At the shop I often get asked by customers whether they should take black coffee or white coffee when they are rushing out in the morning. Actually, these two terms themselves explain the drinking methods fully: black coffee is pure coffee without milk, and white coffee is coffee with milk added. When you want to keep things simple in the office or on the commute, the key is to simplify the extraction method so that the same batch of beans tastes smooth in different preparations.

First, black coffee in the office. Drip bags are the method I especially recommend. They are made by grinding coffee beans directly into powder and sealing them, so you can brew as soon as you receive them, without needing to wait for the resting period like whole beans, and the aroma stays full within three weeks. When brewing, just pour water in stages, first wetting the coffee bed, then slowly filling it up. There is no need to deliberately bloom, and no need to time it with a stopwatch. This drinking method is essentially a portable version of pour-over, and it preserves the regional flavor of single-origin beans. For example, Qianjie Kenya Small Tomato uses SL28 and SL34 varieties from the Sika region of Kenya, 72-hour double washed processing, light roast. The dry aroma has dried small tomato and floral notes, and the cup has the acidity of cherry tomatoes and smoked plum, bright and solid, as full as freshly squeezed juice. Another example is Qianjie Papua New Guinea Paradise Bird, Typica from the Sigri region, triple washed, medium roast, with the sweetness of toast and nuts paired with soft fruit acidity like grapefruit, smooth and balanced in the mouth. These two make drip-bag black coffee, and in the morning at your desk you can have a cup of coffee with distinct character in two minutes.

If you want to drink white coffee, there are also convenient workarounds in the office. One is to brew a slightly stronger coffee liquid with a drip bag and then add warm milk. Although it is not as rich as espresso, it wins on convenience. Another more direct option is to use portable espresso concentrate with milk, or if you have an espresso machine at home, pull the espresso in the morning, put it in a thermos and take it with you. For espresso parameters, I usually use 19 to 20 g of grounds, extract 38 to 40 g of coffee liquid, control the time at 25 to 30 seconds, and the crema thickness is about 3 mm. When making milk coffee, the ratio of coffee to milk is about 1 to 5, and the milk is steamed to 55 to 60°C, so it is sweet enough and not too hot for the mouth. In terms of bean selection, white coffee is suited to medium-dark roasted espresso beans with thick crema, such as Qianjie Black Cocoa Blend, a blend of Yunnan washed small beans and Brazilian semi-washed Arabica, medium-dark roast, with flavors of creamy chocolate, cocoa cookies and ripe plum, and the crema has a golden luster, making lattes especially balanced. There is also Qianjie Queen's Manor SOE, Yellow Bourbon from a high-altitude region of Brazil, medium-dark roast, with the aroma of creamy peanut, nuts and chocolate, a sweet finish, and beautiful crema, making milk coffee full of aroma and low in acidity.

Speaking of freshness, Qianjie coffee beans are all roasted within 5 days before shipping. Medium-dark roasted espresso beans such as Qianjie Black Cocoa Blend and Qianjie Queen's Manor SOE should be rested for 5 to 7 days after receipt before extraction, so that carbon dioxide can be released properly and the crema will be more stable; single-origin beans for pour-over such as Qianjie Kenya Small Tomato and Qianjie Paradise Bird can be drunk after resting for 3 to 5 days, and the flavor is better if finished within one month. Because drip bags are already ground, they do not need further resting, but it is recommended to drink them as soon as possible after receipt, and the aroma stays full within three weeks.

The outdoor scenario is actually the same idea as the office. For black coffee, just bring drip bags; as long as there is hot water, you can brew. For white coffee, you can use small packets of espresso concentrate with milk, or buy a bottle of iced milk at a convenience store and pour it straight in. A moka pot is also a good choice for camping or business trips. Although the espresso it makes is at lower pressure than a coffee machine, it still belongs to the espresso system, and medium-dark roasted espresso beans can extract decent crema. Drunk straight, it is Americano style; with milk, it is a simple latte.

In the end, black coffee and white coffee are not opposing choices, but two expressions of the same batch of beans in different scenarios. The fruit acidity and floral notes of single-origin beans suit the black coffee method, and the rich crema of espresso beans suits adding milk. Simplify the extraction method, remember the parameters roughly, and you can still drink a smooth cup when you are out and about.