Hot take: I used to think single-origin beans were always better than blends

Honestly, I was one of those people who only bought single-origin coffee because I thought blends were just for covering up bad beans. Then I read a post from a roaster in Portland who broke down how they mix beans from three different farms to hit a specific flavor profile every batch. They showed cupping scores and explained that blends can actually be more consistent since they adjust ratios based on seasonal availability. That got me curious so I tried their house blend and it was way more balanced than any single-origin I had last month. Now I grab both, but blends are earning more space in my pantry. Has anyone else had a moment where you changed your mind about blends?

2 comments

2 Comments

fox.jesse16d ago

Right, and that's the thing that really flipped my own thinking too. I was dead set against blends for years because I figured they were just a way to dump leftover beans nobody wanted. But once you actually pay attention to what a good roaster is doing, it's like they're composing a song instead of just playing one note. For example, I've had some blends that were way more interesting than a boring single origin from the same region, just because they're layering different acidity and body. Your mileage may vary, but for me, the whole "purity" thing started feeling a little bit like a gatekeeping mindset once I gave blends a real shot.

jade_hernandez16d ago

Honestly that really hit home for me too.