7 tips for choosing your perfect coffee

Choosing a bag of coffee doesn’t always go smoothly. You might feel you need an interpreter to understand notes about roast, origin and flavour. So how do you decipher the jargon and understand what influences the flavour of your coffee?

Two main types of coffee

Arabica and robusta are the two species of plant responsible for most of the world’s coffee. “Arabica is considered superior in flavour to robusta [as] it has more complexity… and less bitterness”, says James Hoffmann, World Barista Championship 2007 winner and author of The World Atlas of Coffee. However, “there are good robustas”, he adds. Robusta contains more caffeine than arabica, so if your key concern is a wake-up call, give it a try.

Which roast strength to look for?

The longer or ‘darker’ coffee beans are roasted for, the more bitterness and body they will have. This makes coffee “seem intense, quite rich or bold”, says Hoffmann. You can expect more “flavour or complexity” from lighter roasts, but this often comes with more acidity, which can be “off-putting to some”, he explains.

Milky coffee, such as a café latte, tastes best when made from darker roasted beans because the stronger, bitter flavour carries the milk. However, you’ll be able to taste the complex notes of lighter roasts in black coffee. If you’re still unsure or drink coffee with and without milk, a medium roast will keep some of the subtle regional notes as well as having the toasted more bitter flavour.

The roast level is indicated by the word ‘strength’ on a supermarket bag of coffee. Most have strengths of 3-5, increasing in strength as the numbers get higher, and you’re unlikely to find a 1-2. Speciality coffees may tell you if the roast is light, medium or dark, but if they don’t say, Hoffmann advises they are likely to be light-medium. You might think the higher the strength, the stronger the caffeine kick will be, but darker coffee roasts typically contain less caffeine, as heat burns it off. French and Italian roast coffee are both darker roasts.

Some labels tell you if the coffee has been roasted for filter or espresso.

What do flavour descriptions on the bag mean?

Bags of coffee often display a short description of flavour, and while this is informative it is also trying to get you to buy the coffee. Enticing “cocoa, nutty and caramel notes” doesn’t mean the coffee will taste like a chocolate bar, but it will likely be closer to those flavours than a contrasting citrusy coffee. But you may not even notice these flavour notes if you’re not comparing it to a dissimilar brew.

Coffee blends contain beans from multiple origins, giving a complex, well-rounded flavour. These are often mixed and produced in large batches, so can be “consistent, reassuring, friendly cups of coffee”, says Hoffmann.

If you want to compare unique characteristics of coffee around the world, single-origin is the way to go. You’ll find more “diversity of flavour and taste of place, or terroir” in these coffees, says Hoffmann. Single-origin beans are harvested from one place, usually a country or region, and their characteristics are linked to geographical conditions. The aroma, acidity and flavours are often more pronounced than the balanced and mellowed flavours of a blend. But regions have growing seasons, so your favourite single-origin coffee may not be available year-round.

Where in the world beans are grown affects their flavour, partly due to altitude and climate. Some countries’ coffees have broad characteristics. For instance, Brazilian and Columbian coffees have a more “traditional” coffee flavour, with nutty, chocolate and caramel notes (good with or without milk), while Kenyan and Ethiopian coffees have more complex flavour profiles that can be more fruity and acidic and are best drunk black as milk may mask the subtle flavours. But country doesn’t always guarantee a flavour.

Washed or natural processing?

Coffee is in fact a seed in a fruit that looks rather like a cherry. There are two main ways of processing it.

The washed process, or wet method, means the soft fruit is removed by water before the seeds are dried. This type of bean has clarity and often vibrancy.

The natural, or unwashed, process means drying the fruit whole and then hulling it to get the seeds. Some natural coffees are fruity and sweet, whereas some have a “funky” flavour, according to Hoffmann. He says to look out for descriptors such as pineapple or whisky to spot a more fermented flavour, which isn’t to everyone’s tastes.

Ground coffee starts to go stale quickly, sometimes within a day or two of opening the bag. Whole beans stay fresher for longer, due to the reduced surface area exposed to air. You can buy coffee grinders in shops and online – a burr grinder is preferred to a blade by many, as you can adjust the grind size.

It helps if your beans are ground to the right size for your equipment. For espresso machines, it should be fine ground, for a filter coffee (aka drip or pour over coffee) medium, and for a cafetière (aka French press) relatively coarse. You may be able choose between grind sizes when buying ground coffee.

Try before you buy

Coffee is very personal and what one person likes another won’t, so there is an element of trial and error. Some cafes sell bags of the coffee they serve. You can also sign up to a coffee subscription service, which allows you to have a range of coffees delivered to your door, often in small packages so you can experiment.