What do you all recommend in the case of using some of the famous name brands (Illy, for example) vs locally roasted coffee, even if they are not espresso roasters. There are several local roasters that I have used for several years that provide a good cup of coffee, but they are not yet into good espresso. I'm thinking of opening an espresso service and looking for the best choice: the established one or an experimental one.

If I go the experimental route, what can I tell the roaster about the blend and roast. What commonly available beans should I start with and what blends?

Fresh roasted-to-order coffee beans should always be superior to pre-bagged/canned beans. The stuff sold by Illy's. Lavazza, Starbuck's, et al can be months old if not older. Not being an "espresso" roaster shouldn't be a negative. After all, while we all know there is no such thing as an espresso bean, there is also no such thing as an espresso roast. There are simply roast levels which may make for better espresso with certain types of beans.

A simple check of some of the online roasters will show the ranges of light, medium, and dark roasts sold for espresso purposes. As far as what to use - start with what you like and run with it from there.

I have to beg to differ regarding espresso roasts, as the roast profile that commercial roasters use (and I try to use) for espresso differ from their roasts for coffee and in general are a slower roast. A roast that emphasizes bright flavors may work for coffee but be too over the top for espresso where a more balanced result is often desirable. There's not that much information out there on the differences in roasting for espresso versus coffee, though, and I think some roasters like to keep it that way, and other roasters use the same profiles for drip and espresso and simply stop at a certain degree of roast for their beans for espresso.

This thread on espresso versus drip roasting speaks to this a little bit.

yakster wrote:I have to beg to differ regarding espresso roasts, as the roast profile that commercial roasters use (and I try to use) for espresso differ from their roasts for coffee and in general are a slower roast.

There is an 'espresso roast' profile that every roaster that produces coffee's designed to be pulled as espresso, sure, but it ain't the same for each blend or for each roaster. What is being called 'espresso roast' usually means 'blacker than French Roast!' When someone says' French Roast' or 'Vienna Roast' they mean the level at which the bean was roasted, and usually refer to the resulting colour.
You're never going to get any two roasters to agree that there is one way to roast espresso, that could be called 'espresso roast'.

'Swhat he meant...

Psyd wrote:You're never going to get any two roasters to agree that there is one way to roast espresso, that could be called 'espresso roast'....

..and if you get two to agree, odds are one is lying...

If there is any doubt about "espresso roast," go to the transparent bins in the local supermarket and check out what passes for "espresso roast." In over 9 years of home roasting, the very closest I ever got to that was when I had a small batch of Yemen Mocha beans ignite... seriously. If I ever get a batch that looks like "espresso roast" I would throw it out and start again. In the generic use of the term, espresso roast is for people who like to taste the roast. I prefer to taste the coffee.

Lighter espresso roasts need to be roasted more slowly than brewing coffees at the same roast level. For darker roasts this is unnecessary.

Personally, I would avoid both "local" and "name brand" espresso roasters; and pick top quality espresso roasters instead. Here's is a good list

another_jim wrote:Personally, I would avoid both "local" and "name brand" espresso roasters; and pick top quilaity espresso roasters instead. Here's is a good list

I thought about replying with just that list, but OP lists his location as Hiroshima, so it seemed off the mark. Maybe someone can expand the list?

My apologies, you're right of course.

In this case, my best advice to the op is to go to the espresso cafe whose shots you like most and use whatever blend they use. If they use a custom blend, use the regular espresso blend by the roaster who supplies the custom blend.

Thanks for your answers. Yes, I am in Hiroshima, Japan, and we do have local roasters, but I've as yet to find a really good espresso in town (well, maybe one, but they use illy canned beans, which are fairly standard worldwide, and they are friends of mine), so that is why I'm considering opening up a place, probably mobile, so space will be limited, and that is why I thought working with a local roaster might be better.

The roasters that I have used in the past have all the regular type of beans, probably not as many as you find in the US or Europe, but a fair selection. One place I use for my regular coffee (Blue Mountain, Moca, Kilimanjaro) roasts on demand to any level so I can work with them, but what I need is a recipe; say, Brazil 50%, S. Domingo 20%, Colombia 20%, Costa Rica 10%, the first two roasted to French, the second two to city. Something like that. I can work with it, but I need some starting information.

Or, perhaps, is this the "special ingredient" of select shops?

geoffbeier wrote:Maybe someone can expand the list?

I do indeed add to it from time to time, but I haven't heard anything about roasters in Japan (No. 1), let alone multiple praises for the same roaster by various individuals -- sort of an "unofficial prerequisite" to inclusion if it's a roaster with which I am unfamiliar.

Cheers,
Jason