In this article we will show you step by step how to prepare espresso beans and what facts you should remember about coffee beans. There are a few differences ! We will explain all of this and much more in the following article. Elias Fischbacher from the Wildkaffee Rösterei wishes you lots of fun discovering. Let's get started!
Espresso beans - differences
Admittedly, the title may be a little misleading, because espresso beans are of course also coffee beans. But there are significant differences in taste , especially when it comes to roasting. When making espresso, you should always use dark roasts . These are ideal for preparing espresso , or for coffee drinks that are based on espresso: e.g. Flat White , Americano or Cortado .
Dark roasts generally contain less acid, as these acids disappear during the roasting process, creating the typical nutty, chocolatey taste . Coffee beans that are light or medium roasted contain more acid. This produces fruity notes that give an excellent cup profile, especially when prepared in a hand filter or Chemex .
Recognize by the packaging
The quality of the beans can usually be determined from the packaging. A good sign is if the packaging has an aroma valve . After packaging, coffee beans release CO₂, which can escape through the valve. In addition, no oxygen can get into the bag, which is responsible for the loss of aromas. Another feature would be the label "drum roasting" or "long-term roasting" . This means that the beans are roasted gently and evenly over a longer period of time. This allows the beans to slowly develop their typical aromas.
Before preparing the coffee, it is also advisable to look at the best-before date . This will also help you determine the roasting date. Coffee beans usually have a best-before date of 12-24 months . If you calculate this date back one or two years, you have the exact roasting date. If the coffee is almost expired, you can be sure that your end result will no longer be as flavorful. It will lose its fine notes and simply no longer taste as strong.
Determine the quality of the beans
Of course, checking the contents of the bag before preparing the beans is also recommended! Pay particular attention to foreign bodies, broken beans and pest infestation!
foreign body
If you find small stones, branches or other foreign objects between your beans, you can be sure that the coffee was not sorted properly after harvesting and processing. This is particularly dangerous for the grinder in your mill. Even small stones can cause enormous damage to your grinder! So be careful!
Broken beans
You will always find a few broken beans in your packaging. They are created during roasting and subsequent transport. These do not pose a problem when preparing the coffee. However, an excessive amount of broken beans can be an indication of a bad harvest or poor processing. This also affects the quality and taste of the coffee beans.
Pest infestation
If many of your espresso beans have small bite holes , it is a sign that the cherries have been infested with insects or worms. This could be because the beans were not sorted properly . However, if it is only a few beans, this is not a big problem. Only if there are too many, there is a clear loss of quality.
Beans from the Wild Coffee Roastery
Do you want to play it safe when making espresso? With our wild coffee espressos, we make no compromises when it comes to quality and excellent taste! All of our blends are made from the finest coffee beans directly from farms in the countries of origin , which we visit regularly and whose farmers we know personally. We regularly use cuppings and quality controls to check whether the green coffee meets our requirements. The direct exchange with the farmers is a great help to us. On our packaging, which of course is equipped with a valve, you can see the exact roasting date, as we learned before! It is exactly 12 months before the end of the best-before date .
We have 4 high-quality espresso blends in our range. Our powerhouse is the Wilderer , which comes with 20% Robusta! You can expect a strong, bitter taste paired with notes of chocolate. Our house espresso is also strong, but without Robusta. It is also strong and chocolatey, and stands out with its spicy taste and caramel notes. A real classic in our range is the Bergsonne . Thanks to the strong, spicy aromas, which are rounded off by fine notes of brittle and chocolate, it is always popular to order. The incredibly delicious Wildsau Espresso is a slightly milder blend. A full-bodied cup profile meets fruity aromas and tasty cocoa accents.
Prepare espresso beans!
Once you have found the right beans in our online shop , it's time to prepare them! Since espresso beans are dark roasted , they are only suitable for suitable preparation methods. The stovetop pot, the portafilter and, very conveniently, the fully automatic machine are ideal for preparation. With these preparation methods, you can achieve the perfect extraction and get the full taste experience from your beans. Before preparing, you should definitely make sure that the beans are fresh, ideally freshly ground or have the right grinding level for your preparation and that you have the right accessories for preparation. If all of these requirements are met, we have prepared recommendations for you for the ideal preparation of the beans. Simply click on the respective preparation with which you want to prepare coffee beans and discover a suitable recipe, as well as further information about your preparation method.
Exciting articles about espresso beans
In previous articles we have covered the topics of espresso beans and preparation. We have gone through recipes based on coffee beans one by one. In the last few weeks we have already presented you with a few recipes... Haven't read them yet? Then be sure to discover other methods of preparing beans! Fancy a milky coffee drink? Then read the articles and recipes for flat white , cortado and coffee with milk ! Preparing coffee beans and achieving a strong, puristic taste? Then our articles about espresso , ristretto and coffee americano will definitely be interesting for you!
Conclusion!
Before preparing, you should consider a few basic things so that you can achieve the best quality and best taste in your cup profile. When you buy the coffee, you can already tell whether the espresso beans are of high quality by looking at the bag on the valve, the roasting date and the label "drum roast" or "artisan roast" . You can tell from the beans themselves what quality level the beans are based on the characteristics of foreign bodies, broken beans and pest infestation . We at the Wildkaffee Rösterei save you these steps! Our espresso beans are roasted fresh every day by hand. The coffee is imported fairly and directly and is constantly checked for quality and taste in our coffee roastery. Preparing coffee beans works best in the stovetop pot, the portafilter machine or in the fully automatic machine! Have you considered all these aspects? Then you can now prepare your beans! Here you will find suitable recipes to suit your preparation method. Have fun trying them out and #staywild !
