How to buy coffee beans

In this article we will look at how to buy coffee beans. We will cover the following aspects of this topic:

• The selection criteria
• How to read information on labels

Selection Criteria for Buying Coffee Beans

First, decide on your own selectioncriteria and whether you use coffee as an energy booster or you expect an extraordinary experience from your home made cup of coffee. Or perhaps you need something in between. Your selection criteria will depend on this. 

Coffee for energy

If you prioritise the caffeine in coffee, your main selection criteria will be:

• Caffeine content
• Price

Coffee for the pleasure of taste

If coffee for you is like wine and you enjoy tasting it, you want to have more information about its origin and how it was processed. Also, similarly to wine, every year’s coffee crop is different, so you can expect differences in how your coffee taste changes. 

Your coffee selection criteria will also depend on  your personal taste. Take into consideration whether you like acidity or bitterness in your coffee, fruity or nutty flavours, smoky notes etc. 

What to look at when buying coffee beans?

The three main factors influencing the taste of coffee. You want to find this information when buying coffee beans: 

1. Roasting style
2. Country of origin 
3. Processing method

Other useful information about coffee you buy includes: 

• Roast date 
• Place of roasting
• Variety type
• The processing method
• Coffee plantation
• Cupping notes  

Information on labels

Depending on your personal preferences, different information will be good news for you. Here is what to look at to choose the coffee you will enjoy.

3 main factors in choosing your coffee

1. Roast
   

   If you like sweet and subtle coffee with fruity notes, but not bitter or smoky, then go for a lighter roast.
   To find more bitterness in your coffee, go for a darker roast.

2. Origin

   If you  like acidity in your coffee, try beans from Ethiopia, Kenya or Rwanda.
   If you don’t like acidity in your coffee, get beans from South or Central America, for example countries like Guatemala or Brazil – you will find nutty and chocolate flavour in those.

   However, it’s not enough to know the country of origin. The best coffee sellers include information about the region where the coffee was grown and even the farm and the mill where the coffee was processed.

3. Processing method

   Good coffee sellers include information about what coffee processing method was used, as it has a significant influence on the taste.
   The natural (or dry) processing method normally gives sweeter tasting coffee, whereas the washed method produces higher acidity and a cleaner cup. 

Other information to look at to buy good coffee beans

Roasting date

If this information is missing, it’s better not to buy such coffee. This is because the freshness of the roast will massively impact the aromas in your cup and you simply won’t have any idea how old your coffee is.

How quickly you should use your coffee

The ideal time window to use the coffee is between 2 and 8 weeks from roasting. If you want to keep a good quality of your home brew, you don’t want to use coffee older than three month or even less. 

Why is it good to wait 2 weeks from roasting?

It’s because immediately after roasting coffee produces CO2 and you might get a slightly metallic taste in your cup. 

Coffee variety

The label should have information on the coffee variety type (arabica, robusta or other). But coffee lovers will want to know more about the variety of coffee, e. g. arabica geisha, bourbon, pacamara or others. 

Tasting notes

Good coffee sellers include coffee cupping notes describing flavours and aromas. This is a great way to decide if the specific coffee is something you will enjoy. 

Warning signs when buying coffee beans

There are a few things which immediately flag up that the coffee may not be the best quuality or wasn’t handled well, they include:

• A transparent coffee bag or a ‘window’ in the bag.
  There should be no light accessing the coffee, as light speeds up deterioration of coffee beans.
  
  
• Unsealed bag or air inside
  There should be no air accessing the coffee. This is because oxidation is something negatively influencing the taste. 
  
  
• Shiny layer on the beans
  Although in the ideal situation you would be buying coffee in a sealed bag, you can see this after purchase and decide for the next time if this is coffee you want to buy. Coffee beans shouldn’t have a shiny, oily layer on the surface. If they are too shiny, this means that they went through a second crack in the roasting and are over roasted.