How to Choose Single-Origin Coffee Beans for Pour-Over? FrontStreet Coffee's Introduction to Flavor Characteristics of Seven Major Growing Regions' Daily Beans

Coffee beans available on the market can generally be divided into two types. One type is designed for espresso machines, typically packaged in larger quantities (1 pound or 1 kilogram). The other type features detailed origin information and is usually called single-origin coffee beans. These are commonly used for pour-over, French press, and other filter coffee methods, with packaging typically under half a pound.

So what exactly are the differences between these two types of coffee beans? Can they be used interchangeably?

If you refer to major shopping platforms, you'll notice that espresso beans are generally priced lower than other coffee beans. This has led some coffee newcomers to prioritize price as their primary consideration.

Quality and Price Differences

First, espresso beans are not synonymous with cheapness. Price differences are mainly reflected in the level of quality refinement.

Generally, cost-effective espresso beans use a comprehensive blending model, mixing 2-5 different coffee beans from various regions to create a stable flavor profile, without emphasizing the refinement of individual beans. However, there are also espresso beans developed specifically for quality, which are priced higher and often use single-origin beans or premium blends.

Therefore, espresso beans are specifically adapted for extraction by espresso machines, resulting in different roasting levels compared to other coffee beans. When compared to beans used for drip coffee, they are roasted much darker.

Brewing Methods and Flavor Profiles

Pour-over coffee is a brewing method, so technically, any coffee beans can be used for pour-over, including espresso beans. However, as mentioned above, espresso beans are roasted darker, so the resulting flavor typically exhibits strong roasting characteristics (bitterness), with notes like nuts, toasted bread, dark chocolate, and caramel... These flavors create a rich, smooth, and mellow espresso, and also produce a sweet and pleasant milk-based coffee. When used for pour-over, they mostly present an ordinary and stable bitter coffee profile.

Moreover, if you choose espresso beans solely because they're inexpensive, the flavor can be "hard to describe" (disappointing).

Choosing the Right Beans

Therefore, when selecting coffee beans, you should choose appropriate ones based on your brewing method. If you're concerned about wasting coffee beans and want to buy cheap ones to practice with, you should especially avoid espresso beans. Even if you brew them perfectly, the flavor won't be right, which may eventually lead you into a frustrating dead-end.

If you want to practice, consider some cost-effective single-origin basic beans. For example, FrontStreet Coffee offers the "FrontStreet Coffee Daily Beans" series. This series features seven representative coffee bean regions selected by FrontStreet Coffee, each with distinctive flavor characteristics. The price of one bag is equivalent to just one cup of coffee in Guangzhou, making it very suitable for friends who want to practice pour-over techniques or explore the flavor profiles of different coffee origins.

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473