How to Tell a Good Coffee Bean?
Coffee is complex. We’re dealing with dozens of coffee-growing countries, from which coffee of all qualities flies across continents to satisfy coffee enthusiasts around the world. After all, our favorite dark brew is more popular than ever.
Nevertheless, with coffee’s rising popularity, comes the need to identify the best from the good. Not all coffee is created equal, and although coffee rarely disappoints, it only exceeds expectations when at its best. Here’s how to tell a good coffee bean. If you want to skip the explanation, explore our recommended coffee beans — better yet, give yourself the chance to taste our best coffee with a subscription.
What Is a Good Coffee Bean?
Coffee beans are seeds, namely seeds of the coffee tree's fruit. Like all seeds, some are large and others small. The life of a seed is not easy; some end up getting moldy, while others might end up gnawed up by insects. Not all seeds make it in one piece either! Damaged beans are considered defects and, to be considered specialty coffee, beans can only have a very small number of defects.
The good news? When coffee beans reach you, they have already been thoroughly sorted, sometimes several times, to ensure quality and consistency. The quality of the coffee beans determines the asking price at the farms, which ultimately leads to the price you pay for it back home. As a specialty coffee provider, our recommended coffee beans have passed a thorough inspection and are graded accordingly.
The Size Matters
One of the important attributes of gourmet coffee beans is definitely their size. They don’t have to be particularly large or small to be considered good, but a batch must be evenly sized.
Coffee roasters know the importance of evenly sized beans. When they roast the beans, they want to make sure all beans roast evenly. If a batch is uneven, smaller beans might turn into charcoal while larger ones will end up under-roasted. When it comes to specialty coffee, consistency is a very important factor.
Freshness Defines Quality
Even if coffee beans are carefully sorted to remove defective seeds; even if the beans are evenly sized and roasted beautifully, none of it matters if the beans aren’t fresh roasted.
We like to think of coffee as something we store in the pantry and forget about. However, coffee is a perishable product. It might not go as bad as milk does, but it will lose aromatic and flavor properties with time.
When in doubt, check your coffee for the packaging and roast dates. Although all coffee is different, most will show apparent flavor loss after a month if stored opened and exposed to oxygen. In sum, always choose fresh roasted coffee.
Good Coffee Is Wonderful
Premium coffee starts at the plantations, and its quality can be preserved or lost along the way until it reaches your table. From the coffee plants’ first flowering buds to the packaging of your favorite coffee at your local roaster, every step matters.
There are hundreds of people behind your favorite coffee; everyone working for the same goal — to preserve the natural beauty of this wonderful infusion we call coffee. Browse Hayman Coffee’s collection of recommended coffee beans for a taste of memorable coffee; coffee that fulfils its purpose.
