What Coffee Beans Should Beginners Buy? Best Coffee Beans for Coffee Novices

Introduction to Coffee Selection for Beginners

As one of the world's three major beverages, coffee naturally continues to attract new consumers to understand coffee culture. Therefore, many coffee beginners often ask FrontStreet Coffee how to choose coffee beans that suit their taste preferences, and what types of coffee are suitable for newcomers. This article from FrontStreet Coffee will write about how new coffee enthusiasts should select their coffee.

Specialty Coffee Bean Selection and Brewing Knowledge

Many novice coffee enthusiasts may have only experienced instant coffee, which typically has a shelf life of about one year. Therefore, some coffee friends ask FrontStreet Coffee whether specialty coffee beans can also be stored for such a long time.

Actually, this is not possible because coffee raw beans must be roasted before they can be used for brewing. Freshly roasted coffee beans from FrontStreet Coffee have a "roasted flavor," primarily characterized by sharp acidity that isn't mellow enough, and the sweetness hasn't reached its optimal state. When brewed at this time, it will taste astringent with poor flavor. Therefore, the roasting process is also a chemical and physical reaction process.

According to FrontStreet Coffee's roasting experience, every kilogram of coffee beans releases approximately 6-10 liters of carbon dioxide in unsaturated environments, equivalent to 1%-1.2% of the coffee bean's total weight. About 35% of this is released within the first three days after roasting, so freshly roasted coffee beans are not suitable for immediate brewing. Additionally, although coffee beans are isolated from outside air after being bagged, chemical reactions continue with the air inside the bag, causing coffee's aroma and taste to change over time. For example, FrontStreet Coffee's Flower Butterfly has floral notes, while Yirgacheffe has berry aromas. Aroma is precisely the charm of single-origin coffee, but beautiful things are often fleeting, and single-origin coffee is no exception. Usually, after a month, the aroma gradually begins to fade. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee suggests that coffee enthusiasts should consume their coffee beans within one month of purchase, as the optimal tasting period for fresh coffee is 2-3 weeks, while the peak flavor period is about one week after roasting. If coffee enthusiasts purchase from FrontStreet Coffee's official Taobao store, the week they receive it is typically the optimal tasting period. At FrontStreet Coffee's physical store, we provide the freshest beans for coffee enthusiasts to taste every day.

In summary, the optimal tasting period for FrontStreet Coffee beans is 15-30 days from the date of roasting. Of course, some coffees can be extended to about 45 days under appropriate storage conditions. Therefore, when we mention "expired," we generally use 30 days as the benchmark. At this time, the coffee bean's degassing has basically disappeared, and medium-dark to dark roasted coffee beans will show slight "oiling." However, if coffee shows severe oiling due to improper storage, or if it only smells woody, this indicates the beans are no longer suitable for consumption.

Another point FrontStreet Coffee wants to emphasize is that coffee beans past their optimal tasting period are not fresh beans, because this not only dissipates good flavors but also creates bad flavors. Moreover, although not explicitly stated in current specialty coffee, it has been generally determined that specialty coffee roasting is between light-medium to medium-dark, with over 80% being light-medium or medium roast, and even Japanese-style roasting doesn't appear. The heavier the roast (longer roasting time and higher temperature), the shorter the optimal tasting period; light-medium or medium roast, which many people describe as having floral, fruity acidity, nutty, chocolate, creamy... etc. flavors, will see diminishing aromas as time passes.

Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee suggests that coffee enthusiasts should ideally purchase about two weeks' worth of coffee beans at a time. If conditions allow, try to buy roasted beans to grind fresh yourself. No matter how good the coffee is, don't stock up - just enough for one month. For drip bag coffee, it's best to only buy 15 days' worth and continue purchasing as needed.

Pay Attention to Origin Information When Selecting Coffee

When selecting coffee beans, FrontStreet Coffee emphasizes that coffee enthusiasts must pay attention to the bean's origin information, from the country and region down to the specific estate name. This is because some shops might use coffee not from the claimed origin, or they might only mention the country without specifying the estate, which naturally means it's coffee from large producing regions, and quality cannot be guaranteed. Coffee from origins also has commercial-grade and specialty-grade classifications, so just because it says Ethiopia doesn't mean it's specialty beans. It's best to be specific about the region and traceable to the origin - such beans are usually not bad. FrontStreet Coffee's beans are, of course, handled this way. After all, good coffee isn't afraid of being understood - we're just afraid that coffee enthusiasts won't take the time to understand.

Another important point is to pay attention to whether the packaging date is recent. Generally, raw coffee beans have a shelf life of one to two years, while roasted beans have a freshness period of about 2 months. Therefore, choose freshly roasted coffee beans and consume them within their freshness period to enjoy coffee's most captivating aroma and rich taste. Freshly roasted coffee beans contain large amounts of gas and have active respiration. During extraction, gases release from the beans, creating the wonderful, full bubbles we see. Of course, for some light-roasted beans, the bubbles aren't as obvious.

The above are some important points to consider when selecting coffee. Finally, FrontStreet Coffee will recommend some coffee beans from different regions with different flavors to help novice coffee enthusiasts make better choices.

Daily Coffee Beans - Understanding Regional Flavors

Because many novice coffee enthusiasts don't know how to choose coffee beans, FrontStreet Coffee has specially launched coffee beans from seven regions as daily options for coffee enthusiasts to try. These daily beans come from three continents: Asia, Latin America, and Africa, each with their own distinct flavors. African regions feature rich, intense fruit flavors, Asian regions offer bold flavors, while Latin American regions combine richness with berry notes. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee has specifically selected regions that best represent the flavor characteristics of these three continents. Let FrontStreet Coffee introduce them below.

First, FrontStreet Coffee will introduce specialty coffee beans from Latin America, including Brazilian Red Fruit, Colombian Huila, Costa Rican Tarrazú, and Guatemalan Huehuetenango.

FrontStreet Coffee Brazilian Red Fruit Coffee Beans

Country: Brazil
Region: South Minas
Altitude: 1000 meters
Variety: Red Bourbon
Processing: Semi-washed
Flavor: Nuts, chocolate, cream, peanuts, caramel

Brazil is the world's largest coffee-producing country, and Brazilian coffee beans are also representative of Bourbon variety coffee beans. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee has selected this Brazilian Red Fruit from dozens of Brazilian coffee beans because of its high cost-performance ratio and characteristic nutty cocoa flavor from the Brazilian region.

Red Bourbon Variety

Bourbon variety coffee, like Typica variety coffee, is an old variety belonging to the Arabica species. Bourbon coffee was originally cultivated on Réunion Island, which was called Bourbon Island before 1789, hence the coffee variety was named "Bourbon." Like Typica, Bourbon has broader leaves than Typica, grows more densely, and yields 30% more than Typica coffee. The beans are rounder and shorter, with rich berry acidity, noticeable cream and fragrance, strong acidic aroma, and distinct fruit acidity. However, it shares the same problem of poor disease resistance.

Generally, after Red Bourbon coffee trees flower and fruit, the color change of coffee cherries is: green → light yellow → light orange → mature red → darker red when fully ripe, hence it's also called "Red Bourbon." Red Bourbon was introduced to Brazil around 1860 via Campinas in the south and is a typical coffee variety. Simply put, Bourbon is a coffee variety belonging to a branch of Arabica species that generally produces red fruits, called Red Bourbon. Besides this, there are also Yellow Bourbon and Orange Bourbon. Yellow Bourbon has relatively lower yields but better quality.

Of course, a coffee's flavor cannot be judged solely by its region's original characteristics. FrontStreet Coffee has mentioned in previous articles that coffee processing methods also affect flavor expression to some extent. This FrontStreet Coffee Brazilian Red Bourbon coffee uses the semi-washed method, which makes the beans taste sweeter with fermented notes. However, FrontStreet Coffee believes that washed processing better reflects a coffee bean's most original flavor because it makes the coffee taste cleaner and more transparent. Therefore, most of FrontStreet Coffee's daily beans use washed processing to let new coffee enthusiasts taste the most authentic regional coffee flavors. But this Brazilian Red Fruit uses semi-washed processing due to local water shortages, as washed processing requires large amounts of water, making it less common in Brazil. FrontStreet Coffee believes this makes the Brazilian Red Fruit coffee beans more distinctive with local characteristics.

Semi-Washed Processing Method

The semi-washed processing method (semi-dry processing), also called pulped natural processing, differs from traditional natural processing in that the coffee cherry's skin is removed, allowing control over the fermentation degree of the pulped coffee beans. Traditional natural processing involves drying with the skin on, making it impossible to monitor the pulp's fermentation degree. Semi-washed processing is a method between natural and washed processing. It eliminates the "fermentation tank, water washing" process of washed processing and goes directly to sun drying. Although the methods seem similar, without the fermentation step, the coffee bean's flavor is completely different.

FrontStreet Coffee Colombian Huila Coffee Beans

Country: Colombia
Region: Huila
Altitude: 1500-1800 meters
Variety: Caturra
Processing: Washed processing
Flavor: Nuts, dark chocolate, caramel, soft fruit acidity

Colombia is the world's third-largest coffee producer and exporter, and Colombian coffee beans are world-famous for their smooth taste and rich nutty chocolate mellow flavor. According to FrontStreet Coffee, the Huila region has mountainous terrain, with coffee grown on mountain slopes, providing the high altitude and suitable temperatures for growing quality Arabica beans. The mountain slope climate not only prevents cold winds from entering but also provides cool mountain breezes without high temperatures, and rainfall is relatively abundant, making it an exceptionally suitable coffee cultivation area. Colombian coffee workers hand-pick coffee cherries in the mountains, and most coffee beans use washed processing. Therefore, Huila coffee beans have a full-bodied, heavier texture with nutty, chocolate, caramel aromas and smooth, pleasant fruit acidity. This is why FrontStreet Coffee selected this Colombian Huila coffee bean as a representative of Huila region's flavor.

Caturra Variety

Novice coffee enthusiasts are probably curious about what Caturra variety coffee beans are. In fact, Caturra is a natural mutation of the Bourbon variety mentioned above by FrontStreet Coffee, discovered in Brazil in 1937. Its tree is not as tall as Bourbon, being more compact. Although it inherits Bourbon's bloodline, its disease resistance is relatively weak, but its yield is higher than Bourbon. Although discovered in Brazil, Caturra is not suitable for growing in Brazil and therefore wasn't widely cultivated there. Instead, it became popular in Central and South America, with large-scale cultivation in Colombia, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua.

As FrontStreet Coffee mentioned above, washed processing is the method that best reflects a coffee region's flavor characteristics. So what is the washed processing workflow?

Washed Processing Workflow

1. Bean selection: Place harvested fruits in large water tanks. Mature fruits will sink, while immature or overripe fruits will float on the surface.

2. Pulp removal: Use machines to remove the skin and pulp, leaving only coffee beans coated with mucilage. The washing process is meant to clean this mucilage layer.

3. Fermentation: The mucilage adheres strongly and is not easy to remove. It must be placed in tanks for about 18-36 hours, using microorganisms to ferment and decompose the mucilage.

4. Washing: Place fermented beans in water tanks and wash them repeatedly, using the friction between beans and water flow to clean the coffee beans.

5. Drying: After washing, coffee beans have a moisture content of 50% and must be dried to reduce moisture content to 12%. Otherwise, they will mold and rot due to excessive moisture content. The best method is sun drying, which takes 1-3 weeks but produces excellent flavor. Some places use machine drying, which significantly reduces processing time, but the flavor is relatively inferior to sun-dried coffee beans.

6. Hulling: After drying, coffee beans are stored in warehouses for a week (to stabilize moisture content) before being sent to factories for hulling to remove the parchment layer.

7. Selection and grading: Remove defective beans and ensure optimal quality before sending to exporters for sale worldwide.

FrontStreet Coffee Costa Rican Tarrazú Coffee Beans

Country: Costa Rica
Region: Tarrazú
Altitude: 1500 meters
Variety: Caturra, Catuai
Processing: Washed processing
Flavor: Sweet orange, honey, toffee, nuts

Costa Rican coffee is renowned for its balanced flavor, rich chocolate, and smooth texture. According to FrontStreet Coffee, Tarrazú is located south of the capital San Jose and is one of Costa Rica's most valued coffee-growing areas. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee selected it as the region that best represents Costa Rican coffee flavor. Of course, this Costa Rican Tarrazú coffee bean is also processed using the washed method. Since FrontStreet Coffee previously introduced what Caturra variety is, what is Catuai?

Catuai Variety

From the name alone, it's clear that Catuai and Caturra have an extraordinary relationship. In fact, Catuai is a hybrid of Mundo Novo and Caturra, making it a second-generation hybrid. It inherits Caturra's advantage of short tree height and also compensates for Caturra's weakness of fragile fruit that easily falls off in strong winds. The biggest regret is that its overall flavor is slightly less complex than Caturra. Catuai also has red and yellow fruit varieties, and like Bourbon, its red fruit has better flavor than yellow fruit. According to FrontStreet Coffee, Catuai, Caturra, Mundo Novo, and Bourbon are listed as Brazil's four main coffee varieties.

FrontStreet Coffee Guatemalan Huehuetenango Coffee Beans

Country: Guatemala
Region: Huehuetenango
Altitude: 1500-2000 meters
Variety: Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai
Processing: Washed processing
Flavor: Nuts, lemon peel, berries, citrus

According to FrontStreet Coffee, Guatemala has high average altitude, with coffee growing zones distributed above 1500 meters, making it easy to grow extremely hard beans. Therefore, Guatemalan coffee has special smoky flavors and rich juice-like texture. Guatemala has eight major producing regions, divided into five volcanic regions and three non-volcanic regions. The Huehuetenango region belongs to one of the three non-volcanic regions. Here, FrontStreet Coffee must share some important knowledge: high-quality specialty coffee requires high altitude, suitable temperatures, and abundant rainfall to maintain optimal growing conditions. The Huehuetenango coffee growing conditions have all these factors, naturally allowing the cultivation of excellent flavored coffee beans. Additionally, Huehuetenango coffee beans are grown in volcanic soil, which is very rich in nutrients. Not only does it contain sufficient plant growth substances, but it also has deep drainage properties, making it very suitable for coffee cultivation. This注定 that Huehuetenango has excellent quality, which is why FrontStreet Coffee specifically selected this Huehuetenango coffee bean to represent Guatemalan coffee flavor.

Next, let's talk about African daily beans known for their fruity acidity flavors.

FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Coffee Beans

Country: Ethiopia
Region: Yirgacheffe
Altitude: 1800-2000 meters
Variety: Local native varieties
Processing: Washed processing
Flavor: Jasmine, berries, lemon, citrus

Yirgacheffe is located in the Gedeo region of southern Ethiopia. Because coffee produced in Yirgacheffe has a unique style and is widely loved, it forms its own category in product classification and holds a place in the global specialty coffee market.

Yirgacheffe is also the most watched by coffee enthusiasts worldwide after the classic Blue Mountain coffee. FrontStreet Coffee can say without exaggeration that nobody dislikes Yirgacheffe's flavor, which is why FrontStreet Coffee believes it's the most suitable coffee bean for novice coffee enthusiasts among the seven daily beans. The so-called Yirgacheffe flavor actually refers to rich citrus and lemon acidity, intense jasmine floral aroma, light and elegant texture with tea-like notes, tasting like refreshing, clean lemon tea. Especially in summer, FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe cold brew bags are very popular because Yirgacheffe coffee, when extracted with long-term low temperatures, enhances the richness of the coffee texture while making the juice-like and tea-like notes more integrated.

FrontStreet Coffee Indonesian Lintong Mandheling Coffee Beans

Country: Indonesia
Region: Sumatra Lintong
Altitude: 1100-1600 meters
Variety: Typica, Caturra
Processing: Wet-hulled method
Flavor: Toasted bread, nuts, caramel, pine, herbal

FrontStreet Coffee believes that novice coffee enthusiasts new to coffee must have heard of Mandheling, which is also one of the signature coffees at many coffee shops because its flavor best matches people's imagination of coffee taste. Its flavor encompasses acidity, bitterness, and sweetness, perfectly balancing these three tastes, making it widely loved by coffee enthusiasts. According to FrontStreet Coffee, the origin of the name Mandheling comes from an Indonesian tribal name. When Japanese soldiers returned to Japan after colonizing Indonesia, they couldn't forget the local delicious coffee. Through trade friends, they asked locals to help collect quality coffee beans, including this Mandheling. The Japanese loved this coffee bean and asked for its name. Since the business source couldn't be easily disclosed, locals casually said "Mandheling," and thus "Mandheling" accidentally became the name of this coffee bean.

Mandheling coffee beans' processing method is different from those previously mentioned by FrontStreet Coffee. According to FrontStreet Coffee, this is because the local weather is often rainy with constant typhoons, making it impossible to achieve the good weather required for sun drying. Additionally, the local economy is poor, making it difficult to use the more expensive washed processing method. This led to the development of the uniquely local wet-hulled method, which is unique to Indonesia.

Wet-Hulled Processing Workflow

First stage: Use wooden hulling machines to remove the skin and pulp, ferment for 3 hours, then sun-dry to reduce moisture content to semi-dry, semi-wet 30-50%.

Second stage: Remove mucilage and parchment layer, continue with the final drying stage, which takes 2-4 days, reducing moisture content to 12-13%.

Typica Variety

According to FrontStreet Coffee, Typica is the oldest variety in the Arabica lineage and also Ethiopia's oldest native variety. Typica has elegant flavor but weak constitution, low disease resistance, and is susceptible to leaf rust disease. Therefore, coffee bean yields are low and cannot meet economic efficiency. In recent years, Typica in Central and South America has gradually been replaced by Caturra and Catuai. As a result, Typica is becoming increasingly rare. Although Typica has elegant flavor, it's not as popular as Bourbon.

Finally, let's mention coffee beans from our country's Yunnan region, which also represents Asia.

FrontStreet Coffee Yunnan Small Bean Coffee

Country: China
Region: Yunnan Baoshan
Altitude: 1200 meters
Variety: Catimor
Processing: Washed processing
Flavor: Melon fragrance, sweet melon, brown sugar, plum acidity, black tea notes

This Yunnan small bean coffee from FrontStreet Coffee is grown in FrontStreet Coffee's plantation in Yunnan. Actually, Yunnan has two coffee varieties: Typica and this Catimor. Yunnan Typica is labeled as Yunnan specialty coffee, while Yunnan Catimor is labeled as Yunnan small bean coffee according to market conventions.

FrontStreet Coffee roasts both these beans to medium roast because the Yunnan region is not an acidic region; their flavors are relatively balanced, with nut and brown sugar as the base notes. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee chooses medium roast to showcase Yunnan coffee's balance, nutty sweetness, brown sugar sweetness, and soft fruit acidity.

Catimor Variety

So what is Catimor variety? Actually, Catimor is a hybrid of Caturra and Timor, characterized by strong disease resistance but not suitable for growing in high-altitude areas. Currently, it's an important variety for commercial beans.

The above are the seven coffee beans that FrontStreet Coffee has compiled as suitable for beginners to try. Of course, when first drinking coffee, novice coffee enthusiasts will find it bitter or acidic, but coffee beans from different regions truly have distinct flavors. When you taste them carefully, you'll discover their differences and can choose the coffee beans that best suit your taste through experimentation. This is why FrontStreet Coffee selected these seven coffee beans with distinctly different flavors for novice coffee enthusiasts to try. This is also FrontStreet Coffee's way of hoping to help novice coffee friends.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473