There are many choices for coffee online. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of people who consider themselves coffee experts, and almost everyone knows someone who has tried to purchase coffee online, with mixed results.
Although buying coffee online can be difficult, it does not have to be a bad experience. Keep in mind that not every type of coffee bean will be enjoyed by everyone. Someone who prefers a dark roast coffee may not appreciate the lighter notes of a light or medium roast coffee blend.
Searching for “buying coffee online” with a bit of prior knowledge about coffee beans will improve your chances of finding a fresh bag of beans for the perfect cup every morning.
Here are some tips to get the most value for your money when buying coffee beans online.
1. Fresh to death
Roasted coffee is a perishable product
No matter what your friends tell you, please believe that this is true. To make a great cup of coffee, the beans need to be freshly roasted.
When you buy fresh coffee beans, you ensure that the coffee has not gone stale and that the flavor has not been lost.
The ‘French’ roast coffee from the classic greasy grocery store dispenser is never clean.
What is the best way to make sure that the coffee beans you purchase online are fresh? The flowers haven’t been sitting in a warehouse for months. The two best ways to ensure optimal freshness is to:
- Order from roasters who favor roasting beans in small batches.
- Order smaller quantities of beans, but be sure to order those beans more often.
- Consider a coffee bean subscription for fresh beans all the time.
2. Support your local economy
It is not only an ideology to support the local economy, but it also helps to ensure better quality beans for your morning coffee.
How? When you buy locally roasted coffee, you are supporting a real person instead of a faceless conglomerate. Additionally, the beans will be fresher when they get to you and you will save on shipping costs.
This means that the coffee you’re getting from across the country is probably not as great as it could be. This means that unless you pay for premium shipping, which is understandable if you want the best coffee, you will not get your purchase quickly.
3. Choosing a specialty coffee roaster
There are a few key indicators you can look for when choosing an online coffee roaster, such as their roasting facilities, whether they have any reputable customers, and their location.
This coffee roaster provides transparency and easier access to asking questions about a coffee or a certain roast type. You can learn about a coffee company’s roasting practices by doing a web search and visiting their website.
Also, you can use Instagram and other social media outlets to investigate the roasting operation more thoroughly.
The next step is to look for any wholesale customers that the coffee roaster supplies and to read satisfied customer reviews that are displayed on their information pages and online review platforms such as Yelp and Google.
The location of the coffee roaster should be considered when deciding which one to buy coffee beans online from.
If you are getting your coffee shipped across states, make sure they are using expedited shipping methods to ensure your coffee beans are arriving as soon as possible to ensure freshness, usually within 2-4 days.
When you know the location and roaster of your coffee, you can make a more informed purchase and have a better overall experience.
4. Know your brew’s origins
No one is asking you to get too specific about individual coffee regions, but knowing the general flavors you can expect from different regions can help you choose the perfect coffee for you.
- Central and South America Coffee
The coffee beans from central and South America have citric acidity, sweet nuts, and caramel tones.
- African and Middle Eastern Beans
You can expect a light-bodied tea with fruity notes and wild flavors from Africa and the Middle East.
- Far Eastern coffees, such as those from Indonesia and Papua New Guinea might lend themselves to low acid, deep, smooth cups.
When trying to decide which coffee beans to buy online, it is helpful to know what brewing method you will be using and how you like to drink your coffee.
The type of coffee you want to drink will determine the best brewing method to use. If you want to experiment with different coffees and brewing methods, learning how different coffees will brew using different methods will help you select the best coffee to suit your taste preferences.
Coffees from different beans, origins, and roasts are best suited to different brewing methods. For example, a washed Colombian coffee with deep notes of chocolate and caramel will be great as a French press and will stand up to a good splash of milk.
Lighter roasted coffees with more “exotic” flavors such as washed Ethiopia or Kenya are better suited for more technical filter methods such as pour overs and AeroPress.
Balanced blends and single origins that have more traditional and robust flavor notes will offer more versatility across multiple brewing methods.
It will be important to know if you plan on adding milk or milk alternatives to your drink. If you want to pair coffee with milk, your best bet is to go for a blend, rather than a single origin coffee, which tend to have notes of chocolate, caramel and nuts.
Acidic coffees from Kenya or “citrusy” coffees are best enjoyed without milk.
In order to purchase the correct type of coffee, you should first consider how you will be preparing it and what your preferred method of consuming it is. This will allow you to ask your local barista or roaster for specific recommendations.
5. Coffee bean processing method
How a coffee bean is processed at its origin can affect the final flavors of your cup of coffee. This should be considered when choosing a coffee bean to buy online.
The way coffee bean growers remove the cherry from the bean affects the quality and experience of the cup. There are three main types of processing: Washed, Dry, and Hybrid.
Washed coffee bean processing
The cherries are stripped from the coffee using a machine and water. This usually happens between 12 and 72 hours after the cherries are picked. The term “clean cup” is used by coffee professionals to describe coffee that is sweet and smooth with little aftertaste.
Dry processing of coffee beans
The dry process for making coffee involves laying the ripe cherries in the sun or in a mechanical dryer. The cherries slowly dry onto the bean, and then the layer is mechanically stripped off.
Natural, or dry processed coffee is unrefined and has a wild, fruity flavor that can be unpredictable. These coffees might not be what you think of when you think of coffee!
A hybrid approach to processing coffee beans
There are many different types of fermentation that can be used to produce wine, including honey fermentation, semi-dry fermentation, anaerobic fermentation, and carbonic maceration.
What process do we recommend: all of them! Try all sorts and see what you like!
Once you figure out how your favorite cup of coffee is made, focus your online search on that particular method. For example, if you want a morning coffee from a grower who uses the washed process, you can search for “washed processed coffee beans near me.”
6. Roast level
The information provided about the roasting profile can be confusing as there is no set way of measuring it and it can vary depending on the roaster’s approach.
How a dark roast is roasted could vary depending on the roaster, so one person’s dark roast could be another person’s medium roast. This is due to differing roasting styles or personal preferences. So what’s correct? The topic is subjective and there is no right or wrong answer.
At CRR, we roast each coffee to achieve the best flavor profile for that particular bean. Some coffees are darker than others because they have a higher moisture content.
If you are looking for a deeper and heavier flavor, try experimenting with different origins that are roasted “medium” or “dark.” Just because a roast is “dark” does not mean it will have the flavor you are seeking.
We believe that roasting coffee beans darker than they should can result in a less than flavorful cup of coffee.
Don’t be afraid to contact your roaster and ask about their roasting profiles. If you choose a reputable roastery with a supportive team, it will be easier to get the help you need. Common Room Roasters is a good example of this.
7. Roast date importance
In recent years, the displayed roast dates of coffee beans have become increasingly important in choosing the right coffee for the intended purpose.
After a coffee bean is roasted, it takes a couple days for the flavor to develop into its optimal state. This is because the bean needs time to rest and get rid of excess gas from the roasting process.
Once you know what brewing method is best for a certain coffee, it becomes easier to drink it at its peak for that method. If you want to use the coffee for pour-over, it is best to wait 3-6 days after roasting.
You will be able to produce more consistent shots of espresso if you wait 7 to 14 days after the coffee has been ground before using it. If your coffee is a few weeks old, making cold brew coffee is a good option as it takes much longer to steep.
In general, coffee will be at its best flavor-wise 3 to 15 days after roasting, and even a bit longer if stored properly.
8. Be sure your values fit
There are all sorts of people out there, it’s no secret. There are a lot of different types of companies. We are not trying to make anyone feel bad, quite the opposite – everyone has different values.
It will be a better experience buying coffee from a roaster who shares your values, as you will be supporting people with similar beliefs.
Discovering where your money is going can have very different results than you might expect… and that’s something we’re trying to prevent!
For example, people who want to buy goods from a company that cares about people more than profits may want to buy coffee beans from a business that pays employees a living wage and has good relationships with coffee bean growers they buy from overseas.
9. Consider your ideal brew method
You can make great coffee with any brew method, but knowing the characteristics of the method you will use will help you get the most out of your coffee.
For example, French Press coffee usually has more body, and PourOver coffee usually has more acidity. The best way to make coffee at home is by knowing your brew method and having a few good recipes.
What works best for you
You can buy coffee online as simply or as complicated as you want. If you find a coffee that you like, it may be best to stick with that coffee and not switch to a different coffee.
If you are someone who enjoys trying different brew methods, variety in your cup, and exploring coffee with unique flavors, then you may want to consider buying different coffees each time or signing up for a coffee subscription that changes regularly.
It is beneficial to try new coffee blends and single origins because it will help you find your preferred origins or flavor profiles.
You may find that a certain blend works great in your home coffee machine while a unique single origin is better as a pour over but whatever you discover, know that coffee is a never ending source of exploration and experimentation and that finding a reliable coffee roaster online can be a great way to enjoy your journey into specialty coffee.