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The Difference Between SOE Coffee and Espresso Coffee - Is Mandheling Coffee Bean Good for SOE Espresso?

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style). SOE: Single Origin Espresso - Single-origin espresso coffee. SOE, which became popular in 2007, had gradually matured by 2010. North American consumers had become accustomed to ordering a seasonal single-origin espresso (Single Origin Espresso) at cafes.

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style)

Once upon a time, espresso coffee dominated the coffee world with its commanding presence, but that was a long time ago. Today's coffee industry is flourishing with diversity, much like espresso itself! Traditional espresso is typically made with Italian coffee blends, using deeply roasted beans that produce an intensely strong flavor and taste. When paired with the smooth and creamy texture of milk, it's instantly lovable! But have you ever heard of SOE coffee? This represents an upgrade in coffee culture. If you're not familiar with it, FrontStreet Coffee is here to help you discover it!

What is SOE (Single Origin Espresso)?

SOE stands for "Single Origin Espresso," which refers to espresso made from coffee beans of a single origin. This concept exists in contrast to blended espresso. Although SOE represents single-origin espresso, it doesn't necessarily equate to specialty coffee. If single-origin coffee beans with easily identifiable flavors are selected for SOE, it can produce espresso with unique and distinctive characteristics.

For example, the citrus notes of Yirgacheffe or the small tomato flavors of Kenyan coffee, combined with the high-pressure extraction of espresso machines, amplify the coffee's flavors, making them more pronounced compared to pour-over coffee.

SOE began gaining popularity in 2007 and had gradually matured by 2010. North American consumers had become accustomed to ordering seasonal single-origin espresso at coffee shops, and the influence of SOE gradually spread. The popularity of SOE made people realize that with enough excellent beans, espresso formulas don't need to be complex. Through simple yet clever combinations that create complementary and synergistic effects, one can achieve results where one plus one equals three, or even five!

Coffee beans used for making SOE and those for pour-over coffee require significantly different roasting approaches. This represents both a pursuit of roasting craftsmanship and a further exploration of specialty coffee, because coffee beans suitable for SOE roasting must possess many excellent qualities. However, this doesn't mean blended coffee beans are necessarily inferior.

Espresso made by espresso machines can be consumed directly as espresso or used as a base for various espresso-based drinks. The coffee beans come from the same or the same batch of bags. Due to post-processing and trading practices of green coffee beans, only a small portion can be verified for their true origin. Green coffee beans from the same bag often contain different varieties, especially those from Central and South America.

Coffee beans from the same batch can be roasted differently and then blended together. Strictly speaking, this would still qualify as SOE coffee beans.

When the origin flavors or varietal characteristics of coffee beans are highly recognizable, roasters tend to use a lighter roast to showcase these features. When roasters focus more on flavor balance and body, they choose more suitable roasting methods to enhance consumer experience.

About Italian Blends

Traditional Italian coffee beans are composed of multiple coffee bean varieties. In Italy, a bag of coffee beans can consist of several, sometimes even dozens of different coffee beans. The biggest advantage of using multiple coffee bean blends is ensuring flavor stability. When the quality of a particular coffee bean changes, production decreases, or prices rise, roasters can substitute with beans of similar quality without affecting the overall flavor. Therefore, some renowned coffee roasters treat their blend formulas as trade secrets.

Blending methods include raw blending and roasted blending.

Raw blending refers to mixing different green coffee beans according to the formula proportions before roasting.

Roasted blending refers to roasting different green coffee beans separately, then mixing them according to different formula proportions.

Don't Pursue Consistency in SOE

Coffee is an agricultural product. Single-origin coffee beans are affected by factors like weather and cultivation, which can cause flavor variations even in beans from the same producing region. This is a key difference from blended coffee beans, which pursue flavor consistency.

If we order SOE made from the same bean at the same coffee shop on different occasions but notice slight flavor differences, this is completely normal. There's no need to question the establishment's professionalism based on this alone.

How to Make a Cup of SOE?

This time, we're using Guddi from Ethiopia, Africa. This bean exhibits a distinct tea-like quality in pour-over coffee, with a rich berry juice fullness that's unforgettable.

Coffee Bean Information

SOE Espresso Extraction Parameters

Espresso Flavor Description

Medium acidity, medium-low bitterness, medium-low sweetness, viscous mouthfeel, berry juice flavors, slightly prominent tea-like notes, long-lasting aftertaste.

What to Consider When Making SOE?

SOE single-origin espresso typically uses beans that aren't roasted too deeply in order to highlight regional flavors. Compared to traditionally darker-roasted Italian espresso beans, the flavors can be more challenging to extract.

Therefore, one approach is to adjust extraction parameters to increase extraction yield. For example, extending extraction time, grinding finer, increasing dose, etc.

Another consideration when making espresso-based drinks with SOE as the base is adjusting the ratio of espresso to milk or water. Reducing milk or water helps highlight the coffee flavor, preventing it from becoming too bland.

Finally, selecting beans for SOE requires very strict criteria. Although SOE delivers outstanding performance, because it comes from a single origin, its defects are also more easily magnified. Factors like roasting and grind size can all affect the flavor.

Final Tips

If you want simple, traditional, and consistent flavors, using good blended coffee beans for espresso is definitely your best choice. But if you're seeking some surprises and want to try more special flavors, why not experiment with light to medium roasted single-origin coffee beans to make a cup of SOE!