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Walking into a speciality coffee shop or browsing a website like ours can be overwhelming the first time. There's so much information on every bag, so much terminology, that you don't quite know where to begin.
This guide exists to change that. Let's explain what each piece of information on a good coffee bean label means, why it matters, and how to use it to choose your coffee. that best suits your palate and your preparation method.
The origin of a coffee refers to Grain field. It can be a country (Ethiopia, Colombia, Guatemala), a region (Yirgacheffe, Huila, Antigua), or even a specific farm. The more specific the origin, the more information you have about the character of the coffee.
The terroir, a concept we've borrowed from wine, directly influences the flavour profile. An Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee, grown in high-altitude lands with mineral-rich soils, typically has pronounced floral and citrus notes. A Brazilian coffee, grown in lower, flatter lands, tends to be sweeter, with notes of caramel, hazelnut, and chocolate.
The single origin, also called single origin, means that All the coffee in the packet comes from the same place. This ensures consistency in the profile and transparency regarding the traceability of the bean. It is what differentiates a specialty coffee from a generic blend, where various origins are mixed without indicating their provenance.
The blends they aren't necessarily bad, but It's difficult to know what you're drinking. To learn about coffee, single origin is always the best starting point.
Once the coffee cherry is harvested, the bean must be separated from the pulp. How this is done has a huge impact on the final flavour.
The washed process removes all the pulp using water before drying. The result is a cleaner coffee, with defined acidity and more precise profiles. If you want to appreciate the terroir of the origin, the washed process is the most transparent.
The natural process (or dry process) dries the whole cherry, with the pulp. The bean absorbs the sugars from the fruit during drying and develops sweeter, fruitier, and more intense notes. An Ethiopian natural can be reminiscent of wine, red berries, or must. They are more complex but also more variable coffees.
The honey process (or pulped natural) is an intermediate method: the pulp is removed but the mucilage (the sticky layer beneath the pulp) is left on during drying. It produces coffees with more body and sweetness than washed coffees, without reaching the intensity of natural coffees. Highly regarded in Costa Rica and El Salvador.
Roasting is the process by which green bean is transformed into the brown bean that we grind. The temperature, time and control during this process determine the final cup profile.
Light roasts retain more of the original characteristics of the bean. Acidity is higher, body is lighter, and the aromas are more floral or fruity. It is the preferred roast for filter methods. If you see terms like «light roast», «tueste claro» or references to citrus acidity in tasting notes, you are looking at a light roast.
Medium roast balances the origin characteristics with the flavours provided by the roasting. Low acidity, increased sweetness, and notes of caramel, nuts, or chocolate appear. It works well in both filter and espresso.
Dark roast profoundly transforms the bean. The origin characteristics almost completely disappear, and the roasting flavours – bitter, smoky, chocolatey – predominate. This is the most common profile in supermarket coffee and in many capsule machines. It’s not intrinsically bad, but it does limit the diversity of flavours you can explore.
Perhaps the most overlooked, and at the same time, one of the most relevant facts. Coffee beans have an optimal consumption period: between 7 and 30 days after roasting. Within this timeframe, the roasting gases have dissipated enough to allow for good extraction, but the volatile aromas are still present.
Coffee with a roasting date of three months ago isn't spoiled, but it has lost a good portion of its aromatic potential. If you buy coffee online and cannot find the roasting date, only the expiry date (which is usually a year or more), ensure it is a fast-moving product.
At Marabans, we roast to order in small batches. When you order a coffee, it leaves the roaster and arrives at your door within a few days, not from a warehouse where it's been waiting for months.
With all of the above, choosing becomes much simpler. Ask yourself three questions before buying:
Firstly, what brewing method do you use? If it's filter, look for a light or medium roast, washed process, African or Central American origin. If it's espresso, a medium roast works well with most quality blends.
Secondly, what flavours do you prefer? Something more acidic and floral? Ethiopia, Kenya, Colombia. Something sweeter and fuller-bodied? Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras. Something fruity and intense? Naturally processed from any origin.
Thirdly, when was it roasted? If the shop doesn't tell you, ask. Good speciality coffee always has the roast date visible.
If you have any doubts, at Marabans you can write to us directly and we'll help you choose the coffee that best suits you. Coffee is a conversation, not a transaction.
