Raw Blend vs Roasted Blend for Espresso: Which is Better? Proportions, Formulas, and Tasting Guide

FrontStreet Coffee · The Differences Between Raw and Roasted Espresso Blends and How to Taste Blend Ratios

Understanding Traditional Espresso Blends

Traditional espresso beans are composed of multiple coffee bean varieties. In Italy, a single bag of coffee beans can consist of several, or even dozens of, different coffee beans. The greatest advantage of using multiple coffee beans in a blend is ensuring flavor stability. When the quality of a particular coffee bean changes, or when production decreases or prices rise, roasters can substitute beans with similar quality without affecting the overall flavor profile. Therefore, some renowned coffee roasters consider their blend formulas to be trade secrets. Espresso coffee bean blending typically involves two methods: raw blending and roasted blending.

Raw Blending vs. Roasted Blending

Raw blending refers to mixing raw coffee beans from different regions and processing methods in different proportions before roasting them together, typically using no fewer than three but no more than five varieties. Most commercial brands and chain stores adopt this method.

Roasted blending involves roasting different beans separately and then mixing them in specific proportions. Because this method is more complex, demands more from the roaster, and stability is more difficult to control, it is typically used in competitions or in independent coffee shops with their own roasting facilities. In recent years, with the popularization of coffee culture and changes in consumer awareness, blending different roast levels of the same coffee bean and blending different processing methods from the same region have also emerged.

Blending methods include both raw blending and roasted blending.

Raw blending refers to mixing different raw coffee beans in the proportions specified in the formula before roasting.

Roasted blending refers to roasting different raw coffee beans separately and then mixing them in different proportions as specified in the formula.

Addressing Misconceptions About Coffee Blends

Coffee blends often face public skepticism: many believe that blends were created by roasters to maximize the use of leftover and expired raw coffee beans, using dark roasting to cover up undesirable flavors.

While this may be possible in some isolated cases, most roasters create blends with the goal of producing a highly reproducible coffee with consistent flavor throughout the year. In other words, blends can meet the needs of specific consumers. Moreover, if a blended coffee becomes a signature product, it serves as a significant affirmation of the brand, repeatedly attracting customers.

Roast Levels and Flavor Profiles

Roasting is generally divided into three levels: light, medium, and dark, with roasting times varying depending on the desired coffee type. Lightly roasted coffee beans are light in color and more acidic; medium-roasted beans have a balance of acidity and bitterness; dark-roasted beans are dark in color and more bitter. The lighter the roast level, the stronger the acidity of the coffee beans; the darker the roast, the more the acidity diminishes and the bitterness intensifies.

Regional Coffee Characteristics in Espresso

No single-origin coffee can fully achieve the flavor profile required by espresso. Coffee beans from African and Arab coffee trees are characterized by complexity, abundant berry notes, and floating aromas; Latin American coffee features clean, strong, and refreshing characteristics; Southeast Asian coffee is known for its full-bodied, earthy qualities. Many coffees are mixtures of several different coffee types, resulting in more complex flavor profiles.

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