The question of what the best coffee beans are is often asked. However, there is no single answer to this question. It's a matter of taste; what are your personal preferences? There are, however, some guidelines you can follow when buying coffee beans, allowing you to brew the coffee that best suits your taste.
What determines the taste of coffee?
The influence of terroir on coffee beans
The taste of coffee is determined by the type of coffee bean, the environment where the coffee is grown (also known as terroir), the altitude of the plantation, the care and processing, and the roasting and blending of the beans. Terroir influences taste in several ways, namely through the type of soil, the altitude of the plantation, and the climate.
When a coffee farmer grows the same type of coffee as his neighbor, at the same altitude and with the same climate, but on a different plot of land, it still results in a different coffee taste. Additionally, the amount of rain also impacts the coffee taste. A climate that is not too hot in terms of temperature, with little wind and plenty of rain, is the ideal match for coffee.
There are three forms of coffee:
- Single estate: the coffee beans come from one and the same plantation;
- Single origin: the coffee beans come from one specific region;
- Blend: a combination of coffee beans from different regions and different plantations.
A single estate or single origin offers a unique and distinctive character. Connoisseurs will be able to recognize and assess the soil type, climate, and hours of sunshine in it. Blends, on the other hand, bring unity to the taste of coffee and offer consistent quality by continuously testing and, if necessary, changing the ratio of the blended coffee varieties. But that's not all. A well-executed blend can sometimes be better than the individual coffee varieties it consists of!
The Coffee Belt
Around the equator, you'll find the countries where coffee grows best, due to the climate. This is also known as the coffee belt. South America is the continent where most coffee beans are produced and where many coffee plantations can be found. In addition to the stable quality of many coffees from these areas, the coffee is perfect for blends. Brazil is the country that produces the most coffee beans worldwide, followed by coffee giant Colombia.
Generally, different continents have distinct flavour notes. For example, coffees from North America are often floral, fresh, and nutty, while coffees from South America are sweet and nutty.
Latin American countries are therefore known for their wine-like fruit tones, with the exception of Brazil, where the coffee has a more neutral taste. This is because the coffee there grows at a lower altitude compared to other South American countries. Incidentally, some coffee experts say that the coffee there has a slightly sweeter and grain-like taste. In addition, in African countries such as Kenya and Ethiopia, you will find a fruity taste with citrus notes, meaning fresh and tart, and coffees from Asia are generally spicy and sweet.
What else should you pay attention to when buying coffee?
Roasting
The green coffee beans are roasted to bring out the aromas and full character of the pure coffee beans. This task requires a great deal of subtlety from the master roaster, who perfectly knows the beans and the equipment. The coffee beans are roasted in a (large) machine, over a period of 10 to 20 minutes at temperatures between 190 and 230 °C. During roasting, the coffee bean loses moisture, turns brown, and makes a popping sound, just like popcorn. This is also called the 'crack'. The bean thus turns brown: the darker the color, the stronger the coffee has been roasted. During this process, almost 800 aromas and flavours develop, as well as the acidity, mildness, and body.
You can grade the roasting of coffee beans as light, medium, dark, and very dark. Lightly roasted beans have a fresh taste and aroma with a relatively light body. Medium roasted beans have a full and mild taste. Dark roasted beans are full and powerful with a caramel/sweet undertone. Very darkly roasted beans have a pronounced aroma and a full body. They are bittersweet and have a powerful taste. It's good to know that darkly roasted beans contain less caffeine than lighter ones.
Brewing method
There are many different brewing methods, each requiring a different type of coffee and roast. For example, do you have a fully automatic machine on your countertop? In principle, you can use both light and dark roasted coffee in it. Determine your preference based on the above. For a filter coffee maker, light to medium roasted coffee beans are best suited. Prefer an espresso? Then choose the somewhat darker roasted coffees.
Quality
The difference in quality lies in the dedication and energy with which the coffee farmer produces his coffee. Terroir also plays a role here, as do the qualities of the coffee roaster. All of this is reflected in the complexity of the taste.
As mentioned, we cannot give you a definitive answer to the question "What are the best coffee beans?" This is a matter of taste. However, we hope to have given you some guidelines to consider when buying coffee. Furthermore, it is mainly a lot of tasting and experimenting.
What should you look for when buying good coffee beans?
When you are looking for good coffee beans, the most important thing is that the beans are fresh. The coffee bag will have an expiration date or a roast date. The expiration date is usually up to one year after the roast date. The coffee is at its best within three months of roasting.
In addition, you can also check whether there is a quality mark on the coffee bag. Kaldi features the Rainforest Alliance seal on some of its coffees. This is an international non-profit organization whose goal is to protect ecosystems and the animals and people who depend on them. The Rainforest Alliance seal stands for transparency and sustainability, something Kaldi coffee is very proud of!
Of course, the most important thing is that you know what taste you are looking for, as already explained on this page.
Arabica vs Robusta coffee beans
We know many types of coffee plants, but only five of these plants are suitable for coffee production. However, only two of these are responsible for almost all coffee in the world: Coffea Arabica and Coffea Canephora, better known as Arabica and Robusta.
Arabica accounts for 70 percent of global cultivation and has a wide spectrum of flavours. The taste of Arabica has a pleasant freshness that we call acidity. The aroma of this coffee can be deliciously sweet like caramel or fresh like a lime.
Approximately 29 percent of global coffee cultivation is Coffea Canephora, or Robusta. Because the plant grows at a lower altitude than Arabica, Robusta experiences more pest problems. The plant protects itself against this by producing more caffeine, almost twice as much as Arabica. The taste of Robusta is more bitter than that of Arabica, often woody and earthy. Robusta grows on lower, often flat ground, making it easy for large agricultural machinery to harvest. Unlike Arabica, which grows on hills and often has to be harvested by hand. Robusta has a firm body and is therefore often appreciated in espresso. In Italy, most blends contain more than 50 percent Robusta. Once robusta is incorporated into your coffee blend, the coffee retains its taste and strength longer.
Coffee beans for a fully automatic machine
A fully automatic machine is designed for convenience and makes a good cup of coffee at the touch of a button. Compared to a semi-automatic machine, where you have full control and can adjust everything, a fully automatic machine offers fewer options to make changes to the process. Because a fully automatic machine operates with a lower water temperature than a semi-automatic machine and has a lower pressure profile, fewer flavours are extracted from the coffee beans due to the lower temperature and pressure, making it less strong in taste more quickly. To achieve a full coffee flavour, it is therefore recommended to use a darker roasted coffee, or coffee with many dark chocolate notes, such as the Full Classic or Colombia, in a fully automatic machine.
