How To Choose The Right Coffee Beans

Do you find choosing the right coffee beans a challenge? Different ways of roasting, grounding, and brewing your coffee can make choosing the one that suit your taste quite overwhelming! 

If coffee is your best drink of the day, you should have the best of it every day! Settling for anything less than the best tasting coffee simply won’t do, and this is not a great way to start your day.

Even though there are only two types of coffee beans, the way they are roasted, ground, and brewed means there are so many different options when it comes to how your coffee tastes. Here are some options to help you choose the right coffee beans.

Key Considerations

Before choosing your coffee beans, here are a few things that can affect the taste of your coffee that you should consider.

Roast Profile

The most appropriate brewing method is usually determined by the type of roasting process your coffee has undergone. 

Espresso roast coffee undergoes roaster development to further increase caramelization. This coffee is for you if you prepare your coffee in an espresso machine.

The filter roasted coffee, on the other hand, undergoes less development to keep the coffee’s sparkling acidity intact. Filter roasted coffee is great for you if you prepare your coffee manually through an immersion brewer or a pour-over.

So if you always use a particular brewing method then this can help when it comes to choosing your beans – then all you have to do is choose what suits your taste the best.

Blend or Single Origin

Choosing a blend or single-origin coffee should be based on how you love your coffee – black or with milk. The blend is great for you if you like your coffee with milk. Choose the single-origin option if black coffee is your thing.

Freshness

Remember that coffee is a fruit, and while your beans and the ground coffee you make for them does have some shelf life, it doesn’t last forever.

Even if your coffee is made in the best location, it will eventually lose its taste when left for a long period!

So, always aim to use your coffee beans within 1-2 weeks of the roast date for the best taste.

5 tips on choosing the best coffee beans

Check the Growing Location

Knowing where your coffee beans are grown can tell you a lot about how the coffee should taste, and so help you decide which countries and regions produce the kind of beans you might like.

Coffee is grown and produced in more than 50 countries. A good coffee producer should state where their coffee beans are being grown. Find out if your preferred flavor, acidity, and other preferences are found in coffees grown in these regions.

Common coffee locations include Indonesia, Ethiopia, Brazil, Kenya, Colombia, and Hawaii.

Know Your Preferences

Knowing your preferred blend, brand, and flavor is a great way to start, even if you want to try something new.

Start by choosing your most preferred bean type from the two major types of coffee beans – Robusta and Arabica. Robusta beans are grown at low altitudes and they are robust and have a bitter flavor. 

Arabica beans have a smooth and acidic taste while they grow at higher altitudes.

Knowing your preferences will help you determine the best coffee beans to choose from out of the two.

Choose The Right Beans For Your Brewing Preference

Generally, your brewing preference should determine the kind of beans you choose. Blends are best for milky coffees, while single-origin is best for black coffee.

Single-origin coffees are from a single specific growing location like an estate or a farm. It allows a coffee drinker to appreciate the unique taste that the growing location provides.

So, you’re more likely to enjoy and perceive the subtle flavor when you take your coffee black.

Blends are a combination of various beans from different locations or different parts of the world. They are combined to produce a complex flavor. Blends are generally perfect for milky coffees such as cappuccinos and lattes.

However, this is not to say that a blend has to be taken without milk or that a single-origin coffee doesn’t have to include milk. Your choice and preferences will determine that.

Check The Processing Method

The processing method of a coffee is often indicated as “washed or wet-processed” or “natural or unwashed” on the coffee bag (or menu). 

The wet-processed or washed coffee production involves the removal of Cherry’s outer pulp before being fermented, washed, and dried. The process contributes to its great flavor clarity and bright complex acidity. It is a common method amongst coffee producers as there are fewer defects due to the controlled fermentation process.

The unwashed or natural processed coffee process involves drying a coffee with its cherry throughout the drying process. This allows the sugars and fruit flesh to penetrate the seed, resulting in a spectacular flavor. 

Watch Out For Beans from High Altitudes

The higher the altitude of coffee growing, the higher the acidity and sweetness. 

Coffee growing altitude has a great impact on the acidity and sweetness of the cherry. 

Coffee thrives better in average temperatures of between 18°C to 23°C. High altitudes are often needed to maintain this.

So, watch out for altitudes above 1500m as this is a high-growth location. Such areas are known to exhibit refined acidity and sweetness.

The Last Drop

The various kinds of coffee available can make choosing the right one quite challenging. But then, choosing the right coffee beans can help you get the most out of your coffee as you enjoy it every day.

Remember that your choice of coffee beans will determine its taste, and brewing methods. With the tips above, we hope that you choose the best coffee beans when next you’re shopping or visit the coffee shop.