What Are the Recommended Single-Origin Coffee Beans? Which Brands Offer Affordable, Great-Tasting Single-Origin Coffee?

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

Is it really difficult to find delicious single-origin coffee? FrontStreet Coffee often hears friends say, "In small city cafes, few people know about single-origin coffee," "I don't like coffee, it's too bitter," or "Drinking pour-over coffee is like drinking Chinese medicine—why would anyone like it?"

Bitter and astringent, hard to swallow—this is most people's perception of single-origin coffee. I suspect many people have some misunderstandings about the concept of single-origin coffee.

In fact, the coffee flavor world is primarily composed of "sour, sweet, bitter, savory, and rich." The reason it tastes bitter is because "bitter" dominates most of the taste buds in a cup of coffee, but more importantly, it's about the balance that emerges when various flavors in coffee attract each other.

Every coffee has its unique flavor (coffee knowledge—coffee flavor wheel), and every coffee enthusiast will have their own taste preferences—some prefer acidic flavors, some prefer bitter notes, and others enjoy espresso (let me take you into the world of espresso).

Using FrontStreet Coffee's current single-origin coffee offerings categorized by flavor, we can divide them into three major regions: Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

Africa

Most coffee beans from the African region carry floral and fruity aromas, with lively and bright acidity and a clear, comfortable mouthfeel.

For example:

『Yirgacheffe』/ Citrus, starfruit sweet and sour notes, floral aroma

『Sidamo』/ Jackfruit, fruity, slightly fermented, high sweetness

『Kenya』/ Licorice, berry acidity

『Malawi』/ Citrus, lemon, long-lasting sweetness

『Shakisso』/ Strawberry, blueberry, fruit candy

Asia

Most coffee beans from the Asian region have a dense, thick texture with strong, rounded sweetness. Even with light roasting, soft fruit aromas can emerge.

For example:

『Mandheling』/ Nuts, herbal, spices, blackcurrant

『West Java』/ Jasmine, bergamot, lemon

Americas

Most coffee beans from the Americas have balanced flavors, even taste, fragrant and round mouthfeel, with chocolate sweetness and nutty aromas.

For example:

『Brazil』/ Tropical fruits, nuts, dark chocolate

『El Salvador』/ Purple grapes, strawberry jam, delicate and rich layered acidity

『Colombia』 Double Anaerobic Process / Strawberry jam, honeydew melon, slight wine aroma

『Panama』/ Bergamot, cranberry, clean and comfortable mouthfeel

Conclusion

Coffee isn't necessarily bitter. If you truly want to taste a cup of single-origin coffee, you need to set aside the subjective perception of "bitterness" and not assume from the start that coffee is bitter. Different regions, different processing methods, roasting levels, freshness levels, and brewing methods all affect coffee's flavor. Each single-origin coffee has its own "personality." Aside from the barista's factors, take time to slowly experience a coffee's "personality."

Additionally, many people often complain that the coffee beans they buy aren't from the latest roast date, and even when they spend money, they can't always get the coffee beans they want. They always want to ask others which brands are good and inexpensive.

Since most people still have only a partial understanding of coffee knowledge, being able to quickly and accurately distinguish between good and bad coffee beans still requires us to slowly drink and experience the different flavors of coffee. However, when most people choose coffee beans, they typically use a store's reputation and reviews as their judgment criteria.

But we all understand that some reviews might be artificially generated from the start. Even if they're genuine reviews, those from beginners don't have much reference value for us.

Therefore, if you're a beginner, you need to pay attention to the following points when selecting coffee beans:

1. Choose coffee beans based on your brewing equipment

For example, if you have a fully automatic coffee machine but insist on buying light to medium roast single-origin beans, especially beans like Blue Mountain or Geisha, you definitely won't get the flavor you want.

2. Only look at the roast date, not the expiration date

First, we need to correct a concept: coffee beans aren't better the fresher they are—they need a degassing period. After the degassing period comes the "optimal flavor period," and once that period passes, the coffee is naturally "expired." Generally, for single-origin beans, choosing ones roasted within 1 month is fine, unless the roaster's skill level is really poor. For freshly roasted beans, opening them about a week after roasting yields the best flavor. At this time, the roasting's burnt and smoky flavors have mostly dissipated, and the coffee beans' own flavors are fully revealed—making it the perfect time for tasting.

For espresso beans, however, they tend to stabilize about 2 weeks after roasting. Beans within 3 months will taste very full in terms of freshness, aroma, and mouthfeel. However, if the flavor period has passed, they're no longer worth drinking; if they've passed their expiration date, you should decisively throw them away. Because coffee beans contain oils, and when these oil substances oxidize, they can easily produce aflatoxins, which are directly carcinogenic to humans.

3. Merchant recommendations are for reference only—choose what you like

Sometimes merchants' recommendations are very professional, but other times they might just be marketing gimmicks. So, whatever flavor of coffee you like, find merchants that offer that flavor. For example, if you like washed Yirgacheffe, with its light floral aroma, gentle citrus acidity, and honey and cream chocolate aftertaste, you definitely wouldn't accept Mandheling's heaviness, and you might not even like Blue Mountain's neutrality. If you can't confirm whether this coffee is roasted just right to suit your taste, you can buy the smallest package to try.

If conditions allow, you can also go to the store to try samples, find a few varieties you like, and then become a regular customer. I believe the coffee shop will increasingly make your coffee exactly how you want it.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473