Nowadays supermarkets and coffee specialty stores carry many types of coffee. This makes choosing your type of coffee very difficult. Do you want coffee grinds or coffee beans? Robusta or Arabica? Blend or single origin? Single origin or single estate? Not to mention all the different brands that you can choose from. Every type of coffee has its own unique flavour. Which coffee you choose depends wholly on your preferences! We’ll help you navigate the world of coffee beans and choose a type of coffee that is perfect for you.

Quality
There are a lot of price differences when it comes to coffee. The more expensive coffees are often of higher quality, but it’s not a guarantee. Here to it completely depends on what you prefer. Where one person is completely satisfied with the taste of filter coffee, the other prefers to buy the most expensive specialty coffee.

Types of coffee
Generally, Arabica beans are of better quality. Arabica beans have a refined, soft and fruity flavour and they contain less caffeine than Robusta beans. The taste of Robusta beans is strong, sharp and can be bitter. They also contain a lot more caffeine and are therefore often used in espresso’s. Coffee beans that are a 100% Arabica are more common than beans that are a 100% Robusta. Nevertheless, these two types are often made into blends. You can find an infinite amount of blends that combine Arabica and Robusta.

Blend or single origin
A blend is made from coffee beans from different countries. Together they make for a very tasty mélange. Besides blends, you also have single origin or single estate coffee. Single origin coffee originates from one country, where single estate is from one country and only one farmer. The more specific the coffee, the more pronounced the taste will be. By trying different types of coffee you are going to discover which flavors you like best.

Freshness
The older coffee becomes, the less flavour it contains. Some coffee brands include a roast date on their packaging. The more recent the beans have been roasted, the more intense the flavour. Tip: you taste what you smell! If the smell is very weak, the flavour will be weak as well.

Beans or coffee grinds
Whether you use coffee beans or pre-ground coffee depends on what type of machine you make your coffee with. If you have a machine that can grind coffee beans, the logical choice is coffee beans. But if you have a filter coffee machine, it’s easier to go with pre-ground coffee. Another option is to buy a coffee mill and grind your own beans. Coffee has more flavour if the grinds are fresh!

The coarseness of ground coffee beans
You can often find the coarseness of ground coffee beans on the packaging. The more finely beans are ground, the more flavour you can extract. If the beans are more coarsely ground, you can extract less flavour. However, if you extract too much flavour your coffee will turn bitter. And if you don’t extract enough your coffee will turn sour. The key is finding the right balance. For example: espresso’s are made with finely ground beans, where filter coffee is made with more coarsely ground beans.

Intensity of flavour
Many coffee brands define the flavour intensity on their packaging by means of numbers. The higher the number, the more intense the flavour is. Flavour intensity is determined by the intensity of the roast. Beans that are lightly roasted have a mild flavour with fruity notes and are not bitter. The darker the roast, the more bitter you’ll find the coffee tastes.

Making your choice
When choosing your favourite type of coffee it is best to keep in mind all of the options above. A fun way to find your favourite coffee is to try out different types and list which ones you like and which ones you don’t like. Once you have chosen, it is finally time to brew your coffee. You have laid the foundations, and now it’s time to learn about water temperature, the brewing method, filters and of course the recipe.

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