The information about coffee beans is all on the label. When you can read the label, you can easily pick out the best coffee beans.

coffee bean

Never change the principle of buying coffee beans (whole beans). Coffee powder is very convenient, but in order to save some time, it is really not worth it, and the taste is so bad. Air is the enemy of coffee. When coffee is ground into powder, it begins to oxidize, which means that the taste will dissipate faster. The closer the coffee is to the ground beans, the fresher and more fragrant the coffee is.

Baking date

First, the baking date is completely different from the "shelf life"! Although it feels that coffee can last indefinitely, it is not the case. Of course, drinking coffee beans for a year does not necessarily make you sick. Coffee beans may not be too "bad", but they are definitely not that delicious.

After coffee beans are roasted, their chemical composition will change immediately. Coffee beans will begin to emit carbon dioxide produced by roasting, which is called "degassing" in English. When coffee beans begin to decay, the oil of beans will begin to oxidize, which means the flavor of beans will begin to decline. The freshness of coffee beans is a very subjective matter, but it is recommended to drink coffee beans within four days to two weeks after roasting, but the way of extracting coffee will also affect this period.

For example, if you like to make coffee by hand, I suggest you start using it in the first week after baking, and the sooner you use it, the better, because the flavor and aroma of coffee are the most perfect and complete at this time. But if you like making espresso (coffee machine), you can "keep" coffee beans for a long time and then start using them in about seven to nine days. A little longer will be suitable for making cold extracted coffee.

These are just some suggestions. Remember to find the method that suits your taste best through experiments.

baker

In the first-tier cities, you are lucky, there are enough cafes, and it is easy to know people who bake coffee. Get to know them, understand their ideas and ways of baking beans, and increase interaction, which is not only the business behavior of buying coffee, but also the establishment of social networks, which is very helpful for further study of coffee.

The coffee beans marked with the roaster on the packaging label deserve careful attention. Because it means that he cares about his "works", the chances of buying good coffee are much higher.

Place of production

Altitude, soil, rainfall and sunshine are all factors that affect the final taste of coffee beans, so the origin of coffee beans is an important indicator of how to taste them. Coffee trees thrive along the "coffee bean belt", which is the area between the Tropic of Cancer. If your coffee bag or barista can't tell you where this bag of coffee is planted, you may need to reconsider your choice.

Coffee is produced in more than 60 countries around the world, but it is best to start from some famous producing areas and understand their flavor characteristics, and then turn to more exotic varieties. Hawaii, Brazil, Ethiopia, Kenya and other countries. You can learn about the characteristics of each producing area first and see what kind of flavor you prefer.

It is a great enjoyment to explore the flavor of coffee according to the region between the extremely unique climate and processing technology. Even if you already have one or two favorite producing areas, it is recommended to try different producing areas occasionally to discover new things.

fair trade

In the field of food labeling, fair trade is an amorphous description, which means ... well, it depends on who you ask. You may see all kinds of fair trade labels on the packaging of coffee and other products. If this is an important consideration for you, it is a good idea to be familiar with some well-known labels and their meanings.

Will fair trade be good coffee? It's really hard to say, but fair trade means that coffee producers, their employees and their living environment are at least not oppressed. Things produced by a good environment are usually not too bad. If you are interested, you can study what kind of fair trade best suits your idea. When you find it, it will be easier to choose.

Organic certification

Organic products are often abused in marketing to raise product prices. In fact, organic certification is a very complicated matter. Different organic certifications have different standards. Some organic certifications can only prove that farmers have never used chemical pesticides and fertilizers, but it does not mean that there are no chemical residues at all. And like other organic crops, organically produced coffee does not represent high quality. Even if there is no "organic certification", it does not mean that it must be "non-organic". After all, those coffee farmers who have been poor for generations can't afford chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and they can't afford the expensive fees required for certification.

In other words, to find the best coffee beans, you have to taste them slowly. Because any trade method or production certification has nothing to do with whether coffee tastes good or not.