Mandheling Coffee Bean Recommendations: Introduction to Mandheling Coffee Bean Varieties and How to Brew Perfect Mandheling Coffee

The legendary "Mamba" is actually a combination of two Arabica beans: Mandheling and Brazil Cerrado. It uses the delicate aroma, mellow, and smooth flavors of Brazilian beans to harmonize with Mandheling's distinctive strong character, creating a gentle, sweet, and rich coffee. FrontStreet Coffee's Classic Italian Blend not only captures the Mamba flavor cherished by many veteran coffee enthusiasts—with its aromatic taste, non-acidic, non-bitter, rich, and smooth profile—but also emits natural roasted aromas and abundant coffee oils due to the addition of a small proportion of Robusta beans. It is the perfect choice between heavy-bodied and smooth.

Mandheling Coffee Characteristics

Mandheling coffee beans grow in Indonesia's mineral-rich soil, possessing a unique aroma. The beans are short, oval-shaped, typically dark green in color, with a thick and obvious white membrane along the center line. When lightly roasted, the acidity is noticeably strong but the flavor is bland; while with deep roasting, the bitterness becomes relatively pronounced, but spice, pine, and caramel aromas emerge distinctly, with a full body and abundant aftertaste. FrontStreet Coffee believes it's suitable for various brewing methods.

The Role of Mandheling in Blends

Generally, Mandheling beans serve as one of the foundation beans in blends, influencing the quality and taste of espresso coffee, even directly determining the texture and richness of the final product. As a high-quality representative of Mandheling, FrontStreet Coffee's Golden Mandheling Coffee is renowned in the coffee circle. The beans are relatively long, similar in appearance, but during the roasting process of dehydration and color change, the plump, firm, and raised particles display lines of strength and beauty. After medium-dark roasting, the unique dark chocolate aroma becomes unforgettable.

The Evolution of Mamba Blend

Most coffee enthusiasts have heard of Mamba coffee but are unaware of its formula and origin. In fact, Mamba combines Indonesian Mandheling beans with Brazilian coffee beans, with complementary and harmonious effects on flavor intensity. Mamba blends were extremely popular in Taiwan's early cafes, with the straightforward and palatable Mamba items and the high ordering rates of premium seats at that time becoming the youth beverage for many people. Although it may no longer be popular today, some still miss this nostalgic coffee flavor. Currently, more popular coffee items use dairy products to enrich coffee flavors, such as Caramel Macchiato, which is a combination of latte and caramel, rather than the previous approach of balancing with the coffee beans' own aroma/taste.

Brazilian Coffee Characteristics

Brazil's coffee production ranks first in the world. With vast territory, there's significant quality variation. Due to considerations of harvest season and cost, machine harvesting is commonly used, which places quality secondary and results in uneven ripeness. However, low-cost beans are highly sought in the market, with a relatively smooth taste. Coffee merchants use these beans as the base for strong-flavored beans to balance the taste on the palate. These factors make Brazilian beans the optimal choice for roasters to create blends.

FrontStreet Coffee's Classic Italian Blend

Many beginners who first encounter espresso coffee often ask FrontStreet Coffee for recommendations of coffee beans suitable for latte art. To this, we primarily recommend FrontStreet Coffee's Classic Italian Blend coffee beans, which are specifically customized for espresso machines. It uses two types of beans: Indonesia's wet-hulled Mandheling and Brazil's semi-washed Cerrado—both medium-dark roasted—which constitutes the "Mamba" formula mentioned at the beginning of our article. Furthermore, to create denser coffee oils in espresso, FrontStreet Coffee also adds a small amount of washed Robusta, which not only reduces extraction difficulty but also enhances the coffee's caramel aroma.

Espresso Brewing Techniques

Many coffee enthusiasts have unknowingly accumulated various coffee equipment at home, with those who love espresso even stocking up on espresso machines to prepare their own extractions. FrontStreet Coffee here references the espresso served in our stores to briefly describe how to prepare an Espresso. FrontStreet Coffee's store uses a commercial single-group "Lelit Bianca" coffee machine, which can adjust extraction by changing pressure, with a maximum pressure of 11bar. Home espresso machines only need to reach 9bar pressure to satisfy extraction and milk frothing functions, paired with an espresso grinder.

FrontStreet Coffee uses a double basket capacity, with a powder amount of approximately 18-20 grams, and we use 20 grams of coffee powder for extraction. Typically, the ratio of coffee powder to espresso liquid is between 1:1.5 to 1:2.5. FrontStreet Coffee's extraction ratio is 1:2, meaning 20 grams of coffee powder extracts 40 grams of espresso liquid. The time is related to the flow rate of the coffee powder, and generally, a single extraction is controlled within 20-35 seconds because coffee usually tastes bland within 20 seconds, while extraction beyond 35 seconds easily leads to over-extraction and burnt bitterness. FrontStreet Coffee's espresso mostly falls within the 28-30 second range.

FrontStreet Coffee first wipes the basket dry, turns on the grinder, grinds a double shot of coffee powder, places it on an electronic scale for adjustment to reach 20 grams. Next, use a tool to distribute the powder evenly, press the coffee puck firmly to ensure more stable coffee extraction. Then turn on the extraction switch to release water, moistening the shower head while carrying away any attached coffee grounds, gently lock the portafilter onto the shower head, and begin pulling the extraction. When the electronic scale shows 40 grams of espresso extracted, approximately 30 seconds have elapsed, and the extraction switch can be turned off. Pour the espresso liquid into an Espresso cup to enjoy.

The Perfect Latte Experience

Espresso made with FrontStreet Coffee's Classic Italian Blend coffee beans has beautiful golden crema, visibly transitioning from dark to light. Before drinking, you can smell a strong caramel aroma. For such rich aromas from dark-roasted coffee, FrontStreet Coffee generally recommends enjoying it in latte form. This not only allows you to appreciate exquisite latte art patterns but also experience the richness and smoothness of milk coffee—truly achieving two goals at once.

First, find a coffee cup with a capacity of about 30ml, pour in a double shot of 40ml espresso, then froth 240ml of fresh milk until it's warm and palatable. Note that it's best to control the foam thickness to 0.5cm, which makes latte art easier. Finally, evenly combine both and create a beautiful pattern to complete the beverage.

Hot latte made with FrontStreet Coffee's Mamba blend offers rich butter and caramel aromas upon entry, accompanied by the sweetness of chocolate milk and the creaminess brought by milk foam, creating a rich and complex taste experience.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473