Always thought my morning cup was fine until a trip to Portland

I was at a small shop there called Heart, and the barista asked if I wanted to try a natural process Ethiopian. I said sure, expecting it to be bitter... but it tasted like blueberries. I'd only ever bought pre-ground from the grocery store. Came home and bought a cheap grinder the next day. Anyone have tips for picking beans when you're just starting out?

2 comments

2 Comments

wright.drew3d ago

That moment when it tasted like blueberries is the whole point. Most grocery store beans are roasted dark to hide flaws and have a long shelf life, which kills those wild flavors. When you're picking beans, ignore the fancy labels and just look for two things: a roast date printed on the bag, and the words "light" or "medium" roast. The date matters more than the country it's from. Old beans, even fancy ones, just taste like stale coffee. A recent light roast will show you what that bean can actually do.

stone.thomas3d ago

Heart is a great spot for that wake up call. I had the same thing happen at a place in Austin, where a coffee tasted like straight up strawberry jam. My mind was blown. Drew is totally right about the roast date being the most important thing on the bag. I bought some expensive beans once that were six months old and they just tasted like dust. Now if the bag doesn't have a roasted-on date, I just put it right back on the shelf.