How to Choose the Right Coffee Beans

When buying espresso or filter coffee, it’s important to choose your product carefully. This process often involves a few trials and errors! In order to save you time and money, our baristas explain all you need to know to get the best brew possible.

Origins

In order to select the coffee that best suits your taste, there are a few different factors to consider. First is the place where the coffee beans are grown. In fact, terroir, altitude, and sunlight have a significant influence on flavour development.

Central America

If you prefer acidic coffee, we recommend choosing beans from Central America.

South America

Farther south, coffee is generally quite balanced.

Africa

Africa’s beans make for a coffee that is more intense, with notes of nuts and chocolate.

Indonesia

Indonesia produces short coffees that are lighter, with an earthy, almost salty, taste.

Roasting Profiles

The second factor to consider when choosing your coffee is the roast (cooking time), which also impacts the taste of your beverage.

Blonde or Medium Roast

Lighter roasts have a shorter cooking time, resulting in a light, easy-to-drink coffee. They often feature aromas of citrus, red fruit, or even peanuts.

Medium-dark Roast

By cooking the beans longer, the coffee takes on more texture and body. Medium-dark coffee is typically associated with aromas such as chocolate and nuts.

Dark Roast

For a typical full-bodied filter coffee, choose a dark roast. This roast is generally more intense with a pronounced smoky taste.

Grind

Now that you’re familiar with the characteristics of each origin, as well as roasting times, all that’s left to do is choose the right grind.

If your grind is too coarse, water will pass right through it without having the time to infuse your coffee. The aromas will not have enough time to develop, and the texture will be overly liquid. On the other hand, a grind that is too fine will result in a brewing time that is too long. The coffee will take on a very bitter taste and a powdery, unpleasant texture. Adapting your grind to your brewing method is therefore essential.

No matter the brew type, we strongly suggest investing in a good quality grinder. Whatever model you choose, be sure your device allows you to adjust the grind type.

100% Single-origin Coffee vs. Blends

Unlike espresso, filter coffee offers greater flexibility when using 100% single-origin coffee beans. While espresso tends to intensify the bean’s bitterness and acidity, filter coffee has a smaller margin of error and offers a greater variety of coffee.

Can I Use an Espresso Blend for Filter Coffee Makers?

We often get asked this question. The answer is yes, but also no. In fact, with the right grind, it is entirely possible to make filter coffee from an espresso blend. However, vice versa is not recommended! It is also important to remember that a blend made specifically for filter coffee is best when used according to its intended method!

Cheers ☕