Why Single Origin Espresso Costs More: What Makes SOE Coffee Special?

 When you walk into a café and order an Americano or a milk-based coffee, you’ll often see two options on the menu: the default house blend espresso, or a pricier SOE. And naturally, some people wonder—why does this “SOE” cost more? What exactly makes it more expensive?

SOE Coffee — What Exactly Is It?

First, both SOE and blends are terms within the world of espresso.
SOE (Single Origin Espresso) refers to espresso made from coffee beans that come from a single origin, as opposed to a house blend espresso that combines beans from multiple origins.

Back in the days before “acidic coffee” became trendy, most cafés used blends composed of beans from two or more regions. Shops rarely emphasized where their beans came from or what ratios they used. And since darker roasts were the mainstream preference at the time, this ensured stable extraction, rich crema, and a full-bodied espresso.

The Rise of SOE

In the 1980s, the concept of specialty coffee took off. High-quality single-origin beans that highlighted unique terroir flavors suddenly became the stars of the coffee world. Roasters and baristas were drawn to these beans and started exploring more refined flavor expressions.

From what I know, single-origin coffees were initially brewed only through low-pressure methods like pour-over, siphon, or French press. But at the 2007 World Barista Championship, competitor James Hoffmann used a single-origin coffee to pull an espresso shot—and won the world title.

That moment pushed SOE into the global spotlight and helped make it mainstream as specialty coffee culture expanded.

Today’s SOE Market

Nowadays, not only are more cafés offering SOE on their menus, but major online marketplaces are also filled with SOE options. These coffees often come with detailed tasting notes—floral, fruity, tea-like, fermented, winey—as well as clear origin information.

SOE has become an essential category in the coffee market, and large chain brands have helped promote it even more. Single-origin espresso is now widely embraced by coffee lovers.

Why Does SOE Cost Extra? What Makes It More Expensive?

The E in SOE obviously stands for espresso, but the definition of single origin is a bit flexible. In theory, beans harvested from the same country, region, cooperative, estate, or farm can all be considered single-origin. For example, the dozens of single-origin coffees on the chalkboard next to my bar could all technically be turned into SOE.

However, unlike blends, SOE is meant to distinguish itself from traditional “bitter espresso.” So cafés typically choose well-known, high-flavor-clarity single-origin beans—usually roasted light to medium—so that their unique profiles can shine even under espresso pressure.

Think of the bright citrus of a Yirgacheffe, the berry notes of a natural-processed Ethiopian, the sweetness of a honey-processed Geisha, or the tomato-like acidity of a Kenya.

In short:
The more distinct the flavor, the easier it is for people to remember that particular SOE. And higher-quality single-origin beans simply cost more than regular blend components—so the added charge is natural.

Why I Don’t Serve SOE at My Café

Many friends ask me:
“You already have so many single-origin beans. Isn’t SOE just pulling espresso with them? Why don’t you offer SOE?”

In reality, ensuring that SOE tastes good and remains consistent is not easy.
Unlike pour-over, espresso extraction uses high pressure and amplifies the traits of the beans. SOE coffees are usually lighter roasted, meaning the beans are harder and require finer grind settings and longer extraction times.

One small misstep leads to over-extraction or under-extraction—resulting in bitterness or sharp acidity.

I’ve experienced this firsthand. I once had a fantastic Sidamo SOE flat white at a café. But when I went back later and ordered the same drink, it didn’t taste as good. After asking the barista, I learned that the beans and roast profile were unchanged—the inconsistency came from the espresso extraction itself.

For me, consistency is everything. It starts with dialing in before opening and continues with maintaining stable shots throughout the day.
If I applied every single-origin coffee on my menu to SOE, the workload would be insane. Not only would the equipment struggle to keep up, but dialing in the appropriate grind size and ratio for each bean would be a huge daily burden.

And that’s not even counting developing recipes for SOE Americanos, SOE lattes, SOE dirty coffees… The thought alone gives me a headache.