Where to Buy Coffee Beans
If you're in love with whole beans the best place to buy them is at your local coffee shop or roaster. If you're not close to a roaster, go on the internet for companies that can roast and deliver your order.
Geography plays a huge factor in the taste of coffee like, so pay attention to the country of origin of the beans you're buying.
Arabica vs. Robusta
There are more than 100 distinct coffee varieties. The two most commonly used are Coffea arabica (Robusta) and Coffea Canephora. Robusta is more resistant to diseases, drought and pests. It can be grown at lower altitudes and produces more coffee cherries in a year. It is also cheaper than arabica to cultivate.
Robusta accounts for 40% of all coffee produced in the world. While it's true that a low-quality robusta batch can taste like burned rubber, a good brew made with specialty beans can actually surpass Arabica in taste. The issue is that with a few exceptions most of the robusta sold on the market comes from plantations who are concerned about quantity.
Robusta plants thrive in lower altitudes and their resistance to diseases and pests is because of the high amount of caffeine in the beans. This is why they are Robusta a popular choice for traditional diner and instant coffee. Although some companies claim their coffee as being 100 arabica-based, they often mix it with a type of robusta to save money, and provide their customers with a lower quality coffee beans cup of coffee. Robusta coffee can be more harsh, more bitter and grainier than arabica. It can also have an nutty or peanut taste. These flavors can be unpleasant to some people or too strong.
Coffee beans are actually seeds that grow inside of small vibrant fruits, referred to as coffee bean berries. The berries are removed from the coffee plant at the time they are ripe and then split into two beans. The beans are roasted and then used to make our most-loved beverage.
The most well-known variety of beans are Arabica and are renowned for their smoky flavor that isn't bitter. They're also regarded as complex and able to offer a variety of flavors. The primary regions of cultivation for these beans are Africa, Central America and South America, where the conditions for the production of high-quality coffee are perfect.
These beans are more expensive coffee beans than Robusta because their growth requires more care. They require specific temperatures and sufficient rainfall to develop their flavor profile. The finest coffee beans in the world come from Africa. Many of the farms are family-owned and operated on a smaller scale.
Aside from the region that is growing an additional factor to take into account when buying coffee is whether or not it's single origin. “Single Origin” can mean many things however it usually indicates that the coffee is from only one farm, or region within the country. Third wave coffee is great because you can taste it in its purest form by knowing where it came from.
Grind
The quality of the coffee you drink can be affected by way it is prepared. You can discover the perfect combination of coffee by experimenting with different grind sizes and brewing methods.
The grind size can have a significant impact on the extraction of soluble coffee particles from the grounds. This affects the taste of the coffee. If the grind is too coarse it is unable to get through the grind to extract the soluble coffee solids out. This is called under extraction, and could result in weak coffee bean company. If the grind is too fine, water goes through the coffee too quickly, and it experiences an over extraction that results in bitterness.
It is possible to purchase pre-ground coffee however, it is recommended to purchase whole beans and grind your own beans right away prior to brewing. This will keep your beans fresher and longer than if they were pre-ground.
A burr grinder is the preferred tool to create a consistent grind, but you can also use a hand-grinder or a food processor, or a mortar and pestle. Burr grinders have two cutting discs, which break the beans to a specific grind consistency by changing the distance between the burrs. A smaller gap produces the finest grinding, while the larger gap results in more coarse grinding.
Stores
Coffee beans degrade rapidly after they've been opened, so it's a good idea to keep the bean bag tightly shut and grind only as much as you need for the next time you brew. You may also look into buying a resealable canister, which will eliminate air and allow the CO2 off-gassing that occurs when the beans are first crushed to escape.
Whole bean coffee will stay at its freshest for up to a month when stored in a safe manner. However, once the highest rated coffee beans (try these out) is ground the quality of your coffee will diminish in as little as 30 minutes. This is the reason it's important to only grind the amount you'll need and then store the rest of the beans in an airtight, clear container.
You can pick from a selection of attractive and easy-to-use containers for storing coffee. Some are vacuum sealed to stop moisture from getting inside. Some even have a single-way valve that will release the gasses released by freshly roasted coffee, which will prolong the beans' freshness.
The ideal place to store your empty coffee is in a cool, dark area with a stable temperature. Avoid storing it in a cabinet that is near your oven or stove as it can be heated and accelerate the chemical reactions that destroy coffee. Keep the beans out of direct sunlight will cause them to absorb it and lose its flavor.(Image: https://cdn.freshstore.cloud/offer/images/778/151/napoli-1kg-italian-blend-roasted-coffee-beans-intense-dark-persistent-151.jpg)
