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How To Buy Specialty Coffee The Right Way

To buy specialty coffee the right way, you should know a few things about what actually qualifies as a cup of specialty coffee. Sounds simple right? Unfortunately there are a lot of coffees out there being passed off as specialty when in reality, they are nowhere close.

Real specialty coffee is truly miles above and beyond the majority of options currently available. In fact most people's understanding of how specialty coffee should taste is even in need of some improvement. If you are not sure what you should be looking for, there is a good chance your next purchase may be gourmet coffee priced, without the specialty coffee flavor.

There are a lot of factors that go into a proper specialty coffee roast. Here are three things to look for in your search for the perfect sprecialty brew.

Coffee Bean Origin

Where the coffee beans are grown makes a MASSIVE difference in the flavor. The mineral content of the soil, the weather, events during the growing season, adjacent plants and wildlife and packaging all factor into the taste and specialty feel of the coffee.

Much like fine wine, a true specialty coffee will present its most noticeable characteristics based on the region in which the bean was grown. Indonesian coffees like Sumatra can have a full, earthy body. Whereas a central American coffee like Guatemala may present with a sharp and clean finish.

Check out which regions produce the type of bean you like.

Coffee Bean Quality

Obviously for someone looking to buy specialty coffee, the quality of the bean plays a major factor. Regardless of where the bean comes from, the discerning consumer needs to be sure the coffee beans are the select ones from the batch.

Lower grade coffee beans, ones that clearly don't qualify as specialty, are more prone to shriveled bean, small rocks and dirt, or even rat feces. You get what you pay for, regardless of what the label says.

If you want to be sure to only select high grade beans for your specialty coffee, a good coffee roaster will is the best option. A good roaster will know how to select the best grade bean to ensure the specialty coffee he sells is consistently top shelf.

Coffee Roasting Technique

Before you buy specialty coffee, make sure you know how the roaster cooks his beans. Most companies, in the interest of cost, roast in large, continuous batches. Sure this is faster, but it results in beans that are usually over or under roasted.