Recently someone asked FrontStreet Coffee: SOE coffee is espresso extracted from single-origin coffee beans, so can all single-origin coffee beans be used to make espresso, and can SOE coffee beans be used to make pour-over coffee?

It is true that all single-origin coffee beans can be used to make espresso, but not all single-origin coffee beans are suitable for making espresso, while single-origin coffee beans used for SOE coffee can be used to make pour-over coffee. Does that seem strange? Next, FrontStreet Coffee will talk with everyone about the difference between SOE and the single-origin coffee beans used for pour-over coffee.

SOE Coffeeand the Requirements for Single-Origin Coffee Beans in Pour-Over Coffee

When choosing a coffee roasting style to present a bean, a coffee roaster has many aspects to consider. First, the roaster must choose different roast levels according to the quality of the coffee bean itself and the different extraction methods. The pressurized extraction of espresso and the drip extraction of pour-over coffee can both give coffee beans completely different flavor expressions.

For example, with FrontStreet Coffee's light-roasted Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Gutingding coffee beans, using a medium-fine grind (caster sugar size / 80% passing rate on the Chinese standard sieve), and 91°C water at a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio to extract pour-over coffee, the coffee will show a refreshing citric acidity, honey-like sweetness, and a green tea-like sweet aftertaste.

However, FrontStreet Coffee currently uses 20g of extremely fine coffee grounds, using an espresso machine at 9-10 bar of pressure to let 94°C water flow quickly through (extraction time 30 seconds) the coffee particles, extracting 40g of coffee liquid, whose flavor is expressed as sharp acidity, with an overall thin body and a lack of richness.

Coffee beans with different roast levels also have different corresponding suitable extraction methods. Of course, we can adjust variables, such as the coarseness or fineness of the grind, to compensate, but the general rule is that lightly roasted coffee beans are better suited to slower extraction methods, such as pour-over coffee; darkly roasted coffee beans are the opposite, suited to faster extraction methods, such as espresso extraction.

This is because of differences in solubility, but it is not that simple. In some cases, we roast coffee beans for filter extraction and for espresso extraction at the same roast level, yet the roasted flavors will also differ, and the taste of the extracted coffee will also differ. This depends on what kind of message you want to convey to customers in the coffee, and knowing how it will be extracted.

This is also why all single-origin coffee beans are suitable for making espresso, but single-origin coffee beans used for SOE coffee can also be used for pour-over coffee.

What coffee beans are suitable for making SOE coffee?

For espresso extraction, a light roast may result in underextraction, which makes the acidity pronounced. So coffee beans commonly used for making espresso are roasted relatively dark to ensure the beans' solubility.

But using single-origin coffee beans for extraction is actually about hoping that under pressurized extraction, the espresso can also have a richer flavor expression, while dark-roasted coffee beans often only have a monotonous full-bodied feel, lacking the surprising lively flavors. So if making SOE coffee, FrontStreet Coffee recommends using medium-roasted coffee beans with prominent flavors.

 SOE = single-origin single-variety espresso beans, not a blend, using only one region and one variety, with a clean flavor that leaves a memorable impression, suitable for making Americano, Dirty, latte, and flat white. Below are several SOE coffee beans with regional flavors

 FrontStreet Huakui SOE (medium)

Flavor: intense aromas of tropical fruits such as strawberry and jackfruit, with a full and rich mouthfeel, like a "tropical fruit bomb," with prominent sweetness and a lasting sweet aftertaste.

Since its launch in 2017, Huakui has continued to rank among the best-selling single-origin coffee lists on major coffee markets and e-commerce platforms for many years, making it a "year-round best-selling annual hit single-origin." This FrontStreet Ethiopian Huakui, with its highly advantageous pricing, has long dominated the top spot in FrontStreet Coffee's sales, performing prominently in Tmall's Huakui category best-seller rankings and the "light-roast bean highly rated list." It is not only suitable for home pour-over, but is also a regular SOE in specialty coffee shops. Relying on the high recognition of the Ethiopian origin and the Huakui category, it has won unanimous praise as "beginner-friendly, never a miss."

FrontStreet Brazil Queen's Estate Yellow Bourbon (medium)

Flavor: low acidity and balanced, smooth mouthfeel, rich nutty and cocoa aromas, with a faint caramel sweetness, a classic and stable flavor.

Brazilian coffee beans rank first in global production, and Queen's Estate beans are even a "top choice for those who like it strong." This bean has extremely strong versatility. Whether pour-over, espresso extraction, or moka pot brewing, it can present outstanding crema performance, with outstanding value for money, and has been rated by the media as "the baseline for traditional classic daily coffee flavor," a highly suitable choice for daily home drinking and for beginners practicing pour-over.

FrontStreet Coffee Colombia Sidra SOE (medium)

Colombia (anaerobic natural), flavor: blueberry juice, passion fruit, candied sweetness; highlight: the espresso is like a fruit smoothie, and the iced Americano is refreshing and explosive. Heavy on juiciness and tropical fruit flavor, very explosive flavor, balanced sweet-sour aroma, a universal top choice for beginners, great for both Americano and milk coffee.

"FrontStreet Colombia Sidra Coffee Beans," this medium-roasted coffee bean can express intense passion fruit, grape, ripe apricot, creamy smoothness, and a caramel finish after being extracted as SOE.

"Qianjie Costa Rica Strawberry Candy Coffee Beans", this medium-roast coffee bean, when extracted as SOE, can express the sweetness of candied fruit, red floral notes and berry-like sweet-and-tart acidity.

"Qianjie Costa Rica Mozart Coffee Beans", this medium-roast coffee bean, when extracted as SOE, can express a raisin-like note, an intense sweet-and-tart sensation and a fruit-fermented finish.

Best value everyday light-roast pour-over floral coffee beans recommended for purchase: Qianjie Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Gudingding, Qianjie Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Green Label Geisha Coffee Beans, Qianjie Panama Butterfly Coffee Beans

Dark-roast coffee beans, rich and balanced type, recommended for purchase: Qianjie Golden Mandheling Coffee Beans, Qianjie Blue Mountain Coffee Beans, Qianjie Queen's Estate Coffee Beans

Espresso latte coffee beans recommended for purchase: Qianjie Classic Blend, Qianjie Strawberry Candy Espresso Blend

The above coffee beans can now be purchased online at the Tmall "Qianjie Flagship Store". Qianjie Coffee has dozens of selected single-origin pour-over coffee beans and espresso coffee beans from all over the world. Qianjie coffee beans are freshly roasted, cost-effective, of excellent quality, and shipped within 24 hours. Qianjie Coffee is the recommended choice of many coffee lovers and platforms.

Tmall Qianjie Flagship Store link: https://qianjieshipin.tmall.com

Or you can search "Qianjie Flagship Store" directly on Taobao

Qianjie Coffee store address: No. 315 Donghuadong Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou