How to choose coffee?

by | Jun 9, 2021

Kuidas valida kohvi / OA coffee beans in bag

Standing at the counter, the choice seems complicated and the inevitable question arises – how to choose coffee? It all gets blurred and you still take the one that you are used to. If you don’t want to choose by the packaging, then how to choose a coffee that would give you a great experience?

The first step is to decide if you need ground coffee or coffee beans. If a coffee grinder or other grinding method is not available in your kitchen, you will probably choose ground coffee But! Here lies the first opportunity for bettering your coffee experience already: freshly ground coffee is always better. In addition to the pleasant aroma, it is also tastier. If you can’t grind the beans yourself, find a place where you can do it. All OA coffees can be ordered ground or have them ground at our café (Müürivahe 36). If you ask especially politely, the barista may let you grind your beans yourself.

The next question that more and more people are paying attention to is: with caffeine or decaffeinated. If caffeine raises your blood pressure, makes your energies go wild or if you just want a healthier choice, decaffeinated coffee is your friend. OA selection offers OA Peru Decaf.

Let’s get back to the beans now.

The beans can be divided into four:  Arabica, Robusta, Liberica and Excelsa. Arabica is considered to be the highest quality coffee in the world. It has a slightly sour, mild and fruity taste and it contains twice as little caffeine as Robusta. Robusta has more bitter taste. Liberica is a relatively low-quality coffee bean with a fruity, floral (or even wooden) taste. Excelsa is a variation of Liberica; tastes as sweet as over-ripe fruit. Arabica beans are predominantly used in OA selection, but OA no3 is a blend of Arabica (80%) and Robusta (20%).

Kuidas valida kohvi / Unroasted OA coffee beansLet’s examine the little bean further.

Just like your living environment either you grew up in Tallinn or in Saaremaa, has an influence on your life, the growing environment affects the taste of coffee. Dividing by location, we get 3 regions:

  1. Latin – America. Coffee from Central and South America, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama and Mexico is light, balanced, sweet and relatively acidic. Morning coffee from these beans is the most enjoyable. OA selection holds OA Brazil, OA Peru, OA Peru Decaf and OA Guatemala.
  2. Africa and Arabic. Coffees from Africa, Central Asia and the Arabic region tend to have a syrupy and sour taste and are best enjoyed with milk chocolate or cheesecake. In OA selection this region is represented by OA Ethiopia.
  3. Indonesia and the Pacific region. Beans grown in Asia, Indonesia and the surrounding Pacific islands are mostly low-acid and earthy in taste. It is especially nice to consume them with dark chocolate, caramel or some other rich tasting dessert. In the OA selection you can find OA Papua New Guinea.

When you have read so far – “Hello! The end is at hand!”

We have yet to get acquainted with the different degrees of roasting. First of all – if you open the package and you see either green or coal-black beans, something has gone totally wrong. In the first case, things have probably gone awry and ordinary unroasted beans have ended up in the package (or maybe it is a new DIY roasting kit), but in the second case, the roaster has probably fallen asleep and the beans have enjoyed the heat for too long. But if you see nicely brown beans, you’re on the right track. The degree of roasting depends on time and temperature.

Kuidas valida kohvi / Smelling OA coffee

Light roast has a more sour, nuanced taste and many flavours. OA selection includes light roasted OA no1, OA Ethiopia and OA Peru.

Medium roast is, as the name suggests, completely average. Nothing is too strong and nothing is too little. All the features are exactly right. In the OA selection you will find medium roasted OA Brazil, OA Guatemala, OA no2, OA no4 and OA Peru Decaf.

Dark roast is pleasantly full and aromatic. OA selection includes dark roasted OA no3 and OA Papua New-Guinea.

So there are a lot of variations in one small bean. But if you are still unsure how to choose the coffee you prefer, try the OA Taste journey or come to our café, take a seat, have a discussion with the barista (or with our own coffee expert Taniel if he has dropped in from the OA roasting house) and start tasting the OA coffees – you will definitely find your favourite.

Coffee is an art. Discover it with the whole rich palette.

 

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