The best natural coffee beans: how to buy?

Have you already chosen the coffee beans that you like the most? Do you know what varieties of coffee beans exist? Prices? What is the best natural coffee beans that you can buy in Spain for your espresso machine for quality price? And the ground coffee?

The first thing we have to keep in mind is that when we talk about the best coffee, taste is very subjective and depends a lot on each person.

What is clear is that the more coffee you taste, your palate will become more demanding and you will know how to differentiate the different types of coffee and their different flavors and textures.

Your goal will be to find the best grains, and to have a good coffee machine to prepare them correctly.

How to buy, choose and prepare the best coffee bean

1.-Mixed or various types of coffee beans

Wherever you buy the coffee beans, you always have to look on the label that they are Arabica coffee beans. They are the best. Yes it is 100% Arabica better (and not Robusta). There is only one exception

To prepare espresso coffee, we may find a mixture of Arabica and Robusta beans: it gives the coffee a different body and that is good for this type of coffee.

You can also opt for a coffee with Robusta beans if you want an extra dose of caffeine: it has almost twice the caffeine of Arabica beans.

When a blended coffee is used for an espresso, it has been taken into account that the coffee will need more body, more aromas... in short, to give your coffee a different touch.

But if you only want to savor a coffee from a single origin, you will be able to learn in detail the nuances of a specific coffee from a specific area of ​​the planet.

2.-Origin of coffee beans

This is important, as geographic location is going to change the flavor of your coffee beans a lot. Height, temperature, type of soil, harvesting method. The factors are infinite

North America and Caribbean

Mexico and Hawaii also have many things to contribute to this world. And let's not forget Puerto Rico.

• Coffee plants produce their best beans when grown at high altitudes and in tropical climates. These conditions occur in the equatorial zone between latitudes 25º North and 30º South.
• Other variables are also involved, such as the quality of the land, the weather (rain and sun), which is why there are more than 50 countries around the world that are dedicated to planting coffee on their land, achieving a great variety in both quality and flavor. .

Central America

Costa Rica occupies a large part of our hearts when it comes to talking about this incredible drink.

• Guatemalan coffee is a coffee with a full to medium body and often with a depth and complexity of flavor that is almost spicy or chocolate-like.
• Costa Rica has a reputation for excellent coffee. Arabica coffee only. With a medium body and strong acidity, coffee from Costa Rica is often described by tasters as having “perfect balance”.

South America

Brazil and Colombia are two of the largest producers and two of the countries with the best coffee in the world.

• Colombia Supremo, the highest quality grade, has a delicate and aromatic sweetness while the Excelso grade is softer and slightly more acidic.
• A fine cup of Brazil is a light, sweet, medium-bodied, low-acid coffee.

Africa, Middle East and Arabian Peninsula

Ethiopia could not be missing from our list of countries. Possibly the country where the plant originated.

• Ethiopian coffee is full of flavor, earthy and full-bodied.
• Kenya has its own unique classification system. Kenya AA is the largest bean in a 10-size grading system and AA+ means growth stage.
• Ivory Coast coffees are strongly aromatic, with a light body and some acidity.
• The lack of water also means that the coffee beans will be processed dry after harvest. The result is a distinctive flavor that is deep, rich and unlike any other.

Asia

Indonesia and Vietnam are the countries that bid the most in this region for this crop.

• Indonesian coffees are characterized by a rich full body with mild acidity. Indonesia is also known for its coffees stored for a certain time.
• Vietnamese coffee has a light acidity and a medium body with a good balance. It is frequently used for mixes.

3.-Buy whole coffee beans and not ground

This is because the coffee beans must be ground when we go to drink a cup of coffee so that their different flavors are not lost.

A large part of the flavor in a cup of coffee comes from the oils in the bean. Roasted coffee beans can have an oily surface. This oil is very volatile, and when exposed to oxygen, it begins to break down.

If you buy coffee beans make sure they are sealed in an airtight bag, preferably one with a one-way valve.

When you buy ground coffee, some of those volatile oils will have evaporated during the grinding process.

4.-If possible, buy from a store that roasts its own beans

It is the ideal situation. Find a store that roasts its own coffee beans. Coffee beans begin to lose their flavor from the moment they leave the roaster.

5.-How to prepare strong or mild coffee

The word strong with coffee can be interpreted in many ways. If you want a strong cup of coffee, simply increase the ratio of ground coffee to hot water. The more ground coffee you put in, the stronger the coffee will be.

However, depending on the coffee beans and blends, some have a "stronger" flavor than others. What is true is that the longer the coffee bean is roasted, the darker the bean will be and the greater the chance of losing some of the more subtle flavors.

6.-You have to pay attention to the freshness of the coffee roast

The best brands of coffee beans always put when the coffee has been roasted in their containers. The fresher the better. Don't see the roast date? The producer doesn't want you to know because the coffee was probably roasted many, many months ago.

It is best to buy beans with a close roasting date. And then use it in about a month so that it doesn't lose its properties (quality, intensity of flavor, aroma).

7.-What type of roast should I buy depending on the type of coffee maker?

It will depend a lot on your coffee maker and your tastes. There are no good or bad options. You just have to keep in mind that your espresso machine needs a different roast than your filter coffee machine.

The roast for filter coffee machines has been processed less so that the coffee is more acidic, while the roast for an espresso machine is longer so that the body of the coffee is greater and has a point of caramel.

8.-¿Natural or roasted coffee?

Naturally roasted coffee must always be our first choice. Your coffee maker and your body will thank you.

• Natural coffee is made by roasting green coffee beans at high temperatures until the desired roast level is reached. It is softer and less bitter. You will taste the coffee as it really is. No add-ons. No sugar.
• Roasted coffee is obtained by adding sugar during the roasting process. The flavor will be more intense and bitter, but it loses aroma. It is cheaper.

Roasted coffee should be avoided at all costs. That presence of up to 20% of carbonized sugar is not good for our health, nor for the interior of our coffee maker (especially if it is express). You have to buy 100% natural coffee .

If you want to give your coffee an extra touch of flavor, just add cinnamon powder, grated coconut or even vanilla. It's all more natural.  

Buy from our store, coffee beans delivered at your door step.