Flavor Differences Between Blended Espresso Beans and SOE Espresso Beans - SOE Coffee Brewing Methods and Extraction Parameters

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SOE Coffee vs. Blend Coffee: Which Tastes Better?

Many people believe that SOE (Single Origin Espresso) coffee tastes better than blend coffee, but is this really the case?

Traditional Italian Blend Coffee

Traditional Italian coffee beans are composed of multiple coffee bean varieties. In Italy, a bag of coffee beans can consist of several, or even dozens of different coffee beans. Many people assume that blend coffee tastes bad, thinking it's a mixture of many coffee beans of unknown origin. However, the reality is that blend beans can also be made entirely from specialty coffee beans and can be exceptionally delicious.

The biggest advantage of using blended coffee beans is ensuring the stability of coffee flavor. When the quality of a particular coffee bean changes, or when production decreases or prices rise, roasters can choose similar coffee beans as substitutes without affecting the overall flavor. When selecting blend beans and creating blend formulas, roasters need to first determine the coffee flavor profile they want to present, such as acidity, sweetness, bitterness, and expectations for the coffee's body. Most coffee shops will create their own "Signature Blend" coffee, whose flavor absolutely rivals that of single-origin beans.

The Rise of the Single Origin Trend

SOE (Single Origin Espresso) represents single-origin espresso. While not necessarily equivalent to specialty coffee, if you select single-origin coffee beans with easily identifiable flavors as SOE beans, you can create espresso with unique and typical flavors. For example, the typical citrus flavor of Yirgacheffe or the fruity flavors of Kenya, combined with the fact that espresso amplifies coffee flavors, makes specific characteristics more prominent compared to pour-over. However, although SOE coffee performs outstandingly, because it comes from a single origin, its defects are also relatively easy to amplify. Factors such as roasting and grind size all affect the flavor, so it's not necessarily better than blend coffee.

Finding Your Beloved SOE Coffee

Regarding the rise of this trend, Chen Zhihuang, founder of Fika Fika Café and winner of the 2013 Nordic Roaster Cup, believes that coffee development today shares similarities with whiskey; people initially only recognized brands and tasted blended whiskey, until in the past decade, single malt whiskeys from different regions began to gain popularity, and SOE coffee follows the same concept.

To find espresso that suits your taste, don't decide based solely on whether it's single-origin or blend. Next time, ask the barista about the flavor profile and roast level of the espresso beans, and keep trying to find your favorite taste.

SOE Coffee Bean Brand Recommendations

The SOE coffee beans roasted by FrontStreet Coffee are fully guaranteed in both brand and quality. More importantly, they offer extremely high value for money - a half-pound (227g) package costs only around 80-90 yuan. Calculated at 10g of coffee powder per single shot of espresso, one package can make 22 cups of coffee, with each cup of SOE coffee costing only about 3-4 yuan. Compared to café prices that often reach dozens of yuan per cup, this represents exceptional value.

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small storefront but diverse bean varieties, where you can find both famous and lesser-known beans, while also offering online 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