Why is SOE Latte Popular? Are SOE Americanos Good? Is SOE Single-Origin Coffee?

In recent years, many coffee shops have introduced SOE (Single Origin Espresso) coffee. Even many friends visiting FrontStreet Coffee's store immediately ask if they have SOE. So FrontStreet Coffee would like to briefly analyze why SOE has become popular.

SOE (Single Origin Espresso) is single origin espresso coffee. Simply put, SOE is espresso made from single origin beans, corresponding to blended coffee beans. In terms of noun explanation, this is indeed the case. However, when an innovative concept emerges, it's often not as simple as its literal meaning. The appearance of this term seems to draw a distinction from traditional concepts.

"FrontStreet Coffee has previously explained that the definition of SOE simply distinguishes between single origin espresso and espresso blends, with no inherent superiority or inferiority. What determines coffee flavor quality is the quality of the coffee itself. Simply put, single origin and specialty coffee have never been inherently linked; it's just that in most cases, coffees presented to the public possess both these attributes."

When the concept of single origin coffee was established in pour-over dominated drip coffee, flavors became rich and diverse. Undeniably, the original purpose of proposing coffee single origin (by region) was to make coffee more specialized, and in this regard, single origin coffee has indeed performed very well.

"This leads to a concept: single origin coffee refers to coffee that has been separated at the origin, ensuring high-quality coffee remains independent while lower-quality beans are handled separately. This contrasts with not dividing by small regions, directly mixing everything as bulk commodities. Blended coffee typically refers to the deliberate re-blending by roasters, using single origin beans from several regions to create an ideal formula."

FrontStreet Coffee's Sunflower Sunshine Blend is made from single origin Yirgacheffe Red Cherry and single origin Honduras Sherry beans, with distinct flavor characteristics including vanilla cream, sherry wine aroma, chocolate, and brown sugar flavors.

According to a 2021 survey on main factors for coffee consumption among Chinese coffee consumers, the top three were refreshing effect (53.1%), liking the taste of coffee (52.2%), and enjoying the atmosphere and service of coffee shops (31.3%), while only 18.9% considered it a lifestyle habit. This means coffee consumption habits in China are not yet part of daily life, with functionality and coffee taste remaining mainstream. The espresso coffee consumption market still dominates.

Considering the situation with espresso coffee, traditional espresso给人的印象是焦苦的, rich in crema, and there was even a phenomenon where if your espresso beans didn't produce oil, people considered your espresso not authentic. However, the reason for the bitter, burnt taste in coffee is Italy's preference for adding Robusta to increase body, along with extremely dark roasting. And the reason blended coffee beans don't perform excellently isn't because they're blends, but because the blender's philosophy prioritizes stability and price advantages over flavor. Over time, consumers have developed stereotypical impressions of espresso beans or blended coffee beans.

Flavor-focused blends have existed, but once impressions are formed, it's difficult to change them with sporadic efforts. Since single origin beans in pour-over coffee are marketed based on their flavor characteristics, and consumers widely accept this concept, directly applying it to espresso is more convenient than re-educating the market.

Therefore, the most obvious manifestation of promoting SOE is to create a distinction from traditional espresso bean flavors.

In some Australian coffee shops, they equip with more than two espresso grinders. When making Americanos or lattes, they use blended beans for classic flavors, while using SOE for Flat Whites to showcase alternative coffee flavors. This has evolved to offering several types of espresso beans for customers to choose from.

Earlier this year, when a well-known chain brand launched the SOE Guomai 5.0 series, it pushed both SOE and Guomai into the spotlight. For businesses, offering higher-quality coffee can enhance the shop's image and subtly change consumers' impressions of espresso coffee. Proposing the SOE concept makes it easier for consumers to recognize the difference from traditional espresso beans, reducing education costs. Especially for small independent coffee shops, a uniquely flavored SOE coffee can help consumers remember the establishment.

For consumers, it's more about identifying coffee by taste. They might not deeply understand the meaning of SOE, but when they taste a coffee that's better than previous beans and learn it was made with SOE, that's sufficient.

Based on the current sales model of "charging extra for SOE instead of regular coffee," this creates an impression that SOE is superior from a price psychology perspective.

Finally, it's worth mentioning that not just any single origin coffee bean can be used to extract espresso and call it SOE. Coffee beans used for SOE require different roasting curves to adjust them to a roast level suitable for espresso machines. Therefore, single origin beans for pour-over may not necessarily be suitable for SOE (though some beans are compatible with both pour-over and espresso).

What to pay attention to when buying SOE coffee beans?

FrontStreet Coffee has found that many people think SOE simply means applying single origin beans directly to espresso machine extraction to create single origin espresso. It's not until they bring home various floral and fruity flavored beans and try them with their coffee machine that they realize something is wrong. First, they experience chaotic spraying situations, followed by being shocked by the extremely sour espresso and不敢再喝第二口, then they begin to wonder if their equipment is too poor or if they made mistakes in operation.

In fact, the reason you might not be able to make the same SOE at home as in the shop likely has nothing to do with your equipment and technique, but rather that this coffee bean's roast level is not very suitable for making espresso.

From the experience of FrontStreet Coffee's baristas, choosing coffee beans suitable for SOE extraction not only makes it easy to produce delicious espresso but also makes creating Americanos or lattes by adding water or milk much more effective. FrontStreet Coffee's bean list offers two single origin coffees in SOE versions: one is the strawberry-flavored Guomai, and the other is the classic Yirgacheffe-flavored Kongjia. We just need to select espresso roast when placing orders.

FrontStreet Coffee's shop uses a commercial single-group "Lelit Bianca" coffee machine, which can adjust extraction by changing pressure, with maximum pressure reaching 11bar. Home coffee machines only need to reach 9bar pressure to satisfy extraction and milk frothing functions, paired with an espresso grinder.

SOE Coffee Extraction Parameters Sharing

Coffee Beans: Ethiopia Natural Kongjia
Coffee Dose: 20g
Coffee Liquid Amount: 40g
Dose-to-Liquid Ratio: 1:2
Extraction Time: 26-33 seconds
Grind Setting: Galileo 2.0 scale

FrontStreet Coffee uses double basket capacity, with doses around 18-20 grams. FrontStreet Coffee uses 20 grams of coffee powder when making drinks.

Usually, the ratio of coffee powder to coffee liquid is between 1:1.5-1:2.5. FrontStreet Coffee's extraction ratio is 1:2, meaning 20 grams of coffee powder extracts 40 grams of coffee liquid. Time is related to the flow rate of coffee powder. Generally, single extraction times are controlled between 20-35 seconds, as coffee extracted within 20 seconds usually tastes thin, while exceeding 35 seconds can lead to over-extraction and bitter, burnt flavors. Most of FrontStreet Coffee's espressos fall within the 28-30 second range.

FrontStreet Coffee first wipes the portafilter dry, turns on the grinder to grind a double dose of coffee powder, places it on an electronic scale for adjustment to reach 20 grams. Then they use tools to distribute the powder evenly, tamp the coffee puck firmly to ensure more stable extraction. Next, they turn on the extraction switch to release water, moistening the group head while washing away any coffee residue attached above, gently lock the portafilter to the group head, and begin the extraction. When the electronic scale shows 40 grams of coffee liquid extracted, with time around 28-33 seconds, they can pull down the extraction switch, and a SOE espresso is complete. We can add an appropriate amount of iced water or 80°C hot water according to personal preference to make a Yirgacheffe SOE Americano.

When making SOE hot latte, FrontStreet Coffee uses a 1:6 ratio, adding 40 grams of espresso liquid to a preheated coffee cup, then using the espresso machine's steam to froth 240g of milk. The milk temperature should ideally be controlled between 50-65°C to create a dense foam with moderate thickness, then evenly blend it with the coffee liquid. This Yirgacheffe SOE latte tastes like eating a lemon-flavored cookie - rich, fragrant, and smooth, leaving a warm feeling after consumption.

Finally, regardless of how a coffee bean is extracted, FrontStreet Coffee believes freshness is crucial. If using coffee beans roasted more than a month ago, the aroma may have partially dissipated and developed undesirable woody flavors. FrontStreet Coffee hopes every customer placing an order can taste the coffee's aroma during its optimal flavor window, so they ensure only shipping beans roasted within 5 days. For everyone wanting to create better-flavored SOE coffee, FrontStreet Coffee recommends choosing freshly roasted single origin coffee beans.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473