Coffee beans on the shelf basically fall into two major camps: single-origin and blends. Single-origin beans emphasize the terroir imprint expressed by a specific region, estate, or even lot, with highly distinctive flavor recognition; blended beans are a roaster's combination of green beans from different origins and different processing methods according to a recipe, pursuing a balanced and harmonious taste. Once you understand the underlying character of these two routes, choosing beans for work will no longer leave you clueless.

Reading a blend's ingredient list is actually quite instructive. It is usually composed of base beans, flavor beans, and modifier beans. Many classic recipes use a higher proportion of medium-dark roasted Colombia or Brazil as the base to build the body of nuts and cocoa; then add 20% to 30% African beans with fruity acidity to brighten the aroma. Once you understand this proportional structure, you can easily predict whether it is the rich style you like.

Traditional dark-roasted espresso blends are a capable partner for large milky coffees at the office desk. When extracting with an espresso machine, take 18.5g of finely ground blend powder, extract at 9bar constant pressure for 26 seconds, and get 37g of rich espresso with abundant crema. Pour this espresso into 200ml of steamed milk. The sweetness wraps around the dark chocolate flavor, and even if you sip it slowly at your workstation for half an hour, the overall taste remains full, thick, and smooth.

If you want a change of mood during a work break, the individual expression shown by single-origin beans will bring a completely different surprise. It lacks the carefully formulated roundness of blended beans, instead unreservedly displaying its own floral notes and juicy feel. For example, Qianjie Ethiopia Huakui is a typical representative of regional flavor. The natural process gives it aromas like tropical fruit, strawberry, and passion fruit, and its refreshing, lively sweetness is very energizing.

Pour-over light-roasted Qianjie Ethiopia Huakui can release its fruit aromas very freely. Use 15g of powder, a medium-fine grind, set the water temperature at 91°C, and use a three-stage pour. Pour in 30ml of hot water and gently bloom for 30 seconds. In the second stage, pour smoothly in circles to 130ml. Wait until the water has drained more than halfway, then in the third stage gently pour to 225ml and stop. Control the total time at 2 minutes 05 seconds. The acidity in the cup is bright and lively.

Friends who like a more vivid and juicy mouthfeel are often won over by Qianjie Kenya Little Tomato. This bean carries a highly recognizable cherry tomato flavor, mixed with the sweetness of smoked plum and yellow sugar. Although the acidity is penetrating, it is steadily supported by a full juicy feel. A cup when you are groggy in the morning can instantly awaken your thinking with that clear, lively sweet acidity, and after drinking it, a lasting refreshing finish remains in your mouth.

When brewing medium-light roasted Qianjie Kenya Little Tomato, the parameters can be slightly adjusted to highlight its juiciness. Take 15g of powder, raise the water temperature to 92°C to bring out the smoked plum and tomato aromas, and keep the coffee-to-water ratio at 1:15. Pour in 30ml of water and bloom for 30 seconds, then in the second stage pour faster to 140ml to stir the coffee bed. When the liquid level drops to one third, in the third stage steadily top up to 225ml and remove the dripper. The total time is about 2 minutes 10 seconds, and the layers are very clear.

The SOE that has become popular in recent years is actually making single-origin beans into espresso. It breaks the conventional impression that traditional espresso mainly features dark chocolate and nuts, giving the coffee a light feel with citrus or floral notes. When making an Americano, adding cold water turns it into a highly transparent fruity iced coffee; if used for a milky coffee, it suits a hot drink with a smaller amount of milk, allowing you to savor the interweaving of milk aroma and fruit notes.

Extracting SOE with single-origin beans tests the details of the shot even more. Choose Qianjie Kaffa Forest, a bean with slight orange and ripe apricot flavors. Grind 18g of powder, use an espresso machine with low-pressure pre-infusion, and extract at 9bar constant pressure for 27 seconds to produce 36g of espresso. Add it directly to 160ml of warm water to make a fruity Americano. On the palate you can taste a delicate sweet acidity like orange juice, and after swallowing, an oolong tea-like sweet aftertaste spreads between your lips and teeth.

Office workers using a moka pot at their workstation can also switch flavors through their choice of bean route. If you want a rich cocoa profile, choose a nut blend. Pour 100ml of warm water into the lower chamber, heat over medium-low heat for 1 minute 40 seconds, and the crema quickly rises; if switching to a single origin like Qianjie Kaffa Forest, increase the water in the lower chamber to 120ml, heat over medium-low heat for 1 minute 20 seconds and remove from heat in time, and you can brew a pot of slightly acidic, smooth, sweet, and mouth-watering afternoon tea.

Single-origin and blends have never been an either-or opposition. Only by understanding their characteristics can you arrange them according to need. If you pursue quick output in the morning and like drinking smooth milky coffee in big gulps, a balanced and stable espresso blend can bring a sense of reassurance; if you want a light, burden-free black coffee in the afternoon, single-origin beans full of floral and fruity aromas, or a refreshing SOE Americano, are undoubtedly more to your taste. Choose according to your own rhythm, and the flavor in your cup every day will be pleasant and satisfying.