to G5. Only G1 to G4 are washed and natural specialty grades.

(In previous years, the highest grade for natural processed beans was only G3, but in recent years, producing areas will appear G1 and G2 natural beans according to importer demand.)

Defective beans include: unripe beans, fermented beans, shell beans, broken beans, etc.

Coffee Bean Size

Screens used to sift coffee bean sizes.

Examples: Indonesia, Kenya, Colombia.

18 mesh and above (approximately 0.7cm) is Supremo, below is Excelso.

Mesh represents the diameter of coffee beans, one mesh is 1/64 inch (1 inch = 25.4mm).

Kenya's grading is primarily based on bean size, supplemented by cupping quality and bean weight.

Examples: The highest quality is AA PLUS (AA+), followed by AA, AB, etc. Additionally, PB is classified by shape—Peaberry (round beans).

Altitude

High altitude regions have large temperature differences between day and night, low temperatures, short sunshine hours, and high humidity factors. These conditions cause coffee to grow more slowly, producing denser fruits with rich acidic and aromatic flavors. Because picking and transportation costs are higher, the higher the coffee cultivation altitude, the higher the price. Major Central American coffee-producing countries classify grades by altitude. According to cultivation altitude, they can be divided into three, four, or seven levels, with different grade standards in each country. For example, Mexico and Honduras use three levels; Guatemala uses seven levels.

Cupping Quality

Example: Brazil.

Brazil is currently the world's largest coffee-producing country. However, among coffee-producing countries in Central and South America, Brazil's production altitude is relatively low, with flat terrain lacking microclimates. Industrial policy focuses on quantity and low cost, so produced coffee beans tend to be softer, with premium coffee being rare. Compared to other producing regions, the flavor is relatively smooth, making it a good choice for blending with other coffees.

Due to distribution throughout the country and inconsistent quality, it has its own standards. After cupping, flavor is used to evaluate five grades: Strictly Soft, Soft, Softish, Hardish, and Rioy (with iodine-like harsh taste).

Review of Coffee Naming Formula

After all this discussion, do you have a better understanding of how coffee products are named? Let's review the formula again:

The Most Common Coffee Naming Formula:

Country + Region + Variety Name + Estate Name (Processing Station, Group Name) + Processing Method + Grade...

Final Quiz:

Among FrontStreet Coffee's products: Ethiopia Yirgacheffe/Getecha Town/Kocheha Station/Washed/G1, what do each of these mean?

Single Origin Coffee Bean Brand Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee's freshly roasted single origin coffee beans—such as Yirgacheffe and Mandheling coffee—have full guarantees in both brand and quality, suitable for brewing with various equipment. More importantly, they offer extremely high value for money. A half-pound (227 grams) bag costs only around 70-90 RMB. Calculating at 200ml per cup with a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, one bag can make 15 cups of specialty coffee, with each cup costing only 5-6 RMB. Compared to coffee shops selling cups for dozens of RMB, this represents extremely high value for money.

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse bean varieties, where you can find both famous and lesser-known beans, while also providing online store services. https://shop104210103.taobao.com

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473