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How to know the best quality of coffee beans?
James Marinos • Feb 01, 2021
How to know the best quality of coffee beans?
When it comes to coffee, like most things in life, 'best' is very much something that comes down to personal taste. When asked 'what is the best cup of coffee', this also introduces a whole range of variables too.
However, source is fundamental to the final outcome of your drink, its composition and flavour. This is all dependent on what coffee bean is used in your coffee - The Arabica or Robusta bean.
When drinking coffee it's probable, if not certain, you are drinking Arabica and/or Robusta beans. So let’s find out more about why you may, or may not like a particular blend, bean and indeed cup of (and this we can agree on), the world’s best drink!
ARBICA BEANS
TASTE: High acidity, sweet taste, floral fruity notes.
CAFFEINE: Lower caffeine 1.5%.
APPEARANCE: Slenderer than Robusta and features the recognisable ‘S’ shape down the middle of the bean.
GROWING CONDITIONS: High altitudes: 1,300 - 1,500 meters. While they can grow at lower altitudes, the quality comes from higher levels, slowing maturation from hardier weather conditions making a sweeter finish.
MAINLY GROWN IN: Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia and Indonesia.
More Arabica facts:
• Highly favoured by coffee connoisseurs.
• Harder to grown, but fetches a higher price.
• The most highly produced coffee bean.
• It comes from the plant Coffea Arabica.
ROBUSTA BEANS
TASTE: Low acidity, bitter taste, woody & earthy notes.
CAFFEINE: Higher caffeine 2.7%.
APPEARANCE: Smaller, rounder and thicker than its Arabica counterpart.
GROWING CONDITIONS: Lower altitudes 900 - 1,000 meters.
MAINLY GROWN IN: Vietnam, India, Africa and Brazil.
More Robusta facts:
• Often used in instant coffee, or blended with arabica.
• Improves the creaminess of an espresso shot.
• Robusta is easy to grow and cheaper to buy.
• Robusta needs to be cross-pollinated, unlike arabica.
• Kopi Luwak (the worlds most expensive coffee), uses Robusta beans.
SO WHICH BEAN IS BEST?
With so many blends of coffee available it's safe to say that when pairing these two most popular beans against each other there are benefits to both. However you wouldn't be wrong to assume Arabica comes out on top as a stand-alone coffee bean. It is sweeter and more popularly sold as a single whole bean, which of course, is a more popular choice when buying fresh coffee to grind.
However, the literally robust Robusta has its place! It is fundamental to adding a flavour note to a blend where Arabica can't stand up on its own. These hardier beans offer a woody, nutty flavour note and caffeine kick to a blend like our very own Leonardo, or a smooth creamy finish like our Super Crema
blend which the Arabica can't solely achieve.
If you're keen to explore the sweeter and more floral notes of a pure Arabica blend, there are no shortage of choices! Our Pure
coffee boasts flavours of almonds and fruit while Intenso
offers a rich dark chocolate kick! If you’re curious, just ask us! After all, we recommend sampling all different kinds to find your favourite!
Beans stay fresher for longer, and so your coffee should taste better, too. As soon as green coffee beans are roasted, they start to release CO2, which affects the taste. They will oxidise and slowly start to go 'stale' and have a flat taste after a while. When coffee is ground, there is a higher surface area which is exposed to oxygen and that will cause them to lose their freshness faster, so it's best to keep coffee beans whole as close to brewing as possible. Treat your coffee beans similarly to potatoes: store them in a dark, dry place. It's best they are kept in a container or the bag they come in to stop oxygen and moisture getting in.
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