You don’t have to be a connoisseur to tell the difference between good coffee and cheap, gross coffee. Anyone who drinks coffee every day can discern this with one sip.
Still, you may not know the difference just by looking at the coffee bean varieties in the coffee aisle of your local grocery store. That’s where we come in.
Below is your complete guide to the different types of coffee. Specifically, we explain what the different roasting levels mean and which growing regions produce the best coffee beans. You’ll also find out about grinding and storing methods that result in fresh-tasting, delicious coffee every time you brew.
Learn all there is to know about choosing the best coffee by reading this guide.
Types of Coffee Beans
There are 2 main categories of coffee beans that you need to know about: robusta and arabica. Basically, arabica coffee is best.
Major coffee brands like Starbucks always use the best arabica beans. However, low-quality/stale arabica beans will taste not so great.
Meanwhile, robusta beans are not good, ever. They taste like cheap, bland, gross coffee.
Technically, there are two other bean categories: liberica and excelsa. But you’re unlikely to see these on the labels of the coffee offered at your local stores.
Growing Regions
Next, we’ll explain the main coffee-growing regions of the world. There are four: Africa/Arabia, Asia, Central/South America, and Kona.
Africa/Arabia
Coffees from this region are bursting with rich, sometimes spicy flavor. Many compare the flavor of these coffees to wine, cherries, and various fruits and flowers.
Asia
Coffees from Asia usually have a nuttier, earthy flavor. The flavor notes of these coffees include caramel, mushrooms, and dirt (yes, dirt). As you can imagine, while many connoisseurs enjoy these flavor notes, they’re not for everyone.
Central/South America
The coffees from Central/South America are more acidic than coffees from other regions. These are often described as nutty, caramelly, or citrusy.
Also, their high acidity slightly cancels out the boldness of the coffee. The result is a very light flavor that vanishes quickly.
Kona
The Kona region in Hawaii grows very bold, sweet, rich, chocolatey coffee. It’s very expensive, though, and not only because of its superior flavor. There’s only a small supply available because the Kona region is significantly smaller than the other coffee-growing regions.
Roasting Levels
During the roasting process, the original flavor of the beans is literally roasted away. Thus, the flavor of dark roasts is really more roast than bean. Roasting for longer also removes more of the caffeine content.
You’ll have to sample different roasts for yourself to find out which roast you like best. You can even order green (raw) coffee beans and try roasting them yourself. If you’re interested, go here to learn how to order the best green coffee beans.
Keeping Coffee Fresh
Finally, here are some tips to ensure the freshness of your coffee. You see, like everything else in your pantry, coffee beans oxidize over time and go stale.
The special bags in which coffee is packaged help prevent this. Still, the beans should be consumed 7 days after opening.
Fresh-ground whole beans taste more fresh than pre-ground beans. Lastly, store your coffee in the pantry, not the freezer.
Choose the Best Coffee Using These Tips
Keep this page bookmarked so that you don’t forget the tips above. Also, do you know anyone else who’s wondering about the different types of coffee? If so, please share this guide with them.
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