by At Beans and Burrs, we are amateur coffee lovers. All opinions expressed here are our own.
A long time ago, at the beginning of my espresso journey, one of my friends offered me a selection of single-origin coffees from a local roaster for my birthday. I was surprised, as I did not think that those coffee beans would work for espresso. Up to that point, I had only bought “espresso coffee.” The result was a revelation and the beginning of this passion.
A frequently asked question from newbies is which coffee beans they should use for espresso? The short answer is “everything you like,” really! There is not a specific coffee bean type for espresso.
Espresso is a brewing method, like many others. It has, however, the particularity to magnify the strengths and the weaknesses of some coffee beans. This led roasters to create blends to “balance” flavors and characteristics of various coffee varieties to optimize results with this brewing method.
Practically, any coffee bean from any origin could work with espresso. Due to the vast difference from one type of coffee to the other, the results may differ dramatically, both in taste and texture. This variety can lead to tremendous or awful surprises. It all depends on your preference and what you are looking for with espresso.
The traditional espresso blend
When we think about “traditional” espresso, we must look at Italy, with no surprise. In 1901, the Italians invented the first espresso machine. They kept improving the method and the technology through the 20th century. It became a vital element of the Italian coffee culture.
Traditionally, Italians used a blend of 2 to 3 dark roasted coffees. The coffees came mainly from Brazil for their round and smooth flavor that we have come to associate with espresso.
Back in the day, the goal was to avoid unpleasant flavors rather than highlighting the delicious ones. By blending multiple beans, roasters were able to balance odd flavors.
The use of a dark roast, regardless of the bean’s quality, was meant to eliminate outlier flavors and acids to produce a smooth and rounded coffee.
Usually, these traditional dark blends consist of Arabica beans. However, they sometimes contain a small percentage of robusta that tend not to taste very good but produce a nice, thick crema to improve the espresso shot’s visual appearance. They are the recipe for most well-known Italian espresso brands, such as Lavazza, Illy, and Segafredo. Illy only contains Arabica.
I recently sampled a delicious espresso blend that had all the characteristics of traditional Italian espressos. Espresso Pure by Bean Hoppers is a good example of a classic espresso carefully crafted, with comfortable rounded notes of chocolate and nuts, a little smoky but not overdone.
Note: Thank you at Bean Hoppers for sending delicious samples of coffee.
The change with Specialty Coffee
With the rise of specialty coffee, many roasters and baristas decided to challenge espresso’s traditional taste. Some started to propose single-origin espresso, using beans that offer naturally balanced flavors. Others went creative with their blends. They created their “roaster’s signature” by finding the perfect balance that magnifies each component’s qualities.
The bean: what makes it suitable for espresso?
Single-origin coffee can make a delicious espresso without the need to blend multiple types. To understand what would make a particular coffee bean deliver a delicious espresso, it is essential to understand some of the critical attributes of the coffee bean.
- Body: often called “mouthfeel.” The body is the sense of weight and thickness of the brew. It’s caused by the percentage of soluble solids in the cup. For espresso, it is very desirable to have as much creaminess and viscosity as possible.
- Sweetness: defines the level of perceived sweetness in contrast to the bittering coffee qualities. Sweetness is usually desirable for espresso.
- Brightness: or acidity, is the taste of sharp, high notes in the coffee. Traditionally, acidity was undesirable in espresso but recently became more sought-after. Dark roasts tend to mute acidity, while light roast tends to enhance it.
- Flavor: we get it: coffee tastes like coffee, but when you spend time tasting different types of coffee, you pick up some characteristics that you associate with flavors you know. Some typical coffee flavors will be sugar, caramel, nuts, chocolate, fruits (citrus, berries, stone fruits), cocoa, spice, floral. Traditionally, Brazilian coffees are nutty and sweet, while Ethiopian coffees are desirable for their fruity character (“blueberry” often describes their aroma and flavors).
Create your own experiences
Your personal experiences will decide your preferences. When considering using a single-origin coffee for an espresso, you want a coffee with a lot of body, sweetness, and some nutty or chocolatey flavors.
Recently, third-wave coffee roasters favored coffee with more brightness (acidity) and complex flavors (fruits, spice).
Some find sweet and nutty beans, typical from Brazilian coffee, a bit boring or flat. In opposition, many drinkers used to traditional espressos don’t enjoy bright coffees with pronounced acidity.
The balance will be the key to an excellent single-origin espresso bean. A perfect bean for espresso would yield a full-bodied coffee with rich nutty or chocolate flavors, a little bit of brightness, and some exciting fruit or spice accents. Some coffee beans from Ethiopia work very well for espresso since they can successfully integrate all these characteristics.
Roasted to perfection
The roast level of the bean will also be a critical factor. A coffee bean can change significantly depending on the degree of roasting. A good roaster will find the roast level that optimizes the flavors and characteristics of the beans.
In the past, espresso was roasted very dark to remove the off-flavors. Up to this day, many appreciate the dark roast’s characteristic taste. Still, the roaster sometimes goes too far, and the coffee tastes burnt or ashy. This is the reputation Starbucks espresso has for most. The darker you roast, the more you taste the actual roasting instead of the bean’s characteristics.
Recently, medium roasts and medium-light roasts have been promoted by many third-wave roasters for espresso. The roasters want you to enjoy the fruity, citrusy, or even floral tones of some beans. However, lighter coffee is often more acidic, and since espresso magnifies everything, some may find them too sour. I am in that camp. I tried many lighter roasts, trying to appreciate these accents. Despite tweaking the extraction parameters to get the best of these beans, I never fully appreciated them.
After many trials (and errors), I concluded that medium-dark roast is my preference for espresso. That roast level still retains the features of the bean’s origins while providing a rounded and chocolatey profile.
Go ahead, try different origins and different roast levels and decide what you like best.
Modern espresso blends
Third-wave coffee roasters are thriving to create THE perfect espresso blend. Their philosophy is to combine different coffee beans from various origins, sometimes with varying roast levels, to create a perfectly balanced espresso. Unlike historical espresso blends, the idea is not to mask the imperfections but to highlight each component’s qualities.
You could compare them to Bordeaux winemakers, assembling different grapes to create a sublime wine.
My favorite espresso blend is Dharma Espresso from Temple Coffee Roasters. It is a blend of coffees from Peru, Brazil, and Ethiopia.
In their own words:
“Our Dharma Espresso Blend incorporates three distinct coffees from three different parts of the coffee-producing world. The first component comes from Minas Gerais, Brazil. Grown high in the municipality of Campos Altos, the coffee collected in this region offers a dense, creamy body, plus contributes notes of rich chocolate and a subtle maple syrup sweetness.
The second coffee component comes from Sidamo, Ethiopia. Coffees from Ethiopia offer a noteworthy fruit-like sweetness, and this coffee component is no different. Providing a stone fruit sweetness and fullness in body, this Natural process coffee adds complexity and depth to this espresso.
The third coffee comes from Cusco, Peru, located near the Andes mountain range. Produced by Valle Inca, this coffee producer group is run by Prudencio Vargas Saenz, who founded and runs the organization.
Although each coffee maintains its own unique qualities, each of them comes together to create one harmonious tasting experience in our Dharma Espresso Blend.”
Temple is only one of the many roasters to offer an exciting blend like this one. The specialty coffee scene provides many interesting options with very different taste profiles. Some of my favorites come from Onyx coffee labs: my favorite is their Monarch blend, but their Eclipse blend is very different with a fun play on darker roasted coffees.
Of course, any delicious espresso blend doesn’t limit you to espresso. You can also enjoy those blends in a French press, a pour-over, or any brewing method you want.
The bottom line
There is not such a thing as coffee for espresso. Espresso is a brew method that highlights the characters, good or bad, of any coffee beans. Part of the fun is experimenting with different types of coffee, single origins or blends, light, medium, or dark roast, and finding what you prefer. It is a journey with many different paths to explore. Your tastes will probably evolve; I know mine did. I tried many varieties, and the fun part is that it is just the beginning.
Sources:
Java Press – Single Origin VS Blends For Espresso: Which Is Better? – https://www.javapresse.com/blogs/espresso/single-origin-vs-blends-for-espresso
Coffee Desk – February 18, 2020 – Coffee the Italian way – a short history of Italian coffee – https://www.coffeedesk.com/blog/coffee-the-italian-way-a-short-history-of-italian-coffee/
Perfect Daily Grind – July 10, 2020 – How to Build an Espresso Blend – https://perfectdailygrind.com/2020/07/how-to-build-an-espresso-blend/#:~:text=The%20coffee%20shop%20blend%2C%20however,will%20vary%20according%20to%20preference
Sweet Maria’s – July 17, 2020 – Understanding Our Coffee Reviews – https://library.sweetmarias.com/understanding-our-coffee-reviews/
