Coffee bean recommendations for beginners | How to choose the right coffee beans for yourself?

With the increase in coffee brands, buying coffee has become a tricky thing for ordinary coffee drinkers. It is really difficult to choose what kind of coffee beans to brew by hand at home.

The first factor that determines whether the taste of coffee can be popular is the quality of coffee beans. Only high-quality coffee has the chance to brew a delicious cup of coffee. Now there are two types of coffee on the market, one is commercial beans, which are of lower quality and have a high defect rate, and the other is boutique beans, which are several times more expensive than commercial beans. So, how do you choose the coffee beans that suit you?

Step 1: Understand your taste preferences

Arabica and Robusta coffees are easily identifiable by appearance, and in addition, Arabica is grown at higher altitudes and is known for its smooth, slightly sour flavor, while Robusta is grown at lower altitudes and is known for its stronger, more bitter flavor.

Step 2: Choose a coffee price that suits you

There is a huge difference in price between Arabica and Robusta coffee beans. Arabica is a higher grade coffee bean, but depending on how it is grown and roasted, it is not necessarily guaranteed to be a high quality coffee bean. Robusta beans often appear in affordable blends.

Step 3: Decide what type of coffee you like

I believe many people have been to Starbucks. If you don't like Starbucks' homemade coffee, you can choose lighter-colored dry beans, which have a smoother taste. Of course, the flavor of coffee beans also depends on the degree of roasting. If you prefer Starbucks' coffee, you can choose dark roasted coffee, which usually has a distinct bitter taste.

Step 4: Amount of Caffeine Intake

Contrary to common sense, dark roasted coffee actually contains less caffeine than medium or light roasted coffee, with light roasts containing the most caffeine, and espresso beans tend to be medium roasted, with a medium caffeine content.

Step 5: Coffee powder and coffee beans:

The only benefit of coffee powder is convenience. Especially if you always oversleep in the morning and don't have time to grind coffee slowly, or you haven't purchased the tools to grind beans yet, coffee powder can let you quickly enjoy a cup of good coffee. If you decide to buy coffee powder, we have the following two suggestions : (1) buy about two weeks' worth of coffee at a time to preserve the flavor as much as possible, and (2) store the coffee powder in a good sealed container. But there is no doubt that the freshest coffee beans are purchased from green coffee beans, which are ground just before use. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to buy coffee beans. Is it troublesome to grind the beans yourself? In fact, it is fun and can maintain the flavor!

Coffee beans are the form that best preserves the flavor of coffee and ensures the freshness and original taste of coffee. Some manufacturers mix coffee from different sources in the same bag of coffee powder, making it difficult for consumers to ensure the source of the coffee.

Although grinding beans is a science, trust us, once you start grinding your own beans, you will never go back to the days of coffee powder. Trying different flavors brought by brewing different powder coarseness is definitely a great pleasure of brewing coffee yourself.

Finally, two different types of coffee beans are recommended:

Recommended types of coffee beans with mild acidity:

[Costa Rica Phoenix Estate] (Red Honey Medium Roast) – Dried fruit, vanilla, honey sweetness, delicate tropical fruit flavor, thick and long-lasting oily texture, and lingering aftertaste.

[Panama Cupid Gesha content 30 %] (washed medium roast) – clean and thorough body, white grape, caramel aroma followed by honey flavor, charming aroma of high mountain black tea, high sweetness, low acidity, and round taste.

[Panama Love Manor Gesha] (washed and lightly roasted) – Exquisite citrus acidity, rich floral aroma, moderate body, sweet, multi-layered tropical fruit flavor.

[Ethiopian Sun-Dried Yirgacheffe] (Sun-Dried Medium Roast) – Light fermented wine aroma, walnut dates, sweet citrus tones, dark berries, lychee, carambola, peach, nectarine, longan and red dates aroma, honey sweetness, cocoa flavor with a hint of spice, thick body and long-lasting aftertaste.

[Ethiopian Sidamore Lion King] (lightly sun-baked) – Strong fruity notes, rich and intense fruit flavors such as cantaloupe, strawberry, peach, and ripe berries. The texture is as smooth as silk, the taste is clean and balanced, and the aftertaste is lingering, lively, and rich.

[Rwanda Musui Bourbon] (Washed Medium Roast) – Red apples, cherries, cinnamon and honey, excellent sweetness and balance, cinnamon, almonds, chocolate aftertaste.

[Flower Language of Ethiopia 90+ Levelup] (sun-dried and lightly baked) – berries, walnuts, floral scents, cream, peaches, apples, grapes, and a variety of tropical fruits with rich aromas, varied layers, and a lasting floral and fruity aftertaste.

[Kilimanjaro Pearl Round Beans from Tanzania, Africa] (Washed Medium Roast) – Apricots, dates, spices, malt chocolate, soft acidity with the texture of red wine, pleasant low-key acidity, mellow taste, and relatively mild coffee.

[Papua New Guinea PNG Chimaier Estate] (washed medium roast) – There is a slight spice flavor on the taste, and after entering the mouth, it has a sweet and refreshing aroma of nuts and sugarcane, a creamy and smooth texture like cream, and the round beans have a more solid taste. The overall performance is balanced and smooth, with a bright, sweet and sour taste.

Recommended types of balanced and mellow coffee beans:

For those who are new to coffee, you can choose a balanced, aromatic Central and South American coffee that is neither sour nor bitter. Here is how to get started:

[Colombian Santarita] (washed medium-dark roast)——Low acidity, slightly bitter, with a unique mellow taste, the three flavors of sour, bitter and sweet are just right

[Inhet Estate Vivette Nan Fruit] (washed medium to dark roast) - elegant floral and orange peel aroma, with the nutty flavor of cream and macadamia in the back, with a tobacco flavor and a slight charcoal flavor in the mellowness

[San Roman Processing Plant, Tarajú, Costa Rica] (Washed Medium-Dark Roast) - Creamy texture, coffee cherry and chocolate aftertaste, soft acidity

[Diamond Mountain Estate, Taraj, Costa Rica] (Washed Medium Dark Roast) - Soft orange-orange tones, toast, caramel cocoa sweetness, clean taste, mild flavor, ideal acidity, unique and strong aroma

[Panama Irieta Estate SHB Caturra] (Washed Medium Roast) - Rich creamy aroma and honey sweetness, with a nutty aftertaste of roasted almonds and macadamia nuts, soft acidity, soft texture, and warmth

[Pacamara, Ataisi Estate, El Salvador] (washed medium-dark roast) - Nutty chocolate, creamy chocolate, sometimes fruity, excellent thickness and fat

Honduras San Juan Chito (Washed Medium Dark Roast) – Clean, toasted nuts, milk chocolate, very soft acidity

[Jamaica Blue Mountain] (Medium) – The sourness, sweetness, bitterness, aroma and richness are perfectly balanced. In a word, it is balanced. The overall texture is pleasant and charming.

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