Which Coffee Beans Are the Best?

When it comes to finding a great cup of coffee, the type of beans you choose can make the difference. Each type offers a unique taste that pairs well with a range of food and drink recipes.

Panama leads the pack with their unique Geisha beans that score highly in cupping tests and are priced high at auction. Ethiopia and particularly Yirgacheffe bean, is not far behind.

1. Geisha Beans from Panama

If you're looking for the best coffee beans available look no further than Geisha beans from Panama. Geisha beans are prized for their unique flavor and aroma. These rare beans are grown at extremely high elevations and undergo a special process that creates their distinctive flavor. The result is a coffee with a rich, smooth flavor.

Geisha coffee is indigenous to Ethiopia but was introduced to Panama for the first time in 1963. Geisha coffee is renowned for its premium taste and flavor. Geisha beans are also expensive due to the labor involved in their cultivation. The Geisha coffee plant is more difficult to grow than other coffee plants because it requires higher elevations and unique climate conditions.

Geisha beans are also very delicate and must be handled with extreme care. They should be sorted with care and prepared meticulously to roast. Otherwise, they may turn acidic and bitter.

The Janson Coffee Farm is located in Volcan. The farm is committed to improving the environment and is a leader in the production of high-quality beans. They utilize solar panels to provide energy, recycle waste materials and water, and employ enzyme microbes to improve the soil. They also reforest the area and use recycled water to wash. Their coffee is Washed Geisha, which was awarded the highest score at a Panama Coffee Competition.

2. Ethiopian Coffee

Ethiopia is a coffee giant that has a long record of producing some of the world's finest coffees. Ethiopia is the fifth largest producer of coffee in the world. Their beans are valued for their unique fresh, fruity and floral flavors. Ethiopians, unlike many other beans, are best roasted to medium roast. This lets the floral notes be preserved while highlighting citrus and fruity flavors.

Sidamo beans, well-known for their crisp acidity and astringency, are among the top in the world. However, other varieties of coffee like Yirgacheffe or Harar, are equally well-respected. Harar is the most famous and oldest coffee variety. It has a distinct mocha and wine taste. Coffees from the Guji zone are also known for their distinctive terroirs and complex flavors.

Another kind of bulk coffee beans that comes from Ethiopia is known as natural process. It is processed using dry processing instead of wet-processing. The main difference between these two methods is that wet-processing involves washing coffee beans, which tends to remove some fruity and sweetness from the coffee. Natural process Ethiopian coffees weren't as popular as their washed counterparts. They were more often used to enhance blends than they were offered on the market for specialty coffees. Recent technological advancements have led to better quality natural Ethiopians.

3. Brazilian Coffee

Brazilian Coffee is a rich mix of different kinds of beans. It is distinguished by its the low acidity and the smooth body. It has sweet-toned flavors with hints of chocolate. The flavor is different based on where and in which state it is grown. It is also renowned for its citrus and nutty notes. It is a great choice for those who like medium roast coffee beans-bodied coffee.

Brazil is the largest producer and exporter of coffee in the world. Brazil produces more than 30 percent of the world's total coffee beans. Brazil's economy is heavily dependent from this vast agricultural industry. Brazil has a climate that is ideal for coffee cultivation, and fourteen major areas for coffee production.

The main beans used in Brazilian coffee are Catuai, Mundo Novo, Obata, and Icatu. These are all varieties of Arabica coffee. There are several hybrids that include Robusta. Robusta is the name of a coffee plant that originated in Sub-Saharan Africa. It's not as delicious as Arabica coffee, however it is easier to cultivate and harvest.

It is important to remember that slavery is still prevalent in the coffee industry. Slaves are exposed in Brazil to long and exhausting working hours, and could be denied adequate housing. The government has taken steps to tackle this issue, including establishing programs to assist farmers pay off their debts.

4. Indonesian Coffee

The top coffee beans of Indonesia are renowned for their dark, bold flavor and earthy taste. The volcanic ash that's mixed into the soil gives them a firm body and a low acidity which makes them ideal for mixing with higher-acidity beans from Central America and East Africa. They also react well to roasts that are darker. Indonesian coffees possess a distinctive and rustic taste profile and often have tasting notes of leather, tobacco wood, ripe fruit and spices.

Java and Sumatra are the two largest coffee producing areas in Indonesia, however some coffee is also grown on Sulawesi and Bali. Many farms in this region use a wet-hulling process. This differs from the washed method used in most parts of the world. Coffee cherries are removed from the hull and then washed and dried. The hulling process decreases the amount of water present in the coffee, thereby limiting the impact that rain has on the quality of the final product.

Mandheling is among the most expensive coffee beans well-known and high-quality varieties from Indonesia. It is a product of Toraja. It is a robust coffee with hints candied fruit and intense chocolate flavors. Other types of coffee from the region include Gayo and Lintong. They are often wet hulled and have a strong Coffee beans and smokey taste.