Dubai is becoming a premium hub for specialty coffee establishments. While Saudi Arabia is the biggest market in the GCC, Dubai is the entry point. Brands establish coffee trends, making it a great meeting point for coffee professionals. Along with the bustling cafe scene, there is an increasing trend of home brewers and baristas. Third-wave coffee culture has promoted the hobbification of coffee brewing. Experimenting with new brewing methods and the increased control have attracted many. But many home brewers struggle with choosing the best coffee beans for themselves. Buying coffee is like buying art: the context sets the standard. This blog will help you understand how to buy coffee that works for you.

Now, let's get into how to buy coffee from roasters and the answers you should expect from them.

When was this coffee roasted?

Once roasted, coffee beans need time to rest and degas. Degassing is when coffee beans let out carbon dioxide. This step is crucial for the proper development of flavours and to extract a clear brew. The degassing process requires at least 3 days before brewing.

For this reason, when buying coffee beans, ask for the roast date. This will give the most accurate information. At Flava, we roast in small batches, giving us control over the roast while you get a fresh batch every time.

Coffee will begin to stale after 3 to 5 weeks post-roast. Look for coffees that are closest to the roast date for the freshest brew.

What is the processing method?

Art is made with different mediums; oil paintings will not look like a sculpture. You must look at the medium used when choosing an artwork. It's the same when you are looking at how to buy coffee beans. Processing methods are the methods used to help the beans develop their flavour.

There are 3 main coffee processing methods you need to know: Natural, Washed, and Honey process.

Natural Process

Natural processed coffees are intense with a heavier body and a fruity flavour profile. With the natural process, harvesters process coffee beans with the cherries. They clean the cherries to remove any gunk on them before laying them out whole to sun-dry. The cherries get placed on patios or raised beds for about 3 weeks. Coffees processed with this method usually have vibrant and edgy flavours. Common taste notes found in these coffees are fermented fruits, berries, and chocolate.

Used in areas with water scarcity, this is one of the oldest processing methods out there. It is commonly seen in coffees from sunny places like Ethiopia and Brazil.

Washed process

Brighter acidity and clarity, washed coffees taste the cleanest of the three methods. This method is more water intensive. After harvesting, the cherries get placed in water and the floaters are taken out. They are then put in the de-pulper to remove the outer skin and pulp, and left to ferment in water. The water breaks down the mucilage, leaving only the parchment behind. They are then dried in the sun.

Honey Process

No, the coffee is not mixed with honey.

The best of both worlds comes with the honey process. This process strikes the perfect balance between washed and natural. Originating in Costa Rica, this process removes everything except the mucilage. Higher sweetness and medium acidity, this process gives a very balanced cup. There are three subdivisions for the honey process: red, yellow, black. You will also find others like pink and white.

The honey process is more eco-friendly than the washed process, using less water. Natural processes use the least amount of water, making it the most eco-friendly.

While the process itself imparts flavour, the beans also have a hand in the final flavours.

What type of beans is the coffee?

The medium creates beauty, but the canvas gives an innate ability to the piece. The varietal refers to the type of coffee beans used. There are two main varieties you can expect in coffee - Robusta and Arabica.

Arabica

Coffea arabica, simply known as Arabica, accounts for 60-70% of consumed coffee.

You might think if Arabica is so common, then what's so special about specialty coffee? Well, only 10% of Arabica beans qualify for specialty coffee.

What is specialty coffee?

In short, the best of the best coffee beans become speciality. Speciality coffee beans score above 80 on the SCA score evaluation. These beans have more complex flavours, like chocolate and nuts. Some even have fruity and floral flavour profiles.

Arabica has more nuanced flavours, attributing to its slow development. For optimal growth, these beans need to be cultivated at altitudes of 600 - 2,300 metres. The cold temperature leads to slower development, letting the flavours mature.

Robusta

Coffea canephora, also known as Robusta, is the second most used coffee beans. Compared to Arabica, these beans have more depth and intensity. With 3 times the caffeine content, Robusta is made for wake-up calls. Grown in regions like Indonesia because of its resilience, this coffee is bitter and stronger.

Flava's Classic Blends include Robusta Coffees for you to explore.

Other types of coffee beans worth noting are Liberica and Excelsa.

What brewing method should you use?

If coffee beans are the colours, then the brewing method is the art direction taken. There are many types of coffee brewing, but here are the general categories.

1. Percolation

2. Immersion

3. Pressure

4. Traditional methods like boiling

Percolation refers to pour over coffees which use gravity to brew. Water is poured on a bed of coffee grounds, and as the water passes through, it extracts the oils. The percolation method gives a lighter brew, bringing out nuance. This method can express the more delicate and complex notes of a coffee.

In immersion, the coffee grounds are immersed in water for an extended period. A good example of this is the French press. While the grounds are in the water, they release their oils, letting the coffee extract into the water.

Espresso machines use pressure to extract the coffee oils. Also known as 'pulling a shot', these coffees are intense and can be had as is or with milk. Espresso machines typically use around 9 bars of pressure to brew the coffee.

Before the development of fancy brewing equipment, we had plain old hot water. Coffee grounds to brew coffee. Sometimes they were boiled along with spices to impart those flavours to the coffee.

The coffee you buy should suit the setup you have. Coffees are usually marketed as filter roasts and espresso roasts. Like their name, they work best with what they were roasted for. Buy omni-brews if you want a versatile coffee.

Conclusion

Coffee is an art, so next time when you are thinking about how to buy coffee, refer to this blog.

Here are some things you need to know to buy art that work great for buying coffee too.

1. An artwork is not only a piece of decor; it ties into the space. Are you buying art that will please a crowd, or a piece that's personal to you?
   In coffee terms, — Who is the coffee for? Is it to serve your guests as a gesture of hospitality? Or is it something that you bought to enjoy?

2. What kind of setting are you looking for? Casual? tasteful? Different artworks give off various ambiences. The colours, the topics, or even the psychological state of the people in the room can influence perception.
   With coffee, what is the general taste of the audience? Will they like the coffee you are choosing, or is it for a more curated palate?

3. Does this piece fit into my life?
   This is more about the type of coffee you buy: does this coffee work with my lifestyle?

Last, but most importantly, do you like this artwork/coffee?

Like we always say, the best coffee is the coffee you like. If you cannot stop thinking about the piece, try to get it if possible.