What to Know Before You Buy Coffee Beans
If you don’t know much about coffee, you probably just pick up any packed coffee you see in your nearest retail store. But that should not be so. When you come across a coffee enthusiast, you will realize how wrong you are (they will be sure to tell you) and how much goes into choosing the best coffee beans.
Tips to remember when you buy coffee beans
Would you like to know what to factor in when buying the best coffee beans? Here is an article that describes everything you need to know.
After reading this, you will be a pro at selecting the best ones for you.
Ditch the pre-ground coffee
First, don’t use pre-ground coffee. Regular coffee consumers pick the packed option because they offer a quick solution in their coffee preparation endeavors.
What they do not know, is that they are missing the benefits that fresh coffee beans can offer. Let me explain why.
According to different coffee experts, pre-ground coffee loses the original taste of the coffee quickly; as in, it can taste differently as soon as one week. Therefore, because of this, avoid the pre-grounded ones if you would like to get the full benefits of coffee.
Instead, go for the whole coffee beans. Although you are adding more work to your schedule because you have to roast it, one thing is for sure. These beans preserve taste within them.
Espresso or coffee?
While these drinks are almost the same, both of them have different nutrients and impacts to offer to your body.
Espresso, to start with, is an Italian beverage where you mix pre-heated and pressurized water on the fine-grounded beans. You need an espresso machine to do so.
Coffee, on the other hand, is prepared by passing water on coarse coffee beans in a coffee machine or an espresso.
While considering which drink you want to prepare, think about the type of beans you will purchase. For espresso, you require finely grounded bean packages, while for coffee, you need coarse ground.
Note that if you use coarse coffee beans to prepare espresso, the ultimate result may be a low-quality drink that does not have all the nutrients an espresso is ready to offer.
You check the following coffee bean buying guides to find the best brands you can use in preparing espresso and coffee.
Robusta and Arabica percentage
There are four types of coffee beans. The two most common are Arabica and Robusta.
Many coffee enthusiasts prefer Arabica because of the sweet taste it produces when you prepare coffee with it. You do not need to add any taste enhancers.
Nonetheless, that should not mean that you should not use Robusta coffee beans. They have their share of fans, especially people that like to consume bitter coffee. It also has lower acid levels.
Some brands mix up the two types of coffee beans to provide a somewhat balanced concoction. That is why you need to check the package to see the percentage of each of these two types.
Single-origin or blend
There is no difference between the two, but people tend to treat the single origin as a more quality coffee type than the blended one.
The single-origin coffee brand is a package that has a single type of coffee with the same origin. It could be from the same farm or estate. The coffee from that area should provide a particular level of taste, acidity, and aroma.
Blended coffee is a type that comes from different origins. There is nothing wrong with picking this. Instead, you should check each pack’s constituents so that it can fit your needs.
Examine the level of roasting
When the farmer is harvesting the coffee beans, they contain a lot of moisture and oils. These two, help in preserving all the qualities that the coffee has.
After harvesting, the coffee has to go through the process of drying. The beans also have to be heated to eliminate the moisture, reduce the acidity level, and produce the aroma and the taste.
The level of roasting done determines how much nutrients and benefits that the coffee carries. It can be light, medium, or dark roasting (of which there could be different levels of the dark roasting).
Note that the coffee beans are more likely to produce their taste, acidity, and aroma when given a dark roasting. If the coffee bean brand you buy does not have a roasting you like, then roasting it yourself would do the job. Furthermore, it is something that anyone can learn.
Consider the caffeine level
Caffeine is the chemical compound that keeps you awake after you take a shot or a cup of coffee.
As you select the brand, take note of the amount of caffeine present in the coffee beans. If they are more than what you require, then you can go for one that has less caffeine.
It is essential to know that your body can be caffeine resistant. Thus, you will need more caffeine to get the full benefits. Nevertheless, be careful about how much caffeine you take because it can result in hypersensitivity and insomnia.
Buy from reputable brands
The coffee bean market has a lot to offer. Choosing the best becomes a task. As this is the case, before you buy from any brand, be sure to know about their history, and what other clients say about them.
On the other hand, do not ignore newer brands. If someone recommends it to you, you can try it. In fact, some brands offer you samples.
Once you taste the samples and you like them, you can subscribe to their weekly delivery list.
Wrap-Up
From now on, take your time to consider all the points we highlighted above because if you check them out, you will be able to enjoy your beverages like never before.