Given the huge variety of coffee trees, categorizing them is quite difficult. From the entire impressive list for culinary arts only four are of value. The grains of these plants, grown in various parts of the world, are used to make coffee drinks.
It should be noted right away that types of coffee and varieties of coffee are two different concepts. Types of coffee are varieties of plants, and varieties are various cultivars and hybrids obtained as a result of selection with useful or decorative characteristics inherent only to them, for example, Caturra(bud mutation of Coffea arabica var. burbon), Maragogype(bud mutation of Coffea arabica var. typica), etc.
At the same time, the concept of "variety" is more capacious and is used to refer to the assortment of coffee on the market.
For cooking flavored drinks grains of several botanical tree species are used. What types of coffee are there.
It's nice to start the day with an invigorating drink. Coffee for a coffee machine in beans will save your time, and the aroma will be remembered for a long time. Tonic, delicious drink loved by many people. Good grain coffee grows in countries with a tropical climate, exported to other regions where there are no favorable conditions for its cultivation. But grains are also used for other purposes, essential oil is produced from them and original blends are made.
Varieties of coffee beans
Experts have about 200 varieties of coffee beans. The growing region is an important factor on which the taste and aroma depend. Experienced barista in preparation unique drink combines several varieties by adding a little amaretto, which can give a slightly sweet flavor. Not even a large number of This drink will keep you feeling energized all day long.
The most famous and recognizable varieties:
- Arabica. Coffee beans of this variety are grown on plantations in Brazil, Vietnam, Indonesia, and India. Arabica is characterized as a strong, bitter drink. The variety Kona is characterized by sourness, sweet, velvety taste. Arabica Mysore boasts an unsurpassed aroma and softness.
- Santos is a Brazilian variety. Coffee beans are small and have a greenish color. It is a very strong and soft drink.
- Robusta. Contains a lot of caffeine. Robusta will give you energy for the whole day after one cup in the morning.
- Cumana, Merida, Koro. Their basis is expensive varieties grown in Venezuela.
- Zambia AA Lupili. This species is rightfully considered the best variety of sunny Africa. This species has a pleasant bitterness of orange.
- Tapanchula and Maragogype are the best Mexican varieties. .Coffee beans with this marking have a very light taste and aroma.
How to choose coffee beans
A barista or an experienced coffee shop consultant will tell you how to choose coffee beans, which variety to take. In order to enjoy a unique aroma, a wonderful aftertaste every day, you need to correctly determine the variety. Choosing the right coffee beans on your own, you will be helped by several simple recommendations:
- It is better to make a purchase at specialized points of sale. As a rule, there is a large assortment and experienced sellers.
- It is worth probing the packaging well - the grains must be whole in order to maintain their properties. Smell the pack: it should not have a rotten or sour smell. It is better to give preference to a product whose packaging has a transparent window - so you can visually assess the quality of the grains inside the pack. The packaging must be sealed so that air does not get inside.
- Do not forget to read the contents of the coffee label, it should indicate the variety, degree of roast, and the presence of flavors.
- Remember: a good quality drink cannot be cheap. The price of coffee per 100 grams should be high. If you doubt the choice, there is always the option of buying beans by weight, such coffee will be inexpensive. Only in order for the grains to retain their qualities, the packaging has to be tightly closed.
Rating of coffee beans
To find out which bean coffee is the best, you can interview lovers of an invigorating elixir or trust the rating. It is necessary to prefer grains of sales leaders, they will not upset you with taste and aroma. There are many drinks of Italian and French production, they please with exemplary quality. Rating of coffee beans:
- Lavazza - this variety was grown on coffee plantations in South America. It is sweet with a slightly sour undertone. Lavazza will conquer lovers of soft aroma.
- Carte Noire is a synthesis of beans from Africa and America. The drink is not sharp like espresso, perfectly invigorates, goes well with milk. The aroma of this drink will help you mentally find yourself in exotic countries.
- Ambassador is 100% Arabica medium roast. Fruit notes are the main taste characteristics. A slight sourness may be felt.
- jardin. The composition includes a mixture of Arabica beans from different regions and is distinguished by a special roasting process. lovers classic version will appreciate the Dessert Cup deep roast. Absolutely everyone will like monosorts with sourness and persistent taste.
- Saeco is a prime example of the quality use of authentic Indian Arabica coffee. The taste of spices and nuts, and at the end of a slight bitterness, refresh before the start of the working day.
- Jockey is a medium roast variety with pronounced sourness and rich color. After a cup of such a drink, a nutty aftertaste may remain. From the grains you can get a delicious drink with a sweetish aftertaste.
- Coffee, which is called the Black Card, is a mixture of several varieties: Colombian and Brazilian. Grains have lungs citrus notes, which can impart a velvety sweetness and nutty aftertaste. An organic drink can be prepared using a special coffee machine or a turk with a strainer.
Elite coffee beans
Quality coffee beans cost a lot of money. Such a product will cost more than ground or instant coffee. Gourmets reverently choose the best varieties, after all, having tried just once an invigorating and tonic elixir of great taste, no one will be able to refuse it. The range of elite coffee beans is wide: Blue Mountain, Kopi Luwak, Old Java, Ruiruiru, Yellow Bourbon, Yemen Matari, Ecuador Vilcabamba. It is profitable to buy elite, large coffee beans in the online store.
coffee bean price
Energizing, enjoying a cup grain coffee directly depends on the quality. On the pack they write what characteristics the prepared drink has. To save money, you need to purchase a large pack in the online store: for this you need to select in the catalog and order on the website. You can then receive it by courier or by mail, delivery is fast and takes from 3 to 5 days.
The price of coffee beans is not the same. The cost consists of many factors, the main of which are brand, manufacturer, composition. A small table will help you figure out how many rubles you will need to pay for a pack weighing 1 kg.
Is soluble. Buyers do not want to spend time grinding grains and all the nuances of preparation - from whipping with sugar into foam and ending with the brewing ceremony. Much easier to pour boiling water and drink.
In this case, when buying ground types of coffee, you can often encounter fakes. Milled beans, barley, dyes are added to the granules. The trouble is that you will only find a fake at home, because no one will brew coffee in the supermarket.
Even ground coffee on sale is fake. The same barley, chicory, starch are found in its composition.
Therefore, an extra 10 minutes of your time to prepare a coffee drink from beans is not such a big waste of time. But as a result, you get a really rich, aromatic and tasty drink.
Varietal differences
Nowadays, more than 200 different varieties coffee. Their taste characteristics depend on the place of growth, climate conditions and even plants that grow next to the plantation.
The two main types are known to us Robusta and Arabica. Robusta coffee beans can be used to make strong coffee with a strong invigorating effect. Often, to smooth out the strength, it is mixed with Arabica beans, which have less pronounced taste characteristics - light, not bitter, with a barely noticeable sourness.
To determine the taste characteristics of the variety, carefully read the labels on the package: it indicates the full name with the location of the plantation, country, city, port of departure.
Coffee beans must be uniform in shape, without damage or stains
If we start from the place where the coffee beans grew, then we can determine their approximate taste qualities:
- Costa Rica. The drink has an amazing coffee aroma and high density.
- Guatemala. Chocolate flavored coffee drink with a light aroma of spices and herbs.
- Kenya. Here they produce a product with a berry flavor and a slight wine sourness.
- Brazil. This country is known for its strong, tart, nut-flavored drink.
- Ethiopia. Coffee with berry aroma and slight bitterness.
- Colombia. The drink has refined taste with barely perceptible acidity.
- India. Here grow varieties of grains that have a taste of chocolate and high strength.
Mixing different varieties
For a more stable aroma and taste characteristics, manufacturers mix different coffee varieties. Mixture good quality, as a rule, consists of no more than 6 separate species, where both robusta and arabica are present. The main rule is that each species must be harvested and roasted separately on its own plantation, and already mixed at processing plants.
There is mixed Arabica - several varieties of the same species, or Arabica mixed with high-quality Robusta grains. The cost of the last coffee is slightly lower, but the taste of the drink most often improves, it turns out to be stronger with a dense foam and imperceptible sourness.
The espresso we know is 90% Arabica and 10% Robusta. To increase the strength in the mixture can be up to 30% robusta. However, varieties must be of high quality.
If low-quality Robusta is added to Arabica, the result will be a bitter and astringent drink. But even this coffee has its customers. Therefore, it all depends on your own preferences. Experiment!
Gourmets themselves often purchase grains of different varieties by weight at specialized points of sale and prepare their own own drink to select the ideal ratio by trial and error.
Attention! In stores, you can find coffee with beans specially mixed to make a drink for breakfast, lunch or dinner. For example, light roasted Kenyan and Colombian coffees are ideal for the morning, while for afternoon different varieties arabica coffee from Africa with a dark roast.
Choose by appearance
Directly in the store, holding a pack of coffee in your hands, you can determine the quality of the future drink in your cup.
- Ideal shape. Coffee beans must be uniform in shape, without damage or stains. It should feel velvety to the touch.
- The size. Arabica is larger than Robusta. If you choose one variety of Arabica, then the grains have an identical appearance. A mixture with small grains indicates the presence of cheap Robusta varieties.
- Aroma. When you open the package, you should feel a persistent coffee aroma. If the coffee smells badly of rancidity, then it is expired.
Advice. Read the labels on the packaging carefully. On the coffee drink high quality you will see all the data on the origin of coffee beans, expiration date, roast level.
Good coffee is packed only in a vacuum bag with a valve. This valve performs an important function - it promotes the release of essential oils and protects the grains from air.
Roast degree
The taste of coffee depends not only on the variety, but also on the level of roasting. On the packaging, information is placed in numbers - from 1 (light) to 5 (the strongest frying).
During the heat treatment of coffee beans, essential oils, of which there are more than 600 species. And the level of roasting affects the flavor intensity of each of them.
On sale you can find green coffee not fried. In appearance, the beans are gray-greenish or gray, odorless. Often used in the diet.
Roasting happens:
- Scandinavian. Beans are light brown. With such a super-light roast, the coffee is tender and soft with increased level caffeine. It is better to dilute the drink with milk.
- American. With this roasting, the beans acquire a dark chocolate color, but essential oils have not yet had time to stand out from them. Therefore, the taste of the drink has a slight bitterness. Perfect option for filters and french presses.
- Vienna. The grains are much darker, shiny. The coffee has a sweet taste.
- French. Strong roasting gives the beans a dark color, and the drink - astringency and a pleasant bitterness. The most delicious espresso is made from these beans.
- Italian. Black oily beans that turn into real bitter coffee. Ideal varieties for an oriental drink and espresso.
It also happens that strong roasting is used in order to hide a poor-quality product. You can recognize it by the tangible smell of burning. It is better to purchase well-roasted varieties that are not too dark in color.
And the last advice - trust only well-known coffee producers. In this case, you are guaranteed to buy high-quality beans that will turn into the most delicious coffee. Happy coffee drinking!
How to choose coffee - video
Can't get your head off the pillow early in the morning? It's okay, because you can always use the right remedy for this trouble: just drink a cup of strong freshly brewed coffee. And best drink obtained from freshly ground beans, as such coffee retains more nutrients, so it can give you more energy.
In our ranking the best coffee in grains you will find premium brands of this divine drink, which have repeatedly become international winners of exhibitions and are served in most elite restaurants in the world.
TOP-10: Rating of the best brands of coffee beans
Life hack by quick cooking coffee beans in the office
Avid coffee drinkers often complain that they do not have the opportunity to drink freshly brewed coffee at work due to lack of time.
Solving this problem is quite easy: the main thing is that a microwave and a water cooler are present at the workplace, other tools, such as a manual coffee grinder and a French press for squeezing sediment, can be brought from home. The recipe itself is not complicated: pour 7-8 grams into the French press ground coffee, fill hot water from the cooler (usually the cooler does not heat the water to a boil, but only to a temperature of 75-80 degrees) and put it in the microwave for 10 seconds.
Then we take out the almost ready drink from the microwave, mix it thoroughly in a cup and squeeze out the sediment with a press. Everything is fragrant and invigorating coffee ready to drink, and in terms of its smell and taste, it is not much inferior to coffee prepared in a Turk or a coffee maker.
Galapagos Gourmet
The Galapagos Gourmet brand opens our rating: it includes Arabica beans grown in the volcanic highlands of the Galapagos Islands. Slow bean roasting gives the drink a rich and rich aroma with a hint of berries, and a strong taste leaves an aftertaste of mountain flowers, spices and citrus fruits.
Where are they made: Ecuador
Where is grown: Galapagos Islands
Packing way: vacuum
Roasting degree: average
Grain type: Arabica
"Qualita Oro"
A mixture of several types of Arabica beans grown in different parts of the world. A very successful mix, classified as a series of "golden mixes". Central American beans add fruity and floral tones to the taste, while Brazilian Arabica enhances the taste of the drink and adds a honey flavor to it.
Where are they made: Italy
Where is grown: Several Central American countries, Brazil
Packing way: vacuum
Roasting degree: average
Grain type: Arabica
"Dessert Cup"
Usually, strong roasting of grains increases the shelf life, but worsens the taste of the product and its aroma. However, there are a few exceptions: for example, the "Dessert Cup" brand, which consists of Arabica beans grown in Central America and Africa. The unique blend will please coffee lovers with a pronounced fruity aroma, and taste with chocolate notes, with a honey-bitter aftertaste that is in perfect harmony with the smell of the drink.
Where are they made: Russia
Where is grown: Guatemala, Colombia, Ethiopia
Packing way: vacuum
Roasting degree: strong
Grain type: Arabica
"Blue Mountain"
An elite variety, considered an exclusive product due to the growing conditions of the coffee beans that form the basis of the blend. It includes only Arabica beans harvested on the high plateau near the Blue Mountains in Jamaica. A drink made from grains of this variety is distinguished by a surprisingly soft and rich taste, with a characteristic fruity aftertaste. In order to preserve the taste qualities of the grains for a sufficiently long period, they are subjected to a slow thermal processing method and packed in metallized vacuum bags equipped with an air bleed valve. The high price is due to the limited habitat of coffee trees.
Where are they made: Russia
Where is grown: Jamaica
Packing way: vacuum with a metal valve for bleeding air
Roasting degree: average
Grain type: Arabica
"Qualita Oro"
The first blend of beans in our ranking, which, in addition to the usual Arabica, includes first-class Robusta beans harvested on Indian plantations of coffee trees. The variety has repeatedly exhibited at international coffee exhibitions and twice took first place at them. Valued for its balanced taste and smell. It is considered one of the best varieties for making espresso in coffee machines.
Where are they made: Italy
Where is grown: Central America, Brazil, India
Packing way: vacuum
Roasting degree: average
Grain type: Arabica, Robusta
"Royal"
Another brand from the recognized Italian brand"La Genovese", included in the top list of "golden mixes" for making espresso. Like the variety "Qualita Oro", this mixture has twice won the gold medal at international exhibitions. In the proposed version of the drink, Robusta grains are much smaller, due to which the taste becomes sweeter, and chocolate notes predominate in the aroma.
Where are they made: Italy
Where is grown: Central America, Brazil, Africa, India
Packing way: vacuum with air bleed valve
Roasting degree: average
Grain type: Arabica, Robusta
"Grand Cru"
An exclusive blend consisting of elite Arabica and Robusta beans, collected only from high-mountain coffee plantations. The resulting mix is characterized by a very mild taste with a unique vanilla aftertaste. Packed in containers cans where it retains its taste and aroma for a very long period of time.
Where are they made: Italy
Where is grown: Brazil, Africa, India
Packing way: can
Roasting degree: average
Grain type: Arabica, Robusta
Coffee Espresso
A multifaceted blend of a large number of Arabica varieties collected in six different parts of the world. The grains are subjected to slow heat treatment and are roasted to a medium-roasting stage, which helps to preserve the bright and rich taste of the mixture. Then they are packed in metal cans, where the air is replaced by an inert gas - this increases the shelf life of the grains several times.
Where are they made: Italy
Where is grown: Central America, Brazil, Africa
Packing way: metal can
Roasting degree: average
Grain type: Arabica
"Jubileum"
Produced by a Swedish company that has been in the coffee business for over a hundred years. By the way, the brand "Jubileum" was issued in honor of the centennial anniversary of the company. The mixture consists only of Arabica beans harvested on the plantations of Kenya, Brazil and two other Latin American countries - Guatemala and Costa Rica. The grains of each variety are roasted separately - this processing method significantly enhances the taste of the drink and gives it a unique, lasting aroma. The taste is soft, the aroma is chocolate, with a fruity tint.
Where are they made: Sweden
Where is grown: Central Africa, Brazil, Kenya
Packing way: vacuum
Roasting degree: average
Grain type: Arabica
Kopi Luwak
A variety of premium Indonesian coffee that will interest buyers with the uniqueness of its preparation process. Let's start with the fact that not people, but musanga animals start harvesting grains: they eat the fruits of coffee trees (and it is believed that musangs choose only the most ripe of them), and people collect grains after this, so to speak, "primary" processing. Coffee beans treated with the gastric secretion of musangs have a soft and, at the same time, intense taste, with a velvety aftertaste, without any signs of sourness. The aroma is chocolatey and rich.
Where are they made: Russia
Where is grown: Indonesia
Packing way: glass jar
Roasting degree: average
Grain type: Arabica
What is the best coffee bean? Why are these brands included in the ranking of the best coffee beans?
When choosing brands of coffee, we started from the opinion of most coffee lovers, and they usually do not like the bitter and overly strong taste characteristic of deep roasted beans or the very mild taste (obtained from low heat treatment) that is suitable for drinking coffee with milk and cream. As a result, all the nominees of the rating are varieties of medium roast: they are the most versatile in terms of the quality of aroma transfer and the variety of flavors.
The second factor that influenced the choice of rating participants is the name of the manufacturer and recognition of the brand by world experts at various international exhibitions. Each of the options we proposed was flattered by the majority of critics at these events and received great amount positive feedback from ordinary fans of coffee drinks.
The most delicious coffee can only be made from correctly roasted high-quality beans of several varieties. They can be purchased as part of blends or as a single variety. At home, you can also learn how to produce competent roasting. But there is not always enough time for such work, so even gourmets often prefer finished product.
The best varieties of coffee beans
What is the best coffee bean? Each coffee lover has his own views on this concept. Therefore, it is easier to figure out what a good product should be. Coffee is grown in more than 40 countries around the world. But for many decades, Brazil, Guatemala, and Colombia remain the leaders in the market, followed by Vietnam, Ethiopia, and others.
Arabica is the type of tree whose fruits account for 70% of the total production. It is Arabica that is considered the bearer of real coffee characteristics:
- rich aroma;
- thick foam at the finished drink;
- good taste with a slight sourness.
Arabica has dozens of varieties that can give the drink different flavors and aromas. Arabica beans are large and oblong. Exactly the right combination different types of coffee makes the drink harmonious. It has a balanced bitterness, sourness, viscosity, tonic effect and other characteristics.
The best coffee varieties have common characteristics based on the growing region.
- Grain coffee from Guatemala is of high quality and a slight aftertaste of spices in ready drink.
- Brazilian Santos and Typica are the most common varieties of Arabica, which are characterized by a neutral flavor with nutty notes.
- Ethiopia supplies Arabica beans that are unique in their taste. It gives the drink a hint of cinnamon with simultaneous berry notes.
- Coffee beans from Colombia are famous for their amazing lightness and pleasant fruity notes.
- The Kenyan product is of high quality, due to strict state standards. Berry notes and sourness stand out brightly in the taste of the drink.
Robusta is the second largest type of coffee produced. Within the species, there are also many varieties. Distinctive features grains is roundness. The taste of a drink made from robusta is strong, with bitter and tart notes, black with a small amount of foam and high content caffeine.
This is what natural dried Arabica and Robusta grains look like.
In addition to the variety, the degree of roasting greatly affects the taste of the drink. The weaker it is, the more tender and neutral the taste is. Simplistically, all degrees of roasting can be divided into weak, medium and strong.
Coffee beans that have been heat treated for a few seconds have a light hazel color and a light aroma. A drink from such a product does not differ in strength and exceptionally refined notes. Medium roast is the most popular. The grains have a more intense brown color, small cracks are visible on them, and most often there is a light oily coating, which indicates the release of oils and resins to the surface of the grain. It is as a result of a medium roast that coffee is best suited for making espresso.
There are not so many lovers of a drink made from dark roasted beans in the world. The drink turns out to be strong, intense in terms of bitterness, with low acidity. Knowing the characteristic features of the variety and having information about the degrees of roasting, it is easier to choose the best product for yourself.
Selection rules
How to choose a good coffee bean? Product packaging very rarely indicates complete information about coffee. This refers to the composition of the blend, growing regions, dates, strength, and so on. Therefore, gourmets prefer to choose products that are sold by weight. In this case, you can evaluate the quality visually and feel its aroma.
Light shine, color uniformity and divine aroma distinguish the best coffee beans.
What kind of coffee beans is better and what to look for?
- Ideally, all grains should be uniform in shape, size, and color.
- They should not have a gray coating, only a slight oiliness and shine.
- The aroma should not contain notes of mustiness, obvious bitterness or acidity.
- Too many cracks in the grain indicates its poor quality.
- Low price. Tasty coffee high quality can not be cheap.
AT good product no foreign odors may be present. It should smell pleasant and make you want to cook and taste. If a lover of an invigorating drink has found his leader, he can safely subsequently order it on the Internet from the first supplier.
Finished product rating
There are many brands of coffee beans on the domestic market. It is usually sold in foil packs with a valve so that the buyer can appreciate the aroma.
Jardine - the owner of the widest range of coffee beans
- Lavazza is the world's best coffee brand in general. Offers exclusively high quality Arabica beans from different regions. Brings to market unique blends designed for professional use and home use.
- Jardine - offers a whole line of coffees for every taste. Demanded in many countries of the world. The composition of blends includes grains from Ethiopia, Sumatra, Guatemala, Brazil and other well-known and not only manufacturers.
- Paulig is a popular brand in the domestic and Baltic markets. Represents several varieties of good arabica coffee of varying degrees of roasting. Medium price product.
- Kimbo is another italian coffee. Offers blends of several varieties of Arabica and Robusta with varying degrees of strength. High quality product.
- Malongo supplies the market with heavily roasted Arabica beans for making strong espresso. French brand known for unique blends with a harmonious taste of the finished drink.
In the reviews of coffee lovers, you can find many others, in their opinion, the leaders of the coffee market. These are Live Coffee, Jacobs, Good, Jockey, Saeko and others. Professionals prefer to mix monosorts on their own in order to get a unique blend of taste and aroma that they love only.
