When you go to a cafe and want to order an Americano or a milk coffee, you are often faced with two options: the default espresso blend, or an SOE that costs extra. At this point, some people may wonder, why is this "SOE" a bit more expensive than the blend? What exactly makes it expensive?

SOE coffee, what exactly is it?

First of all, both SOE and blend are terms within the scope of espresso coffee. SOE (single origin espresso) refers to espresso made with coffee beans from a single origin, as distinct from House Blend Espresso.

In the era before "acidic coffee" became popular, the raw materials used by major coffee shops to make espresso were almost all coffee beans blended from 2 or more origins. At that time, merchants would not specifically emphasize which place they came from, nor did they pay much attention to what recipe (ratio) was used. Meanwhile, according to the mainstream taste of the time, coffee beans were usually given a relatively dark roast level, which could both ensure stable extraction and easily give the espresso a beautiful crema and a rich body.

By the 1980s, with the release of the concept of "specialty coffee," high-quality single origin beans that emphasized origin flavor rose abruptly and became the "superstars" on the coffee stage, also attracting the attention of roasters and baristas, who tried to bring out more exquisite flavors.

According to what Qianjie has learned, single origin coffee that emphasizes origin flavor was at first only extracted by atmospheric pressure methods such as pour over, siphon, and French press. But in 2007 at the World Barista Championship, contestant James Hoffmann made a single origin coffee bean into espresso and with it won the championship. Immediately afterward, SOE gradually became popular along with the international competition stage and the wave of specialty coffee.

Nowadays, besides more and more coffee shops adding SOE to their menus, we can also find "SOE" on major shopping platforms. These coffee beans mostly carry very delicate flavor descriptions such as floral, fruit, tea-like, and fermented wine notes, along with detailed origin information. It can be seen that SOE has become one of the indispensable products in the coffee market. In addition, with the promotional push and promotion of major chain brands, single origin espresso has become even more deeply rooted in people's hearts.

Why does switching to SOE cost extra? What makes it expensive?

As for the definition of SOE, E = Espresso is beyond doubt, but the explanation of single origin is somewhat ambiguous. In theory, coffee beans from a certain producing country, region, cooperative, estate, or farm harvested in the same batch all count as single origin coffee. For example, on the blackboard on the left side of Qianjie's bar there are dozens of single origin coffee beans from different origins, and they can all serve as SOE coffee beans.

But unlike blends, in order to make SOE different from traditional "bitter coffee," merchants will give priority to single origin beans with greater fame and more prominent flavor, especially coffee with a light to medium roast level, because only in this way can individualized flavor be shown through espresso, such as the citrus acidity of Qianjie Yirgacheffe, the berry notes of Qianjie Huakui, the sweetness of Qianjie honey-processed Geisha, the tomato aroma of Qianjie Kenya...

In short, the more recognizable the coffee, the easier it is for people to remember the characteristics of that SOE. And from the cost perspective, higher-quality single origin beans are somewhat more expensive than ordinary blends, so naturally an extra charge is required.

So, which SOE coffee beans have distinctive character? Today, the coffee bean origin and review platform Ka Ping (bestcoffee.cc) brings you several SOE coffee beans worth recommending.

Qianjie Ethiopia Huakui SOE (natural, the internet-famous top pick)

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

Qianjie Huakui SOE is a representative of the SOE world, all because since Huakui came on the market in 2017, it has for many years stayed firmly on the bestseller lists for single-origin coffee across major coffee markets and e-commerce platforms, making it a veritable "year-round hot-selling annual popular single origin." Thanks to its highly competitive pricing, this Qianjie Ethiopia Huakui has long occupied the top spot in Qianjie Coffee sales, performing notably well in the Tmall Huakui category bestseller ranking and the "light roast beans favorable review list." It is not only suitable for home pour-over, but is also a regular SOE stocked by specialty coffee shops; relying on the high profile of the Ethiopian origin and the Huakui category, Qianjie Huakui SOE very easily earns unanimous praise as "beginner-friendly, never a misstep."

Qianjie Brazil Queen Estate SOE

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

Bestseller performance: Brazil ranks firmly first in global coffee bean production, and Queen Estate's beans are even more "a top choice for those who like bold flavors." These beans are extremely versatile; whether pour-over, espresso extraction, or moka pot brewing, they deliver outstanding crema and offer excellent value for money, and have been rated by the media as "the baseline for the traditional classic everyday coffee flavor," making them a highly suitable choice for daily home drinking and for beginners practicing pour-over.

Best-value everyday pour-over coffee bean recommendations: Qianjie Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Gudingding, Qianjie Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Green Label Geisha coffee beans

Espresso coffee bean recommendations: Qianjie Classic Blend, Strawberry Candy Espresso Blend

The above coffee beans are now available for purchase at the Tmall "Qianjie Flagship Store," where you can also find 60 single-origin pour-over coffee beans and espresso coffee beans from around the world. Qianjie coffee beans are freshly roasted and shipped within 24 hours.

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