As a coffee lover, trying new coffee and building upon your experience can be very exciting. But sometimes in that excitement, you may end up choosing blends that aren't suitable for you.
While this is a natural part of developing your coffee expertise and discovering what works best for you, those curious about the world of coffee and seeking to learn more will find these guidelines helpful.
We’ve already covered the primary 7 factors to consider before you buy coffee in our previous blog post. Keep reading to know more.
Beans or Ground Coffee
This is all about how much convenience you want.
Ideally, buying whole beans and grinding them just before brewing coffee is recommended to maximise freshness. But using ground coffee can cut short the prep time by a few minutes, making it relatively easier to brew a cup whenever you feel like it.
Keep in mind that if you buy whole beans, you’d need to get a coffee grinder for home use and practice achieving the exact grind size for your brew gear.
Coffee Blends vs Single Origins
To put it simply, single-origin coffee refers to coffee sourced from a single specific region or farm, whereas blends combine two or more different coffee beans.
When you start caring about control, reliability, and clarity, it becomes important to understand the difference between coffee blends and single origins, and to choose which one you prefer the most.
Blends are considered great for daily consumption as there’s a sense of consistency and balance.
On the other hand, single origins make sense when you want to explore unique flavour profiles and interesting notes that aren’t common.
Coffee Freshness
When you pick up a pack of coffee, checking its roast date and expiry date matters more than you think.
These determine how fresh the coffee is, where it is in its flavour journey, and when it’s good for consumption.
Commercial coffees tend to have a long expiry window because they sit on shelves for months. Specialty coffee is not the same. They are often roasted in small batches, and meant to be consumed starting a few days after the roast date.
Coffee Routine
Choosing coffee based on your routine is also an important factor, as this can significantly influence the kind of coffee you pick.
For instance, the coffee you reach for daily is different from the coffee you pick up occasionally as an indulgence. The former is reliable and tastes good even when you’re busy doing chores, and the latter is something that deserves a little extra attention and care while brewing to bring out its best potential.
Similarly, adjusting your coffee choice based on how often you drink it is important. Someone who drinks multiple cups a day may not pick a blend with intense notes as it can get overwhelming after the first two cups. In that case, you should choose coffee that is well-rounded and smooth.
Processing Methods
We have covered the various processing methods in depth on our website.
These methods, like natural or dry processing and washed or wet processing, make a big difference to the coffee flavour profile. Coffee connoisseurs can simply read the label on the packaging and determine what the coffee would be like based on the processing method listed.
If you like coffee that is fruitier and sweeter, you should explore natural processed coffees, and if you like ones that are crisp and have a bright acidity, washed processed coffees would be better for you.
We hope this blog post is helpful in deciding what other aspects you should consider before buying coffee.
Your love for coffee and the way you want to express it is entirely up to you. So remember that there’s no correct or wrong way to go about it.
Comment and let us know what’s a new coffee find you’ve been enjoying these days.
Leave a comment: