The number of components in a blend

[phil2spill]

Hello,
I was thinking of trying a commercial blend a while back, but when I read that it was made up from typically 11 different coffees, this gave me pause for thought ...

If a single espresso is made from perhaps only 40 beans, then one would surely get large shot-to-shot variations when using such a blend since the proportions will always be different? Presumably this would extend to differences in extraction characteristics as well as taste profile, so yet another variable added to espresso-making roulette?

Maybe a full doser in a (poor!) commercial situation would actually help to mix the ground coffee up a bit, but for someone who measures out a scoop or two of beans as required at home, perhaps there's a lot to be said for limiting the number of components in a blend?

Anyway, just wondered what folks here thought.
Cheers
Phil2

[Neo]

Actually it's for protecting the interest of the roaster since crops varies between years, seasons or even lots. With more different kinds of beans in a blend actually minimize the effect of those beans with a different profile, in which, stabilize the quality.

[fred25]

People who know better will surely answer you more acurately and perceptively in an instant, but my feeling is that the reason some commercial blends can have so many components is that the original ones are rubbish to start with - so in effect even with 40 beans and shot-to-shot variations the end results would be pretty uniformly dire across the board. From what I've seen 'proper' blends have much fewer components - I remember tasting one blend steve was working on with only 2 different beans (can't remember which, though). Was pretty lovely - i think if you mix in too many you just end up with indistinguishable mush no matter how good the beans, which brings me back neatly to my first point!

[lukas]

It's a bit like throwing many different colors of plasticine together and pound it - the end result is always somehow grey. That's actually a pretty good description of how some commercially available blends taste for me ... simply grey

[Steve]

For me (and nothing scientific) never more than 5 beans grey doesn't taste good.

[kingseven]

I think once you are above 5 beans in a blend then you aren't likely to get coffees with strong individual characteristics. If you do have characterful coffees then the maths does indeed imply massive shot to shot variations. However if you are using generic stuff then perhaps the shots will remain consistent(ly average).

[lukas]

This reminds me of quite a nice blend I tried on saturday at a really nice Cafe: I think it was Danesi Gold. The Espresso was definitly very nice, totally balanced, very drinkable (there should be a more positiv sounding word for it?) and palatable. But also very very boring - no highlights, just a bit of smoothness. It was praised to me (not by the cafe owner) as one of the best blends he's ever had and made me wonder if he knows what he's missing out on mighty fine SOs!

[phil2spill]

Many thanks for your thoughts everyone