How To Buy Good Coffee

With the popularity of coffee on the rise, it's hard to distinguish what really "good" coffee is. Its easy to get caught up in the coffee culture of trends, marketing, successful chains, and what is popular in your own area.

If you're really what to know how to buy good coffee it's important to know what things to look for that signify quality. Just because one coffee costs more than another, this doesn't mean the more expensive one is better, it probably just means you are paying for a well known brand. So, how can you tell if a coffee is good or not if you can't even trust it's name?

Unfortunately, in today's society, it isn't as simple as trusting a fancy logo or a catchy advertisement. It would be easy if we could just believe that those big name coffee sellers out there really did want to help you to brew the "perfect cup" or that their coffee really was the best way to start your day. No, as the consumer, you need to take this matter into your own hands. With a little patience and the knowledge of what to look for, selecting quality coffee with great flavor is not impossible. In fact, it can be quite easy. Chances are you know how to read a nutrition label on a packaged food product- it's very similar with coffee. You just have to take a little time to educate yourself on what qualities should be present on a package of coffee.

Generally, you should always stay away from the typical grocery coffees. Store brands, Folgers, Maxwell house... you get the idea. These coffees are usually made with the least expensive, lowest quality of beans. They will not provide you with a good flavor or a full body, but they will provide you with a lot of acid and caffeine, which accounts for many problems people have with drinking coffee in the first place.

The following information on types of beans and how they are roasted should give you a good idea of what to look for when you are purchasing coffee.

Beans

First, there are two types of beans. Robusta Beans and Arabica Beans.

Robusta beans are typically grown at altitudes between sea level and 2000 feet. They are less expensive to produce and contain high amounts of caffeine so they are typically the beans used by mass producers to make instant and commercial coffees.

Arabica Beans are grown at altitudes of 2000-7000 feet above sea level. Generally these beans are sweeter and have more flavor. They have about half the amount of caffeine that Robusta beans contain and they are the popular choice for gourmet coffee shops and roasters. Harvesting and production of these beans takes much more time and money, so they generally cost a bit more than coffee made from Robusta beans.

Where to buy

It is best to purchase your coffee from a local shop that roasts their own beans or gets their beans from a local roasting company. After the roasting process, the beans gradually loose their flavor therefore, buying locally ensures a more recent roast. Also, if you can, buy your coffee whole bean so you can grind them just before you brew. (See Grinding Coffee)

Finally, there are different levels of roasting which contribute quite a bit to the flavor and quality of coffee.

There are 5 known levels of roasts for coffee:

1. Cinnamon Roast: Although the name can sound quite tasty, it really has nothing to do with the flavor, but it refers to the color. A cinnamon roast coffee is a light cinnamon brown color. it has the highest acid content of any other roast and it is usually used by mass commercial producers of coffee. This roast simply doesn't make a good cup of coffee
2. City Roast: A dark colored bean with no oil traces on the bean. It has a light almost caramel like flavor. This bean is often used as the base for flavored coffees. It does not have a dark, full bodied flavor. This roast is ideal for people who love the taste of coffee but don't care for the dark or heavy bodied tastes of espresso.
3. Viennese Roast: These beans are a little darker and have some oils on them. They have a darker roast flavor.
4. French Roast: Very dark brown beans with high amounts of oil on the bean surface. They have a dark roast flavor and a full body.
5. Espresso Roast/Italian Roast: Very dark, almost black in color and very oily surface. They have the boldest flavor of all roasts and are typically only used to brew espresso.

One more thing you can look for when selecting coffee is the "Grade A" or "AA" coffee. If a coffee meets this standard, you can bet its written on the package and its probably worth your money.

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