HOW TO BUY COFFEE BEANS FOR HOME – I.PART

How they can be marked coffee beans:

Blend coffee beans

A mixture of beans from multiple locations, different varieties, roast levels, or flavor profiles of coffee is known as a Coffee Blend.
Blending is done for various different goals. Some companies blend beans to save money. But generally blending is done to create coffee drinks with a flavor profile that is more complete than – or different from – the flavor profiles of a single-origin coffees.

Many roasters create seasonal blends – usually called ‘tandem’ – which combine two or more single origin coffees.

Many big companies have their own ‘taste profiles’, which they want to keep consistent from year to year. Therefore – due to shifting weather or harvest conditions – every season their blend may consist of different coffee beans from different plantations.

Direct Trade

If Single Origin coffee is specified by name of the grower or producer, it had been traded directly. In other words, the coffee roasters bought the beans directly from a producer. Since middleman buyers and sellers are not involved, more money goes directly to the producer/farmer.

The philosophy of Direct Trade supports the vision of creating and developing beneficial and respectful relationships with individual producers to achieve the best possible quality and to preserve the traditions of local communities. Last but not least, the final product will also have a different value to the customer also due to the fact that it tells the story of where the beans are coming from. The farmers are known and not anonymous.

Fair Trade

The association Fairtrade International comprises non-profit fair trade organizations from countries all around the world that certify that products have been produced according to a set of standards that promote sustainable agriculture, waste disposal, and ethical treatment of the people involved in production (i.e. fair wages or protection from unsafe working conditions).

In doing so, Fairtrade International, defines a minimum price that must be paid directly to coffee producers. This price ensures that the costs of sustainable production are covered. If a premium is added to the minimum price, it will be distributed to the producers, who will invest the money in their businesses or communities.