# bean question for expresso



## Dougie (Jan 27, 2012)

Seeing as I'm pretty new to this and understanably confused I'm going to ask a question about beans.

From what I understand the darker the bean, the stronger the flavour and more caffiene. is that correct?

Also can any bean be ground to suit an expresso machine (classic).

I'm trying to decide on a grinder and wondered when I get it will any bean do.

Or can anyone recommend a starting point for me?

I was hoping to buy a kilo bag to try and save a bit of money.

I'm currently buying 250g bags and they only last two days.

Thanks.


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## fatboyslim (Sep 29, 2011)

There are plenty of 'Which Grinder' threads already out there. Have a quick search.

For strictly espresso take a look at the Iberital MC2 or Ascaso i-mini.

Both great value for money.

Traditionally espresso roasts were always dark. This came from the Italians. These tend to be strong and fully bodied with a high caffeine content due to the higher proportion of robusta beans which are stronger in general to more subtle arabica.

The new wave or 3rd wave currently on going in the UK sees some very light roasted espresso beans (pretty much universally just arabica which is seen as higher quality than robusta), both blends and single origin (all from one farm or area).

This isn't to everyone's taste.

Most roasters will state whether a bean is suitable for brewed and espresso.

In the end it comes down to what you like but generally espresso is associated with dark roasted beans (try to avoid oils showing on the beans as that is a burnt roast).

This is a cheap place to start for a dark roast

http://www.happydonkey.co.uk/classic-italian-coffee-beans-2-bags.html


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## CoffeeMagic (Aug 7, 2011)

fatboyslim said:



> ...
> 
> In the end it comes down to what you like but generally espresso is associated with dark roasted beans (try to avoid oils showing on the beans as that is a burnt roast).


That's not exactly true. Oils do not signify a burnt roast. Even med/dark roasts will excrete surface oils after a few days. Perhaps you ought to read some of the comments made regarding my own Arabicadabra blend - dark, yes - oily, yes - burnt, no.


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## fatboyslim (Sep 29, 2011)

I don't mean oils showing.

I mean beans where there is a significant amount of oil on the surface.

These beans are seriously shiney and signify a fundamental reduction in the oils still within the bean. I heard this was bad.

I have seen no roast of shiney beans that has tasted nice.

It may be that the arabicas we use at work just don't suit oily roasts.

Prove me wrong?


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## MonkeyHarris (Dec 3, 2010)

Try a couple of bags of dark and light roast and see what you like. Most people favour one or the other. I prefer darker but only because I find lighter roasts too acidic. Any bean can be ground down to the perfect consistency for any reasonable machine (that includes a Classic) if you use a half decent burr grinder (see one of the thousands of what grinder threads







)

Coffeebeanshop do a fortnightly promo of 4 x 250g (what you get varies but all usually darker roasts) this is under £20 including next day delivery. At least that way you wont get bored drinking a kilo of the same bean.


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## jimbow (Oct 13, 2011)

Typically, when you buy coffee beans you buy either a blend or a SO (Single Origin - beans from a single farm). Blends are often combinations of selected SO coffees. Some roasters will roast the beans to compliment the inherent characteristics of the coffee rather than to suit a particular brew method (others will roast to suit the brew method) and blends often comprise selected coffees in specific proportions to suit particular brewing methods. For example, espresso specific blends are very common.

Some coffees will naturally suit certain brew methods more than others. For example, for my tastes I previously have not particularly liked Kenyan coffees brewed as espresso.

Many people prefer darker roasts for espresso because they find lighter roasts too acidic. I find that lighter roasts are less forgiving when brewed as espresso and more care is required to ensure this acidity is balanced and not over-powering. When this sort of coffee is under extracted the acidity can be very strong and the shot tastes sour. Therefore I would say that for lighter roast coffees the range at which the grinder can grind (specifically at the fine end) is even more important.


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## Spazbarista (Dec 6, 2011)

Dougie said:


> Seeing as I'm pretty new to this and understanably confused I'm going to ask a question about beans.
> 
> From what I understand the darker the bean, the stronger the flavour and more caffiene. is that correct?


Darker bean=more flavour of the roast and probably fewer flavours of the bean that would be there with a lighter roast.

It doesn't have a bearing on caffeine I think. The word 'strong' is a bit confusing as it can mean several different things.


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## xiuxiuejar (Jan 24, 2012)

There's lots of good advice here. The best thing you can do is buy the freshest possible and identify your personal likes and dislikes. Most UK roaters are very good and you will receive your beans within 2 days of roasting.

Dark roast just means more cooked and usually the best espresso beans are from medium to dark roast. Note that the darker the roast, the more intense the flavour, but the less you note the charactaristics of the beans. Each region has it's own style / traits and then each variety, zone and farm has its own variations too, so the world of coffee is immense.

As far as caffeine is concerned, robusta beans generally have more than arabicas. Arabicas are seen by most (including myself) as superior coffees, but it is not unnormal to find 10-20% robusta in espresso blends as this gives extra body to the brew. I am a fan of single origin coffees BUT it is often more difficult to find good SOs for espresso. A blend from a reputable roastery is more likely to be balanced whereas a single origin may be missing some body or it may be too acidic.

My tip is to enjoy the process. That unknown when you make the first coffee from an unknown blend / SO or even just a new batch is auite exciting (although it can also be quite disappointing).


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## jimbow (Oct 13, 2011)

There is a free 10 part introduction to coffee (including varietals, roasts, etc.) from HasBean available here if you are interested:

http://www.coffee101.co.uk/

I think part 5 covers different roasts and their effects on flavour if memory serves.


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