Introduction to Espresso Coffee Beans—Flavor Review of Sunflower Warm Blend Coffee Beans and Espresso Making Tutorial

The Foundation of Italian Coffee: Understanding Espresso

The production of Italian coffee is inseparable from espresso, so the origin of Italian coffee is closely tied to espresso. Seasoned coffee enthusiasts know that Italians treat coffee like water, drinking it from childhood. Therefore, in the 20th century, Luigi Bezzera from Milan invented a completely new steam-driven coffee brewing system. Since the coffee brewing time is very short, people decided to name it "Espresso," which means "Express" in Italian. Espresso is fast concentrated coffee. Under the effect of steam pressure (around 9 atmospheres), when hot water quickly passes through the coffee powder, the essence of the coffee is fully extracted, completing a cup of rich, aromatic, high-bodied coffee with caramel-like bitterness. FrontStreet Coffee typically uses a double shot of espresso (20 grams of coffee powder) to make approximately 40 grams of concentrated coffee, with very fine and rich coffee oils on the surface, also known as "Crema."

At the same time, espresso is the foundation of many Italian coffees, so FrontStreet Coffee can say that if espresso is not extracted well, other Italian coffees will not taste good either. While determining whether the extraction is good or not involves adjusting corresponding extraction parameters, the most important thing is to choose suitable Italian coffee beans.

Introducing FrontStreet Coffee's Premium Italian Blend: Sunflower Warm Sun Blend Coffee

Flavor: Noticeable fruit acidity, light berry aroma, wine fragrance, rich chocolate flavor, with a distinct sweet aftertaste.

Formula: Honduras Sherry : Yirgacheffe Red Cherry = 6:4

This blend from FrontStreet Coffee is made from Yirgacheffe sun-dried red cherry and Honduras sherry. Frontsteet's design concept for this blend bean is that it can be used for both Italian and pour-over coffee. When used to make espresso, it emits a distinct fermented wine aroma. When tasted, the acidity of citrus and berries immediately emerges, carrying the fragrance of whiskey, with a black chocolate aftertaste.

The Ratio for Making Latte Coffee

FrontStreet Coffee uses the Faema E98 espresso machine with the following extraction parameters:

Pressure: 9 bar ± 2
Temperature: 90.5~96°C
Time: 20~30 sec
Powder-to-water ratio: 1:1.7~1:2
Powder amount: 12g (single shot espresso) 20g (double shot espresso)
Extraction volume: 20ml (single) 40ml (double)

FrontStreet Coffee uses a double shot of espresso to make latte. After extraction, the coffee flavor表现为: noticeable fruit acidity, with light berry aroma lingering, rich wine fragrance and chocolate flavor, and a comfortable sweet aftertaste.

How to Make a Hot Latte Coffee?

Milk: Whole fresh milk (Frontsteet uses Kowloon Dairy fresh milk)
Steamed milk temperature: 50-60°C (too low a temperature cannot stimulate the release of lactose in milk; too high a temperature will destroy the protein in milk, resulting in a grainy texture)
Milk foam thickness: 1 cm (milk foam thinner than 1 cm is used for making flat white coffee; foam thicker than 1 cm is used for making cappuccino coffee)

How to Steam Milk for Hot Latte Coffee?

1. Rinsing before turning on the steam switch: Rinse the steam wand to discharge the water vapor at the front, avoiding overly wet milk foam (cover with a clean cloth to prevent splattering).

2. Inserting the steam wand into cold milk: Let steam rush into the milk. (Depth of the wand: If inserted too deep, it will only heat without creating foam; conversely, if inserted too shallow, it will create large bubbles, making latte art unattractive. You can tap it on the table to burst large bubbles.)

3. Position of the steam wand: The most perfect and foolproof steam injection point is when the steam wand is inserted into the steel pitcher, with the wand leaning against the pitcher's small spout, and the nozzle pointing to the center and slightly offset by 1cm.

4. Turn on the steam: Start frothing the milk (during steam injection, listen carefully—there should be a sound like blowing into a straw with a drink, not a crisp sound of bubbles hitting the metal pitcher. When the temperature reaches 50-60 degrees, it's time to turn it off.)

Recommended Ratios for Hot Latte Coffee

FrontStreet Coffee recommends a coffee-to-milk ratio of 1:6.5 for making latte coffee, which is 40ml espresso to 260ml hot milk. By stirring in a circular motion to fully integrate the milk with espresso, you get a hot latte coffee. Fresh milk, when heated, releases lactose sugar molecules better, and when mixed evenly with espresso, the entire latte has a natural milky sweetness without overpowering the espresso's flavor. On the contrary, against the backdrop of milk, the espresso's flavor is more prominently expressed.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473