Learning how to choose good coffee beans is a little more art than science and those who know how will spare no expense in finding the best beans money can buy. But why does it matter? Coffee is just…coffee, right? If you’re used to supermarket coffee you might think so but once you’ve been exposed to really good coffee beans chances are you won’t want to go back to anything else.
Coffee experts agree that a good bean is freshly roasted and ground and makes a superior cup of coffee. Good coffee beans transform your daily cup of java into a taste experience so why not take the time to find the best beans? We put a lot of thought into the meat, fish, vegetables, and fruit we buy so why choose an inferior brand of coffee? But how do you set about choosing good coffee beans?
Start by saying goodbye to shopping for coffee beans at your local supermarket! Good coffee beans are usually found at specialty or gourmet stores. Not only will you find helpful and knowledgeable salespeople in these stores but you will probably be able to taste before you buy. Ask the salesperson to teach you a bit about how best to choose good coffee beans; you may be surprised at what you learn.
Next, make sure you only buy freshly roasted coffee beans. Find out when the coffee was roasted and make sure you’re there when it is. If you are buying at the supermarket (against our best advice) look a the bottom of the bag for the roasting date or a sell by date which will give you an idea of how fresh (or old) the coffee is. Good coffee beans are the freshest ones you can find.
Good coffee beans are never splintered or broken but whole and well-shaped. If you are shopping and encounter a bin of splintered or broken beans find another store -fast! Never hand over your hard earned cash for inferior beans simply because you’re in a hurry, you’ll regret it later.
