The Money’s on the Bean

There are really no special tricks when choosing an espresso bean. After all, espresso beans are not really different from ‘ordinary coffee beans.’ There’s no way of identifying beans that are exclusively for espresso, just like there’s no way of identifying flavour from Torani syrups and flavour of “real” ingredients.” There are no specific beans that are only available exclusively for espresso making, although there are those that result to better espresso shots than others. These beans for espresso are simply those that have undergone a specific pressing method so that they would produce espresso. In most cases, the beans are roasted to reach a darker color, which usually equates to a more bitter taste once they will be pressed for espresso.

As there is no instant or specific beans for espresso, choosing an espresso bean can be a bit of a challenge. But, knowing some simple points to selecting them will guarantee finding the best bean to result in a fine shot of espresso. 

The first factor is flavor. As indicated earlier, although people have grown fond of using the term ‘espresso bean,’ there is no such specific thing. That is because any coffee bean can be made into espresso. However, the espresso maker should think about the flavour of the espresso that will result in using a particular coffee bean. For coffee connoisseurs, the best shot of espresso is bitter – the more bitter it is, the better. Thus, the ideal bean to choose for espresso would be one that can be roasted darkly.

But for those who are not that fond of a bitter flavor for their espresso shot, a more subtle flavor produced by a lighter roast is the option. Just remember: The color of the coffee roast determines the resulting flavor, of the espresso, and the darker the roast is, the more bitter the resulting espresso is. Again, espresso can be produced from any coffee bean.  

The strength of the espresso is different from its flavour, although the two factors can be related. For those choosing an espresso bean, the next question after deciding how bitter they want their espresso to be is how strong they want it to be. Various coffee beans contain different levels of caffeine. The more caffeine is contained in a coffee bean, the more caffeine there will be in the espresso. Caffeine levels determine how strong any coffee drink is, so those who want a stronger espresso should choose beans with high levels of caffeine.

People drinking espresso should also remember that espresso comes in shots, so those who want more powerful espresso-infused drinks should either add extra shots or just stick to one shot but made from ‘stronger’ beans.  For those who want just a slight kick, you can always add flavour to your espresso with a shot of Torani syrups to soften the bitterness.