For every coffee enthusiast out there, we know that coffee is an essential part of our daily routines. Not only does it help us to gain the energy we need, but a single sip of this aromatic beverage can also boost our mood right away. But for every coffee drinker, we all have our own unique tastes — be it a preference for bitter, light, or even sweet coffee.
With every cup of coffee, the way it is prepared and brewed can easily make a vast difference in its taste and aroma. Starting with ingredients where types of coffee beans and roasts can influence the richness and boldness of a cup, to how the coffee grinds can affect the savour, intensity and caffeine content of the coffee.
With this article, let’s explore the different types of coffee beans, roasts, grinds, to even the best coffee grinder so that you can create the perfect cup of coffee every morning.
Different Types of Coffee Beans
It is no exception that the best coffee beans play an integral role in making coffee. Coffee beans come from a coffee plant that can grow up to 1.5 metres tall. In each coffee plant, there are two types of coffee beans, also known as seeds which grow inside the cherry fruits. Due to varying environments and the length of the bush, mother nature blesses us with different coffee plants that produce different types of coffee beans — this is how we get a myriad of coffee tastes.
There are typically the big four when it comes to coffee bean types. First up, we have Arabica coffee beans. Known as the most popular type of coffee beans used, Arabica beans make up 60% of the world’s coffee population. Generally seen in an oval and flat shape, Arabica coffee beans have a pronounced centre crease, which creates a sweeter, lighter and smoother flavoured coffee, and they have a well-balanced acidity level that removes much of the bitterness in a coffee.
However, a drawback to Arabica coffee beans is that they are more expensive, due to the nature of the environment the beans grow up in. Found commonly in Latin America, in particular, Brazil, the beans grow up high in the mountains which requires more care and cultivation attention.
Another type of popular bean is Robusta coffee beans, which are grown commonly in countries such as Africa, Vietnam and Indonesia. Although not as hyped as Arabica coffee beans, Robusta beans still make an impression in the coffee-making world by accounting for about 40% of the coffee produced. Compared to Arabica beans, they are smaller in size and often seen in a circular shape. Their centre creases are less pronounced and they are slightly paler in colour as well.
With these traits, Robusta coffee beans have a lower acidity level but a higher flavour and caffeine content. Thus, they’re a great option for coffee lovers who would prefer coffee that tastes less sweet in general or those who are looking for the perfect coffee bean choice to make espresso. Learn more about espresso in this article.
Next up, there are Liberica coffee beans which are harder to come by as they only make up for 2% of coffee worldwide. By nature, Liberica beans are larger in size compared to their coffee bean counterparts and are the only type of coffee beans that boasts irregular shapes. Due to their asymmetrical nature, Liberica coffee beans have a unique aroma, sometimes described as having a “woody” and smokier taste, with hints of floral and fruit notes, and on occasion, spicy notes as well.
Due to their rarity, Liberica beans are usually cultivated in the Southeast Asian region, including countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Vietnam and the Philippines. Thus, you may find Liberica coffee beans used in espresso, cold brews or morning coffees in local coffee shops mixed with condensed milk.
Lastly, the rarest type of coffee beans is Excelsa coffee beans which make up only a mere 7% of the world’s coffee. These beans are grown in Southeast Asia as well, and they have a unique teardrop shape and a size that is much smaller when compared to the other coffee beans. Hence, these beans are often used in blends to give your coffee that extra boost of flavour.
As Excelsa beans are distinctive in nature, they also have their own special taste. A combination of fruity, dark, mysterious and sometimes, tart, can be used to describe the taste of Excelsa beans, and they are the perfect beans to add thickness and flavour to your coffee.
With many types of coffee beans available at hand, get busy and visit your local stores to find the one that suits the coffee taste you’re looking for. But let’s also not forget that with every pack of coffee beans, there are different roasts too.
Types of Coffee Roasts
Locked inside coffee beans are a whole world of rich aroma and flavour and they can be varying in terms of the type of coffee roast. As coffee bean roasts range from light, medium and dark, you’ll want to select the colour based on your desired type of taste.
Light coffee roast, often seen in a light brown colour or a milk tea shade is the first in the spectrum. Due to the lack of oil on the beans, they give you a hint of sweetness, and a tea-like sensation and are generally less bitter than normal coffee. What’s best, they also contain the most caffeine content as compared to their darker counterparts.
Secondly on the spectrum, we have a medium coffee roast. Notably seen in a medium brown tone and appearing in a thicker body than light roast, they contain a balanced amount of caffeine to provide you with a fine coffee and a subtle natural sweetness.
Lastly, dark coffee roast, recognised for its blackened colour and dark brown colour, contains the most volatile oils inside the coffee beans. While they boast a richer and darker colour in your coffee, they are more bitter and hence, largely assumed as a “stronger” type of coffee.
Now that you know the difference, determine the type of beans you are using and choose your preferred roast level — Remember, the darker the roast, the stronger the bitterness.
Types of Coffee Grinds
After you have selected your desired roast, start choosing the types of coffee grinds. Whether you’re looking for a smooth drip coffee or a rich cup of espresso for that extra kick, the size and texture of your grind play an important role.
As the total surface area affects the extraction of the coffee beans, a finer grind would have more contact with water during the coffee brewing process, resulting in a faster extraction and stronger flavours. But keep in mind that your grind shouldn’t be too fine, or else you might prevent extraction altogether!
On the other hand, if you have a coarser grind, the extraction is typically slower due to the smaller surface area. Yet, it is still sufficient to give you a light cup of coffee. Like too fine of a coffee grind, grinds that are too coarse might produce a tasteless or weak coffee as water would move through the grinds too quickly.
It is definitely important that you pay attention to the size of your grinds to avoid these avertable mistakes. In short, use a fine grind to produce a strong and rich coffee, while a coarse grind is for a light coffee.
It’s Time to Get Grinding!
With your coffee roast at hand and selected coffee grind in mind, it’s time to get grinding! A handy and essential tool for this is a coffee grinder — it allows you to grind your coffee beans precisely down to a T, which helps you to enjoy the perfect cup of coffee and indulge in the full flavour of the coffee beans.
Look no further than the Comandante C40 MK4 Nitro Blade Coffee Grinder to aid your penchant for coffee-making.
Built for true coffee enthusiasts and specialty coffee connoisseurs, we recommend this Comandante Coffee Grinder — a high-precision tool refined with the geometry and structure of the Nitro Blade, it serves you high grinding performance while being a piece of tough and highly wear-resistant equipment.
To start using, here are some easy steps:
- Turn the finer to grinder zero to prevent the handle from moving
- Rotate the clicks to your desired grind size -- depending on the type of brew you’d like to go for
- Pour in the coffee beans and pop the lid on
- Start grinding!
The Comandante C40 Coffee Grinder is also available in seven stunning colours. From the classic shades of monochrome such as Black and Copper Mountain to earthy tones such as American Cherry, Liquid Amber and Virginia Walnut, and even fun colours such as Alpine Lagoon and Sunset — you’ll be simply spoilt for choice!To complement your brewing journey, explore a wide range of high-quality coffee gear from renowned brands like Sttoke, Fellow, Timemore and Hario.The Brew Therapy distributes wholesale cafe supplies from various brands. You can drop them an enquiry via email or contact form.