Is Pour-Over Yirgacheffe Coffee Delicious? Comparing the Characteristics of Natural Red Cherry and Washed Gedeb Coffee Beans

Raw coffee beans actually have very little flavor and are quite difficult to grind into powder. Therefore, to fully release the flavor of coffee beans, they need to be roasted.

The purpose of coffee roasting is to heat the raw coffee beans to the desired degree of doneness, and then make further adjustments based on the characteristics of the coffee beans' origin or specific customer requirements, whether leaning toward lighter or darker roasting.

First, let's establish a basic principle: the lighter the roast, the more acidic the coffee beans taste; the darker the roast, the more bitter the taste. Remember this point, as you can actually choose the roast level according to your preferred flavor profile. Of course, each coffee has a suitable roasting range, and personal taste can be fine-tuned within this range, such as preferring more acidity, balance, or more bitterness.

It is generally believed that lighter roasting can better showcase the natural flavors of coffee and is suitable for more traditional brewing methods. Darker roasting, on the other hand, emphasizes more roasted aromas, and beans with relatively single-dimensional and poorer quality are basically dark-roasted - this is essentially what's known as playing to strengths and avoiding weaknesses (espresso uses the darkest Italian roast, which is necessary to highlight its rich, full-bodied texture).

The 8 Roasting Levels of Italian Roast

1: Very Light Roast

This roast level retains the original grassy aroma of coffee beans, may have astringency, and has virtually no fragrance or mellow flavor to speak of.

2: Cinnamon Roast

Named for its similarity in color to cinnamon, this roast level belongs to light roasting, with noticeable acidity and some astringency. Although few coffee beans use light roasting, FrontStreet Coffee's Panama Emerald Estate "Geisha," renowned as the "coffee goddess," is basically lightly roasted, and its rich flavor profile is truly exceptional among coffees.

3: Medium Roast

Medium roast belongs to medium roasting, where the acidity of the coffee becomes quite apparent. Medium roasting is suitable for many fine coffees rich in acidity, such as FrontStreet Coffee's Ethiopian "Yirgacheffe."

4: Medium-Dark Roast

Medium-dark roast also belongs to medium roasting. At this level, the acidity, bitterness, and sweetness of the coffee tend toward balance. FrontStreet Coffee's famous Colombian "Narino" coffee and FrontStreet Coffee's Hawaiian "Kona" are both quite suitable for this roast level.

5: City Roast

City roast belongs to medium-dark roasting. At this level, the acidity gradually diminishes, and a slight bitterness begins to emerge.

6: Full City Roast

Full city roast also belongs to medium-dark roasting. At this level, the acidity almost completely disappears, and the bitterness becomes more pronounced. Coffee beans for making Americano are generally suitable for city or full city roasting.

7: French Roast

French roast belongs to dark roasting. At this level, the coffee beans take on a dark brown color with relatively strong bitterness.

8: Italian Roast

Italian roast also belongs to dark roasting. At this level, the bitterness of the coffee is extremely strong, making it suitable as raw material for espresso and various milk-based coffees.

Coffee Flavor Components

Coffee flavor is typically composed of sweetness, bitterness, acidity, and aroma. Traditionalists believe that only when these four factors achieve a perfect balance and provide a pleasant sensation does it define a successful cup of coffee.

Sweetness

Roasted coffee beans contain about 0.2% "sugars," which is actually quite minimal, and becomes even more negligible when brewed into coffee. Coffee itself has no sweet taste, but roasted coffee creates a "sweetness" aromatic compound, along with trace amounts of complex sugars and caramel, which creates a perceived sweetness when drinking. The richer and fuller the coffee, the more obvious its sweetness. Sweetness is also one of the criteria for measuring good coffee.

Bitterness

The first impression coffee gives people is bitterness, which has become the scapegoat for those who don't like drinking coffee. Bitterness can indeed be unpleasant, but in well-balanced good coffee, bitterness can organize other components, thereby highlighting sweetness and taming acidity. One important point I hope everyone remembers is that slow extraction can increase bitterness, while conversely, fast extraction will reduce bitterness. Those who dislike bitterness can adjust this during the brewing and extraction process.

Acidity

Acidity is an indispensable flavor in good coffee. Without acidity, the fruity notes, smoothness, and refreshing qualities of coffee would cease to exist. Highly acidic coffees are typically high-altitude coffees or fully washed coffees. FrontStreet Coffee's Kenyan and FrontStreet Coffee's Colombian coffees are world-renowned for their bright acidity. Common acids include citric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, and acetic acid.

Aroma

Many people experience this phenomenon: they don't like drinking coffee but enjoy smelling its aroma. It can be said that coffee aroma is the introductory teacher that tempts us to drink coffee. If coffee lacks aroma, then half the pleasure of tasting coffee is lost. Usually, coffee aroma is divided between dry aroma and wet aroma. Dry aroma refers to the fragrance when coffee beans are ground into powder, while wet aroma is the aroma of the coffee after brewing.

Important Notice :

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