Knowin' ain't half the battle...
Maybe it's a third, or something close to that. Point is, flex your head and get that good stuff wherever you go. Impress your family and friends at home with mad skills. Be smart, don't drink bad coffee.
What is "good" coffee?
Good is obviously subjective, and if you thoroughly enjoy some Folgers or Kcups with cream and sugar, that’s great! But if you’re curious and open to some change, coffee can be so much more. Wondering what all the fuss is with this third wave thing? Maybe a bit confused or put off by some of the overly complex and pretentious reddit threads or barista videos out there? Well, me too. It’s not that complicated. Good coffee can be sweet, and floral and delicious all by itself, no sugar or milk needed, you just need to know where to look and what to do with it.
If you walk into a coffee shop, do you see things like single origin, micro lot, small farm, producer, etc.? Does the menu mention origin, varietal, process, elevation or tasting notes? Do they display the bags from the roaster they use for sale? Do the bags mention any of these things? These are all some key things that will keep you from accidentally having a sad time at a new coffee shop (been there). If they don’t care enough about their beans to display where they came from, who roasted them, or any details beyond light, or dark roast, they probably don’t care enough to serve quality cups in general. They are probably more of a milk and sugar assembly line business model *cough*starbucks*cough*. Again, if that’s what you’re craving, go for it. There’s no shame in needing that sweet treat (I like whipped cream too). That’s just not what “good” coffee is and not what I’m talking about here. So, check out the glossary below to de-mystify some of these key terms.
If they don’t care enough about their beans to display where they came from, who roasted them, or any details beyond light, or dark roast, they probably don’t care enough to serve quality cups in general
Glossary
Bloom
The process of pouring a small amount of water to the coffee grounds to prepare the process of extraction saturating and degassing the grounds.
Micro lot
Refers to a small batch of coffee beans harvested from a specific plot of land within a single farm. This plot is often chosen for its unique microclimate, soil composition, or varietal of coffee plant, resulting in exceptionally distinct and nuanced flavors.
Origin
Used to refer to the specific place where the beans were farmed and processed
Process
Describes what is done to the raw coffee cherries after they are picked and before they are shipped to the roaster. This usually involves some combination of de-pulping (removing the outer fruit), sometimes fermenting, washing, and drying, not necessarily in that order. This step, to me, really affects the final flavor. I generally prefer a natural process because it can impart some stronger, funkier (good funk mind you) flavors in the end.
Producer
The cultivation, harvesting, post-harvest processing, storage, and grading of green coffee. When combined together, these activities require a deep understanding of coffee production, as well as a well-developed skill set.
Single origin
This means beans that came from a single farm, rather than a big mix of farms from an entire country like most grocery store coffee.
Third wave
Generally means a coffee shop or roaster that deals in coffee with a modern flavor profile. This typically means they roast beans with a lighter profile. Third wave roasters usually get their beans from smaller, better producers that care about quality over quantity.
Varietal / Variety
So, dogs are all of the species, Canis familiaris, but we know there to be many different types of dogs. Same goes for coffee. We mostly know and drink the species, Arabica, but there are many types within that species that have unique properties that make for different flavors in your cup. Bourbon, Geisha, Typica, Caturra, SL28, just to name a few.