With over 2.5 billion cups of coffee consumed worldwide daily, coffee is by far the most traded food or drink item, so it would seem almost everyone likes a coffee! Are you a coffee aficionado or just someone who makes a quick cup at home before work? Well, if you want to take your coffee-love to the next level, it’s time to start thinking about buying whole coffee beans and grinding them at home for your own perfect cup! If you’ve never done so before, please read on for some of our most expert advice for purchasing top quality coffee beans!
Find A Supplier
First thing’s first, if you’re going to buy a specialty coffee, you need a specialty supplier. Though most supermarkets these days sell a range of coffee beans, there are always experts out there as well. If you look at how many options there are, you can see that a specialist supplier has a huge amount of variety. When you have found a selection of coffee sellers, make sure to look up reviews of their beans, and their business in general. Find independent, trusted review sites and make sure you’re buying from a true pro.
Know What You Like
Broadly speaking there are two types of bean: Arabica and Robusta. Arabica tends to grow at higher altitudes and have a more smooth and acidic taste, whereas Robusta beans grow at lower altitudes and have a strong bitter taste. There are, of course, many varieties within each broad category, but knowing what overall flavor you prefer is a good place to start!
Research The Grower
So you know what flavor profile you prefer, great! But there are no use buying beans you think you’ll like without finding out who’s growing and shipping them. The professionals from PureBean.com.au say that if the beans are grown to a poor standard, in bad conditions, the taste of your cup will certainly be different from someone who puts a lot more care into their growing. Also, if they are packaged and shipped in poor containers and allowed to partially spoil in the open air then the flavor profiles will be permanently damaged! You want to know your coffee is coming from a great place and being shipped safely.
You can also consider shopping for ethical, fair-trade beans. This way, you know that the farmer, distributor, and everyone else in the chain received fair pay for their labor. It also means they may be a greener company causing less environmental damage during the growing process compared to others.
Think About Caffeine
You need to determine how much caffeine you want in your coffee. Believe it or not, different beans naturally carry different levels of caffeine; but really, how they are roasted is what makes the most difference. Most people have traditionally believed that the darker the roast, the stronger the coffee, but it’s actually the opposite. Many coffee shops are now doing lighter / “blonder” coffees as they are actually stronger. So, if you want a strong kick every morning, go for a less roasted bean, if you want something more easy-going, it’s dark roasted for you!
Origins And Blends
Now, this is where a bit of trial-and-error, testing, and personal preference comes into play. Some coffee is roasted as a single-origin coffee, meaning it is one type of bean from one place. Some roasters develop blends, where they mix beans together in certain percentages while roasting to concoct a unique blend.
Origins
Some of the most common coffee origins are Brazil, Columbia, and Ethiopia. Brazil produces more coffee than any other nation by quite a long way, and tends to produce more nutty chocolatey flavors in their coffee. The flavor profiles are changed due to the area they are grown, the height they are grown at, and even the way they are harvested. Each country produces an original taste.
Blends
Blends can be any mix of any of the above origins or even multiple regions within those countries! Some ‘cofficionados’ staunchly prefer single-origin coffees, but really there is no reason to only like one or the other. If an expert roaster has created a flavor profile you enjoy by blending 3 different roasts and different origins, then you should enjoy it! Again, this goes back to knowing your coffee’s journey, as most coffee roasters will happily explain their blends and let you try them.
So, those are our top tips when it comes to purchasing coffee beans for use at home! Do yourself some research and find some beans you love. You’ll be grinding your own coffee at home in absolutely no time!
