Where to Buy Coffee Beans

Buying fresh coffee beans and grinding them prior to brewing gives you the most intense flavor. You can also regulate the size of the grind, which is not possible when using ground coffee beans that are pre-ground.

If you can, buy locally-owned roasters and/or a grocery store that specializes in quality imports. Supporting small businesses helps them to remain afloat and makes for better tasting coffee.

1. Find a reputable roaster

The quality of coffee beans and the roasting process are both vital to making a great cup of coffee. You can find great beans from a wide range of online coffee roasters. However, not all are identical. Certain roasters are more focused on sourcing and other roasters are more detailed and focused on a perfect roast every time. You can find out a lot about roasters by checking their packaging, website, and reviews from customers.

When purchasing wholesale coffee beans, look for a roaster that is focused on sustainability and ethical business practices. This will ensure that your coffee shop gets the best beans in a sustainable way. Many coffee shops want to purchase from local roasters to help their local community.

You can also save money by buying whole coffee beans and then grinding them yourself. This is an easy and efficient way to get a fresher flavor in your brew. You can also save shipping charges if you purchase from a local coffee roaster that can deliver to your area.

2. Buy in smaller batches

It is important to buy from small batch roasters, as they can ensure that the beans you purchase are fresh. This is because they maintain their inventory at a minimum and move their coffee fast and do not let it stay for too long either prior to- or post-roast. Additionally, they can roast at a lower volume to keep from overdoing it.

Alternatively, look for coffee labels that include the "roasted on" date along with (or in lieu of) the sell-by date. Some high-end coffee roasters put this information directly on bags, like Stumptown or Counter Culture. They often also include information about the beans themselves, including the variety, altitude, name of the farmer and more.

The majority of coffee traded within the second wave and beyond are commodity coffee, which is roast in large quantities and is typically roasted dark as it hides the various imperfections. This coffee isn't terrible however, it's not as excellent as the coffee you can get from smaller-batch roasters. The coffee usually has more of an aftertaste when it's been in storage for a longer time.

3. Buy fresh

Coffee beans are perishable and lose their flavor and aroma as soon as they are roast. It is best to purchase fresh coffee beans from a local or online roaster in case you don't have one near you.

The best way to accomplish this is to look up the 'roasted on' or the 'use by' date on the bag. Then, you can plan your purchase. It is recommended to use your beans within two weeks of the roast date for optimal flavor and taste.

If you're buying beans from a retailer that sells a broad variety of beans, it may be harder to determine how long the beans are sitting on the shelf. The majority of grocery stores don't have the facilities necessary to keep their beans at the same quality as roasters.

It takes an extended time and a amount of money to invest in the proper equipment to keep beans at their freshest. Even when they invest in the right equipment, they still have a small amount of beans at any given moment.

4. Buy ground

The coffee aisle in the grocery store is flooded with choices of whole and ground beans from around the world. Whole beans are more flavorful and convenient than ground coffee.

It is your responsibility to grind the entire bean coffee before making the coffee. This allows the freshness and subtle flavors to come through. The majority of beans pre-ground on the market are medium grind. This is the size that works best with most coffee brewing methods.

After the beans are roast, their quality begins to decline rapidly. After roasting, there are holes in the shell which exposes the beans to oxygen. This happens much more quickly when the beans aren't whole.

Typically the whole bean supermarket coffee is stale when you take it home, Ground Coffee Beans and even the sealed cans in the local shop aren't as fresh than freshly ground coffee that has been purchased from a reliable roaster. This is because the flavor of beans is lost in its subtleties, aromas, acidity, and natural sugar when it is ground for sale. It is essential to purchase enough beans to last for a week and to store them properly.

5. Buy fair trade

Fair trade is a system in which coffee farmers are given an honest deal on the market. Fair trade organizations go beyond the International Coffee Agreement, which is vital for regulating quotas while maintaining prices.

The purpose of Fair Trade is to lift coffee farmers from poverty and provide an environmentally sustainable model for the entire industry. In addition to fair prices, fair trade also requires environmentally sustainable practices in the farming industry that protect and preserve ecosystems and wildlife. This benefit is not only for farmers but also for consumers as well as the environment.

FLO and Fair Trade USA are primarily concerned with decreasing poverty and promoting economic growth by setting a price floor for green coffee beans. They equate that floor to the New York Coffee Exchange price. If the price for commodity (non-specialty coffee) decreases, fair trade prices go up to match that. FLO and Fair Trade USA also require that farmers receive a fair wage and work in safe conditions. They must also be able to work at a reasonable hour.