Cubicle Coffee: Coffee Beans

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Coffee Beans

Great office coffee comes from great coffee beans. But what are the best kind of beans to get, you ask? Sorry, there isn't a simple answer. It's largely a matter of personal preference and individual taste. You need to experiment to see what you like best. But there are a few general rules you should know about coffee beans to get started.

1. Where did they come from? No, we’re not talking about your local coffee house, we’re referring to the place in the world where the beans were grown. You see, coffee can only be grown in a particular region of the world, in a band that circles the Earth near the equator. This region encompasses such areas as Hawaii, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Brazil, Africa and Indonesia. Each country has its own distinctive coffee bean characteristics. Many coffees are single origin varietals, named after the place they come from. Examples would be Sumatra, Kenya, Costa Rica, Hawaiian Kona. Some tend to be more acidic, others are more earthy. There's no limit to the variety of flavors and tastes. Blends on the other hand are made from a mixture of beans from a number of different origins. The roast master will select different beans and combine them to produce a unique new blend with a taste all its own. Some of our favorite blends are Tully's Madison Blend and Stumptown Coffee Roaster's Hairbender Blend.

2. Roasting. Coffee beans begin as small, green nuggets, the dried processed seeds of the coffee cherry. The magic comes out when the roasting process occurs. Roasting changes the flavor and chemical make-up of the coffee beans. Roasts range from a light brown, through first crack, City Roast, Vienna Roast and all the way to extra dark French Roast. Lighter roasts tend to produce milder, brighter coffees and darker roasts tend to be more rich and robust. Again, it's a matter of personal taste which roast you like best.

3. Freshness Counts. Old, stale, dried out coffee beans are going to produce mediocre results at best. Your best bet will be beans that are freshly roasted and properly stored, away from light and air. If you buy coffee beans from your local coffee house, make sure to ask them when they got their last shipment. Stores with high turnover are your best option. And hopefully the beans are stored in airtight silver foil bulk bags, not in clear plexiglass open bins where light and air can damage them.

4. Buying whole bean vs. ground. Unless you're going to brew right away, it's better to buy whole beans and store them whole in an airtight container. That way you can grind them just prior to brewing to make sure you don't lose any coffee goodness. If you do get your beans ground, be sure to ask your bean supplier or local barrista to grind them for a French Press. If they have no idea what you are talking about, just say "Coarse Grind" very slowly and point to the French press on the shelf in the corner next to their overpriced coffee mugs. We'll cover grinds and grinding in more detail in the next section.

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