What is the "real" Espresso bean?

[JJHippo]

Although I bought the Espresso Bean in the coffee chain store, I have no idea what kinds of coffee beans make the espresso.

Would you mind to tell me what are the coffee beans that make espresso?

 

[Chris Kay]

Espresso is not a bean but a brewing method.
It is the way coffee is extracted via a machine rather than the beans used .
Espresso is not a roast colour either as alot of people in the USA call their dark roasts 'Espresso '. You can make up a quality espresso blend using a light roast also.

 

[JJHippo]

thanks, your reply.
In other words, it doesn't matter for what kinds of beans which can be brewed for espresso?

What's your favourite beans for brewing espresso?

 

[Chris Kay]

Well i like Ehiopians for spice.
Indonesians for body
Brazil

An nice easy blend is 25% Brazil 25 % New Guinea/Java Indonesian 25 % Ethiopian(Harrare / Djimmah or Sidamo... if you can afford and find it try a good Yemen.. and 25% the very underated Indian plantation or Colombian.
Roasted to the verge of second crack.

Ypu can use whatever you like really. If you stick with dry processed Brazil as your base.. (In Australia we usually use PNG and i know Alun Evans uses Sumatra ) and go up to 40 or 50% with that and then add and subtract other beans to taste.

 

[Alun_evans]

Chris is right, espresso is an extraction method, not a type of bean or even a type of roast! We do an all Indonesian Espresso here. Its a blend of 6 different varietals. It has a heavy Sumatra weighting, but also beans from other areas of INdonesia. Most Espresso blends will have some central or south american in them.

Chris mate....I owe you a mail

 

[BeanGrinder]

Yeah, sounds like what you bought was Espresso Roast. Drives me crazy when they label coffee "French Roast" or "Espresso Roast" but don't tell you what you're actually getting... is it Arabica? Is it Robusta? Is it an espresso blend that was roasted to an espresso roast level?

I have a customer that wants me to duplicate the "French Roast" she bought while on vacation out west. The color is right, but it is going to take time to go through a myriad of possible varietals and combinations before we figure out one she likes.

Chris' recipe is good and versatile - it will taste fine as a straight shot or as the base for a cappuccino. Nice body. The only thing I would do to that formula is to add robusta about 1.5% of the finished blend, to get a nice crema on the shot.

 

[deferio]

Don't even bother trying to duplicate a roast. So much trouble just because she like someone elses coffee. She is trying to make you....them. Maintain your identity and get well known for YOUR roasts and blends. If she does'nt like it then oh well...you cannot and should not please everybody.
-cd