What Is Blonde Espresso? A Closer Look & Simple Recipe
What Is Blonde Espresso? If you love the taste of standard espresso but it is too dark and strong, you may want to try Blonde Espresso which is made from lightly-roasted beans. In this article, Centralparkwestcafe will go over the differences and similarities between blonde and regular espresso to help you choose the best option for you.
What Is Blonde Espresso?
Starbucks is the world’s largest coffee chain, and their creativity has kept them there. By blending two different kinds of beans, their expert tasters and baristas produced a brand-new variety of coffee drink, the blonde espresso.
To produce the blonde espresso, Latin American and African beans are gently roasted, but this light roast is unlike any other. In contrast to other dark roast, medium roast, or light roasted beans, blonde espresso stands out and offers a special selection that many coffee lovers enjoy.
On January 10, 2012, Starbucks added the blonde roast to their menu. It was marketed as having a sweeter flavor and more caffeine.
Read more: How long do coffee beans last?
What Is The Difference Between Regular Espresso And Blonde Espresso?
Roast Level
To understand how blonde roast is manufactured, let’s take a quick look at the roasting procedure for each roast level.
The lighter end of the roast range is where the blonde roast falls. Coffee beans that are roasted to a light roast often achieve temperatures between 350°F and 400°F and are finished virtually before the first crack.
Compared to light roast coffee, medium roast beans are normally roasted for a little longer, until the first crack. During roasting, medium roast beans achieve temperatures of 400F to 430F.
Dark-roasted beans typically undergo the longest roasting times, reaching the second crack at 430–450°F.
Starbucks is known for using deeper roasts, as we have mentioned, and its signature espresso is no exception.
Appearance
Compared to the espresso beans you may be used to seeing, blonde roast espresso beans will be paler and less brown.
Think of it as pancakes. A thick pancake that has been cooked for a long period will have a dark color. However, a pancake baked for a shorter period of time will be nicely golden brown.
The same is true with espresso roasts. Espresso beans will often be quite dark, almost black.
Coffee beans with a light roast will be a lovely golden brown.
There isn’t much of a difference in look once the coffee has been brewed. Blonde espresso will have a somewhat lighter color than regular espresso.
Flavor Profile
One of the characteristics of the blonde espresso’s flavor profile that will stand out the most is its acidity, which results in a citrusy or even sour taste that is harsh on the tongue.
Additionally, as blonde espressos maintain more of the natural plant flavors, you may feel traces of fruitiness in addition to some herbal undertones.
Blonde roast drinks often aren’t as robust or full-bodied as their dark counterparts, and floral and citrus notes may also be prominent.
Dark espressos, however, provide consumers with a very distinct taste and experience. Much of the acidity in dark roasts is taken from the bean because of the prolonged roasting period. The inside oils are taken out, leaving the bean with a gleaming surface.
How Much Caffeine In Blonde Espresso Shot? Is Blonde Espresso Stronger?
You might be shocked to find that Starbucks blonde espresso contains even more caffeine than their signature espresso considering its relatively light flavor. Even so, it doesn’t add up to much of a difference. The standard espresso at Starbucks contains about 75 mg of caffeine, whereas the blonde espresso has about 85 mg.
So whether you buy coffee from your neighborhood Starbucks or make it yourself, espresso blonde will give you the caffeine boost you want in the morning while also satisfying your taste for something with a noticeably mellower flavor.
Blonde Espresso
Equipment
- 1 Espresso machine
- 1 Burr grinder
Ingredients
- 1 Filtered water
- 20 g Blonde espresso coffee beans
Instructions
- Turn your espresso machine on.
- After your machine is heated, grind 20g coffee beans into portafilter.
- Apply moderate pressure to your tamper as you push the coffee down. To get a puck that is evenly distributed, it is crucial to tamp down firmly. Your coffee's extraction will be hampered if you tamp at an angle.
- Pull your shot!
- If you want to make your coffee better, taste it and see if you need to change any variables.
French Press Method
Equipment
- A coffee cup or mug
- Grinder
- Coffee beans
- Wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons of coffee
- 60 ml hot water
Instructions
- Rinse your empty French press with scalding hot water to warm it up. For the optimum extraction, the temperature is kept stable throughout brewing.
- Measure out 3 Tablespoons of coffee and grind it as coarse as breadcrumbs.
- After your French press has warmed up, pour out the hot water and fill it with coffee. As soon as you add hot water, start your countdown timer. To ensure there are no dry areas, fill it halfway up and evenly saturate the grounds.
- Use a wooden spoon or spatula to split the crust-like top layer after 1 minute. To prevent unintentionally breaking the glass, we prefer to utilize wood rather than metal. Stir it thoroughly.
- Fill it with water up to the brim at this point. Place the lid on the container and let the coffee brew without pushing down.
- You are prepared to press after four minutes. Push the press firmly all the way down.
- Serve it up. To prevent excessive extraction, immediately pour the coffee into a carafe. Coffee continues to extract and becomes bitter if it is left on the grinds for an extended period of time. The simplest way to clean the French Press is to add some water to the coffee grounds, give it a good stir, and then dump the contents into the garbage or compost container.
AeroPress Method
Equipment
- AeroPress
- Paper filter
- Timer
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon of coffee
- 200 ml hot water
Instructions
- Place the brewer in the usual place on the server. Avoid washing or preheating the brewer.
- Set a timer and pour 200 mL of water over the coffee, being sure to completely wet it.
- The plunger should then be placed around 1 cm in from the top of the brewer. By doing so, a vacuum is created, preventing the coffee from seeping through.
- Wait 2 minutes.
- Holding the brewer and the plunger, gently swirl the brewer.
- Wait 30 seconds.
- Press gently all the way in 30 seconds
- Serve and enjoy!
Stovetop Moka Pot
Equipment
- Stovetop
- Ground coffee
- Boiling water
Ingredients
- 2.5-3 tablespoons of coffee
- 250 ml brew water
Instructions
- While the kettle’s boiling, grind your coffee. Not too finely!
- Remove the Moka Pot and basket's tops. Hot water should be poured into the bottom, being careful to keep the level below the safety valve.
- Place the ground coffee in the basket without pressing it down, then level it out.
- Place the basket back in the Moka pot, with the spout down.
- Screw the top onto the bottom. Take care, it will be hot.
- Then, put the pot over a low to medium heat.
- When the pot starts gurgling, take it off the heat and serve.
You may concern: How to make Cuban coffee without an espresso maker?
FAQs
Is Blonde espresso healthier?
Espresso will have more antioxidants if it is blonde than if it is darker. However, since all coffee contains antioxidants, darker espresso need not be unhealthy.
Does Blonde roast have more caffeine than espresso?
It does. Darker roasts have less caffeine than lighter roasts. You need more coffee since the beans are thicker than those in a dark roast.
Darker espresso has 75 mg of caffeine, compared to 85 mg in blonde espresso.
What espresso options are there at Starbucks?
You have 3 espresso options: signature espresso, blonde espresso, and decaf espresso.
Conclusion
If you want an espresso that still contains a strong amount of caffeine but isn’t quite as harsh and has a little more sweetness, blonde espresso is a good choice. It’s also perfect for people who want to try light-roast coffee beans without switching to a new type.
Thank you for taking your precious time to read this blog. Centralwestcafe hopes you find this content useful and instructive.
He has lived in Thailand for more than 2 years and in Vietnam for over a year to explore the coffee culture.
He is the Co-founder of Centralparkwestcafe With more than 20 years in coffee, he brings more subtle perspectives that you may find interesting.
