QUESTION: What coffee is best for beginners? I tried one of those dark roast Sumatra coffees at Starbucks and it was just too bitter and kind of gross. – Alica R
ANSWER: When you’re just getting started drinking coffee, there’s so much to learn that just buying some coffee beans to try out can be intimidating. And there are some things that practiced coffee drinkers enjoy that aren’t so appealing to a beginner. Whether you’re just learning about coffee yourself or looking for a gift for a beginning coffee drinker, here are some tips to give you ideas about what to avoid and what to choose.
South American Coffees Are a Good Option for Beginners
Every region that produces coffee is responsible for adding their own unique characteristics to the beans due to the soil where the coffee bean trees grow and the climate that nourishes them. South America is home to Brazil, which produces more coffee than any other country in the world. Brazilian coffee is good for beginners because of its sweet taste, low acidity, and smooth mouthfeel. You can find different Brazilian coffee beans offered on their own or check out a blend made up of various types of Brazilian coffees.
Another famous type of coffee that almost everyone is familiar with is Colombian coffee. Unlike Brazilian coffee, Colombian coffee beans make brews that have a medium full body with deep, rich flavor. You’ll experience more acidity with Colombian coffees, and although they differ from one variety to another, most of them will include chocolatey flavors and notes of fruity berries or nutes in the aroma and taste.
Choose the Right Roast for a Brew Beginners Will Enjoy
Once you’ve found a birthplace for your personal favorite coffee bean, you should be familiar with how the level of roast will affect its taste. Beginners who are put off by bitter flavors or lots of acidity may be fans of light roasts. These more delicate coffees have lighter tastes to let you really experience the nuances of flavor you can find in different types of coffee. Also called blonde roasts, light roasts are also low in acidity and are known for their cinnamon brown color.
It makes sense to try different coffee bean varieties from various regions in a light roast before you move on to medium or dark roasts even if you find you enjoy the flavor of a medium or dark roast the best. That’s because you will best be able to detect the different notes and aromas the coffee contains with a light roast and it will be easier to tell the difference when it comes to acidity and body lightness or heaviness. Until you’re more practiced at picking out these notes when you taste a new coffee, tasting light roasts first may help you learn what coffee varieties you like the best. However, the tradeoff is that you may get some unpleasant flavors in your cup that don’t appear in darker roasts, like cocoa, vegetables, or peanuts.
The darker the roast is on the bean, when distinguishing between light and medium roasts, the fuller the flavor of the coffee brewed from those beans will be. However, along with fuller flavor you may also experience elements of coffee that beginners don’t always enjoy, such as full frontal bitter tones, high acidity, or a heavier taste to the body. With a medium roast comes a moderate level of acidity and a fuller body that you’ll find with a lighter roast.
Once you delve into dark roasts, things start to change a bit. The color of dark roast coffee will be darker than the medium or light roasts. Oil will also begin to factor into the flavor of the beans, and there may be a heavier feel to the body that isn’t accompanied by the uptick in flavor you saw moving from light to medium roasts.
When coffee is roasted darker, the flavor of the coffee is not necessarily stronger. Instead, the taste will be more consistent within a variety and more predictable from one cup to another. You may wish to try one type of bean in a light, medium, and dark roast to see how the flavor changes from one roast to another.
Choosing the Best Setup for You
Automatic drip coffee makers have been the standard for the past several decades for many coffee drinkers. However, along with the ease of cleaning and the hands-off preparation of an automatic coffee machine, you will make some sacrifices. Automatic coffee makers just don’t bring out the flavors of each coffee bean variety the way that some other preparations do, so you may wish to explore a bit.
The French press is an excellent option for beginner coffee drinkers that’s also enjoyed by coffee experts. A standard French press brews between three and four cups of coffee at a time, so it’s not well suited for making large batches to feed an entire office or sizable family. For a more personalized experience though, you can’t beat the ease and the flavor that comes from grinding your beans fresh, adding water just below boiling temperature, and waiting four or five minutes before pressing down the filter to complete the process. French presses are also incredibly easy to clean as long as you do it while the mess is fresh.
Pour-over brewers are one of the most talked-about coffee brewing systems these days because of just how much flavor you get from every cup. However, they are even smaller in size than the French press in many cases. Often, a pour-over system brews just one cup of coffee at a time. There can also be a bit of a learning curve as you move from one brand or one make and model to another. But for real coffee aficionados, the pour-over brewers can’t be beat when it comes to taste.
If you enjoy iced coffee on a regular basis, you may also consider looking at all the different kinds of cold brew preparation methods possible.
If you’re still unsure of how to get started, try to attend a cupping, or a coffee tasting event. Focus on coffee varieties from South American countries unless you really fall in love with an African or Asian type of bean. Try light roasts to differentiate flavors and then switch to medium or dark if you wish. Most of all, remember that there are no wrong answers and you should follow your palate. It knows what it likes.
Learn More About Coffees for Beginner Drinkers
https://www.beveragefactory.com/blog/coffee-and-tea/beginners-guide-to-coffee-beans/
https://www.blackoutcoffee.com/blogs/the-reading-room/3-roast-levels-how-to-choose