Coffee is an important part of many people’s lives. In fact, some might say it’s a necessary evil. We all know that tired, lazy feeling we get without our morning cup (or three) of coffee.
Your favorite drink could get even better. There are a few things you can do to make sure you’re getting the best coffee beans for your money.
Where do you start? How do you choose the right beans? What type of roast is best for you? One way to be sure that you’re getting high quality beans is to _________. Don’t worry, I have some tips to help you buy coffee beans.
Before you buy coffee, it is important to know what kind you want. Do you prefer a light and airy brew? Do you like your coffee light and bright, or dark and intense? You might enjoy coffee that has a flavor added to it.
No matter what your coffee preference is, there is a coffee bean for you. It is important to know what you want before you buy coffee so that you will be satisfied with your purchase.
Arabica beans
The Arabica coffee bean is generally considered to be of the highest quality. The coffee beans are grown at high altitudes, which results in a slower growth process and a more dense bean.
The beans take a long time to grow, which makes them taste better. Arabica beans are less acidic than other beans, which makes them easier on your stomach.
Robusta beans
Arabica beans are more expensive because they are more difficult to grow. Robusta coffee beans are grown at lower altitudes and contain more caffeine than Arabica beans. Coffees that are roasted longer also tend to have a more bold and bitter taste than other types of coffee.
Flavored coffee
If you want to try something different, you might want to try flavored coffee. The beans have been flavored with vanilla, chocolate, or caramel. You can find coffee beans that have been flavored with fruit if you’re feeling adventurous.
Blended Coffee
Blended coffee beans offer a more balanced flavor than coffee beans from a single source. If you have ever had a drink that tasted too bitter or sour, you will know how important it is to get the right balance. The flavor of blended beans is more well-rounded and less likely to overwhelm your taste buds.
Second, beans that are a blend of multiple types can be more affordable than beans that come from a single source. If you are trying to save money, you will be happy to know that you can still get a great cup of coffee.
What level of roast do you want your beans to be? This refers to the darkness or lightness of the beans.
The three main roast levels are light, medium, and dark. The darker the coffee is roasted, the more intense the flavor will be. If you want a bolder cup of coffee, you should choose a darker roast. To get a lighter brew, stick to light or medium roasts.
Light roast
The flavor of lightly roasted beans is sweet and delicate, with a slightly acidic taste. They’re also the most caffeinated. Lightly roasted coffee beans retain more of their original flavor because they have only been roasted for a short period of time.
Medium roast
The flavor of medium roasted beans is well-balanced and smooth. If you’re not sure what kind of coffee you like, medium roast is a great place to start.
Dark roast
darker roasted beans will have a deeper, more intense flavor with a slightly smoky taste. They’re also the least caffeinated. The natural oils in dark roast coffee beans are more pronounced because they have been roasted for a longer period of time.
The rich, bold flavor of dark roast coffee is perfect for making lattes and cappuccinos. The milk and sugar in these drinks won’t overpower the coffee flavor like they might with a lighter roast.
Once you’ve decided on your desired flavor and roast level, you need to decide if you want whole beans or pre-ground coffee.
There are a few things to consider when making this decision.
First, consider how you will brew your coffee. Drip coffee makers can use most pre-ground coffee.
If you want to use a French press or any other type of coffee maker that requires a specific grind size, you need to buy whole beans and grind them yourself.
Second, consider how often you drink coffee. If you are planning on finishing your coffee quickly, then a bag of pre-ground coffee should stay fresh. If you want your coffee to last a longer time, you should get whole beans.
Whole bean coffee
Whole bean coffee lasts longer because there is less surface area exposed to air. To keep your coffee beans fresh, it is essential to store them in an airtight container to prevent oxygen from exposure.
Pre-ground coffee
Pre-ground coffee is more convenient because you don’t have to spend time grinding the beans yourself. The increased surface area of the bread will cause it to go stale faster. If you are looking to drink your coffee quickly, then pre-ground coffee is an acceptable option.
4. Check the freshness of the beans
After you have chosen between whole beans or pre-ground coffee, it is important to ensure that the coffee is fresh.
Coffee beans have a shelf life and go bad. The coffee you find in most grocery stores has been sitting on shelves for weeks or even months.
If you’ve ever wondered why your coffee tastes a little different each time you brew it at home, it’s not just in your head. The flavor of coffee beans diminishes shortly after they are roasted, so it is best to use them promptly.
That’s where the coffee bag roast date comes in. The back of the coffee bag will have a date that tells you when the beans were roasted. You should brew your coffee with beans that are no more than two weeks old for the best possible flavor.
The coffee roasting process causes the coffee to release carbon dioxide gas. This release of carbon dioxide is called degassing.
Coffee degassing, or allowing the gas to escape, is an important part of the roasting process. If this gas is not allowed to escape, it can interfere with the proper brewing of the coffee beans. Many coffee roasters will allow their beans to degas for a minimum of 24 hours before packaging them.
The beans will still release gas after roasting, which can alter the taste of coffee. The longer the beans are left to degas, the more flavor they will lose.
If you want a strong flavor, it is best to use your specialty grade coffee beans as soon as possible.
Make sure the company you buy coffee beans from online roast their beans to order. It is important to buy your coffee beans from a reputable source to make sure you are getting the freshest possible coffee roasts.
5. Choose traceability
When you buy coffee, you will sometimes see that the roaster has named their product after an estate. These roasters focus on being able to trace their coffee back to the specific farm it came from, and they want their customers to know that.
Craft Coffee brands provide extensive product descriptions that tell you the story of the producer.
The tour guides will also share information about the estate’s history, the unique features of its terrain and biodiversity, and how sustainable farming practices have had a positive environmental impact.
Coffee that is mass-produced and instant is focused on being consistent, being able to be repeated, and having scalable operations. The combination of these factors usually means that traceability is not a priority.
The reason that large roasters and instant coffee manufacturers don’t produce dark roast coffee is because it’s not economically feasible.
In order for a company to have traceability, they need to be able to connect the identity of their products to specific farms. These farms should be focused on research, experimentation, and producing a high quality product, rather than on growing large volumes of coffee.
Cost of traceability
Coffees that can be traced back to their source are more expensive to produce, due to the extra effort needed by both farmers and roasters. Specialty coffee roasters offer traceable coffees of the highest quality.
Customers can be reassured that brands that focus on traceability do so not just because they have valuable relationships with coffee farmers and producers. The coffee company focuses on traceability to ensure that their coffees are unique and of high quality, each with its own signature flavor profile.
Our suggestion is to purchase coffee online from brands, roasters and platforms that give information about the regions and farms from where their coffee beans are sourced.
6. Pick your preferred processing method
The processing of coffee after harvest affects the flavor of the coffee. Washed coffees taste more acidic and have a stronger coffee flavor.
These coffees are usually very consistent. These coffee beans are perfect for people who want a great-tasting coffee without any fuss.
Coffees that have been dried in the sun, rather than by machine, will often have more exotic flavors because they have a higher sugar content. There are several types of natural products that are processed either aerobically or anaerobically.
This is perfect for coffee adventurers who want to find new and exotic flavor notes.
Honey-processed coffees have a balanced acidity and a higher sugar content than washed coffees. These coffees have unique flavor profiles that don’t disrupt the balance of the drink.
This coffee is perfect for people who want a drink that is both sweet and acidic.
This is another helpful piece of information to consider when choosing which coffee bag to buy, depending on your preferences.
7. Buy the right amount of coffee
This depends on your frequency of consumption. Do you drink three to five cups of coffee a day? If you want to cut down on how much coffee you’re buying, we suggest buying a larger amount each time you purchase coffee.
If you don’t drink much coffee, we recommend buying 250g (or any size close to this) each time. The goal is to brew fresh coffee all the time.
To get the most out of your coffee, buy the right amount and consume it within the recommended time window.
8. Develop your own understanding of flavor notes
Flavor notes are always a controversial topic because they balance objectivity and subjectivity. Most roasters include flavor notes on their packaging as a way to help coffee drinkers understand what to expect from the coffee.
Flavor notes are not “actual flavors”. The reference notes are used to describe the taste of coffee. It is important to remember that roasters describe the flavors of coffee relative to other coffees that are present.
A Kenyan coffee might taste more like grapes than an Ethiopian coffee cupped along with it. However, when brewed and consumed as a standalone coffee, the Kenyan lot might exhibit fruit notes, but it will not taste like grapes in particular.
Remember that coffees described as having floral notes, citric fruits, and berries generally have brighter, higher acidity. they will be moist and usually not very dense
Notes of caramel, chocolate, and smoke will be heavier in the coffee’s body and will linger in the aftertaste. If a coffee has flavors of tropical fruits and nuts, it will be sweet and balanced.
Again, this is my subjective view. The following is a framework that can be used to develop an understanding of flavor notes.
9. Mindfully navigate the price factor
This is true for most things in life, including coffee. Usually, the better the quality, the higher the price. It takes a lot of effort to curate and produce a bag of great-tasting coffee.
These efforts logically translate into the higher cost.
A customer should always pay for what they receive. The best way to find the perfect price for a mindful coffee consumer is through experimentation.
It is important to try coffees from different roasters at different price points. This allows you to discover for yourself which bag of coffee provides the most enjoyment from both a personal and financial standpoint.
A coffee that is unique and hits all the sweet spots is more satisfying than a good quality coffee that is not so impressive and is priced at INR 450.
The trick is to find the right balance and to be comfortable with what you have. You can learn about a lot of different brands and types of coffee if you go shopping for it on the internet. This way, you can make a more informed decision when you finally buy some.
Coffee prices are extremely volatile, and can fluctuate greatly from day to day. The article discusses how the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted coffee prices, which can be volatile.
Conclusion
Here are a few suggestions to keep in mind when purchasing coffee beans. You can get the best possible beans by following these tips. You should get the freshest beans possible, whether you buy them online or at your local grocery store.