How to recognize the best coffee: A guide for demanding coffee lovers

Are you looking for the answer to the question, which coffee is the best? The answer has two levels: objective quality, which is measured by experts, and subjective taste, which depends on your preferences. To navigate the offer, you need to understand what the term specialty coffee means in the coffee world.

What is the best coffee in terms of quality

The best coffee in the world is not a marketing term, but a measurable figure. Professional tasters (Q-Graders) evaluate coffee beans on a scale from 0 to 100 points according to the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) protocol.

For a coffee to be labeled as specialty coffee, it must score at least 80 points. These beans represent approximately 5 to 10 % of global production. They are evaluated for aroma, acidity, body, balance, and flavor clarity. If you are looking for true excellence, always choose beans with a high SCA score and a clearly declared origin.

Myths about the best coffee: Price isn't everything

A myth circulates in the coffee world that the best coffee must necessarily be the most expensive. Although the price often reflects the costs of cultivation, harvesting, and processing quality, it is not the only rule.

A typical example is Kopi Luwak (civet coffee). Despite being one of the most expensive in the world, you will never find it in our offer. The reasons are both ethical and qualitative. The industrial production of this coffee is associated with cruel treatment of animals, and from the perspective of flavor profile, it often does not reach the quality of modern specialty coffee processing methods. The high price in this case is the result of marketing and exoticism, not true flavor complexity.

A view from the roastery

Even though as experts we like to talk about points and flavor profiles, our roaster Jakub also sees it from a practical side: "The best coffee is, of course, the one that is sold for me. But last year we had an exceptional Kenya Kiganjo PB, and that was truly the coffee of the year for me."

How to recognize top coffee by the packaging

When buying, focus on key information that distinguishes quality production from commercial:

• Roast date: Coffee is fresh produce. It usually tastes best from two weeks to two months after roasting. After three months, it loses its delicate aromatics.
• Specific location: The best coffees are not marked just by country (e.g. Brazil), but by specific region, farm, or farmer's name.
• Altitude: The higher the coffee was grown (above 1200 m a.s.l.), the slower it ripened. The result is a denser bean and a more complex flavor.
• Flavor profile: A quality roastery does not state "strong" or "bitter", but describes notes naturally found in the coffee – for example, milk chocolate, wild berries, or jasmine.

What affects the final taste in your cup

Even the best beans will not guarantee a great experience if the preparation fails. If you want to get the most out of your coffee, follow these rules:

1. Freshly ground beans: Coffee begins to oxidize and lose its aroma just a few minutes after grinding. The grinder is the most important piece of equipment.
2. Water quality: Coffee is 98% water. Use filtered water so you do not mask delicate flavors with minerals or chlorine.
3. Proper temperature: Specialty coffee is never brewed with boiling water. The ideal temperature is between 92 and 96 degrees Celsius.

How we at Goriffee choose the best coffee for our customers

The journey to the ideal cup begins with a rigorous selection process. Our team doesn't rely on chance, but on trained senses. One member of our team, for example, is roaster Jakub, who is the Slovak Cup Tasting Champion for 2019.

The selection process includes:

• Thousands of samples: We regularly cup hundreds of samples sent to us by our suppliers, partners, or directly by farms.
• High pace: In the past year alone, we tested over 2 500 different coffees, representing an average of 200 coffees per month.
• Professional cupping: We hold in-depth discussions about every single sample during cupping (professional tasting). Only the absolute best selection that passes our strict quality sieve makes it into the offer for our customers.

The best or most popular coffees of our customers

If you don't know where to start, here are the four best-selling coffees from Goriffee, which our customers repeatedly designate as the best.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Is the world's most delicious coffee the same for everyone? No. Taste is subjective. Some prefer the sweet and earthy notes of South America, while others seek the fruity sparkle of Africa. However, objectively the best coffee is always the one that is roasted properly and free of defects.

2. Why is Arabica considered better than Robusta? Arabica has more chromosomes and produces more complex flavors with higher sweetness and acidity. Robusta is hardier and cheaper, but its flavor tends to be flat and bitter.

3. How do I tell if coffee is truly fresh? Besides the date on the package, you can tell during brewing. You will recognize freshness during preparation through the so-called blooming. However, it's worth knowing that coffee that is too fresh (a few days after roasting) is not ideal either, as it contains too much gas that impedes proper extraction. The flavor intensity of specialty coffee usually peaks between 3 and 6 weeks after roasting.

4. Does altitude affect quality? Yes. At higher elevations, there is less oxygen and cooler weather, which causes coffee cherries to ripen more slowly. This allows the bean to absorb more nutrients and develop a richer profile.

5. Is it worth buying coffee in supermarkets? Most supermarket coffee is commodity coffee roasted in large volumes with an emphasis on long shelf life, not flavor. If you are looking for true quality, focus on local specialty coffee roasteries.