Newbie Question About Buying Green Coffee Beans

[pshankstar]

I am new to roasting my own coffee beans and with this I am doing a lot of research, reading and looking at the various beans available for purchase. With that being said, I have been looking at Sweet Maria's a lot. I see some of the beans I am interested in say "Recommended for Espresso" then a Yes or No next to it. If it says "Yes", does that mean it should only be used with espresso machines or is it ok to use as standard coffee? I assume any beans good for espressos are fine for brewing coffee, but we all know what assume means. Also, I would hate to purchase several pounds of beans and find out that they are not going to be very good for brewing coffee.

Thank you all in advance!

Here is an example of a bean that is recommended for espresso.
Ethiopia Gera Jimma Nano Challa Coop

 

[pshankstar]

Well after many hours of research I think I found my answer. It appears that the beans or bags listed for espresso is a darker roast that is good for espresso machines. It can be brewed as regular coffee (pour over, drip, etc...). The flavors from the beans and roast will yield good results from an espresso machine. If the bean is not listed as "Recommended fro Espresso" then you may not get the flavors and characters you want with the bean in an espresso machine.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

It appears that the beans or bags listed for espresso is a darker roast that is good for espresso machines. It can be brewed as regular coffee (pour over, drip, etc...). The flavors from the beans and roast will yield good results from an espresso machine. If the bean is not listed as "Recommended fro Espresso" then you may not get the flavors and characters you want with the bean in an espresso machine.

Sort of. Regarding it being a darker roast, that's sort of a toss up with espresso that darker roasts make good espresso - I've had super light Ethiopian and Kenyan roasts that are very brilliant as an espresso.

Personally I'm not a fan of how SM's labels the beans as Good for Espresso, but that's up to them. I mean, what is good?

 

[Kealia]

My understanding is that espresso is a preparation method, not a roast level. Meaning, any bean (theoretically) could be used to make espresso if you prepare it correctly. Many people/places use darker roasts for espresso, but that is by no means a requirement.

I reserve the right to be corrected by an "elder" in these forums if my understanding is incorrect.

 

[Atalanta]

For the shop, we used a Costa Rican bean for the espresso. I would roast it to the end of first crack. A lot of people were surprised that we had such a light roast espresso - and then they tasted it. When the right barista was working, it would taste chocolatey without adding anything. Most people do a darker roast for espresso, but I don't see the need for it.

 

[TexLaw]

It is quite true that "espresso" is a brewing method and not a roast. "Espresso Roast" is a marketing term and nothing more. If you want to get very technical about it, "espresso" isn't a product at all. When we order "an espresso," we really ought to be ordering "an espresso brewed coffee," but I'm willing to bet that we all would find that rather pedantic.

I don't know if Sweet Maria's means that those beans are suitable for a dark roast or just have good flavor for an espresso, although I don't know what the heck either of those really mean. If I had to bet, I'd go with "suitable for a dark roast."

Espressos tend to me made from darker roasted beans for a few reasons, including:

(1) Tradition/expense- Old school espresso has been made from dark roasts (or we like to think it has). A roaster also can use cheaper, lower quality beans for such a roast, since nuances (good or bad) are pretty much gone in a dark roast.

(2) Body/acidity- Darker roasts tend to have more body and less acidity, which is important for a proper espresso.

(3) Flavor/Sweetness- If your roast is sweet for another brewing process, it can be -too- sweet for an espresso, producing an espresso that is cloying and offputting. Darker roast flavors also tend to blend better with milk (for a latte or cappucino)

(4) Production- Lighter roasted beans retain more moisture and are more dense than darker roasted ones, so it takes a little more pressure to make an espresso from a lighter roasted bean. That's not a really big deal unless you are dealing with an automatic maker or a "one-trick barista" who only knows how to do one thing a certain way. Darker roasts also tend to be more forgiving, in a sense, because so many consumers still expect their espresso to be bitter and burnt.

That said, the trend for lighter roasts has made its way to espresso, thankfully, and folks are making espresso out of all sorts of stuff. My current favorite espressos come from Full City roasts, which is actually what many Italian espressos are made from. I have no qualms in lighter roasts that aren't too acidic. I'm also fine going as dark as a Vienna, but any darker, and I may as well drink it from a dirty ashtray.

@Atalanta , I would have loved to try that light espresso from your old shop.