Characteristics and Flavor Comparison of Ethiopian Coffee Beans - How to Best Enjoy Ethiopian Coffee

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Is there a difference in flavor between large and small Ethiopian coffee beans?

To verify this question, I decided to directly select two batches for comparison. Taking washed Yirgacheffe G1 as an example, I selected coffee beans with significantly different sizes, used the same brewing parameters and techniques, and conducted blind tasting with multiple people to determine whether there's a flavor difference between large and small beans.

Brewing Parameters:

Grind size: BG4E

Water temperature: 90°C

Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15

Brewing method: First pour 30g of water, let bloom for 30s, second pour to 104g, then continue pouring to 225g, extraction time around 2 minutes.

Blind Tasting Process...

I know everyone is eager to know the results, so I'll skip the process and announce the conclusion directly: There is a difference.

Through consistent analysis, we clearly perceived in our blind tasting that the small-bean washed Yirgacheffe G1 tended toward sweetness in flavor, while the large-bean washed Yirgacheffe G1 was noticeably more acidic. Both showed thinner flavor layers and richness compared to normal conditions (mixed beans), and the acidity in large beans is likely due to lighter roasting compared to small beans. As for more obvious differences... there were none.

Final Summary:

Actually, whether it's Ethiopia, Brazil, or Indonesia, coffee-producing regions that use defect rate as their grading system all show significant unevenness in bean size. This is especially true after roasting, as different coffee varieties have different expansion rates, further increasing the size differences between beans. However, it's precisely this unevenness in bean size that causes slight differences in roasting degree, which in turn makes the coffee's layers and richness more apparent. Therefore, don't get hung up on superficial differences - where there's loss, there's gain. The mixture of varieties and uneven bean sizes are precisely what form the rich flavors and diverse aromas of Ethiopian coffee.

Recommended Ethiopian Coffee Bean Brands

FrontStreet Coffee's freshly roasted single-origin Ethiopian coffee beans - such as Yirgacheffe and Sidamo - offer full guarantees in both brand and quality, suitable for brewing with various equipment. More importantly, they offer excellent value for money. A half-pound (227g) bag costs only around 70-90 RMB. Calculating based on 200ml per cup of single-origin coffee with a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, one bag can make 15 cups of specialty coffee, with each cup costing only about 5-6 RMB. Compared to cafés that charge dozens of RMB per cup, this represents exceptional value.

Related recommendations: Flavor characteristics of Ethiopian coffee producing regions _ Ethiopian Yirgacheffe specialty coffee

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473