The aroma and taste of coffee, which is brewed from roasted freshly ground beans, is loved by many people. It can be prepared in a coffee machine, Turk, or even in a simple microwave oven. Unlike instant coffee powder, this type of coffee is more expensive, but the result is the same. In addition, the process of brewing such a drink is already a pleasant process, setting a person up for the positive expectation of receiving delicious coffee.
By what criteria should you choose coffee beans? This rating will certainly help you understand all the intricacies of this purchase.
Types of coffee you need to know about
When choosing an invigorating drink, first of all you need to pay attention to the variety that determines the taste. There are a huge variety of plant species, but 98% of the masmarket is filled with two:
- Arabica
is the most valuable species, cultivated in 50 countries around the world, with a market share of about 70%. Depending on the region where the plants are grown, the flavors of the future drink change. The most valuable variety is the Brazilian Bourbon Santos, and there are about 45 of them in total. The general characteristics of Arabica are a rich and bright taste, the drink has little caffeine, the beans are distinguished by their deep color and glossy surface. - Robusta
is an African coffee with a lot of caffeine; the drink is strong and invigorating, but with a hint of bitterness. The taste of the species is unsaturated and unusually dull, so the Robusta variety is not used in its pure form; Arabica is added to the theme. Share in the mass consumption market is about 20%. - Arabica and robusta
are types of coffee that can be found on supermarket shelves in any form: ground, freeze-dried, grain, and now in capsules for coffee machines. The cost of the products is considered acceptable in terms of the complexity of growing trees and the duration of harvest ripening. Varieties grown in smaller quantities for true connoisseurs, which occupy 10% of total consumption, will cost more. Among the most famous: - Coffee Yauco Selecto
is a variety of Arabica from the Caribbean islands. - Starbucks
is a brand of coffee produced by the same name. The taste is distinguished by sourness and spicy aroma. - Blue Mountain
– coffee without bitterness, but with a rich taste. It grows in Jamaica and costs about $100 per kilogram.
When choosing coffee products, in addition to the variety, you can rely on the importing country where the plant was grown:
- Brazil
is the leader in coffee production in the world; most brands purchase beans from this South American country. A variety of Arabica varieties (more than 40 types), high quality raw materials have made Brazilian coffee one of the best. - Colombia
supplies the market with grains, from which drinks are lighter with a fruity tint. - Kenya
leads equally in tea and coffee cultivation. An invigorating drink made from Kenyan grains combines strength and light currant shades with a slight sourness. - Guatemala
supplies small harvests of coffee due to its small territories, but this is what makes the product unique: Guatemalan varieties are intended primarily for gourmets and connoisseurs, rather than for the masmarket.
The same grains can be purchased by different manufacturers, who process the product in different ways using their own technologies, so the drink made from granules, roasted grains or ground powder is different for all brands.
Which coffee to choose
When choosing coffee products, it is extremely important to consider how the drink will be brewed. Only taking this criterion into account will you be able to make a successful purchase.
For coffee machine
Choosing coffee for a coffee shop or brewing in a coffee machine at home is not difficult. If the unit is equipped with a coffee grinder, preference is given to whole beans. In this case, you should take into account the degree of roasting. The longer the beans are subjected to heat treatment, the stronger the drink based on them will be.
If the coffee machine does not have a bean grinding function, the choice is made with natural coffee powder.
Typically an espresso blend is used. Thanks to its use, it is possible to obtain a drink that is as similar as possible to the one served in Italian cafes.
For Turks
When brewing grains in a cezve, it is better to choose grains that are literally crushed into powder. Thanks to this, you will be able to get a rich, aromatic drink. It is also possible to purchase a grain version. True, achieving such a fine degree of grinding at home is problematic.
Rating of the best coffee brands
| Nomination | place | Name of product | rating |
| The best brands of coffee beans | 1 | Lavazza | 4.9 |
| 2 | Paulig | 4.8 | |
| 3 | Vergnano | 4.8 | |
| 4 | Jamaica Blue Mountain | 4.7 | |
| 5 | Molinari | 4.7 | |
| 6 | CARRARO | 4.6 | |
| Best Instant Coffee Brands | 1 | Bushido | 4.9 |
| 2 | Egoiste | 4.8 | |
| 3 | Ambassador | 4.8 | |
| 4 | Carte Noire | 4.7 | |
| 5 | Nescafe | 4.6 | |
| 6 | Jacobs | 4.5 | |
| Best Ground Coffee Brands | 1 | Illy | 4.9 |
| 2 | Julius Meinl | 4.8 | |
| 3 | Caracolillo | 4.8 | |
| 4 | Diemme | 4.7 | |
| 5 | Manuel | 4.6 | |
| 6 | Danesi | 4.5 | |
| The best brands of coffee capsules | 1 | Nespresso | 4.9 |
| 2 | Nescafe | 4.8 | |
| 3 | Tassimo | 4.7 |
The most delicious coffees
Based on the preferences of the majority of coffee drink lovers and professionals, as well as taking into account the monitoring of the sales of varieties, we have compiled the TOP 10 most popular varieties:
- Harari (Ethiopia). Beans of the highest quality with increased strength and a chocolate flavor.
- Kilimanjaro (Kenya). The variety has a slight sourness, a fresh hint of tropical berries and an alluring aroma of spices.
- Geisha (Panama). A variety belonging to the “extra” class, with a soft, enveloping taste, bright shades of lychee and lime.
- Mysore (India). Grains with a delicate taste and light wine notes, seasoned with pleasant sourness.
- Qubita (Cuba) A variety that has a rich astringent taste with hints of hot pepper. Opens up beautifully when cooked over an open fire.
- Mocha (Yemen). Coffee has an unusual aroma, taste and combination of fruit notes, chocolate and ripe grapes.
- Antigua (Guatemala). The strength of the drink from this variety is low, and the taste has a light chocolate tint.
- Blue Mountain (Jamaica). Coffee brewed from these beans has a mild taste and a slight hint of fruity sourness.
- Java (Java). The uniqueness of the taste, which once tried is difficult to forget, is due to smoky notes.
- Cherry (India). The brewed drink has strength, slight sourness and an enveloping aroma.
The best brands of coffee beans
All types of coffee are obtained from beans that are roasted during processing, then crushed, sublimated, etc. But even without factory processing, beans are in demand: they are ground in a coffee grinder and brewed, many coffee machines do this in one program cycle. This way you get a flavorful and rich drink. The grains are convenient to store and retain their taste much longer than powder ground in a packet.
The grain acquires the taste and aroma properties familiar to the consumer during the roasting process, which different manufacturers use their own technology: the temperature, heating time and other technological indicators differ.
Lavazza
Rating: 4.9
The Italian coffee brand occupies a leading position in the ranking category due to its wide recognition among gourmets. Premium quality beans make delicious drinks for every taste. The Lavazza line includes products from American and Asian certified plantations, single varieties and their combinations, which provides a wide range of flavors for consumers with any preferences.
The cost of grains produced by Lavazza corresponds to the price and depends on the variety; on average, in retail outlets, products can be purchased from 1,500 rubles per 1 kilogram, in online stores from 1,300 rubles per kg.
Advantages
- Wide flavor palette;
- Grains from certified plantations around the world;
- Many varieties used in pure form and in combinations;
Flaws
- High price.
Tricky question...
Conducting this type of discussion is not an easy task. If a coffee lover says something like: “the most delicious coffee is Indonesian” or “the most aromatic coffee is coffee from Brazil,” then this will not be entirely true.
There are many types of coffee trees and methods of processing coffee beans, the final taste of the drink largely depends on these two factors. For example, coffee from Indonesia, the country includes about 16,056 islands, which differ from each other in soil composition, methods of grain processing, and types of coffee trees. The most significant differences we see are between coffees from Sumatra, Java and Bali.
It's true that the origin of the coffee matters, but if we want to find the best of the best, we need a more objective approach. The phrase “French wine is the best” will not make much sense for the same reason. Obviously, there is a huge difference between cheap French wine from the supermarket and the legendary Chateau Lafite-Rothschild.
Therefore, to get a complete picture, you need to pay attention to 4 factors that influence the properties of coffee:
- Variety;
- Origin;
- Growing altitude above sea level;
- Grain processing method.
Best Instant Coffee Brands
In conditions of limited time or in the absence of a coffee machine, instant coffee comes to replace grain coffee - just mix a spoonful of powder with boiling water and the aromatic drink is ready.
To obtain a soluble powder that does not require brewing, the grains are first fried in production, then crushed, the soluble components are washed out of the particles using water (extraction process), then the moisture is evaporated in one of two ways:
Under the influence of hot air, agglomerate granules are obtained;
Sublimation with preliminary freezing of the wet extract and grinding it into solid form. Next, water is removed from the granules using a vacuum. It turns out to be freeze-dried coffee.
The taste of evaporated and freeze-dried coffee is almost the same, but the price of the first is slightly lower than the cost of the second type of product.
Bushido
Rating: 4.9
The brand, originally from Switzerland, is considered one of the best in terms of the quality of the coffee product. Bushido offers mainly freeze-dried coffee in varying degrees of pre-roasting and combinations of different varieties. These properties can be seen in a glass jar upon purchase: in one container there are uniformly colored granules, in the other - different shades.
The taste of Bushido drinks, judging by the reviews, repeats the sensations of brewed coffee from professional baristas, which indicates the high quality of the product, which corresponds to the price - from 305 rubles for 50 grams.
Advantages
- Rich taste and aroma like bean coffee;
- High quality from Switzerland;
- Transparent jar for better presentation of freeze-dried coffee.
Flaws
- The price of 300 rubles per 50 grams is considered high.
Egoiste
Rating: 4.8
It is no coincidence that Egoiste freeze-dried instant coffee is known as a high-quality product: elite Kenyan, Guinean, Colombian varieties of Arabica, Robusta and their combinations are used to make the product; the blends perfectly balance all shades of taste: bitterness, sourness, additional notes of fruit. The diversity is due to the different degrees of roasting and the varieties used from around the world, which is why Egoiste takes second place in the ranking in the instant coffee category.
With such advantages, the cost of the product starts from 300 rubles per 100 grams in a glass jar.
Advantages
- Elite varieties of coffee beans;
- Acceptable price;
- Aesthetic packaging design;
- Impeccable taste and aroma.
Flaws
- Not defined.
What are the most popular Arabica varieties?
- Brazilian Santos (Bourbon) – characterized by weak acidity, slight bitterness and pronounced sweetness.
- Maragogyp is one of the varieties that produces the largest coffee beans and is distinguished by its pronounced bitterness.
- Manizal – gives a balanced taste with a distinct sourness and bitterness, grown mainly in Colombia, and is considered a strong coffee.
- Colombian Ixelso is one of the strongest varieties with large grains and has a light wine note.
- Maracaibo - grown in Venezuela, has a recognized good taste with notes of dry wine, without sharp sour and bitter notes.
- Cobano and Antigua are the best varieties from Guatemala, they have a pleasant taste, good strength and aroma.
- Mocha is the most popular type of Arabica, it tastes good, gives a chocolate and nutty aftertaste, and has almost no sourness.
- Tarazu - has a pronounced aroma, amazing strength, loved in Italy - the country of espresso.
- Carrar is a medium-strength coffee, very soft and sweet in taste.
You can distinguish Arabica from Robusta with the naked eye by the size and shape of the grains.
Good producers practice working with several suppliers in order to be able to create new blends and offer them to the market. The best production facilities for roasting and packaging coffee beans are concentrated in Italy, a country that is particularly passionate about coffee. They supply Europe with high-quality grain and ground products, which can be considered the standard for harmonious taste. Connoisseurs of the invigorating drink claim that the best coffee in the world is prepared only by Italian baristas.
Best Ground Coffee Brands
Ground coffee is obtained by grinding roasted beans. Using ready-made powder, you can save time on grain processing and immediately start brewing the drink. It is worth noting that a ground product loses its flavor much faster than a freeze-dried or grain product, so you should not purchase it in stock; you need to calculate your desires and capabilities so as not to lose quality and pleasure over time, respectively.
Illy
Rating: 4.9
Illy is a brand that offers a variety of ground coffee in varying degrees of roast from medium to dark. The manufacturer uses 9 types of high-grade Arabica coffee from different countries (Costa Rica, Brazil, Ethiopia, Kenya, Guatemala, Jamaica) and packages the product in sealed metal cans and pods - individual portioned bags of pressed ground coffee, convenient for quickly making espresso.
To get a special pleasure while drinking coffee, the Illy brand has released a series of special tableware with a pleasant personalized design. The variety of flavors combined with high quality earned the Italian manufacturer first place in the ranking of ground coffee.
Advantages
- Various high quality Arabica varieties;
- Degrees of roasting for every taste;
- Convenient sealed containers and portioned bags.
Flaws
- Price from 450 rubles for 125 grams of powder in a tin.
Julius Meinl
Rating: 4.8
The Austrian tea and coffee brand Julius Meinl presents a line of coffee that includes Arabica and Robusta blends. The products are distinguished mainly by the degree of roasting from gentle, giving the drink soft coffee shades, to dark for lovers of a strong and bright taste.
The ground powder is supplied in metallized vacuum packaging, thanks to which the taste and aroma are preserved for a long time.
Julius Meinl also offers a signature line of tableware for coffee ceremonies.
Advantages
- Degree of roasting of grains from light to dark;
- A combination of high quality Arabica and Robusta;
- Compact and reliable packaging;
- The optimal price is from 300 rubles for 250 grams.
Flaws
- There is no coffee in cans; metal containers are purchased separately and are used only for storing powder.
My method
Like every self-respecting researcher trying to find answers to fundamental questions of the 21st century, in my research I turn not to a guru, but to statistics.
Unfortunately, there is very little data on the question of interest to us, so here I had to take a more creative approach.
Sources
While writing this article, I drew information from several sources. The main ones were the following sites: The World Barista Championship, The World Brewers Cup, as well as the resource coffeereview.com. Coffee Review dates back to 1997 and is curated by professionals working in the coffee industry. During this time, the founders cupped and evaluated more than 5,000 coffee samples.
Having studied these statistics, together we will be able to give an objective answer to the question - which type of coffee is the best in the world?
The website coffeereview.com allows you to analyze data from cupping results based on the number of points scored. Based on these statistics, we will understand that coffee that scores more points is better, regardless of the variety and processing method.
About points
For a more objective assessment of coffee, experts use a strict system for assessing the quality of beans - cupping. It is carried out in strict accordance with the regulations. The cup is rated on a scale from 0 to 100.
However, extreme values of the scale are rarely obtained. Most coffee samples score between 60 and 90 points.
then it is Specialty Coffee . To score 90 points or more, the grain must have outstanding characteristics. When evaluating coffee, the following criteria are used: taste, aroma, acidity, aftertaste and others.
“But isn’t all this subjective?” - you ask. And you will be absolutely right.
Q-Grader
To make the process of coffee evaluation less subjective, the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA - The Specialty Coffee Association) and the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI - the Coffee Quality Institute ) created the so-called Q-Grader scale, which helps systematize the process of sensory analysis of coffee.
In theory, all certified Q graders should grade grain equally accurately. To do this, professionals conduct periodic joint “calibrations” with colleagues, within which they determine common criteria.
Although the rating scales used are far from perfect, they still help determine the best coffees.
Two important notes
A bean score below 90 does not mean the coffee is bad. On the contrary, 85-89 points is a delicious premium coffee.
After analyzing the data from the Coffee Review website, you can see that there are too many coffee samples scoring 90 or more points than one would expect. There are two possible explanations for this:
- Producers and roasters provide only the best selected beans for judging;
- The cuppers at www.coffeereview.com are more loyal than most Q graders.
It is likely that both statements are true to a certain extent. For a better correlation in reality, you can subtract 5 points. But for this article this is not so important.
The best brands of coffee capsules
Capsules are a relatively new form of the coffee industry. Separate blocks made of polymer or aluminum contain coffee concentrate, which at a certain temperature under pressure is mixed with water in a special capsule machine. The protective packaging is opened only in the machine to ensure complete safety of the semi-finished product and prevent its premature oxidation.
Convenient form for sale and preparation (no more than 1 minute from starting the start to filling the cup), but the price is frustrating - coffee in capsules is considered the most expensive per serving. This is a common drawback of this type of product.
Nespresso
Rating: 4.9
Nespresso is a huge enterprise specializing in the production of capsule coffee machines and the capsules themselves with an invigorating drink concentrate, as well as the necessary accessories for caring for this equipment.
The line includes a huge number of coffee capsules with different taste characteristics, due to the use of unique varieties of beans from all over the world and their unique blends, a total of 24 types, distinguished by the color of the polymer packaging.
You can purchase capsules individually or in sets of different configurations and sizes. This is a great gift for any occasion.
The price of one capsule starts from 33 rubles.
Advantages
- A variety of variations of different types of coffee;
- Convenient identification of capsules by color;
- Interesting sets of different sizes.
Flaws
- Not defined.
Nescafe
Rating: 4.8
The coffee brand did not ignore the global sensation and introduced Dolce Gusto capsule coffee from different varieties of Arabica in the classic form, espresso, Americano, Crema Grande, Latte Macchiato and others, as well as with caramel and chocolate fillings. Users note the unique and interesting tastes of the resulting coffee, which requires a Nescafe capsule machine to prepare.
The cost of one capsule starts from 36 rubles, which is higher than the cost of the leader in the rating, so Nescafe takes only second position in the category.
Advantages
- Variety of tastes;
- High quality product.
Flaws
- The price has been increased, non-classical types cost more than 40 rubles per serving.
Manufacturer country
This criterion allows you to determine the main taste characteristics, depending on the country in which the beans are grown and the coffee is produced:
- India. The drink has strength, spice, and also tastes: sweet and bitter at the same time. There is no sourness.
- Kenya and Yemen. High caffeine content, low acidity, delicate taste and rich aroma. There is almost no bitterness or sourness felt.
- Ethiopia. Impeccable production quality. The coffee is strong, high quality, with chocolate notes and light fruity tones.
- Brazil. Strength, bitterness and sourness in coffee compositions. Due to the increased content of quinine in the soil, coffee may have a “medicinal” flavor.
- Cuba. Export is made in the form of blends under the product brand “Kubita”.
How the rating was compiled
The TOP of current brands and the best varieties presented below is compiled based on several criteria:
- Manufacturer.
- Taste.
- Brand popularity.
- Price-quality ratio.
- Reviews from experts and real consumers.
The rating of ground coffee varieties is, of course, subjective, because... It is impossible to measure such criteria as “like or dislike” in absolute units, but we hope that the presented informed opinions about your favorite product will help you in your choice.
In order to make it convenient for you to choose ground coffee based on advantages, disadvantages, average price and characteristics, we took the most popular blends/varieties and compiled a rating. Points for the rating were given based on the percentage of the best indicator, reduced by 10 times.
When compiling the rating, customer reviews were taken into account, which guarantees the fairness of the models in the top.
World leaders
If we talk about which countries are the leaders in terms of export volumes, then there are 3 contenders: Brazil, Vietnam and Colombia. Mexico is in a good position, as is Indonesia.
Brazilian coffee is not distinguished by the special quality of its coffee beans, but it is designed for the mass consumer due to its budget price and therefore occupies 35% of the world market. Vietnam is a producer of high-quality robusta, with an export share of 17%. Colombia supplies about 15% of its coffee beans, mostly Arabica, which is highly valued by consumers around the world.
The lion's share of coffee produced on the planet comes from Brazil.
