Does Coffee Have to Be Sold as "Espresso Beans" to Make Espresso?
Summary
No. Fellow's help center says "you don't have to use 'espresso beans' or 'espresso roasts' specifically for espresso," and that light, medium and dark roasts "can all be used for espresso." Counter Culture Coffee made "a deliberate choice" not to call any of its year-round coffees an espresso roast or blend. What the roast changes is the recipe: Fellow's Series 1 starts every roast at 18 g of coffee and stops a light roast at 45 g of espresso, a medium at 36 g and a dark at 27 g.
One recipe or one per roast
Fellow's three roast profiles work out to ratios of 1:2.5, 1:2 and 1:1.5, with medium as the machine's default, and Fellow expects each to run "roughly 25 to 45 seconds." Its bean guide adds that lighter roasts benefit from "higher brewing temperatures," that light roasts give less crema, which it calls normal, and that dark roasts "tend to produce more crema." Because "dark, decaf, and older beans will pull faster shots," Fellow says they need a finer grind than fresh, lighter roasts.
Counter Culture gives a single starting recipe, 18 g of coffee, 36 g of espresso and 28 seconds, which it says "should give you nice results with most coffees." Its answer to which one is best for espresso is to ask "what do I like?"
Age, and coffee that is already ground
Fellow says coffee "usually tastes the best a number of days to weeks after roasting" and sends readers to the roaster's own site for how long a particular coffee should rest. Its first-shot guide sets the other end, a coffee "less than 2-3 weeks old."
Pre-ground coffee is where a bag can let you down. Fellow says it is "often a little too coarse" for espresso and that you may need the machine's double-walled basket. Counter Culture goes further and says an espresso grinder is part of the equipment espresso needs.
Fellow's Drops subscription works the same way. "All Drops coffees can be used for espresso with the right recipe," Fellow says, and each one arrives with "a recommended espresso recipe."
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Sources
- Fellow — How to Choose Espresso Beans
- Fellow — Will there be espresso coffee with Drops?
- Fellow — Pulling Your First Great Shot on Series 1
- Counter Culture Coffee — Guide to Espresso
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