There’s nothing quite like the perfect cup of coffee but whether you are a novice or old hand at brewing the consummate cuppa at home, choosing the right coffee beans is one of the key parts of the process. But how do you choose coffee beans? Do you pick the ones that cost the most? Or those with the prettiest packaging?
Depending on which way you look at it, choosing coffee beans is more complicated than just picking the nice-looking package with the big price tag. The type of coffee you choose depends on several factors outlined below, as well as how you plan on brewing it. While we can give you some tips, there is only one way of finding the perfect bean for you—and that’s by trying them out yourself. Yes…it’s a hard life but someone’s gotta do it—so why not you?
Beans Are The Most Important Part of Your Brew
If you want to brew the perfect cup of coffee every time, then your choice of coffee beans matters. Each has different characteristics that make it more suitable for specific types of brewing methods.
Although there are over 120 species of wild coffee plants, most of the commercially produced coffee in the world comes from just 4 coffee beans—Arabica, Robusta, Liberica and Excelsa—with over 90% coming from Arabica and Robusta. The flavour and aroma of coffee beans is determined not just by the bean profile but by many other factors, including soil type, climate, altitude, time of harvest, processing techniques and roasting methods.
A World of Taste from 4 Beans
Coffee beans are the most important part of your brew and the foundation to any good cup of coffee. The type of coffee bean you use is an integral part of the brewing process and will have a huge impact on how your coffee tastes.
70% of the world’s coffee production is Arabica beans. The Arabica bean is revered for its flavour, which has a slightly bitter aftertaste. Robusta coffee beans, while less popular than Arabica beans, can withstand harsher climates and conditions than Arabica, but it still makes a rich and aromatic cup of coffee—and is used in over 60% of instant coffees.
Liberica and Excelsa beans are rarer and account for only a small percentage of commercially grown coffee. Excelsa has recently been reclassified as a member of the Liberica family, but their flavour profiles are quite different. Liberica is full-flavoured with fruity, floral and woody notes whereas Excelsa is tart and fruity, making it reminiscent of a lighter roast. These beans are often blended with Arabica or Robusta beans to provide a more complex brew.
Different Regions, Different Tastes
The origin of your coffee, the soil the plant grows in, and other growing conditions has a bearing on the flavour of the beans. Major coffee-producing countries around the world may grow the same variety, but the taste of the beans will be very different. If you want full-bodied with a chocolatey, nutty flavour, Brazil may be a good option, but if you want more fruity flavours then Central American countries, such as Costa Rica, Guatemala and Nicaragua may suit you more. Asia’s coffee is full-bodied with rich, spicy, creamy flavours while African beans produce intense smooth and fruity tones.
Each coffee-growing region will claim that it produces the best tasting coffee on the planet. However, the truth is that while Brazil, Costa Rica and Colombia are renowned for the quality of the coffee they produce, lesser-known regions, including Yemen, Ivory Coast and Vietnam deserve a notable mention—not to mention Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee, which is still producing some of the tastiest coffee in the world.
Coffee Roasting—Where the Magic Happens
Roasting coffee is a complex process that can take the beans from raw to ready to drink. The roasting process begins when the coffee is taken out of the bag and put into the roaster. The beans are then roasted at different temperatures until they reach their peak. There are four main roast types for coffee: light, medium, medium dark, and dark roast. Within these four categories are sub-categories and variations on each of them.
Coffee roasters may be based anywhere in the world with large roasters tending to buy their beans direct in the country of origin rather than through importers, which is how small-scale roasters typically operate. They carry out quality control, analysis and cup testing to detect the evenness of the roast, and to spot any defects that may have occurred in the post-harvesting processes, including fermentation, drying and storage.
Specialty Roasting
The newest trend in coffee is for specialty roasting with the emphasis on quality, craftsmanship and sound ethical practices. Although the definition of specialty coffee varies, there is a general acceptance that it must:
- Be hand-picked by selective picking of mature beans
- Have a coffee-grading score of 80 points or more
- Have Less than 5 defects per 350g (12 ounces)
Alongside the notion of specialty coffee is a greater requirement to include strict social and environmental standards in the grading of specialty coffee at both the production and distribution levels. It makes no sense if the coffee is produced using methods that are harmful to the environment or the workers involved in harvesting the beans.
Brewing Your Coffee
One of the first things to consider in choosing beans is by what method you are going to brew your coffee. There are several different ways of brewing coffee with each method requiring different amounts of coffee and water, and producing a slightly different flavour. Some of the most popular methods are outlined below:
Drip Brewing
The drip brewing method is the method most commonly used in home coffee makers. The grounds are measured and placed in a filter. Coffee is then measured and put in the filter with the grounds. Water is poured into the coffee maker, and allowed to drip through the filter into a pot below.
French Press
The French press (cafetiere) is one of the most popular methods of brewing coffee for many people. It is a manual coffee maker with a cylindrical carafe and built-in plunger and filter that percolates the coffee. The first step in this process is to measure out ground coffee beans. Pour on just-boiled water and leave to steep for at least four minutes.
Stove-Top Percolator
The Stove-Top coffee pot uses steam pressure from boiled water contained in the lower section of the pot to pass through the coffee grounds in the mid chamber of the pot. Brewed coffee sits in the higher chamber.
The Bottom Line
The world of coffee is a vast one with many options available. While the main factor in determining what makes a good coffee is personal preference, these basic guidelines illustrate what factors influence the flavour of your coffee. The only way of finding out what your perfect coffee tastes like is by trial and error. So, make the most of it and enjoy your journey exploring the coffee beans of the world.
Fascinating Fact:
The most expensive coffee in the world comes from cat poo!
The most expensive coffee in the world costs more than US$600 per pound and is found in the faeces of the Asian palm civet. This cat-like animal eats coffee cherries but excretes the beans. These beans produce a brew called kopi luwak which is smooth and less acidic. However, there are animal welfare concerns concerning the production methods used in harvesting these beans.
