My own blend

[TolliCafe]

I am curious, to make my own kind of blends, do I just mix different beans together or what?

 

[peterjschmidt]

You can mix beans. A small scale that measures in tenths of a gram will let you check your results one cup at a time. Some people will actually brew a cup of each coffee in the blend, and then mix portions of each.

If you're thinking of creating a blend for a cafe that needs to be repeated over a longer timeframe, consider using fewer components.

I guess the first question is why are you thinking of making blends?

 

[TolliCafe]

I am just now in the process of starting to put things together for opening a coffee shop. I know I am a long way out but as I am looking at different coffee shops, I see some have their own blends. So, I was just wandering how they did it. More curious than anything.

 

[peterjschmidt]

I'll bet most shops that have blends offer them because customers have been trained to think along those lines. I have 2-3 blends, out of the 20-some coffees I offer, and people constantly refer to the single origin coffees as blends. That's just how they think, based on years of buying coffee in cans or at grocery stores or the average coffee shop. They see a "morning blend" everywhere, so shops will cave into that mindset and offer their own morning blend.

I see blends as mostly pointless. They add another layer of complexity that most busy shop owners don't need. They also (IMHO) aren't needed if high-end coffees are sourced. I see blends as a way to compensate for what a coffee might be lacking on its own, and I'd rather see better coffees offered that can stand on its own merit.

 

[TolliCafe]

That makes sense. I appreciate the advice!

 

[wwcove]

Can you please tell me, in your opinion & with your experience, what main coffees you would feature say if you were only offering 4-6 coffee origins to start out a business?
many little guys, like myself, cannot afford to offer 15-20 choices. Thanks for your help.

 

[eldub]

You should get in touch with a local roaster. Or better yet, visit all if your local roasters and taste what they each gave to offer. We have a few clients who have their own signature blends we developed with them. Some shops brew a few single origin offerings regularly while others like to feature different beans periodically. You will prolly want a dark offering as well as a couple medium roasts and a lighter brew or two.

Btw, don't get mad, but it appears you have a long was to go before you will be ready to open a shop.

 

[eldub]

To answer the original question, we like to develop blends that bring out positive characteristics of the various component beans. We look at high, mid and bottom flavor notes that compliment each other and then work out the best ratios to highlight the various traits in the mix. We always look to produce a blend where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Or something like that.

 

[wwcove]

Yep, I do have a long way to go... But this forum seems like a nice starting point. Thanks for your advise

 

[eldub]

Good luck, mate.

lw

 

[slurp]

You should get in touch with a local roaster. Or better yet, visit all if your local roasters and taste what they each gave to offer.

As a roaster I supply beans to customers many types of beans. I suggest having a few staple coffees and a coffee of the month.

 

[wwcove]

As a roaster I supply beans to customers many types of beans. I suggest having a few staple coffees and a coffee of the month.

What do you consider as staple coffees? Also, do you feel if retail outlets have favorites that they personally like to cup they should try to promote these as well since they have personal motivation for that coffee (zeal)? Thanks for your help

 

[expat]

Can you please tell me, in your opinion & with your experience, what main coffees you would feature say if you were only offering 4-6 coffee origins to start out a business?
many little guys, like myself, cannot afford to offer 15-20 choices. Thanks for your help.

Mocha-Java
Ethiopian (Sid or Yirga)
Colombian
Some kind of Central American - Nic, Guat, ElSalv or Costa Rica
Something unusual like a PNG or even Chinese (we've had some good Chinese tipica recently)
An African - Kenya, Tanzania, Rawanda, Malawi -- cup them from your supplier and then decide

 

[slurp]

What do you consider as staple coffees? Also, do you feel if retail outlets have favorites that they personally like to cup they should try to promote these as well since they have personal motivation for that coffee (zeal)? Thanks for your help

I suggest having a quality espresso that is consistent, light roast drip, roast drip, coffee of the month. If you may want to offer poor overs which changes things up a bit too. I highly suggest offering coffees you like to cup, if you like them hood chance others will to. Many times I see stores open up just to make money. If you selling coffee you like to cup and know about that coffee customers will see you love of coffee and this will give you the edge over other store in it of $$.