Coffee is my favorite vice. Over the years I’ve spent a lot of time tinkering with grind coarseness, water temperature, and brewing methods. I’m obsessed with finding the perfect cup. I’ve even tried roasting my own beans. With all that experimentation my usual cup of coffee involves good beans, a burr grinder, filtered water, and a bialetti. Beans are, by far, the most important part of a cup of coffee.
Here are some of the things I look for coffee beans:
- Fair trade beans: I want to know that the people producing my coffee were treated with dignity and respect. I want to know that they’re able to put a roof over their heads, provide food on the table, and send their children to school. Fair trade gives me these assurances.
- Organic beans: Good coffee comes from good soil. And organic farming ensure that harmful pesticides aren’t sprayed on the food. It’s better for the land, animals, workers, and you.
- Shade grown / Rain Forest Alliance certified beans: Coffee can be produced in diverse farms, without the need to cut down forests. Coffee grown in the shade matures more slowly, and produces subtle notes.
- Single origin beans: Coffee is like wine. The elevation and growing conditions impact the taste of the coffee. That’s why cafe that serves single origin coffee will highlight notes of “chocolate”, “honey dew”, or “bourbon”.
- Freshly Roasted: Coffee, like any food product, is best when it is fresh. Look for beans that were roasted within the last 2 weeks.
My coffee tastes better when I know it’s been sourced in an ethical way. Sure, this might be the placebo effect at work. But that doesn’t make the impact on the the producers or the environment any less real. And if I’ve convinced myself that fair trade and organic are better for society then it is a no brainer that my coffee will taste better.
Why does fair trade matter?
Fair Trade is a voluntary system where consumers opt to pay a premium for their goods (typically coffee, chocolate, sugar, tea, and handicrafts) to ensure that the producers of the product are paid a fair wage. The belief here is that by paying a higher wage to the workers they will be able to afford a basic standard of living, and it will reduce the need to foreign aid and charity. In addition to providing benefits to the workers, fair trade also promotes sustainable environmental practices both for the health of the worker and to promote the longevity of the business.
Sure, fair trade might not be perfect, but I’ll take an imperfect system over nothing.
Why does organic matter?
Organic is a standard that ensures no artificial substances – such as synthetic pesticides or herbicides – were used in the cultivation of the coffee plant (fun fact: coffee is actually a berry). The organic standard also promotes crop rotation, to ensure that soil will be healthy and able to produce crops for years to come.
Why does shade grown matter?
Shade grown coffee is grown under the canopy of an exisiting forest or jungle – meaning trees aren’t cut down to make way for coffee plantations. Coffee naturally grew wild in the forest, and special coffee species had to be cultivated to deal with direct sunlight. Shade grown coffee reduces deforestation and helps promote a diverse ecosystem around existing farms.
Why does single origin matter?
Single origin coffee comes from one farm. It means the beans can be traced to their origin. Like good chocolate or wine, coffee can have a complex terroir . Coffee is impacted by the altitude, precipitation, and the climate. Having beans sourced from one farm let’s you taste the more subtle notes. It’s also more likely that the farmers were treated fairly, since the product can be traced to the exact farm.
Why does freshly roasted matter?
Well, this one should be easy. You want your beans to be roasted recently. There is some debate around consuming beans that are too freshly roasted (as they tend to mellow over the week after roasting). But like most things in life, fresh is better.
So, the next time you’re out and about. Think about where you’re getting your coffee from – and the impact of your cup of coffee on the world. You can vote with your dollars, and your next sip of coffee might just taste better if its bettering the world.
(oh, and if you’re looking for some good coffee check out this one)