Searching for the best places to purchase top-grade coffee beans could easily be a chore. Naturally, when you find a good store or site that offers the best services and products, you want to stick with it. There are a plethora of options when it comes to getting desired coffee beans. This article will help you understand what you should know about getting the best coffee beans.
About Coffee Beans
First, a quick recap about what coffee beans are.
Coffee is brewed from coffee beans. The bean is the red or purple fruit’s seed from a “Coffea plant”. This said fruit is often referred to as coffee cherry or stone fruit. Despite not being actual beans, the resemblance to authentic beans earned the seeds the name “coffee beans”. The fruit contains two seeds placed by each other on their flat sides.
A minute percentage of the fruits harvested with just one seed instead of the more common two seeds occur. These said fruits are called “Peaberry”. Two species of coffee plant supply most of the global consumption. The “Coffea Arabica” and “Coffea Canephora”. The main variety of the “Coffea Canephora” is the Robusta coffee beans. The Arabica coffee beans are better in flavour and mildness, making them the global favourite.
Types of Coffee Beans
Knowing the types of coffee beans will help you decide better on what the coffee beans mean to you. People have preferences. Some have affinities to a strong cup of coffee, and others might like it milder. You would often find different coffee bean types blended for the desired taste. There are majorly four types of coffee beans. Still, the more common and popular ones are the Arabica and Robusta varieties.
Arabica Coffee Beans
Also known as Coffea Arabica, this is the most renowned coffee type globally. This specie makes up a good 60 per cent of the global market. The origins are said to be from the Highlands of Ethiopia over centuries ago. They are probably the first coffee beans to be consumed. Unfortunately, Arabica is more challenging to grow than Robusta. This reason is responsible for stores’ pricer tags on Arabica coffee beans.
Regarding taste, Arabica coffee beans are the variety of the highest quality. They have a peculiar lack of bitterness with a smooth and complex flavour. The Coffea Arabica plant is susceptible to diseases and grows at high altitudes of about two thousand feet.
Where Can You Purchase Arabica Beans?
Arabica coffee beans are common in gourmet coffee companies. You can purchase them at convenience stores also. Check the labels to confirm the beans are a hundred per cent Arabica, which means no blending with another variety. Some sites also offer sales and delivery. An example is Ali Baba and Amazon.
Robusta Coffee Beans
The Robusta coffee bean variety is the second most popular type. Said to have originated from sub-Saharan Africa, it’s cultivated majorly in Africa and Indonesia. Unlike the Arabica variety, it’s budget-friendly. Sometimes the Robusta variety is mixed with other types in coffee blends.
Regarding taste, there’s a popular notion that Robusta coffee is spicier and more bitter than Arabica. This variety also has a strong aroma and a bland, burnt-like taste. If you prefer the type of coffee beans packed with a bigger caffeine punch, then consider Robusta.
Robusta coffee beans appear larger and more rounded than other types. The Coffea Canephora plant can grow in regions of lower altitude and is mainly disease resistant making them hardy plants. Research has shown that they’re not as heat resistant tho as previously hailed.
Where Can You Buy Robusta Beans?
Robusta beans are found easily in coffee shops. Prevalently, you can find them in coffee blends and easily purchase some at convenience stores or malls. You can also get some via online sites.
Liberica Coffee Beans
This coffee specie is indigenous to central and western Africa, specifically Liberia, hence its name. The Liberica coffee beans are known for their piquant aroma and smoky taste. Frequently, this variety is blended with others to give the coffee a complex flavour. The trees are usually giant than those of both Arabica and Robusta.
In appearance, this variety is mostly irregularly shaped. Liberica coffee beans are resistant to heat and humid climatic conditions. It doesn’t fare badly at low altitudes either. This variety of coffee beans takes up about two per cent of the world’s supply. As a result, it isn’t common in European and North American markets.
Where to Buy Liberica Coffee Beans
The Philippines is the best place to get Liberica coffee. The coffee beans are widely available in convenience stores and supermarkets. If you’d like to enjoy a brewed cup of coffee, it’s served in coffee shops across the Philippines. To get this coffee bean type outside of the Philippines and Southeast Asia, locate shops and market regions that cater to Filipino patrons or even one owned by a Filipino expatriate.
Excelsa Coffee Beans
Reclassified as a Liberica variant, the Excelsa beans germinate almost entirely in southeast Asia. They appear similar to Liberica coffee beans being elongated and oval. The plants thrive well at medium altitudes.
In terms of taste, the flavour is unique. Coffee made from these coffee beans is light on fragrance and caffeine. These coffee beans, like Liberica, are sometimes blended with other varieties to add complexity.
Where to Buy Excelsa Beans
Excelsa coffee beans are hard to come by, especially outside of Asia. Nevertheless, some specialty roasters offer coffee brewed from these coffee beans.
The Best Coffee
People sometimes ask, “what is the best-tasting coffee?” The answer is that there isn’t one. Taste is individual and peculiar to every single person. Many factors affect how a person tastes things, be it food or drink. As a result, there’s no perfect solid answer to the question about what the best coffee is. The factors that affect the taste of a person include the following.
- Genetics. This influences the brain’s perception of specific tastes.
- One’s upbringing. This will make you more accustomed to and have an affinity for some tastes more than others.
- Taste receptors. This is affected by diet and medications.
- Taste training. This serves to teach you about better identification and understanding of flavours.
- Experiences. Flavours are sometimes associated with good or bad memories and experiences. In the same way, the sight of something could trigger a memory.
- Recently consumed food. This is very common and easily relatable. Previous tastes alter the sensitivity of your taste buds to other specific flavours.
- Stress levels and mood. Your brain perceives tastes differently under stressful conditions and perspectives.
As a result, one man’s best is not necessarily another’s.
How to Decide the Best Coffee Beans for You
Knowing the types of coffee beans isn’t enough to go on when it comes to determining your idea of the best or desired coffee. Sometimes you might even decide to change tastes and go for something different.
If coffee with the best possible flavour is what you seek, consider a hundred per cent Arabica coffee beans. Of course, this would cost a little more, but if it’s worth it to you, go for it. On another note, purchase the Robusta variety if you want a coffee brew with extra caffeine for a pocket-friendly price. Expect the bitterness to come with it.
The Liberica and Excelsa coffee beans will indeed have a different and unusual flavour. You could also go for mixed blends of Arabica and Robusta coffee beans and any other available combination that suits your taste buds. You might need to dig into the rare coffee bean varieties like Liberica and Excelsa.
Based on taste preferences, price, caffeine content levels and availability, you should be able to decide which coffee beans are best for you. These criteria will aid with the search.
Conclusion
Irrespective of what type of coffee beans you decide on, you should purchase them as whole coffee beans and grind them before brewing your cup of joe. You’ll get the optimal flavour and freshness for whatever variety you decide. If you have an acidity reaction to coffee, you should always consider low acid coffee. Ensure to check the content description before you make a purchase. Hopefully, this article has enlightened you.
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