Coffee Blog

How To Buy Coffee Online

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Buying coffee online can be a daunting task. How will it taste? What will the aroma be like? And, most importantly, will I like it? Granted, you can’t taste the coffee, or, even smell the coffee, but there are ways to shop for coffee online that can guarantee success.

First , identify your personal coffee palate – do you prefer the sweet taste of a light or medium coffee blend? Or do you enjoy the rich texture of a bold coffee blend? Choosing the right beans and the right roast for you can amplify your coffee experience and brighten your mornings. Hopefully, this article will give you some ideas of where you are in the coffee taste spectrum.

Second, know your coffee bean origins – It’s important to understand where the coffee beans come from in order to determine the right beans for your particular palate. If you enjoy a more mellow and light cup of coffee – consider beans from Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala. If you prefer a deeper, medium coffee – consider beans from Columbia, Ethiopia, Honduras, Panama, Peru, and Tanzania. If your coffee preference is for a bold flavor – consider beans from Indonesia, Kenya, and Mexico.

Third, know your roasts – There are many different coffee blends and roasts. But, in order to simplify the process so that you can begin to identify and experiment with different roasts, color can be used as a baseline.  A lighter roast is usually made up of light brown beans. In a medium roast, the beans are usually roasted to medium brown color. In a bold roast, the beans are roasted to a dark brown, almost black. 

General definition of roast levels:

Light Roasts – Light, bright roasts that are not too intense, and are full of coffee flavor.
Medium Roasts - Well-balanced roasts with plenty of body and deeper coffee tones.
Bold Roasts – Full-bodied roasts with deep flavor undertones - never over-powering

Sometimes, the most popular coffee blends and roasts can be a bit more complicated than the simple information described above. Many coffee blends are made from a mixture of beans from different origins and different roasts. But you can still make informed choices. For example, High Point Coffee Breakfast Blend is representative of a light roast; our Magnolia Blend is categorized as a medium roast. Espresso and French Roast coffee blends are always going to be bold and full-bodied.  

Once you’ve identified where your coffee taste-palate lies, you can feel good about shopping for coffee online. Still need more information? Click here to download a copy of our “Free Coffee Guide”.