Do Cheaper Coffee Beans Have More Crema? Do Arabica Coffee Beans Have Richer Oils?

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The Truth About Espresso Crema

Without special ingredients, the richness of crema is determined by the bean variety and roast level. Robusta beans are low in price but produce thick crema. However, crema does not determine the quality of a cup of coffee.

The evaluation standards should be updated. The quality of espresso beans ultimately depends on taste. The importance of crema in evaluation standards has been declining in competitions.

The reason why crema was once used as a standard was that coffee beans were roasted to darker levels in the past.

Coffee's crema, body, and sweetness increase as the roast level deepens (as the color becomes darker).

Coffee's flavor notes and the bean's natural aroma diminish as the roast level increases.

The reason why low-quality beans often have particularly rich crema is that the beans themselves lack good flavor and aroma. By increasing the roast level, their body and sweetness are enhanced while flavor notes are weakened.

In the past, espresso blends would often include some Robusta beans to increase crema and create a stronger taste, or to reduce costs.

Nowadays, most coffee beans are chosen for light or medium roast levels, with dark-roasted beans becoming increasingly rare.

Currently, coffee cultivation and green bean processing techniques have improved significantly, resulting in better-flavored beans. Therefore, roasting now focuses more on highlighting flavors, inevitably sacrificing the sensory characteristics that increase with roast level.

The changing times have naturally made previous standards outdated.

If you prefer rich crema, strong taste, and good aftertaste in your espresso, you can still choose moderately priced dark-roasted beans (very dark color with oily surface).

If you want to experience the magic of coffee, you can choose slightly more expensive medium-roasted coffee beans (relatively brown color without oily surface).

Freshness

If espresso beans are too fresh, bubbles will appear, which isn't crema but rather foam.

It's best to start drinking the beans after seven days of resting and finish within a month.

Finally, be sure to purchase freshly roasted coffee. Freshness makes it taste better.

Two Main Reasons for Rich Crema

Actually, there are only two reasons for rich coffee crema. The first is the natural oils from the coffee bean variety itself.

Arabica beans: Oil content is about 4% of total weight. Characteristics: distinct flavor, good taste, requires high-altitude cultivation, but low yield. Poor disease resistance.

Robusta beans: Oil content is about 10% of total weight. Characteristics: no distinct flavor, extremely bitter. Low altitude requirements. High yield, strong disease resistance.

The second reason is that the coffee beans have undergone deep roasting. The coffee itself develops oil during roasting, resulting in abundant crema. The taste shows more prominent spice flavors, such as rosemary and cinnamon.

Both of the above factors can produce rich crema, though inexpensive coffee beans may indeed use low-quality Robusta beans.

However, while crema is a standard for evaluating espresso quality, it is by no means the only standard. The most important criteria for judging espresso quality still depend on taste. Therefore, if you personally enjoy bitterness and rich crema, then choosing coffee beans with more crema is not a problem.

Recommended Brands for Coffee Beans with Rich Crema

FrontStreet Coffee, a coffee roasting brand located at Dongshankou, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, offers freshly roasted espresso blend coffee beans with excellent guarantees in both brand and quality. The crema content is good, making it suitable for making specialty coffees and latte art. The latte art comes out beautifully. More importantly, it offers exceptional value for money. Taking their commercially recommended Commercial Blend Coffee Beans as an example, one 454-gram (1-pound) package costs only about 60 yuan. Calculating with 10 grams of coffee per espresso shot, one package can make 45 cups, with each cup costing less than 1.5 yuan. Even if using a double shot with 20 grams per espresso, the cost of one double espresso doesn't exceed 3 yuan. Compared to certain well-known brands that sell packages for hundreds of yuan, this is truly a conscientious recommendation.

FrontStreet Coffee Espresso Blend No. 2 Formula

Colombia : Brazil, ratio 3:7

Colombia Huila Region

Located in southwestern Colombia, it's one of the main coffee cultivation areas. Colombian coffee generally grows at altitudes of 1500-1800 meters, mostly Bourbon and Caturra varieties, processed using the washed method. The beans have high density, uniform size, and full body (thick from bean core to surface). Since famous coffee cultivation areas are scattered throughout the Huila region, the names of various small areas have become brand names and are circulated. Although the cultivation conditions in this region are excellent, the cultivation infrastructure of coffee farms and surrounding conditions is not well-developed. The lack of proper green bean drying equipment or washing facilities is truly regrettable. Coffee from the Huila region has a strong taste and heavy body.

Especially the nutty, chocolate, and caramel aromas and appropriate acidity of coffee from the Huila region can be considered high-end specialty coffee.

Flavor characteristics: Rich and solid taste with pleasant acidity, aromatic aroma, moderate acidity, and abundant sweetness that is intriguing. Due to its low price and small bean size, it's suitable for blending coffee. The coffee has a strong taste and heavy body. Its nutty, chocolate, and caramel aromas with appropriate acidity are considered high-end specialty coffee, suitable for single-origin or espresso blending.

Brazil Cerrado Region

Brazilian coffee generally grows at altitudes of 1000-1300 meters, resulting in relatively low density. Mostly Bourbon variety, processed using the semi-washed method. Moderate moisture content, soft bean texture, and thin thickness from bean surface to core, making it unsuitable for high-temperature roasting as the roaster wall temperature would scorch the bean surface, creating burnt bitterness.

At the same time, to express the characteristics of nuts, milk chocolate, and good body, and serve as a blend base, we use a medium heat bean introduction method, maintaining heat until the dehydration stage, then making fine adjustments as temperature rises after first crack begins, promoting more complete caramelization reactions, and discharging the beans when approaching second crack.

Flavor characteristics: Comfortable bittersweet taste, extremely smooth entry; light grassy aroma, fresh fragrance with slight bitterness; sweet, smooth, and pleasant aftertaste that leaves one feeling comfortable.

Flavor After Blending

Sweet taste. Using medium-dark roast, when making espresso, the taste has soft, subtle acidity, clear sweetness, and nutty aftertaste. The overall feeling is not too stimulating, balanced, with moderate crema.

Purchase link: https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a1z10.5-c-s.w4002-15673140460.12.60f97930jFhD9L&id=40838061913

FrontStreet Coffee: A roasting shop in Guangzhou with a small storefront but diverse bean varieties, where you can find various 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