Coffee beans are by far the best choice if you want to taste quality coffees and above all, get the best out of them!
If today you are not used to buying coffee beans , you will probably be comforted in your decision to change the way you consume coffee.
If you are already a fan of coffee beans, this article is also for you, because you will know everything there is to know about it!
Where to buy coffee beans? How to make a choice ? How to prepare it? How to keep it well? … You will know everything!
And if you ever feel like it, you can watch my video on the subject:
Benefits of Coffee Beans
Let's start this complete guide to coffee beans right away by talking about its benefits. And yes, because the many benefits that I am going to share with you here will allow you to never go back and never buy ground coffee again (if the few disadvantages mentioned later do not bother you)! 😋
Quality coffees
The first advantage of choosing coffee beans is that you are more likely to get quality coffee .
Please note, I am not saying that all coffees sold in beans are of high quality!
But by consuming coffee beans, you will be able to choose your coffee best (we will see how a little later) and enjoy all the taste benefits that a coffee offers.
Indeed, once the coffee is ground, it loses its flavor much more quickly!
Preservation
This is how we come to the second advantage which is partly linked to the previous one. It's about conservation. Whatever type of coffee you buy (bean or ground), it is important to store it in good conditions (again, we will discuss storage later on this page).
But coffee beans have an advantage over ground coffee. It keeps better and longer. Indeed, when a coffee is ground, it is much more subject to oxidation and therefore to the loss of its organoleptic qualities.
Taste
This brings us to the 3rd benefit which is the taste of the coffee! And yes, coffee beans keep better and keep their taste qualities longer.
Therefore, for the same given coffee that would have been roasted at the same time, you will be able to appreciate its aromas and flavors more if you buy it in beans rather than already ground. You just need to grind it just before consuming it.
Choice of extraction method
One of the major advantages of consuming coffee beans lies in the choice of the extraction method. And yes, as you probably know, each way of making coffee requires a particular grind size.
When buying ground coffee, you unfortunately don't have the chance to choose one method one day and then another the next day. If you buy ground filter coffee, you can only make filter coffee.
With a coffee bean, you can choose to make a filter coffee in the morning, an espresso at noon and a French press in the afternoon (provided you have the appropriate coffee grinder(s))!
Disadvantages
Coffee beans also have some drawbacks. But rest assured, as great coffee lovers, these few drawbacks are ultimately part of all the work and passion that can be put into making a great cup of coffee.
It is true that for me, these are not real disadvantages since I like everything that surrounds coffee and its preparation. Making my coffee is an activity and a passion in its own right that I would like to pass on to you.
But after all, if you're not as passionate about all this as I am, there are definitely downsides to buying coffee beans, there's no denying that 🙂
More complexity
If you currently have an espresso machine that requires the use of capsules, you can be sure that buying coffee beans and preparing it will bring more complexity than you are. accustomed. But be careful, it's normally for a good cause! 😉
Buying coffee beans requires certain knowledge and experience (which is acquired quite quickly, especially if you are starting with a single method of preparation).
You will have to learn how to choose a good coffee and learn how to prepare it well. To do this, we are going to give you some tips, don't worry!
This apparent complexity can turn out to be a hindrance for some people. You can absolutely want to enjoy your coffee, without having the desire to know and understand all that surrounds the preparation of coffee.
If you're not really into coffee and you just like a great cup of coffee that's easily brewed and without having to find the perfect grind size for your coffee maker, that's okay. Coffee beans may not be for you.
But over time, by tasting freshly ground coffees from time to time… Perhaps the scales will finally tip in favor of the bean (for my greatest pleasure!)
Extra time to prepare your coffee
This second disadvantage goes hand in hand with the previous one: it is about time.
So we're not talking about a very big waste of time, especially when we reduce it to a 24-hour day. However, some of you may be tempted to save a few seconds before each coffee by choosing ground coffee.
Indeed, it is necessary to take the time to grind your coffee. It will be more or less fast depending on the mill (manual or electric).
But it will also be necessary to adjust its grinder according to the chosen coffee. If you like to change coffee regularly to discover new flavors, then you will have to adjust your grinder very regularly to achieve the best possible extraction for each new coffee.
It may take a little time, it's up to you to see if it turns out to be a brake on all the benefits that coffee beans provide!
What are coffee beans?
We know where ground coffee comes from. It is simply coffee beans that have been ground to become a more or less fine powder… But where do these coffee beans originally come from? If you don't yet know the origin of coffee, you'll soon be unbeatable!
From cherry to green coffee
Here we will discuss the different stages that a coffee bean goes through before being sold to roasters around the world.
The very first thing to bear in mind is that the coffee bean is basically the core of a fruit. This fruit is called the cherry and grows on coffee trees.
It is not a cherry that we consume at the end of spring and/or at the beginning of summer! No here, we are indeed talking about this fruit which you can see in the image below. Coffee cherries are much smaller than a cherry that we are used to eating.
When the fruit matures and turns red, it is picked. Different picking methods exist and each has its advantages and disadvantages. Picking, for example, makes it possible to select only ripe fruit, while stripping, by machine, is faster but does not distinguish between ripe or unripe cherries. This has an impact on the final quality of the coffee.
Once the cherries are picked, the seeds are removed. There are different methods for this:
- dry method: the seeds are left in the sun for several weeks so that the fruit dries and hardens. This will then allow you to peel everything and keep only the 2 grains.
- wet method: it removes the pulp from the grains by washing. In order to remove the mucilage (thin skin that envelops the two grains), the grains are then fermented and stirred for a period of 12 to 36 hours. When you buy your coffee beans, you may be told “washed coffee”.
- semi-wet method: here, the pulp is removed by mechanical process and it is only after that that the grains are washed and dried in the sun. This technique reduces the amount of water needed compared to the previous method.
Again, each technique has an impact on the deployment of aromas and flavors in the cup.
When there is nothing left but the grain itself, it can be called green coffee and sold to more or less large companies, from artisan roasters to the largest multinationals. Coffee.
The importance of roasting
The aromas and taste of a coffee are defined by its origin, its terroir and its method of washing. But one of the most important actors on the path of a coffee bean is the roaster who will “cook” and allow the bean to reveal all its richness.
Roasting involves cooking raw coffee beans (green coffee) at over 200 degrees. Depending on the desired result, the coffee can be roasted to different degrees and also longer or shorter.
Roasting is a job that requires a lot of experience. Over time, the roaster will be able to roast each coffee as well as possible to bring out all its richness. It is he who transforms the coffee to offer us the best.
It is therefore essential to choose the right roaster if you want to buy your coffee beans at the source!
Where to buy coffee beans?
You can find coffee beans almost everywhere. There are as many choices in supermarkets as in delicatessens. But where it all comes down to is quality.
If you are used to buying your coffee ground or in beans, in supermarkets, I prefer to warn you: you will soon have the pleasure of discovering a real good coffee! And yes, unfortunately, apart from a few good surprises, most coffees sold in supermarkets are not of optimal quality, both in terms of the grain itself and the preservation. We will come back to this a little later.
I therefore advise you to favor other sales channels such as specialized shops, roasters or online shops.
Specialty shops
There are many shops specializing in the sale of coffee (or tea and coffee), or delicatessens in which you can find your happiness.
You normally have the certainty that the coffees have been carefully selected and that the roasting is not several months old, as is common in supermarkets.
Be careful all the same… I have always been surprised to enter shops specializing in the sale of tea and coffee, in which the coffee was simply stored in transparent boxes.
This certainly allows you to have a direct view of what you are buying. (With a little practice, you can indeed see if a coffee seems of good quality or not, by looking at it, are the beans homogeneous, how was it roasted, etc.). However, it is advisable to keep the coffee beans away from light…
Anyway, for my part, if the storage conditions do not seem ideal, I do not buy!
Roasters
You can also go directly to the source! And yes, many roasters sell directly to individual customers without a middleman. This ensures top quality coffee. A good roaster loves coffee as much or even more than you do and probably won't let you walk away with coffee that doesn't live up to their expectations!
In addition, you can have a direct exchange with this coffee professional. He can give you all the details you want about the coffee you buy and even advice on how to best prepare it!
Online shops
Finally, we come to online stores. There, you have an almost infinite choice. But it is necessary to raise the major disadvantage of buying online: it is impossible to know what the coffee looks like (unless photos of the beans are available) and moreover, it is impossible to smell the aromas. . You have to trust the seller and his description.
Which coffee beans to choose? How to choose well?
There's a lot to be said for making the right choices when buying coffee. I will try here to list the elements to pay attention to when buying your coffee beans .
The Vendor/Roaster Experience
As we have seen previously, roasting, but also preservation, are key elements in the final result of coffee in a cup. This is why it is necessary to pay attention to roasting and ask the right questions (or ask the seller):
- Who roasted the coffee? What is his experience in the field?
- When was the coffee roasted?
- How is it preserved since its roasting, at the seller? (packaging, temperature, light, etc.)
The visual appearance of coffee beans
Then you can ask to see the coffee if it's not already in a clear container. Thus, you can judge the quality of the coffee from a visual point of view.
- Is the color of the grains homogeneous?
- Are the grains whole? Are they damaged?
Your taste preferences
You have to pay attention to all the above elements, but the very important element when choosing your coffee is obviously your taste in coffee.
Most cafes are described well enough to get you on the right track. You can usually tell, by reading the description, the label or by listening to the seller, whether the coffee is likely to please you or not.
Rather fruity, strong, tangy or more bitter…? You will have to test different coffees and work on your palate to understand what you like or dislike.
Opt for fresh coffee
Big box coffee beans are unfortunately not ideal if you are looking for high quality coffees. Some brands, however, offer interesting coffees, but the mode of distribution imposes a freshness of coffee leaving something to be desired.
Indeed, we speak of a fresh coffee when it has been roasted recently. Ideally, we recommend consuming a coffee between 10 and 30 days after roasting to get the best out of it.
However, in supermarkets, because of all the logistical organization and the constraints linked to mass distribution (purchase of large quantities to reduce costs), it seems very complicated to have fresh coffee available. This is why we do not advise you to buy your coffee in supermarkets.
You will find fresh coffee online, in specialty shops or, of course, directly from a roaster. Normally, you know you are buying quality coffee when the roast date appears on the coffee package.
At Nomad Barista, we work directly with an artisanal roaster who indicates the roasting date on each packet. No nasty surprises!
The quality score (specialty coffee)
If you don't know what specialty coffee is , don't worry, we'll be releasing a dedicated article on that soon. In short, these are coffees that meet different quality criteria set up by the SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) worldwide.
Specialty coffees are high-end coffees , which therefore meet high quality criteria in terms of cultivation, processing and roasting.
These coffees are reviewed and rated by experts. The higher a coffee's score, the more excellent it is considered. You need a score of at least 80+ to be considered a specialty coffee. Coffees rated 88+ are grand cru coffees .
Of course, prices are generally higher for specialty coffees and grand crus. At least, if we compare with other coffee beans. And yes, a grand cru in grain can be cheaper (or in the same price) than a grand café at Nespresso (which however will not be of such good quality, far from it).
coffee bean price
We cannot give you a price for the purchase of coffee beans. Indeed, if you have followed well, there are exceptional coffees (specialty coffee) that are particularly expensive (and particularly good too! 😋). But coffees that are not necessarily top of the range can be very accessible and also very good.
If we compare to coffee capsules for example, coffee beans (with exceptions) will always be more affordable.
If we compare to ground coffee, the price difference is not obvious. Depending on the brands, coffee beans can be the same price as the same ground coffee, but it can also be more or less expensive. It really depends on the brands, there are no fixed price rules.
If this can still comfort you in your choice to switch to coffee beans, know that the average price for a cup of coffee made from coffee beans is 0.11€. In comparison, a Nespresso coffee costs on average 0.46€.
How to prepare coffee from beans?
As we have seen previously, buying coffee beans allows you to have a wide choice of preparation and extraction methods. Indeed, once you have a coffee bean at home, you are perfectly free to grind it to the desired size. Thus, you can make an espresso coffee as well as a French press coffee.
Which grind for which type of extraction?
That being said, all you need to know is what grind size is the extraction you desire.
For that, you can refer to this little diagram:
How to choose your coffee grinder?
So you've no doubt understood that you're going to need a coffee grinder . Depending on your desires and your coffee consumption habits, you will need to own one or more different coffee grinders. There are indeed various types of mills more or less adapted to certain methods of extraction.
For example, you can buy a coffee grinder specifically for your espresso. This will allow you to have great precision in the grind size for your espresso coffee. On the other hand, this same grinder will not be able to allow you to obtain a coarse enough grind to make a coffee with the plunger.
How to properly store your coffee beans
Things to watch out for
To keep your coffee beans in the best condition, you should pay attention to several elements. Indeed, it would be a shame to buy a quality coffee and not be able to keep all these qualities.
For this, it will be necessary to take care to avoid direct light on your coffee. To do this, opt for an opaque container or place the coffee bag in a cupboard. As a result, you will be certain that no ray of the sun will be able to reach your precious grains.
Next, it is important to pay attention to oxidation. As we mentioned earlier, oxygen damages the coffee and the latter then loses its organoleptic qualities. Choose a well-sealed container. It is sometimes quite possible to keep the bag in which you bought your coffee, especially if it is possible to close it properly.
Finally, the temperature is also an important point to take into account. It is advisable to store your coffee in a dry and cool place. So beware of some people who, thinking well, advises to keep your coffee in the refrigerator. This place is way too humid for coffee beans.
So prefer a closet, not too close to the heat sources in your home (heating, oven, etc.).
Suitable box or bag
Generally, coffees are sold in bags or boxes that are airtight or contain a freshness valve (which lets out the gas generated by the freshly roasted coffee, but protects it from oxygen). These pouches are most of the time not designed with an adequate closure. Because of this, as soon as you open your packet, the coffee will begin to oxidize.
It is for this reason that it is advisable to have an airtight box available. This box must of course protect the coffee from the air, but the ideal is an opaque box that also protects it from light.
If the coffee bag you have has a zip, do not hesitate to use it by removing the air from the bag after each opening.
Grind your coffee as you go
Finally, we invite you to grind your coffee just before using it. Indeed, it would be a shame to buy coffee beans only to end up not grinding it at the last moment.
Although it may be tempting to grind your coffee for the week or for several days, it is not advisable. It is also partly for this reason that you want to buy beans rather than already ground coffee! The coffee cells are much more in contact with the air when it is ground, it then oxidizes more quickly and loses its organoleptic qualities. The result in cup is then less good!
Take out the desired amount of coffee
It would be a shame to grind your coffee just before using it, but not be careful to only take out the amount of coffee you are going to use.
And yes, here again you may be tempted to fill your coffee grinder in advance, but I advise against it, for the reasons mentioned above.
Unless your grinder is airtight and opaque, it's best to put just the amount of coffee you intend to grind in it for your coffee, not for your entire week, or even for the day.
This is how you will be able to preserve the aromas and taste of your coffee beans as much as possible , for a cup result that meets your expectations!
There you go, we've done the rounds on coffee beans. I hope I have answered your questions and have confirmed your choice to switch to grains!