Coffee. It’s big business. A whopping 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed every single day, so we are pretty sure that a large portion of the modern world would not function properly without it. But what elevates your everyday cup of coffee to the truly outstanding? In this blog post, we hope to offer up our suggestion to the age-old question ‘What is the best coffee in the world?
Coffee lovers, whether professional or amateur, are never not on the hunt for the perfect brew. Even if you have tasted heaven in a cup, this pursuit is neverending, for half of the fun is within the hunt - the experimenting with brewing methods, roasting levels, complex ratios and hard-to-source origins, the list goes on.
And yet the answer to what is the best coffee in the world is decidedly unquantifiable: it depends on who you ask.
Many regions, sometimes even whole countries, have based their reputations (and exports/tourism) on the quality of their coffee. It is for this reason that merely the name of a certain region holds within it a certain prestige among coffee drinkers -and too why there are many nefarious folks who try to pass off their substandard beans as far better quality by labelling it incorrectly to these regions- but the result of a great caffeinated beverage is down to more than just the origins of the beans, it is the overall sum of very many parts. Let us explain.
The pursuit of the best coffee in the world: Understanding Coffee Quality
When we talk about high-quality coffee, we mean a great many things, and for now, we will leave aside the most subjective: taste preferences. We will focus on the more quantifiable factors that are industry standards when it comes to defining top-tier coffee beans.
Determining the quality of coffee beans is a complex interplay of various factors, from cultivation to processing and roasting. Here are the key elements to consider before we even get onto what you’re really here for: the true contenders for the best coffee beans in the world.
Origin and Cultivation
The location and conditions under which the beans are grown play a huge role in the overall quality (and taste) of the final product. Among which the most important are:
- Altitude: Higher altitudes often produce beans with better flavour profiles due to a slower ripening period.
- Soil and Climate: Specific conditions contribute to unique bean characteristics, and these very specific conditions can only be found in a tiny portion of the world, colloquially known as the coffee belt. We won’t go into it here, but it is also in danger due to global warming, meaning that your cup of joe may be about to get a whole lot more expensive.
- Variety: Arabica beans are generally considered superior to Robusta, offering more complex flavours. We’ve got a whole blog post on which is better for different uses. (INSERT LINK)
- Farming Practices: Organic, shade-grown methods often result in higher quality beans, as well as hitting the mark for some people who consider the ethics and sustainability of their beans as a deciding factor of a high-quality product.
Processing
This encompasses everything that happens to the beans between harvesting and exporting, all of which can impact the quality and flavour of the coffee beans.
Method: The various ways in which the fruit is removed (washed, natural, honey) and how the beans (which are actually seeds) themselves are dried.
Care: How the beans are stored can have a huge impact on the lifespan of the final product, and only proper drying and storage will preserve bean quality.
Bean Characteristics
Here we get into the specifics of the actual product. From the elephantine maragogype to the hyper luxurious black ivory beans, coffee comes in a great many glorious varieties. But there are certain ways that coffee growers and buyers quantify what is a good batch of beans: consistent positive attributes.
Size and Shape Uniformity among the beans, regardless of quantity, generally indicates careful cultivation.
Density While this is dependent on the bean type, usually it is the denser beans that have better flavour.
Colour While coffee beans come in a vast array of shades, an even colouration suggests consistent quality throughout the batch.
Sensory Attributes
While taste preference is a matter of opinion, there are standardised characteristic descriptors that help consumers & sellers identify particular notes within the array of flavours found in coffee beans. These are easily displayed on a coffee-tasting wheel, like the one found on the back of every bag of beans from The Coffee Bean Shop. Want to learn more? We’ve got a blog post all about it.
Aroma: Complex and pleasant aromas are indicative of high quality.
Flavour: Balanced, complex flavours with bright acidity and sweet aftertaste.
Body: Full and smooth mouthfeel is considered preferable to a thin, watery brew.
Clean Cup: Absence of defects like bitterness or sourness. Again, this is not always the case, with some countries traditionally preferring a deep, almost savoury note to their daily coffee.
High-quality coffee beans are generally characterised by their complex flavour profiles, resulting from careful cultivation, processing, and roasting. It is important to note here that semantics can also play a part in describing coffee beans, as much as the personal palette of an individual. What may be described as ‘bitter’ by one person, may be considered ‘bold and full bodied’ by another.
Our top contenders for the world’s best coffee
For the beginner coffee explorer, it can help to know which regions consistently create fantastic beans. Here are the best-known specific coffee-producing regions known for exceptional beans:
Ethiopia: We had to start the list with the actual birthplace of coffee! Beans grown here are known for their complex flavours and as such are super popular with coffee nerds eager to try out nuanced tasting notes. Our favourite has to be the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe.
Kenya: You might be getting the picture now that Africa is a particular hotspot for coffee beans, and Kenya is no exception. Kenyan coffee is known for its bold and bright, fruity flavours, but there is little that can surpass the Kenyan Blue Mountain for popularity. Grown in iron-rich volcanic loamy soils, it is a taste experience that even the most experienced coffee drinkers admit cannot be topped.
Indonesia: The literal home of the eponymous Java, Indonesia has a long rich coffee trade history. It is known for its smooth, full-bodied coffee beans, especially from Sumatra, Indonesia's second-largest island. We offer our own Sumatra Mandheling, one of our all-time best sellers!
Colombia: Blessed with an optimal altitude and climate for coffee growing, Colombian beans are known for their consistently smooth, balanced flavours, with hints of luxuriously deep notes, such as hints of nuts and chocolate. Our own Colombian Bucaramanga is a perfect example of the richly delicious offerings from the area.
Panama: Coffee from this region is renowned for its well-balanced flavours, with the most famous being the Geisha variety for its delicate floral notes. We are particularly fond of our Panama Hortigal Estate as it not only tastes great; the estate that grows it has been family-owned since 1920 and today is completely owned and operated by women.
Brazil: You cannot mention premium coffee without mentioning Brazil. Known for its smooth and mild flavour with a wonderful hint of nuttiness, Brazilian coffee is highly versatile. Plus, as it is a major export for the country, there is a strong ethos of sustainability, with innovative farming practices further enhancing the quality of its coffee, with the aim to keep it that way for years to come. We love our Brazilian Santos so much, we also offer it in decaf and as un-roasted green beans for amateur roasters to try themselves.
Other Contenders for the title...
Not all exceptional coffee is sourced from an entire country. Sometimes it is the mere sliver of land that creates the finest coffee known to man, and the fact that it can only be produced in such a little area means that they are all the more treasured for their exclusivity.
Jamaican Blue Mountain
Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is known for its smooth taste, often called the "champagne of the coffee world." Yet, Jamaica only produces a tiny percentage of the world's coffee - less than 0.01% and most of that goes to Japan. It is grown in a small area and carefully certified for quality. Tastewise, Blue Mountain is smooth with very little bitterness, vibrant in flavour, and has fruity and chocolate tones. It is so beloved that it is used as the base for the world-famous Tia Maria coffee liqueur.
Hawaiian Kona
Known as ‘Aloha in a cup’ Kona is considered by many to be the best coffee that money can buy, but it has faced challenges and imitators in its time. True Kona coffee is grown in the unique microclimate of the Kona district in Hawaii and offers an unmistakable flavour which is both smooth and rich. Due to its location, its production is fairly labour-intensive and high-cost, but the real deal is certainly worth it. Even with its status as a speciality coffee, it is still grown primarily on small, independent farms that have been a part of Hawaiian tradition for generations.
PRO TIP Not to confuse matters, but there are also regions that are named for their distinctive traditional roasting levels, so a Colombian roast is a medium roast or a dark roast that is used to make rich espresso blends. It was originally created to work well with Colombian beans, but that is not always the case, and some lesser coffee is marketed as Colombian roast to trick people into thinking they are buying high-quality Colombian beans. Always check the origin of your beans!
Other factors to consider:
Yes, the actual beans and flavour will be major players in decision making for what is the best coffee in the world, but in today’s hyper-information and easy research, there are other things to consider that have further reaching consequences than simply the size of a bean or if it tastes bitter or sweet.
Ethics and sustainability
For the majority of us, the best-tasting coffee in the world will always leave a bitter taste in our mouth if we know that it is grown, sourced and sold with someone having to suffer for its creation. Equally important is whether the farming and selling of the beans is causing irreversible and unnecessary damage to the planet.
Some coffee beans are known as much for the unique processes they go through as they are for their taste. Kopi Luwak is a fine example. Revered for its taste, it is a type of coffee that is made from beans that have been eaten and then excreted by a civet cat, a small animal found in Southeast Asia. This intriguing process is believed to alter the flavour of the beans in a distinctive way. Kopi Luwak has gained a reputation as one of the world's most expensive and rarest coffees due to its unusual method of production. Although some coffee enthusiasts appreciate its unique taste, others have raised concerns about the ethical and environmental implications of harvesting coffee in this manner.
Tradition
Coffee is enjoyed all across the nations of the world, and when asked ‘what is the best coffee in the world’ the location and culture of the interviewee will play a part in their answer.
Just as with any food or drink, the serving and consumption of coffee will be steeped in history and tradition unique to the location. Brewing methods, how long it is common to linger over a cup for, whether consumed solo or with food, alone or in a group - all of these factors will help to shape what is preferred from one country, city or culture, to another.
If we go back further to when these traditions began, there will be other influences, such as what coffee beans were easier to source for them, and which have stuck in the social memory - and taste preferences- ever since. Somewhat less happily, are also the locations that may have been colonised by other cultures and who may have picked up particular coffee drinking habits from their invaders.
For example, Eliniko Kafe is enjoyed by Greeks as part of their morning ritual (made in a Briki overheat with a few teaspoons of grounded coffee, water and sugar). To be able to do this, they need a very fine, powder-like grind level of their coffee, and arabica beans are best for this. On the other hand, France favours strong, bold Robusta beans. This could be a taste thing, or it could go back to the fact that many French colonies were Robusta growing areas.
Versatility
Another thing to consider when deciding on when answering what is the best coffee in the world is the versatility of the blend. What is the point of having premium beans if they can only be ground and brewed in a certain way? For some, a truly great coffee bean is one that can be enjoyed as an espresso, or a cold brew or through an Aeropress.
While there may be no definitive answer to what is the best coffee in the world, it is a debate that we can all agree is enjoyable. So many people take great pains to share their opinions and this can only be a good thing for spreading the word of a really good coffee. Plus, the fact that there are so many worthy contenders for the title, means that we are truly living in a golden age of coffee drinking.
Whatever type of coffee bean is your bag, make sure that you get it from a roastery that gives them the care and attention they deserve. Here at the Coffee Bean Shop, our beans are always the highest quality and freshly roasted to perfection. Grab your favourite coffee and start your own great-tasting research into what is the best coffee bean in the world today.