How to Choose a Specialty Coffee

Specialty coffee options are booming, and it can be overwhelming to choose a coffee from the sea of ​​specialty coffee websites. It seems like a new coffee roaster opens its doors every day, and that's great! Before, the options were limited, but now we can choose the best coffee for our tastes, with the ideal roast for our favorite brewing method and with unlimited notes to discover.

How to choose the best specialty coffee

But where do we start? With the basics: Is it sold in beans or ground ? When we walk into a store or roaster, the bags of coffee should be bagged with beans by default.

This ensures the coffee is as fresh as possible . If you don't have a grinder at home, a good coffee shop or roaster will grind it for you without any problem. Plus, they'll know exactly how to grind it for your machine, because it's important to grind it to a specific coarseness for the coffee to extract properly.

How to understand a specialty coffee bag

When we start looking at specialty coffee bags, there's a lot of information, or there should be. The basic information we should have is:

• Country/ies of origin
• Region(s) of origin
• Altitude
• Grades
• Variety/s (always Arabica)
• Process (Washed, Semi-washed, Honey, Natural, and others)
• Roasting date

Additional information we can find if the roasters have decided to include it (and if not, they should have this information if we ask them):

• Year/Month of Harvest
• Description of the farm and the coffee
• Name of the producer or washing station
• Type of roast

Some of these points don't require any explanation, but they are important information to have because coffee traceability is proof of quality.

And how can this data help you choose a coffee?

Origin doesn't really matter that much when choosing a coffee, because farms are now experimenting more with varieties from other countries, experimenting with new processes, and we can find such unique and fruity coffees in every coffee-producing country.

Altitude can tell us something. Sometimes you can see it as "masl": meters above sea level or "msnsm": meters above sea level. In this sense, we can compare it to wine: the higher the altitude, the higher the acidity. Of course, there are many other factors, such as the minerals in the soil, the climate, the varieties, the coffee processing, and the roasting process.

Notes are key to understanding a coffee's quality. What are coffee notes? Notes are natural flavors we find when we taste a coffee. They're not added flavors. The soil, climate, varieties, processes, and roasting all influence the final notes. It's also very subjective, so everyone may have a slightly different opinion, but it will help you get an idea of ​​whether it's a fruitier or more chocolatey coffee , at least.

Since the notes vary from person to person, it's best to try it yourself! You can usually try it at the cafe before buying it if they have it available.

The variety or varieties you find in coffee influence the notes. Each Arabica variety has unique properties. They provide unique notes, have a characteristic size and shape, and the final result is different from another variety with the same process and roasting. This information is not usually considered because there are so many varieties to learn about, but there are some, like pacamaras or gesha, that tend to surprise us and are highly sought after.

The process greatly changes the final result of a coffee. Washed coffees are the most common, while natural processes, anaerobic fermentation, or 48-hour fermentation are less common and result in very complex, full-bodied coffees, sometimes with interesting and surprising notes.

The roasting date is essential to ensure freshness, just like buying whole beans. Coffees are ideal 7-10 days after roasting. If you grind them fresh, it's recommended to drink them within 2 weeks. Once ground, it's best to drink them within a week. That's why it's important to check the roasting date.

Additional data that helps us choose a coffee

The year or month of harvest is important to ensure the coffee's freshness. It shouldn't be years since it was harvested, months since it was roasted... and months since it was ground—how awful!

Specialty coffee roasters typically purchase seasonal coffees with harvests due within 1 year, 2 at most.

The name of the producer or washing station —more common in African coffees. This doesn't influence your decision based on flavor, but if you're looking for a coffee with high traceability, perhaps with a charitable donation or organic, bird-friendly, or other certifications, it's very helpful to know the producer's name.

The type of roast helps a lot to determine whether your coffee is right for you or not. This will depend on how you prepare it at home. Do you usually make filter coffee, Aeropress, Moccamaster, or French press? Look for a light roast. Bags are sometimes labeled "filter roast" or "light roast." If you prefer espresso or Italian mocha, opt for a "medium roast" or "espresso roast."

We don't recommend a "dark" roast, as an over-roast will mask the coffee's notes and characteristics. But at the end of the day, it depends on your tastes and preferences.

Did I miss any details you think are essential when choosing a coffee? Let me know in the post!