Staring at bins of coffee beans can be like peering at bottles of wine.
Where to start? What to buy? That one sounds familiar, but will I like it?
In today’s specialty coffee stores, grocery aisles and warehouse grocery sections, you might be confronted with beans from places such as Kenya, Hawaii, Brazil. With names such as supremo, mocha java and Tanzania peaberry. At a variety of prices, from a variety of companies.
“I remember clearly walking into my first coffee store and seeing all these beans and not knowing what on earth they were,” said Sara Perry, author of “The Complete Coffee Book” (Chronicle, $12.95). “They were all these different grades of brown.”
It’s enough to send the novice back to instant coffee.
Specialty coffees-which are supposed to be of the highest quality-are growing in popularity as consumers expand their tastes. The line of customers stretched out the door when Starbucks opened recently in Manhattan. In California, coffeehouses seemingly sit on every corner. And grocery stores have become the biggest purveyor of specialty coffees.
Sales of specialty coffee exceeded $1.5 billion in 1989; they’re expected to reach $3 billion by 1999, according to the Specialty Coffee Association of America.
That’s quite a hill of beans.
So, where to start?
With whole beans rather than commercial grounds, coffee experts agree.
Specialty coffees allow the consumer to choose based on where the beans are from, the time of day for which beans may best be suited, price and flavor, Kenneth Davids writes in “Coffee: A Guide to Buying, Brewing & Enjoying” (101 Productions, $9.95).
What’s the first thing to look for?
“No matter where you go, you should be concerned with freshness,” said Tim Townsend, district manager for Starbucks in Orange County, Calif. “Ask how fresh the beans are.”
Knowledgeable employees are one advantage offered by coffee stores; it’s more difficult to find someone to answer questions at grocery stores. Most retailers have strict freshness policies and don’t keep beans any longer than four to 10 days.
If possible, eyeball the beans.
“A good fresh bean should be coated in natural oil,” Townsend said. “If you don’t see those oils, chances are the bean has been out for a while.”
Beans should have a pleasing aroma, said Ted Lingle of the California-based Specialty Coffee Association. If you buy prepackaged beans, make sure the package is well-sealed or involves some kind of foil to keep beans fresh.
OK, so what about taste?
Like wines, different coffees have different characteristics. Some beans can be grouped into tastes by their roasts; others by where they’re from. Specialty stores may sell 20 to 30 kinds.
Geographic rules of thumb, according to Lingle:
– East African coffees, from countries such as Kenya and Tanzania, have a pronounced sharpness, a greater concentration of sugars and fruit acid. If you tasted the coffees at room temperature, they’d have a sweet characteristic.
– Indonesia coffees are noted for their body or richness; they have a pronounced mellowness.
– Colombian coffees, considered the best balanced, are the most popular among Americans.
– Central American coffees, from countries such as Costa Rica and Guatemala, are similar to Colombians but have different nuances.
Roast also affects taste, as explained by one pamphlet: American or regular roasts result in light- to medium-brown beans that make mild coffees with an “acidy snap”; Vienna or “city” beans are roasted slightly darker and have a bittersweet tang, and Italian or espresso roasts produce dark brown beans with oily surfaces, making for dark, bittersweet coffee. French roasts result in dark brown, oily beans for “authoritative coffee with burned or charcoal tones.”
First-time bean buyers should probably try mild coffees, such as those from Central America or South America, said Sam Boyer, vice president of Brothers Gourmet Coffees Inc. in Boca Raton, Fla., which sells specialty coffees in supermarkets and owns the Gloria Jean’s coffee chain.
Finding the right coffee “is definitely a learned art,” he said. “One of the wonderful things about coffee is that it’s as good as it tastes to you. I’m the first to admit I’ve had a fabulous cup of instant when I went camping.
“But you’re your own most important judge. If you like it and it tastes good to you, then that’s great.”
Most specialty stores offer samples of the coffee of the day; or ask for recommendations. Some specialty stores do not sell flavored coffees such as “vanilla nut” or “Irish mint”; the retailers believe the flavors-which are added-degrade the taste of the coffee bean. Often the flavors are artificial.
Does the best cost more?
Some experts say you’ll pay more for beans in specialty stores than grocery stores, where margins are lower and result in more competitive pricing.
However, said Kimberly Sprinkle, a buyer for California-based Trader Joe’s stores, “a myth is that you have to pay more for coffee to get the best. Some of the middle-range coffees are best,” she said.
Plus, beans can change from season to season depending on a host of factors, including the weather in the coffee-producing country. That can affect taste and price as well.
Trader Joe’s stores, which sell 40,000 pounds of coffee a week, are able to offer lower prices based on quantities the company buys and how the beans are roasted, Sprinkle said. Warehouse stores sell beans in bulk at competitive prices as well, but beware of buying more beans than you can use before they lose their freshness.
How you store your beans affects their taste. Keep them in a cool, dry place in an airtight container. Taking them in and out of the freezer can hurt them, since air and moisture are the big spoilers.
You’ll get the best coffee if you grind your own beans and brew right away, though some home grinders don’t grind as consistently as commercial grinders at stores. Ask at the store how many seconds the beans should be ground.
