Mistakes Everyone Makes When Buying Coffee Beans

Do you keep buying coffee beans you're unhappy with? Maybe you love a barista-made flat white or pour-over, but you can never make anything you like at home. You might be falling into some of the common mistakes everyone makes when buying coffee beans. While there are many variables that go into making a decent brew, start with the wrong beans and you'll never get it right.

The thing is, coffee is subjective. Some people love fruity roasts with a bright acidity. Others think deep nutty, chocolatey notes are the pinnacle of coffee perfection. So, it's not simply about buying quality beans but rather choosing ones that you enjoy. If you're clueless about the factors that affect the flavor of coffee, this is where you need to start.

Sure, the darkness of the roast makes a difference, but this isn't the beginning and end of the matter. The variety of beans, where they're grown, and how they're processed all make a difference. Then, there's the overall quality to consider — how old is the coffee? Was it roasted by a reputable source?

It might seem like a lot to think about every time you buy beans, but it makes all the difference. Avoid the common pitfalls that people make when choosing coffee beans and learn what you like — you'll taste the difference in every sip.

A common mistake people make with coffee is choosing the wrong roast level. Now, objectively, there's no such thing as the wrong roast level, but there might be a wrong one for you. Light, medium, and dark roasts can all be equally good but it's about what you prefer. Each tastes markedly different, and although some people like them all equally, you might have a strong preference.

So, what exactly is the difference between coffee roast levels? All beans are roasted for different lengths of time, leaving them somewhere on the scale from light to dark. Light roast coffee beans are gently toasted to keep the bean's natural, delicate flavors intact. Generally, this gives the coffee a crisp acidity and hints of fruity or floral notes. Of course, the notes will still vary depending on the beans themselves. Essentially, you get more flavor from the bean and less from the roast. Light roasts are also higher in caffeine.

Medium roast strikes a balance between the bean's natural flavor profile and the toasty notes developed during roasting. It tends to have a smoother body with a touch of caramel sweetness. This makes it a versatile choice and a bit of a crowd-pleaser. Dark roast is heated for longer, leading to a fuller profile with lower acidity. This transforms many of the natural flavors into richer, deeper notes. There may be chocolatey flavors or even a touch of smokiness. Contrary to popular belief, dark roasts are also lower in caffeine.

Coffee beans are coffee beans and there's only one variety, right? Actually, the truth is, there are several. And if you're not paying attention to the type of beans you're buying, you're making a mistake. The four main types of coffee are Arabica, Robusta, Liberica, and Excelsa. However, the last two are sold so infrequently that you don't really need to consider them.

So, what's the difference between Arabica and Robusta beans? Arabica beans are smoother, with a sweeter and more complex flavor profile. They pack a punch, the way all coffee does, but they're not in-your-face about it. Robusta beans are all about that caffeine kick. They're strong with a more bitter, less nuanced flavor.

Generally, Robusta beans are considered an inferior alternative to Arabica. You'll often find them in cheap blends. A quality, small-batch bag of beans is almost always 100% Arabica. But when you're buying supermarket beans, check the packet to make sure you know what you're getting. Everyone likes different things, so if you happen to love Robusta, more power to you. If you're looking for the kind of barista-quality drink you might get from an independent coffee shop, stick to Arabica.

When you buy coffee beans from a small roastery, you'll always find tasting notes on the package. Some big brands have started doing this, too, so don't assume that it's a sign of quality. It can still help you pick out a coffee that fits your preferences, so it's a mistake to ignore the tasting notes.

Berry, citrus, floral, nutty. You might read these tasting notes, but what do they actually mean? It's a bit like the tasting notes of wine — you can expect the drink to taste exactly like the tasting notes, but it gives you an indication of what to expect. A bean with citrus-forward notes doesn't taste like lemonade, it's still going to taste like coffee. However, you can expect a brew on the bright and refreshing end of the spectrum.

As a generality, fruity and floral tasting notes often go hand-in-hand with brighter, more acidic beans. But it's not always the case. You'll often see at least three flavors on the packet. So, if the notes are something like citrus, berry, or floral, you're likely to end up with a bright, crisp brew. But, a combination of something like berry, pecan, and brown sugar might be sweeter with lower acidity. Once you work out what tasting notes appeal to you, it's much easier to find coffee you love. You might like the sound of fruity coffee, but actually find you love chocolatey beans instead.

Where your coffee comes from matters. It might seem strange, but the same plant, grown in different countries and conditions, produces distinctly different beans. So, you could buy a medium roast, natural-processed, single-estate coffee from Colombia and it might taste quite different from a medium roast, natural-processed, single-estate bean from Kenya.

Ethiopian coffees have bright, fruity notes like citrus and berry. They tend to be medium-bodied and low in acidity. Kenyan coffees, on the other hand, are famous for their bold acidity. They're full-bodied and fruity with a distinctive wine-like flavor. Indian coffees can vary quite widely depending on the growing region. Some are low-acidity and earthy with spicy notes, while others are bright and fruity with a high acidity.

Colombian beans are known for their well-rounded flavor, featuring a balance of mild acidity, subtle nuttiness, and hints of caramel. Moving to Brazil, beans from this region tend to offer a smoother, chocolatey profile with low acidity, making them a popular choice for espresso blends. In Central America, countries like Costa Rica and Guatemala produce coffees that lean towards a crisp taste with both citrusy and chocolatey notes, complemented by a medium body.

It can be overwhelming to figure out which country's coffee you like best. Take a look at the tasting notes, choose some that appeal to you, and try coffee from that region. You might end up finding one or two go-to countries that you always like the coffee from.

If you're serious about good coffee, the roast date on your beans isn't just a number. It actually makes a big difference to how your brew will taste. Get it wrong, and you could end up with coffee that's stale or lackluster, no matter how carefully you brew it. Freshness is crucial, but here's where many people get it wrong: beans that are too old lose their complexity, but beans that are too fresh are also a problem.

Once coffee is roasted, it starts releasing carbon dioxide in a process called degassing. Using beans immediately after roasting can lead to unpredictable flavors and a weird, underwhelming cup. The gases trapped in freshly roasted beans can interfere with extraction, stopping water from properly saturating the coffee grounds. The resulting brew can taste sharp, grassy, or just off.

But what's the sweet spot? Most specialty coffee experts recommend waiting for a week after roasting before brewing. After that, the flavor peaks and remains excellent for a few weeks. Ideally, you want to finish your beans within three to four weeks of roasting. However, you'll still get a reasonably good flavor within three months of the roast date.

Past that point, oxidation takes over, and your coffee starts losing its depth. It can end up tasting dull and one-note. So, next time you buy beans, check the roast date. Too fresh and you need to wait a few days. Too old and it's already past its best.

We get it, supermarkets are convenient. You can buy all your groceries under one roof, saving time compared to going to multiple smaller shops. However, if you always buy your coffee from the supermarket, you're missing out. By all means, pick up beans from a large grocery store when you're short on time and it's your only hope. But if you want the best coffee in your town, you should be buying direct from a roastery or an independent coffee shop that sells small-batch coffee.

Wondering what's so bad about buying from a supermarket? For starters, freshness is an issue. When you buy from a small supplier, your beans will likely have been roasted within the last week or two. Batches from grocery stores are often already months old and past their best. But, that's not all. Variety is another issue. Although you might find an array of brands, they're often much the same — your basic light, medium, and dark roasts.

The overall quality generally isn't great, either. The big companies who sell in supermarkets put profit ahead of all else. They're usually not too fussed on the details as long as the coffee is good enough that people will buy it. Small roasters, on the other hand, live and breathe coffee. They've sourced their beans carefully, roasted them precisely, and care about getting it right. You might have to make an extra stop, but supporting a small business is the way to go.

If you thought you'd already filled your head with all the variables that affect the flavor of coffee, you've got another thing coming. Many buyers ignore the processing method of beans, most not really understanding what it even means. But once you understand how it affects flavor, you can more easily find your dream java.

The two main methods you'll come across are natural and washed. These are distinct ways of processing the cherries ahead of it being packed up and sent off to roasteries. But what's the difference between natural and washed coffee? Coffee cherries are the fruits of the coffee plant — and the seeds inside are the beans we grind and brew. Washed or wet processing involves washing the cherries to strip the fruit from the seed before leaving the beans to dry. Natural or dry processing is where the fruit is left on the seed during the drying process. The fruit is removed after drying.

With washed processing, you get a brighter, cleaner cup of coffee. The acidity is usually more pronounced. Natural processing results in a richer, more complex coffee with lower acidity. Notes of berries and chocolate are often more prominent.

There are also less common methods, like honey processing, where the fruit is removed from the seed but isn't washed off. This leaves a thin layer of fruit on the beans while they dry, which leaves them fruitier than washed beans but not as intense as natural processed ones.

Many people buy their beans ground. This might be because they lack a grinder or don't want the extra step of grinding coffee themselves. If you have a decent grinder or the means to buy one, it's worth buying whole beans and grinding them yourself.

As soon as you grind coffee beans, they start to lose the volatile oils that give them much of their flavor. So, coffee that's brewed right after being ground tastes more complex and nuanced. The longer that grounds sit around, the more stale and less flavorful they'll be. So, a bag of ground coffee that's been on a supermarket shelf for weeks and languishing in a warehouse for potentially months before that is never going to make the perfect cup.

The other thing about ground coffee is that it often has a generic middle-ground grind size that works okay for everything but not perfectly for anything. It's often too coarsely ground for espresso, giving you an imperfect extraction, but too fine for a French press so you end up with grounds in your cup.

If you don't have a grinder of your own, the next best thing you can do is buy beans from a coffee shop or roastery and ask them to be ground to your specifications. This way, the ground coffee is fresher and you can ask for the best grind size for whatever brewing method you use.

Blend, single-origin, single-estate — these are all terms thrown around in the coffee world but they can be confusing. If you don't know what they are and aren't considering the difference this makes, then you might not be getting the best beans.

First, you might be wondering the difference between a blend and single-origin coffee. Coffee blends are made by mixing beans from different regions, sometimes even different countries. The goal is to create a balanced, consistent flavor. Since single-origin beans can change seasonally, blending helps roasters maintain a familiar taste profile year-round. Blends tend to have a smooth, approachable flavor, often combining chocolatey, nutty, or caramel notes with just enough brightness to keep things interesting. They're a popular choice for espresso, where balance and body matter.

Single-origin coffee comes from one specific country or region rather than a mix. These coffees highlight the unique characteristics of where they're grown, whether it's the bright, fruity acidity of Ethiopian beans or the deep, chocolatey richness of Brazilian coffee. Single-origin coffees often have more pronounced, sometimes surprising flavors, making them a favorite for pour-over and other brewing methods that bring out subtle nuances.

But there's also another option you might not have considered — single-estate. It takes things a step further, sourced from just one farm or cooperative. Because the beans grow in the same soil and climate and are processed together, they often have an even more distinctive flavor profile, offering a true taste of a specific place.

If you've ever noticed altitude listed on a bag of coffee beans, you might have wondered whether it really matters. The short answer is "yes." The height at which coffee is grown has a huge impact on how it tastes.

Generally speaking, higher altitudes produce more complex, flavorful coffee. This is because coffee plants grown at very high elevations — above 5,000 feet — develop more slowly due to cooler temperatures. This slow growth lets the beans become denser and more packed with sugars and organic acids, brighter acidity and more nuanced flavors. Expect floral, fruity, or citrusy notes in coffees from high-altitude regions like Ethiopia or Colombia.

Low-altitude coffee (below 3,000 feet) grows faster, meaning the beans don't develop as much complexity. These coffees tend to be harsher and more bitter. Robusta grows particularly well at low altitudes, while you'll find fewer Arabica beans grown at this height.

But between these two extremes you'll find a range of flavor profiles. Medium-altitude coffees are grown between 3,000 and 4,000 feet and often have nutty notes with slightly more acidity than low-altitude beans. Those grown at high altitudes of between 4,000 and 5,000 feet may have notes of chocolate, vanilla, and citrus.

Stocking up on coffee might seem like a good idea — especially if you find a great deal — but buying more than you can drink in a couple of weeks is a mistake. Once coffee is roasted, it starts losing its freshness. The flavors and aromas that make your brew taste amazing gradually fade, and after about three to four weeks, your beans won't be at their best.

To keep your coffee tasting fresh, it's best to buy only what you'll drink within a few weeks. It's not a hard-and-fast rule — and if you keep beans for a couple of months, they'll be good, if not optimal — but buying in bulk is rarely a wise idea. If you go through coffee slowly, consider purchasing smaller bags more frequently rather than one big bag that will sit around for too long.

Proper storage is also important. Rather than leaving them in the bag they came in, transfer your beans to an opaque, airtight container and keep them in a cool, dark place, away from heat and light. Avoid storing coffee in the fridge, as moisture can seep in and ruin the flavor. If you must store beans for longer, freezing them in an airtight bag can help, but only if you thaw them completely before use.