Individual preferences play the biggest role in determining what coffee beans make the best coffee, and how great coffee should taste. How good the coffee beans selected is, ultimately determines how good the coffee that’s brewed from the beans is. Coffee beans determine things like taste, caffeine content, aroma and flavors of coffee. However, coffee is quite subjective, and this subjectivity of coffee is why what is loved by one coffee lover might not taste very good to another.
There are literally several hundreds of options when looking to buy great coffee beans. This plethora of options available is nice only a bit confusing. It’s easy to get confused and overwhelmed while researching the coffee beans that are right for you.
Coffee beans are available in different species, cultivated in various countries and continents around the world, and roasted with varying methods. The result is these beans don’t taste the same when brewed and consumed. Certain coffee beans from some countries possess unique taste and qualities that are hard to find in others. How desirable each is depends on the coffee-lover. Kenyan coffee for instance, is revered by coffee-lovers for its acidity. This kind of coffee beans produces a pleasant aroma and acidic taste that might also have fruity flavors underneath. The key is discovering the beans that are right for you.
Coffee beans are categorized in two major ways, which are; type, and country of origin.
There are literally several hundreds of options when looking to buy great coffee beans. This plethora of options available is nice only a bit confusing. It’s easy to get confused and overwhelmed while researching the coffee beans that are right for you.
Coffee beans are available in different species, cultivated in various countries and continents around the world, and roasted with varying methods. The result is these beans don’t taste the same when brewed and consumed. Certain coffee beans from some countries possess unique taste and qualities that are hard to find in others. How desirable each is depends on the coffee-lover. Kenyan coffee for instance, is revered by coffee-lovers for its acidity. This kind of coffee beans produces a pleasant aroma and acidic taste that might also have fruity flavors underneath. The key is discovering the beans that are right for you.
Coffee beans are categorized in two major ways, which are; type, and country of origin.
TYPES OF COFFEE
Robusta: Robusta beans are revered for their relatively high caffeine content first of all. They are also cheaper and easier to cultivate than Arabica, which is why they are cheaper to buy. The problem is these beans generally don’t taste as good as Arabica, and lack the flavors that you might get with other beans. With Robusta, you get more caffeine but an inferior taste and flavor profile.Liberica: This is perhaps the rarest coffee beans type out there. This species of coffee that originated from Liberia, is also perhaps the most neglected species. Despite its neglect, Liberica coffee can be quite tasty.
A bit similar to Robusta, Liberica has a stronger taste, though it doesn’t contain as much caffeine. Its beans are larger than Arabica and Robusta, making them easy to identify for those that love this species. Liberica is mostly cultivated and brewed in Asia, where it is loved for its smoky, floral taste.
Arabica: Arabica coffee is regarded by many as the highest quality coffee beans available. Growing Arabica is a bit complex, so it is more expensive than other coffee types. Arabica is loved for its rich flavor, which is why most of the coffee available today is Arabica. This kind of coffee is sweet with nice flavors, and is usually not very acidic. It is believed to be the first kind of coffee to be cultivated in the world.
Excelsa: It is not as well known as the Arabica, Robusta and Liberica in coffee circles. It is a variant of Liberica coffee, albeit a distinct variant. Despite not being as easily obtainable as the other species of coffee, Excelsa has unique properties, boasting a fruity flavor that combines qualities of dark and light roast together. This specie of coffee is grown in Asia, and is something of a rare treat for coffee lovers.
The roast method employed to process coffee beans impacts its taste and flavors most of all. Coffee processed with each of these methods taste quite different from each other, so it’s best to do a bit of experimentation to discover your preference quickly.
How well coffee is roasted ultimately determines how intense its taste turns out to be. The three roast methods are; light roast, dark roast and medium roast.
ROAST METHOD
The roast method employed to process coffee beans impacts its taste and flavors most of all. Coffee processed with each of these methods taste quite different from each other, so it’s best to do a bit of experimentation to discover your preference quickly.
How well coffee is roasted ultimately determines how intense its taste turns out to be. The three roast methods are; light roast, dark roast and medium roast.
Dark Roast: Dark roast coffee beans involve leaving the coffee beans on the roasting machine for a long stretches at high temperature. This makes the body of the coffee beans thicker though they have less mass, and its flavors punchier and whole.
Dark roast coffee tend to have less caffeine than light roast, and are also bitter as they spend more time on the roasting machine, and are darker. Why makes dark roast coffee desirable is the presence of antioxidants. It is a rich source of antioxidants that help prevent cellular damage. If you desire a unique tasting coffee that’s sweet, then dark roast is right for you.
Dark roast coffee tend to have less caffeine than light roast, and are also bitter as they spend more time on the roasting machine, and are darker. Why makes dark roast coffee desirable is the presence of antioxidants. It is a rich source of antioxidants that help prevent cellular damage. If you desire a unique tasting coffee that’s sweet, then dark roast is right for you.
Light Roast: Light roast coffee spend less time on the roasting machine, so they contain more moisture, and are denser than dark roast. Light roast coffee contain more caffeine than dark roast for this reason, and also don’t taste as bitter.
This method leaves the coffee with a complex taste profile, and more flavors than dark, leading to its distinct taste. Light roast are stronger, and reportedly contain more antioxidants than dark roast due to the presence of more moisture. If you desire more caffeine and more antioxidants, light roast is the best option for you.
Medium Roast: If you think dark roast don’t contain enough caffeine for you, and light roast’s flavors aren’t sufficient, you should opt for medium roast. Medium roast tend to be darker than light roast, and also have more flavors than light roast, though not as much as dark roast.
The body of the beans becomes fuller at this level of roast, and it has a nice balance of acidity. Coffee beans processed in this manner do not have oil on the surface of the beans. Medium roast strikes a nice balance of acidity, flavor and aroma between light and dark roast។
Some countries have better weather conditions for growing coffee than others, so the quality of the output differs when harvested. Not all countries have the weather conditions and altitude required for growing good coffee. However, some countries have become revered for the quality of coffee beans they produce. Most of these countries are in Central America and South Asia where conditions are suitable for growing coffee. They are; Ethiopia, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, Uganda, Jamaica. Kenyan coffee is also highly desired as the level of care with which farmers cultivate, harvest and care for their coffee beans is quite high.
So, there you have it. We’ve already established that a bit of experimentation is key to deciding the best coffee beans. We also mentioned that roast method, the species of coffee beans, and the country where it is cultivated play a part in determining how well coffee tastes. Now you know what to watch out for while making your selection.
This method leaves the coffee with a complex taste profile, and more flavors than dark, leading to its distinct taste. Light roast are stronger, and reportedly contain more antioxidants than dark roast due to the presence of more moisture. If you desire more caffeine and more antioxidants, light roast is the best option for you.
Medium Roast: If you think dark roast don’t contain enough caffeine for you, and light roast’s flavors aren’t sufficient, you should opt for medium roast. Medium roast tend to be darker than light roast, and also have more flavors than light roast, though not as much as dark roast.
The body of the beans becomes fuller at this level of roast, and it has a nice balance of acidity. Coffee beans processed in this manner do not have oil on the surface of the beans. Medium roast strikes a nice balance of acidity, flavor and aroma between light and dark roast។
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
Just as roast methods result in varying taste and acidity in coffee, the country where the coffee beans are cultivated and harvested also have something to say about how the coffee beans turn out. This is because countries have varying soil types, weather conditions.Some countries have better weather conditions for growing coffee than others, so the quality of the output differs when harvested. Not all countries have the weather conditions and altitude required for growing good coffee. However, some countries have become revered for the quality of coffee beans they produce. Most of these countries are in Central America and South Asia where conditions are suitable for growing coffee. They are; Ethiopia, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, Uganda, Jamaica. Kenyan coffee is also highly desired as the level of care with which farmers cultivate, harvest and care for their coffee beans is quite high.
So, there you have it. We’ve already established that a bit of experimentation is key to deciding the best coffee beans. We also mentioned that roast method, the species of coffee beans, and the country where it is cultivated play a part in determining how well coffee tastes. Now you know what to watch out for while making your selection.
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