Is SOE Espresso Better Than Blend Espresso? SOE Single Origin Espresso Coffee Bean Brand Recommendations

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Understanding SOE: Single Origin Espresso

The term SOE is an abbreviation for Single Origin Espresso, which translates to espresso made from single-origin coffee beans.

Single Origin Coffee Explained

Single origin coffee refers to coffee made from a single specific coffee bean variety. For example, Kenya NDUMA AA, Colombia NARINO, etc. The "single" in single origin coffee refers to a traceable item, not variety, because many coffee bean items actually contain multiple varieties. Single origin more often refers to a single region—for instance, Yirgacheffe is typically known for its inherent citrus flavors, while Kenya is known for its fruit flavors. Even if beans with the RUIRU11 tree variety are added, Kenyan coffee is still called single origin.

Single origin coffee can also be used to make espresso, and espresso can also use specialty coffee beans, commonly known as "SOE coffee beans."

Why Did SOE Emerge?

The starting point for understanding this emergence lies in the concept of specialty coffee.

Illustrative Example

SOE refers to espresso made from coffee beans that are single variety, single origin, and single roast degree. The question arises, for example, when using sun-dried Yirgacheffe for SOE:

• Coffee Origin: Ethiopia Yirgacheffe WOKA
• Roast Level: City+
• Espresso Flavor: Tropical fruit flavors, wine-like aromas, floral aftertaste
• Milk Coffee: Toffee, milky fruit notes, smooth, gentle acidity, persistent aftertaste

This is a typical SOE product because, as mentioned above, since it uses single-origin coffee beans, its flavors will be very distinctive. Additionally, espresso itself amplifies the coffee's taste, so the flavors will be more prominent compared to pour-over coffee.

Ideal Italian Espresso Characteristics

Ideal Italian-style espresso has very low acidity, high body thickness, and is rich with velvety, thick reddish-brown Crema that contains the coffee's aroma and flavors. Crema is the single most important indicator of complete espresso—it must essentially capture the coffee's intense flavors. The steam produced during espresso extraction is contained in fine oil foam. When drinking espresso, these foam explosively release volatile aromatic molecules, traveling from the mouth to the nasal olfactory receptors. These foams also attach to the taste buds, creating a long-lasting aftertaste that can last up to an hour.

Some people like to use single coffee beans to make SOE (Single-Origin Espresso)—this might be an extremely simple approach, but I believe the results require compromise. Because no single coffee provides all the physical and flavor characteristics in the correct balance, high-quality espresso must combine two or more coffees.

Common Misconceptions About SOE

Misconception 1: SOE Espresso Tastes Better Than Blend Coffee

Many factors determine whether a cup of coffee tastes good, including coffee beans, roasting, coffee machine, brewing process, personal taste preferences, etc. SOE only refers to espresso made from single-origin coffee beans. The coffee beans used are not necessarily better than those used in blend coffee. Other factors also greatly affect the coffee's quality, so we cannot generalize about what makes good coffee!

Misconception 2: The Term "SOE Blend Coffee" Is Incorrect

SOE coffee beans are single-origin coffee beans, while blend beans are combinations of two or more single-origin coffee beans. Since they are blend beans, they cannot be called SOE beans. There is no such contradictory concept as "SOE blend beans"!

Recommended Brazilian SOE Coffee Bean Brands

FrontStreet Coffee's roasted SOE coffee beans offer full assurance in both brand and quality. More importantly, they provide excellent value—at half a pound (227 grams) for only 80-90 yuan. Calculating at 10 grams per single espresso shot, one bag can make 22 cups of coffee, with each SOE coffee costing only 3-4 yuan. This represents exceptional value compared to cafés selling coffee for dozens of yuan per cup.

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small storefront but diverse bean varieties, where you can find both famous and lesser-known beans. They also provide online shop services at 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