HOW TO BUY COFFEE BEANS, PART IV.

What to look for when buying coffee beans:

1 . The Altitude of the plantation affects a coffee’s quality and taste. It needs to be taken into account that within the same coffee growing region, the coffee plants may grow at various different altitudes. Higher elevations produce harder, higher quality beans. The harder the beans are, the higher will be their concentration of sugars.

A high concentration of sugars creates more desired and nuanced flavours. As pointed out by Driftaway Coffee certain general flavour characteristics can be associated with different elevations. Coffee grown:

• below 2,500 feet (762 meters) will be soft, mild, simple, and bland
• around 3,000 feet (914 meters) will be sweet and smooth
• around 4,000 feet (~1,200 meters) may have citrus, vanilla, chocolate, or nutty notes
• above 5,000 feet (~1,500 meters) might be spicy, floral, or fruity

2. Varieties or some special brand, microlot, or limited amount of coffee beans.

3. Knowledge and skills of the coffee roaster. I prefer small, skilled and dedicated coffee roasters over big big roasting companies. Tip: Check out the background and reviews of various coffee roasters.

4 . Packaging – Pay attention to the packaging of the coffee beans. It should not only protect and ensure the quality of the beans, but it also communicates the values and creativity of the company.

5. Price & the seller’s customer service – I will never buy coffee from arrogant, unfriendly coffee people. After all, there should always be an opportunity to buy the same coffee somewhere else.

Advice:

1. Imprtant is roasting date on bag, not expiration date.
2. Many of the coffee shops, they offer “Batch” coffee, daily made coffee, from coffee beans for sale. Taste it and after you can decide easier.
3. Don’t buy very cheap coffee beans, it is wasting time and money. The cheap coffee doesn’t exist. The good coffee beans, they have own value, Before they will arrive to coffe shop, there is a lot work.