Coffee Beans

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How to Choose Coffee Beans - All You Need to Espresso Machines

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sample some of the 2. Acidity, Body, Roasting
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Makapueo Farms various beans Blending
3. Arabica / Robusta
Kona Coffee Producer The Highest Quality available on the 4. Beans by Region Flavoring
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buy green, a light- 7. Flavored Coffee
Freshness &
, service roast, or dark? 8. Whole Beans Storage
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What's in a bean? How do the pros judge their coffee? Here is a brief overview of the
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characteristics you should consider when choosing the perfect bean for you. The four terms
"flavor", "aroma", "acidity" and "body" are used by professionals when evaluating coffee
quality. Coffee beans that rate well in all four areas are described as "well-balanced". Once
you understand these four bean characteristics, you will be well equipped to buy the right
beans for your taste. One way to become familiar with the bean characteristics is to try
coffee tasting, also known as "coffee cupping". To setup your own coffee tasting at home,
click here to read our coffee cupping article.

1. Acidity

Coffee with good acidity tastes bright, with a pleasant sharpness similar to a dry white
wine. Acidity is a desirable characteristic and can be fruity (try a Kenyan coffee) or metallic
(Mexican). Without acidity, coffee tastes bland or 'flat'.

2. Body

Body is the word used to describe the way the coffee feels in your mouth. A full-bodied
coffee, such as Kenyan or Ethiopian will feel thick, rich or heavy. A medium-bodied coffee,
such as South and Central American, will feel lighter. If you like milk in your coffee, a
heavier-bodied coffee will maintain more flavor when the milk is added. Adding milk also
helps you to compare the body of two coffees - the one with more body will retain more
flavor. With a mouthful of coffee, you can assess the body by running your tongue across
the roof of your mouth. You will be able to feel oiliness and thickness, which together
define body. Body can be thin, thick, dry, syrupy, etc.

3. Aroma

When coffee beans are roasted, they release the fragrant oils that make the coffee aroma.
When coffee beans are roasted, they release the fragrant oils that make the coffee aroma.
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High quality coffee beans will contain up to 3 times more fragrant oils than inferior beans.
South American beans have good aroma and are noticeably shiny after roasting due to the If you'd like to link to our
amount of coffee oils that are released. site, just grab this code
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4. Flavor
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Flavor is the combined effect on the tastebuds of the acidity, body and aroma of the coffee for your benefit.
bean. Terms used to describe flavor usually draw comparisons with other familiar tastes,
such as 'nutty', 'spicy', or 'watery'. Here are some common terms used to describe the
flavor of coffee beans -

Positive Flavors: Nutty, Spicy, Fruity, Mellow, Caramelly,

Chocolaty, Winey, Floral, Smokey, Tangy

Negative Flavors: Grassy, Chemically, Muddy, Watery, Rubbery,

Rioy (a medicinal taste)

On this page
1. Intro
2. Acidity, Body,
Aroma & Flavor
3. Arabica / Robusta
4. Beans by Region
5. Degree of Roast
6. Coffee Blends
7. Flavored Coffee
8. Whole Beans
9. Coffee Pods
10. Preground Beans
11. Freshness
12. Storing Beans
13. Coffee Cupping
14. Links

Bean Flavor Factors

- Choosing Beans by Species, Region, Roast, Blend & Flavoring

Once you have your beans at home, you can influence the flavor of your cup by varying the
grinder setting and the brewing technique; but it is what happens before you bring your
beans home that has the most impact on coffee flavor and quality. The five things you will
need to consider when buying are:

1. Species - Arabica vs Robusta

There are more than 50 species of coffee plant world wide, but only two species - Arabica
and Robusta - are used in commercial coffee production.

Due to its preferred flavor, Arabica is the most sought after coffee. When buying single
origin coffees, you will find that they are composed of 100% Arabica beans. In general,
Robusta coffee beans are used only in blends. If you are looking to grind and brew your
own coffee at home, look for either single-origin coffee, or blends of 100% Arabica beans.
You might consider an Arabica/Robusta blend if you are seeking a sharper flavor, a higher-
caffeine content, or a strong crma on your espresso (Robusta helps in crma formation).

The following table compares the features of the two species:

 Trait Arabica Robusta
Caffeine Level Low - about half High - about twice
that of Robusta. that of Arabica.
Flavor Mild and Sharp, bitter.
aromatic.
Shape Flat, elongated. Oval, rounded,
convex.
Color Deep green with Pale green/yellow
a silvery blue with a brown or
tinge. grey tinge.
Cultivation High altitude. Low altitude (often
Requires careful at sea level). Hardy
cultivation. plant. Requires little
rainfall.
Region Central America, West and Central
Colombia, Brazil, Africa, Brazil, South
Jamaica, Ethiopia East Asia
Usage About 70% of About 25% of the
world's coffee world's coffee
production. production. Robusta
Arabica is used in is used in instant
fine coffee, coffee and espresso
including estate blends for it's high
and gourmet caffeine level.
blends.
Botany Coffea Arabica Coffea Canephora
contains 44 contains 22
chromosomes. chromosomes.
Price More expensive Less expensive than
than Robusta. Arabica.

2. Region - Where in the world?

As you walk into a coffee market, you are confronted with numerous varieties and styles of
coffee. Varieties include Kenyan, Jamaican Blue Mountain, Java and Ethiopian Mocha - just
to name a few.

After species, the second biggest flavor determining factor of coffee is its region of origin.
The altitude, soil type, climate and methods of harvesting for a particular region result in
common flavors across coffee beans from that region. The easiest way to categorize the
coffee regions is to divide them into these three locales: Asia-Indonesia-Pacific,
Africa/Arabia and Central-and-South-America. Within these three locales, many different
coffee beans are harvested. For in-depth detail on these coffees, click here for our "Coffee
Beans By Region" article. Otherwise, as a brief guide, the tables below will serve you well:

Region 1 - Latin America

Area Central and South America,
Caribbean, Columbia, Costa Rica,
Panama, Mexico
Acidity medium to high
Body light
Flavor well-balanced, sweet, intense, tangy
Recommended Mild to medium - to preserve the
Roast brightness of the bean without
introducing bitterness
Accompaniment Breakfast, toast, muffins

Region 2 - Africa/Arabia
 Area African continent, middle-east, Arabia
Acidity medium
Body medium, syrupy
Flavor spicy, wine-like, cocoa, citrus fruits
and berries, wild
Recommended Dark
Roast
Accompaniment Milk chocolate, cheesecake

Region 3 - Asia-Indo-Pacific
Area Asia, Indonesia and surrounding
pacific islands
Acidity low
Body bold, strong, heavy
Flavor powerful, robust, earthy, smooth,
flowery, robust, hearty, bitter tones
Recommended Dark to Very Dark
Roast
Accompaniment Dark Chocolate, Rich desserts,
Caramel

If you want to buy coffee online, Peet's Coffee and Tea has a section that allows you to
select coffee by region before ordering. Peet's delivers fresh coffee that is roasted to order.
Try Peet's Coffee & Tea. Deep-roasted, delivered fresh, since 1966.

3. Roast - Light, Dark and Everything in Between

As well as species and region, the degree of the roast plays a large part in determining the
flavor of your favorite coffee. The roasting process caramelizes the bean sugars and
releases the coffee oils, chemically changing coffee beans from green and unappetizing, to
shiny, brown and fragrant.

Roasts and Brewing Methods - each of the levels of roast listed below can be used for any
method of coffee making, with the exception of espresso, for which you should use only a
dark, or very-dark roast.

Roast Flavor vs Bean Flavor - the light, or pale cinnamon roast should only be used with
very high quality coffee. This is because the lighter the roast, the more of the coffee bean
traits you will taste in the cup. A light roast will mask none of the coffee's origin traits. A
dark roast will take on the overall characteristic flavor of the roast, masking the flavor of
the individual beans.

Milk? - High quality coffees, with their agreeable acidity, benefit from the light or medium
roasts and generally taste good with milk. The darker roasts should be served black.

Levels / Degrees of Roast -

Other Names Color Lustre Taste

Light Cinnamon Roast Pale-brown None Sharp, acidic
Medium American Roast, Brown Mild Bittersweet
city roast tang
Dark Continental Roast, Dark-brown Shiny Smoky
Viennese Roast
Vary Dark French Roast, Almost black Glossy Smoky, rich
New Orleans Roast,
Full Roast

Coffee Roasting Process - Click here for more detail on home coffee roasting and the coffee
roasting process in general.

Caffeine - Darker roasts contain slightly less caffeine than lighter roasts. Click here for more
 about coffee and caffeine.

When to Roast?, When to Blend? - Some coffees are roasted first, in single-origin batches
before being blended. Others are blended first before being roasted together. Each
technique has it's own advantages and disadvantages, with coffee buffs arguing the point
either way. Some argue that since each variety of bean has an optimum level of roast, they
should be roasted first and blended later. Others say that blending should occur before the
roast to allow full integration of bean flavors during roasting. For convenience sake, many
large coffee roasting factories will blend before roasting. For more information, see section
4 below, or read our article on coffee blending and coffee blends.

4. Blend - Single Origin, 100% Arabica?

So far we have discussed species, region and roast. The next flavor factor - coffee blending
- has a large impact on the flavor of your cup. Although the most noble of intentions is to
improve the flavor and quality of the cup by balancing the acidity, body and aroma of
various beans, there are many other less noble reasons for blending. These include
reducing costs and improving locational convenience.

Here are some tips when trying blends:

1. Choose 100% Arabica blends. These may be sourced from different regions, but will still
be high quality.
2. Choose the correct blend for your brewing method. Espresso blends are quite different
from drip/filter blends and one will not suit the other very well.
3. When selecting unblended, Estate or Single-Origin beans, be aware that you are entering
aficionado-territory and may not appreciate some of the more 'unique' and intense
characteristics that are highly prized by the critics.
4. Be wary of the terms "Gourmet Coffee" and "Specialty Coffee". These terms are often
used to describe coffees that have been flavored. Check with the vendor to be sure of
what you are buying.

For more detail , read our article on coffee blending.

5. Flavor Additives - Irish Cream, Hazelnut, etc.

For the purist, flavored coffee is not an option. But, if the thought of vanilla, pumpkin-pie,
gingerbread, butterscotch or Irish cream flavored coffee appeals to you, then you're not
alone. It seems flavored coffees are becoming more and more popular as small cafes and
coffee shops attempt to capture their market with specialty flavors.

For an in-depth discussion of how to buy high quality syrups and flavored coffees, see our
"Flavored Coffee Beans & Coffee Flavoring Syrups" article. The article goes in-depth on
these options for flavoring coffee:

1. Use Coffee Syrups to flavor your drink after it has been brewed
2. Buy pre-flavored coffee beans
3. Flavor your own beans at home with spices or liqueurs

If you would like to buy flavored coffee online, we recommend CoffeeAM.com. They are
running a promotion at the moment where you will get Free Coffee With Any Purchase! So
you could by a flavored coffee, or syrup and get coffee free.
 On this page
1. Intro
2. Acidity, Body,
Aroma & Flavor
3. Arabica / Robusta
4. Beans by Region
5. Degree of Roast
6. Coffee Blends
7. Flavored Coffee
8. Whole Beans
9. Coffee Pods
10. Preground Beans
11. Freshness
12. Storing Beans
13. Coffee Cupping
14. Links

Bean Buying Options

- About Coffee Maker Pods, Preground Beans and more

Another flavor-factor that affects coffee bean is the way they are packaged. The flavor-
factors we have mentioned above species, region, roast, blend and flavorings apply no
matter how your coffee is packaged; but the packaging will either maintain or worsen the
flavor.

1. Whole Beans - this is the best way to buy your beans in order to maximise the flavor
of both the bean and the roast. Being whole, you get to grind them at home. About the
only time you might not want to buy beans whole is if you are buying flavored coffee. This
is because the flavoring can taint your grinder but, as long as you clean the grinder
properly immediately after grinding the flavored beans, this shouldn't be too much of a
problem. We recommend buying your whole coffee beans from Peet's:

2. Coffee Maker Pods - today's pod coffee machines make use of pods (small, usually
round packages) of pre-ground coffee beans. If you have a pod coffee machine, then you
are restricted to buying your coffee in pod form. You can also use coffee maker pods in a
mug of hot water, as you would a tea bag, though you won't get as good a flavor as you
would from the machine. Although coffee pods are not as flavorfull as whole beans, you
benefit from the fact that they are specially packaged to retain flavor and aroma. They are
also properly measured and ground to the correct size for the machine meaning you get
a great cup of coffee.

3. Preground Coffee - if you don't have a grinder, or prefer not to bother with one, then
you will have to settle for pre-ground coffee. Here are some tips to make sure you get the
best flavor from your pre-ground coffee:

1. DO find whole beans from a coffee market and ask them to grind them just before you
buy.
2. DO make sure the beans are packaged in one-way bags (via a valve or special paper)
that allow carbon dioxide and coffee-gasses to escape, whilst keeping air out.
3. DO check the use-buy date and packing date if available.
4. DON'T buy supermarket preground coffee that has not been vacuum sealed. A soft bag
may indicate the vacuum sealed bag has been pierced.
5. DON'T use the grinding machine in the supermarket. These machines have likely never
been cleaned and will be tainted with rancid coffee oils.

Freshness and Storage

The freshness of coffee beans is extremely important to the taste of your coffee. In fact, as
coffee loses it's freshness and becomes stale, even the finest, most expensive estate coffee
in the world will begin to taste like any other stale coffee. Stale coffees tend to all taste
alike - no matter what the region.

1. Freshness Indicators

There are four indicators that will let you know you are buying fresh coffee. The beans
should appear shiny, taste rich and full, have a wonderful aroma and produce a froth,
called bloom, when brewed. For tips on how to be sure you are buying fresh beans and
how to keep them fresh, see our bean freshness & storage article and take the freshness
test.

If you are looking to buy coffee beans online, Peet's delivers fresh coffee that is roasted to
order. Try Peet's Coffee & Tea. Deep-roasted, delivered fresh, since 1966.

2. Storage Tips

The way you store your beans can slow the deterioration process. Since the main enemies
of fresh beans are oxygen, moisture, heat and light, you should store your beans in an air-
tight container (preferably vacuumed) in a cool-dark place. For more storage tips and
details on nitrogen-flushed valve packaging see our bean freshness & storage article.

Cupping - Your guide to Coffee Tasting

'Cupping' is the term for coffee tasting. Just as there is a proper way to evaluate the flavor
of wine, there is a professional way to evaluate the body, aroma, acidity and balance of
coffee. For our detailed guide to coffee tasting, please see our coffee cupping article.

Related Links

Click for more about coffee cupping/tasting.

Click for more about coffee beans by region.
Click for more about caffeine and decaffeination.
Click for more about coffee roasting.
Click for more about coffee blends.
Click for more about coffee flavoring and coffee syrups.
Click for more about pre-ground coffee.
Click for more about coffee maker pods.
Click for more about freshness and storage.

On this page
1. Intro
2. Acidity, Body,
Aroma & Flavor
3. Arabica / Robusta
4. Beans by Region
5. Degree of Roast
6. Coffee Blends
7. Flavored Coffee
 8. Whole Beans
9. Coffee Pods
10. Preground Beans
11. Freshness
12. Storing Beans
13. Coffee Cupping
14. Links

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