Do you know how to find a really good coffee in a market or in a coffee shop that is less popular or less advertised? Here are some tips that you should consider before buying your next bag of coffee.
Read the label
When you take coffee and read the label you should find what type it is. Usually it may be Arabica, Robusta or Liberica. If you want to try a coffee with a flavor, it is recommended to choose arabica. If it’s a blend of different types, the coffee will possibly not have unique taste because the producer wanted to make it cheaper.
Region
You must find a region of that coffee. 100% arabica = 100% red wine - that’s not what you are looking for. For example, it can be from Ethiopia, Brazil, China, Columbia, etc. It is a good sign if you find where it is made. Furthermore, it’s ideal if the producers write the origin farm where it was collected or a place where it was roasted. Try to buy coffee from different regions if you want to discover more and find your own taste!
Roast date
One more really important thing is the date on the label. It means that you should find when the coffee was roasted. On many labels you cannot even find it, they only write until when it is best to use (PROTIP: best to use date - 2 years = date when coffee was roasted!) If you want a fresh coffee with an original smell notes and taste, it is best to buy coffee that’s been roasted within two weeks. It’s not bad to buy a coffee if it was roasted a month ago, but then the coffee will be more typical, less fresh and not that unique.
Grind coffee before use
Moreover, it is highly recommended to buy not ground coffee but to buy coffee beans. If you grind at home, you get the best possible smell and freshness. If you don’t want to buy a grinder, in many coffee shops they can grind for you.
Grind coffee to you preference
The last thing to keep in mind is that if you grind your coffee at local coffee shop, you should tell them how you want to prepare your coffee. For example - Chemex, AeroPress or just a simple pour over.