How To Easily Tell If A Bag Of Coffee Beans Is Worth Buying

Americans love their coffee. In fact, according to polls conducted by the National Coffee Association, 67% of American adults reported drinking coffee in the past day, a statistic which leapt 37% in two decades. While we all like to think we're getting the best java for our cup, whether we frequent our local roasters or buy tried-and-true brands from the grocery store, what do we really know about our coffee? There are many factors that go into making a cup, from your barista's pulling skills to brewing methods. While checking that the roasting date lies within a week of the purchase date is the most telltale indicator for a good bag of coffee beans, the rest is largely determined by your personal preference. 

Deciding whether the bag of coffee you're buying has the potential to offer a great cup is dependent upon three general factors: Where the coffee was grown (its "terroir"), the processing method, and the roasting level. If you want a rich, bold cup without an acidic bite, opt for robusta beans that have been dark-roasted and processed naturally. Alternatively, if you want a go-juice that's more nuanced to linger over while watching the sun rise, you should go for light-to-medium-roasted arabica beans. Depending upon your preferences, a little knowledge goes a long way to making the right choice.

Like wine, the terroir (land, climate, and altitude) of where the coffee is grown affects the flavor. The four main species of coffee beans are arabica, robusta, liberica, and excelsa. Arabica is the most prevalent, making up approximately 60% of coffee beans grown worldwide. Typically grown in nations with high elevations such as Brazil or Peru, arabica is finicky but is often higher-quality. Robusta is the next-most prevalent. It's generally grown at low altitude (commonly in Southeast Asia) and offers higher yields, making it perfect for commercial brands. Liberica, originally from Liberia, is a less common variety also grown in Southeast Asia since it requires a sweltering, humid climate. It has a low yield and an irregular, teardrop shape. Finally, excelsa is the rarest variety, once again grown in Southeast Asia, and on towering plants that look like trees. Its scarcity makes it the perfect bean to accent blends, and it's fairly difficult to find a solely-excelsa bag.

If you love a cup of joe with an acidic bite, subtle yet complex flavors, and creamy mouthfeel, opt for arabica beans. If you like a smoother cup with lower bite, thicker mouthfeel, and more get-up-and-go, choose a highly-caffeinated robusta. Finally, a more expensive cup of liberica-based brew possesses less caffeine than the other varieties and possesses a floral, nutty flavor.

Coffee beans are actually the seeds of fruit produced by the Coffea plant, often called coffee berries. Two of the most common methods of processing the seeds are called wet and natural. During the wet process, the berries are depulped and then the seeds are washed to remove the pulp remnants. Alternatively, farms with less access to water, such as ones in Brazil, typically use the age-old natural processing method: After picking, rinsing, and sorting, the berries are spread out on raised beds and left out in the sun to dry.

Each processing method affects the flavor and body in the resulting cup. If you crave a super-acidic bite, try to find wet-processed arabica beans which bring out a bright, fruity flavor. Alternatively, a sweeter, bolder, funkier cup can be found in a bag of naturally processed robusta.

The level of roast — light, medium, and dark — simply signifies how long the beans have been in the roaster, but it can also affect the flavor of the bean. For example, darker roasts tend to have more chocolaty, caramelized flavors due to the Maillard reaction. For the best cup, regardless of roast level, choose a bag with a roasting date that lies within five days of the purchase date, and keep in mind that coffee's flavor profile starts to degrade within three or four weeks of its roasting date. Combining all of this information, you can get a lightly roasted, wet-processed liberica to highlight the bean's floral flavor while a rich, darkly-roasted, naturally processed robusta produces coffee you can practically bite into.

If you have the wherewithal to purchase beans from one of the best coffee roasters instead of from the grocery store, feel free to pry them for details. More often than not, these people are incredibly passionate about coffee and are more than willing to share their knowledge. If they offer tastings it's even better since you can discover flavor profiles you may not ever have imagined could be contained in one cup of coffee. They may also be able to explain the differences in first-, second-, and third-wave coffee.