Hello!
I recently got a new espresso machine (a Breville Barista Express if that helps at all), and I have no idea how to get started picking espresso beans. I think I’d like a milder, darker roast for either lattes / cappuccinos but also good for drinking straight.
Where do I even go about finding a good bag of beans? Are there any recommended sites? Do you just go to your grocery store?
Any other advice for a brand-new first timer?
Any help is greatly appreciated!
Espresso beans are roasted a little more heavily to help you get a full extraction during the ~20-30 brew time, as opposed to pour over for example where you have a few minutes of immersion for the extraction to occur.
If you’re just starting out, you’re probably going to spend your first bag of coffee trying to get your process consistent. Once you’ve got it dialed, then start changing to different roasts.
I do what others have suggested: I Google “coffee roastery near me”. Many will ship to your home.
If you’re not already familiar I highly recommend looking up James Hoffman on YouTube. He has a series of videos giving you a solid foundation on how to get started brewing espresso, and they’re very aesthetically satisfying as well.
I’ve heard of (and seen!) some of James’s content, definitely seems like a great wealth of knowledge. But hmmm, good point about the first batch as a trial batch… might just go to the grocery store and get a bag of decaf so I can keep doing trial and error!
Just watch out because decaf behaves a bit differently. You usually need a bit more coffee and slightly higher temperature to get in the ballpark of tasty shots. It’s a great idea for learning to dial in, but you probably don’t want to take your ideal settings from the decaf trials over to regular espresso beans.
Interesting, very good to know, thanks!