I don’t know about you, but without my regular “morning commute” and drive thru stop to my favorite coffee shop, I started to become a heck of a lot more skeptical about what I’ve been drinking every morning. And then that’s when it happened. A little light bulb went off and to say I had a “ahha” moment would be an understatement. Think about this. We put so much energy and thought into the wines we purchase and enjoy, coffee is literally no different! Everything about coffee – where the bean is grown, the soil type, the varietal, the temperature of roasting, etc. etc. all contributes to how it presents itself in your cup! Woah, right? If at this moment you’re feeling overwhelmed…don’t. I did all the navigation and research for you! Today, I’m sharing the coffee roasting company we are madly in love with, but also some key things to look for when choosing the best coffee beans to buy!
Choosing the Best Coffee Beans to Buy
SINGLE ORIGIN OR BLEND
First things first. Coffee is a fruit, just like grapes. In the context of wine classification, the term “single vineyard” refers to wine that is made using grapes from a single vineyard rather than using grapes from different vineyards. In the context of coffee, the term “single origin coffee” is from a single producer, crop, or region in one country, such as a farm or estate. This isolation allows the coffee drinker to be able to appreciate the nuances from that particular location.
In wine, the term “blend” refers to wines that are made from more than one variety of grapes. By blending different varieties of grapes, the winemakers are able to produce a more complex and well-rounded wine with enhanced aromas, flavors, color and texture. It’s the exact same thing with coffee beans! With a blend, more often than not, the single origins have been selected to create a complex and balanced roast.
GROWING REGION
If you’re a wine drinker like me, then you know that where your wine is grown and produced has a HUGE impact on specific flavors and characteristics. Think about it, an Oregon grown Pinot tastes pretty different than a California grown Pinot and both of those are very different than a Pinot from France. Coffee is the same! The only exception is coffee prefers to grow in the warmer latitudes, have you ever heard of the “Coffee Belt”? The Coffee Belt is an imaginary band that circles the globe around the equator, encompassing all of the world’s best coffee-growing regions and touches primarily on Africa, Asia, South America and Central America.
Now, every region produces very different tasting coffee, just like wine. That’s why I’m including this handy little chart for you below. This chart will help you identify the characteristics you most enjoy in a cup of coffee and understand the region you should be selecting when you go to purchase! Another good way of identifying coffee characteristics is reading the bag of coffee beans. If you’re buying quality coffee already, you will notice that they will include geographical information and “tasting notes” if you will, on every single bag you purchase!
Graphic sourced from coffeeclick.ie
FRESHNESS
There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to coffee freshness. Some think that coffee will never go bad, and others think that you shouldn’t drink anything over a few weeks old. To put it simply, since coffee is a fruit, fresh is always best. Try to look for coffee as freshly roasted as possible, and try to use it up within several weeks of the printed “roast date”, not to be confused by the “sell by date” or “best before date”. And if your coffee doesn’t have a printed “roast date”… honestly? I’d avoid it.
ROASTING
Ohhh the roast. This was probably one of the more confusing aspects of coffee, however, again, not unlike wine! So when you begin your coffee selection, just remember: A darker roast is used to give coffee a more consistent flavor while a lighter roast is used to showcase more nuances and typically has a crisp acidity, a mellow body, and bright flavors. Lastly, a medium roasted is well-rounded, balanced, has a mid-level acidity and body with slightly darker and sweeter notes. So what roast are you?
A DILEMMA SOLVED
By now, I’m positive you’re wondering what coffee roasting company we finally landed on to purchase beans from…well let me tell you, we tried a lot of coffee to get to this decision. We were buying beans from ALL OVER, but what finally sealed the deal was price, options, consistency and quality. We were able to find a local PNW roaster that not only has been in the business for over 40 years, but produces incredibly high-quality coffee roasts that we can purchase in both 12 oz bags to 5 lb bags. They even have a subscription service for those of us who do not want to have to remember to order coffee every month! Enter stage right, Pegasus Coffee Company.
I cannot say enough good things about Pegasus Coffee Company and their product…it was love at first taste. Seriously. Pioneers in the coffee industry, Pegasus introduced the “European-Coffee House” to the PNW in 1980 and opened the very first coffee bar in downtown Seattle shortly thereafter. In fact, the original founder of Pegasus trained under the Dutch born and bred, specialty coffee revolutionary, Alfred Peet, who established Peet’s Coffee.
I’m telling you. Check out their site, buy a few bags of Pegasus Coffee and your mornings will only get better from this day forward. If you’re interested in the subscription service, they gave me a coupon code for 20% off your first TWO shipments when you sign up! Just use promo code: SUBSCRIBE20 (offer valid through 10/15/2020).
I hope you enjoyed this post about choosing the right coffee, if you’re looking for the best burr grinder on the market, make sure to also check out this post! Cheers!
XO,
M
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases as well as other affiliate links found in this post. Please see my Disclosure for more information. Choosing the Best Coffee Beans to Buy
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