As an intermediate barista, how do I help my friends choose coffee beans?

This article is written for those friends who love to drink coffee but don’t know “how to choose the right coffee”.

I started to develop the habit of drinking coffee around 2009. At that time, I would only buy my favorite instant coffee from some brands.

Later, I moved to Beijing to work and got a nine-to-five job with little overtime and guaranteed weekends off. So I came up with the idea of ​​using my spare time to work and earn some pocket money.

My idea at that time was simple. Since I like drinking coffee, I might as well become a barista. Maybe I could even open my own coffee shop in the future.

So I found a coffee school online and used my annual leave to attend a small class to systematically learn about the characteristics and flavors of coffee beans from different producing areas, learn how to identify good and bad coffee beans, master the use of various coffee utensils, and make latte art...

However, after I finished my studies (and also obtained an intermediate barista certificate), I changed jobs and started traveling frequently, so the idea of ​​working part-time in a coffee shop came to an end.

However, the habit of buying coffee beans and brewing them myself remained, and gradually, friends began to ask me how to choose coffee beans.

For such questions, I usually ask first: "Do you like sour or bitter drinks?"

Although it is too simple to distinguish coffee beans by sourness and bitterness, it is the easiest way for everyone to understand. Based on the different answers, I will specifically recommend beans from different producing areas.

I like sour flavors, so I often buy beans from Ethiopia, Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica. The coffee beans from these origins have different flavors after brewing, some have floral and sweet potato flavors, and others have citrus and raisin flavors. For friends who prefer bitter flavors, I will only recommend them to buy Indonesian Mandheling. The reason is simple. Since I left the Coffee Academy, I have basically never had bitter coffee beans again, so naturally I can't provide too many options for the other party.

Next, I will start recommending specific stores.

In the past few years, I have bought a lot of coffee beans roasted by different shops online, some of which are in Beijing, some in Nanjing, and some in Yunnan. Some are physical stores I have been to, some are found online by hearsay, and some are simply found on my phone. I have bought beans that have amazed me, and I have also bought a bag with two or three defective beans. Some 100g of beans sell for more than 100 yuan, and some 200g sell for more than 50 yuan. I usually don't recommend too many stores to my friends, only one or two, and then recommend coffee beans that I have bought and feel are good and not expensive.

If my friends are happy after buying the beans and think they are good, I will be happy too.

If any reader has difficulties in choosing coffee beans, please leave a message or send a private message to ask questions, and I will try my best to reply.