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!
Check out a local roaster around you and grab a bag of whatever they use for their espressos. You probably won’t get the best of the best immediately, but it will help you start figuring out what you like and do not like.
What’s the difference between an espresso roast and a regular coffee roast?
I don’t roast coffee myself, but what I’ve been told is that espresso roasts run hotter and longer, which makes the coffee more soluble and less sour.
Interesting! One of the local hobby roasters from where I used to live, told me that his espresso roast is taken to much hotter temperatures and pushed to cool-down much sooner that standard coffee roasts, creating an internal bean level of about medium and an external bean leven of about dark. I just assumed that all espresso roasts were like that. I visited there a few years ago, and he had shut down. I asked around about him, and apparently his mom was having troubles and he wanted to devote all of his free time to her, as opposed to his hobby of coffee roasting. I have never been able to pull espressos like he pulled with his machine. I’m understanding, now, that maybe I just loved his espresso roast and others just don’t roast like that. Maybe I’ll start roasting to try to get to his flavor profile. Great… Another money pit hobby hahaha
Interesting, good to know, I’ll keep that in mind when I’m shopping and asking questions. Thanks!
Other posters have given advice on beans. The only thing I’d add is even just getting a house blend from a local cafe to start. Something that will likely be more forgiving than a single origin, and has been blended to work for black and with milk.
This is a handy guide to getting your process right. You can buy the best beans, but unless you also have a consistent process you won’t get very far: https://espressoaf.com/guides/beginner
Thank you so much for this advice, that’s a great idea… I have a local shop in mind that I think would have something good.
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Skip the grocery store. If it’s on the shelf there, it’s OLD. Most coffee nerds try to stick to beans that have been roasted within the month, give or take. Personally, I live in the boonies, so I buy my beans online, but I stick to roasters in my region - trying to keep it as local as I can.
Some people will recommend sticking with one particular roast and repeating until you get it right. That sounds great from a scientific mindset, but taste isn’t scientific, it’s subjective. While I prefer certain things, I learned a lot about what I like by trying a bunch of different roasts. I drink about two bags a month and I get rotating subscriptions from two different roasters.
As far as gear goes, I will say that you probably want to upgrade to a bottomless portafilter so you can identify channeling, get a cheap scale so you can see what your extraction is, and maybe a WDT tool (diy or cheap is fine).
What do you mean by WDT?
Wire distribution tool. It’s a tool you can use to both evenly distribute the grounds in your portafilter as well as break up any static clumps.
Yep. It helps cut down on channeling. The more evenly the puck is extracted, the better your shots will be.
This may sound dumb but the best way is to snag a bag of beans that is sourced from one region, try it, and go to the next region. One could argue fresh roasted is best. I would also try different roasts as sometimes I’m in the mood for dark and sometimes light roast. Look for local roasters in your state. Otherwise I’ve used coffeefool.com but stopped because either they’ve given up on their VIP subscription service or they are too busy to respond to calls and emails. Currently I used a roaster out of Austin, TX.
This is a stupid question, but how do you go about looking for a local roaster? Is it as easy as just googling?
Yes - open google maps to your location, search for coffee roastery nearby. See what comes up!
Edit: and if you haven’t already, look for a simple guide on how to “dial in” your grinder. You don’t have to get super pedantic about it on every shot, but learn how to get it close.
Okay, I found a place nearby that seems to be very well reviewed! They’re about $15-$16 / 12 oz bag which seems reasonable? Either way, they’ve got a lot of single blend options to try out, so I think I’ll be stopping by on Monday when they open.
Awesome, thank you for the advice! And good tip on dialing in… wasn’t sure how to start.
