Everything you need to know About espresso beans

Introduction

Contrary to what many people think is not espresso a specific type of bean. When many see the word "espresso" written on the coffee bag means that the roastery recommends that espresso brewing as a method gives the best results with the coffee bean. In general, any type of coffee bean can be used for any brewing method. 

Types of coffee beans

Coffee beans come in different shapes, size, caffeine content, region true processing process before roasting. However, the coffee bean can be divided into two different types; Arabica and Robusta. OK so there are two different types but which one is the best? Many people believe that Arabica is higher quality and has a better taste, but taste is something that is abstract and it is entirely up to you what you think. Below we have written the differences between Arabica vs Robusta beans:

• Arabica - Historically, many people have had the opinion that Arabica is more qualitative and has more flavor. Arabica needs to be grown at higher altitudes, in a more humid climate and is more difficult to grow. Compared to Robusta, Arabica has lower acidity, caffeine content and generally has softer and more complex flavors. Lightly roasted Arabica can give fruity, floral and sweet notes. 

• Robust - Many have said that Robusta is a bean type that has lower quality compared to Arabica but has the advantage that it can grow in a wider range of conditions from high to low altitudes, different climates and is more resistant to the weather. Robusta contains a higher caffeine content (almost twice as much) and has higher acidity, which gives a flavor profile that can be experienced as more severe. Around 40% of all coffee grown in the world is Robusta beans. 

Where does the coffee come from?

Most often, the coffee is named after the region where it comes from. The flavors of the coffee will also reflect the region where it comes from. Generally, the coffee comes from these three regions, South and Central America, Africa and Southeast Asia which are regions that are close to the equator. Coffee plantations need rich and fertile soil, mild temperature, frequent rain and protected from the sun and high altitude to grow.

The best coffee beans grow between 600 and 1850 meters above sea level. The reason is that the higher the altitude, the less oxygen there is, which in turn can slow down the cultivation process. The longer the cultivation process, the more time the coffee has to mature and form complex flavors. When the roasters write on the bag the altitude where the coffee was grown, it indicates how intense the coffee's flavors can be.

About you see that roasters write that the beans have tones of shocked, caramel and blueberry, this means that when brewed correctly you can bring out such flavors without adding anything. To brew espresso and being able to feel these specific notes can be difficult and take you to learn. You are always working against the natural bitterness and acidity that comes with the coffee. The trick is to be able to get a balance between bitterness and acidity to get those good notes out of the coffee by following the recommendations above and experimenting.

What does roast profile mean, how does it affect the taste of the coffee?

There is no set standard for how dark or light the coffee must be roasted. However, the level of roast can drastically change the density of the coffee beans, how easily the coffee can be extracted and how you need to adapt your brewing to the characteristics of the bean. The longer the bean is roasted, the more the bean will lose its structure and become drier and thus will have a darker roast profile. For you who brew espresso, need to focus on the following aspects; brewing temperature, the degree of grinding, i.e. how finely or coarsely you grind your beans and last but not least the ratio between water and coffee. Below this article under the comments section, we have shared three different ones espresso brewing methods for the three different types of roast profiles as well as our recommended espresso beans for each roast type. This is a general recommendation and will be able to help you on the right path.