15 Best Beans for Coffee

The Best Coffee Beans of 2023

Okay, let’s be real, you’re probably here to find out what the best coffee beans you can get are. We won’t waste your time, here are the top 15 best beans for coffee in 2023!

If you want to learn more about WHY these are the best beans for coffee, or see a more detailed look at each of our best coffee picks, keep scrolling.

Here's a quick look at our 15 best beans for coffee!

Where to Buy the Best Beans for Coffee?

Regardless of where they come from, the best beans for coffee are beans that are freshly roasted. Needless to say, the easiest way to get your hands on freshly roasted beans, is to buy from a local roaster!

Let me make this abundantly clear, grocery stores are not local roasters, and your odds of finding a bag of beans that have been recently roasted on the shelves of a grocery store are very low.

Local roasters typically take the form of an independent coffee shop that roasts their own beans. That is not to say that there aren’t any chains that offer freshly roasted beans, but your odds are certainly better with a smaller shop. Smaller, independent roasters typically roast in small batches, often multiple times per week, and sometimes even daily!

By all means, ask the owner about their roasting process, they will probably be happy to tell you all about it! If you know the days of the week that your local coffee shops roast their beans, you can plan your purchases accordingly. Not only is the selection better, but the beans are as fresh as can be!

While purchasing coffee beans from a local shop is likely the best way to ensure freshness, that doesn’t mean that you can’t get freshly roasted coffee online. There are a number of coffee companies that roast to order.

What exactly does that mean?

It means that these companies do not roast huge amounts of coffee ahead of time and store it somewhere in a warehouse. It means that they freshly roast your beans when you order them to ensure that you get the best beans for coffee.

Coffee companies that roast to order typically get your beans to you within a few days, as their whole operation places a high value on delivering beans that are as fresh as possible.

It’s worth noting that when you order fresh coffee beans from a company that roasts to order, you have to place your order directly with the roaster. If you order their product through a third party, the freshness factor is out of their hands, and you might receive something that’s been collecting dust on a shelf somewhere!

The bottom line - Buy from your local roasters if you can, otherwise, order directly from online coffee roasters who roast to order. Our top 15 best beans for coffee list, of course, focuses on companies that roast to order!

How to Choose the Best Beans for Coffee

Okay so you know WHERE to look, and that beans that are roasted to order are your best bet, but how do you actually decide what type of coffee to pick? As you’ve probably noticed, there are a lot of coffee brands out there…

Seriously, there are thousands of options. So how do you sift through the noise and find the best beans for coffee? Let’s walk through the method to the madness by taking a look at the factors that contribute to the overall quality of coffee.

Coffee Roast Date - Does Coffee Go Bad?

If it was at all unclear before, or if you skipped the last section (we won’t hold it against you), the coffee roast date is of critical importance. Coffee will taste its best up until about 3 weeks from the day it’s roasted.

How long does a bag of coffee usually last you? A week? Two weeks? However long your bag may last, if you want to get the most out of it, the beans need to have been roasted very recently.

Let’s be clear here, coffee doesn’t “go bad” after 3 weeks, or a month, but you’ll start to lose the intricacies of the taste profile after about the 3 week mark. It will still be coffee, and it’ll still have caffeine in it, and you can be sure that we would still drink it… but if you’re seeking the best coffee possible, it’s gotta be fresh.

Whole Bean Coffee vs Ground Coffee

Pre-ground coffee products may offer some minor conveniences that whole bean coffee products do not, but that’s where the advantages end. When you grind up coffee beans, you drastically increase the surface area that is exposed to air. This will result in your coffee losing freshness at a much faster rate.

If you’re serious about getting the best taste out of your coffee, you have to go for a whole bean option. On top of that, you should grind only when you’re ready to brew!

Speaking of grinding...

Grinding Coffee Beans

Coffee bean grinding is the single most important part of the coffee making process.

Without going into relentless detail about coffee grinding, it’s worth mentioning that not all coffee grinders are built equally.

Using a burr grinder, as opposed to a blade grinder will result in a much more uniform grind. A more uniform grind will result in a more consistent extraction of soluble solids from your coffee. Basically, the point we’re trying to make is that a burr grinder will make your coffee taste better.

The taste difference will be especially pronounced with freshly roasted beans. So again, don’t grind until you’re ready to brew!

Burr grinders can get expensive in a hurry, but there are some reasonably priced options that will get the job done and last a long time. An afforable, quality option that we recommend is the Capresso Infinity Plus.

Coffee Brewing Methods

Everyone has different preferences when it comes to which beans are best with each brewing method, so we recommend experimenting as much as possible!

That being said, here’s a quick guide to get you started:

Roast Preference

Finding your favorite roast level really just comes down to trying an assortment of different roasts. It’s a great excuse to try a whole bunch of different beans!

Your favorite roast level may very well be different from bean to bean, origin to origin, and depending on the brewing method you’re using.

While roast level in itself can’t predict the exact flavor profile of a coffee, some generalizations can usually be made. 

Learn more about the different roasts of coffee here.

Single Origin vs Blend

You’ve likely often seen coffee beans with a “single origin” labeled being pitched as a selling point. But what does it actually mean for a coffee to be single origin?

Single origin means that the coffee beans come from a single known geographical origin. This can range in specificity from a large, but defined region to a single farm. This is an admittedly loose classification.

The idea is that all of the beans are more or less the same, and the product will be a good representation of the specific origin. It is for this reason, that our top 15 best beans for coffee list consists primarily of single origin selections. We believe that getting an unadulterated taste of a specific region is the best way to find your favorite taste profile!

Popularity and demand for single origin coffee has skyrocketed in recent years, which has led to the increased availability of a wide variety of high quality coffees! While this is certainly great for consumers, it’s worth noting that a coffee being labeled as single origin doesn’t make it inherently better than a blend - there are tons of fantastic blends out there! It really just comes down to personal preference.

Blends often get a bad name because many cheaper coffee brands sell blends of whatever the cheapest beans currently on the market are. The inferior quality does not come from the practice of blending, but the quality of the beans to start with.

Fair Trade Coffee

The best beans for coffee will typically come with a fair trade certification. 

This certification indicates that the particular coffee beans have been purchased from a single farm or group of farms at a price that is deemed to be fair to the farmers. The price is determined by a group of different international fair trade networks in order to ensure that it is in fact, fair. 

Fair trade helps to improve the quality of life of citizens of developing countries that produce coffee. Fair trade practices are part of an effort to fight for income sustainability and fight against poverty.

Fair trade coops assist communities in need by building schools, investing in clean water, women’s health, and numerous other important causes.

Fair trade practices result in farmers and their communities receiving a larger percentage of the final export price, which in turn allows more money to be reinvested in their processes, and leads to a better product.

Coffee beans with a fair trade certification are coming from farms that have every possible incentive to provide the highest quality coffee possible, as doing so leads to a tangible, positive impact within local communities and promotes a source of sustainable economic support.

Organic Coffee

You’ve likely seen a USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) Organic certification label before, but what does it actually mean to be organic?

The organic certification indicates that the coffee has been grown without the use of artificial chemicals, fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides, and with a focus on shade-grown crops that allow birds and animals to act as an alternative source of natural pest control.

The certification process has a number of specific requirements, and it is a costly endeavor. 

Although it is absolutely a positive for a coffee to be certified organic, it should be noted that many smaller and independent farms may meet the organic standard, but may not have the means by which to finance the certification process. 

The lack of a certificate should not be held against these producers, so it is important to look at independent providers on a case to case basis.

15 Best Beans for Coffee

While we strongly recommend choosing whole bean whenever possible, we’ve noted the availability of whole bean, ground and single serve options for your convenience!

How to Store Coffee Beans

Still here? Alright then, let's keep talking!

We keep saying that you shouldn’t grind your coffee beans until you’re ready to brew, so how do you store them in the meantime?

DO NOT PUT YOUR COFFEE IN THE FREEZER!

You may have heard of some people putting their coffee in the refrigerator or freezer to keep it fresh… don’t do this. It doesn’t keep your coffee fresh, and it can actually ruin the flavor.

How exactly does this ruin the flavor?

Exposing coffee to cold temperatures will cause a degree of condensation that pushes the oils of the beans to the surface, where they will degrade more quickly. By tossing your beans in the fridge or freezer, you’re actually causing your coffee to age faster!

Another downside, that is admittedly kind of interesting, is that coffee has a tendency to absorb aromatics. Due to a porous cellular structure, coffee can actually absorb the aromas of whatever you have in your freezer and alter the taste of your brew!

While this would likely just ruin the taste of your coffee, what would happen if you put a bag of coffee beans in the freezer that was empty, except for one item with a favorable aroma? Would you create naturally flavored coffee? 

Probably not… but please let us know if you successfully pull this off!

OKAY FINE, WHERE DO I STORE MY COFFEE?

If your coffee beans come in a sealed bag with a one-way valve, (like Volcanica offers), then you don’t need to worry too much about finding a storage container. Simply keep this bag out of direct sunlight, in a cool, dry place like a cupboard or pantry.

If your beans come in a paper bag, or anything unsealed, you’ll want to transfer them to an opaque coffee canister as soon as possible. 

Arabica vs Robusta

If you’ve concerned yourself with learning about different types of coffee species, chances are you’re familiar with Arabica and Robusta. Arabica and Robusta are the major players in the consumer coffee game.

Arabica

Arabica coffee beans are widely considered to be superior to Robusta beans in the flavor department. Arabica beans are typically grown at higher altitudes than Robusta beans. Growth at higher altitudes occurs more slowly, which in turn allows a longer period of flavor development. 

Arabica beans offer a wide array of nuanced flavor profiles. Arabica beans are used in coffee shops, cafés and account for most of the beans that you purchase. 

All of the entries in our 15 best beans for coffee list are of the Arabica species with the exception of Lavazza's Gran Espresso blend, which is a blend including some Ugandan Robusta beans. 

Nothing personal against Robusta beans… but they don’t quite have what it takes to be placed alongside the best coffee beans in the world.

Robusta

Robusta coffee beans are frequently found in instant coffee products and in less expensive coffee blends. 

Robusta beans are grown at lower altitudes, and have significantly more caffeine than Arabica beans. This higher level of caffeine makes Robust beans more resistant to disease. Overall, Robusta beans can be grown more easily in a variety of conditions, and result in a higher yield. You might say that Robusta beans are… well, robust. 

Liberica & Excelsea

Originally from Liberia, Liberica beans are far less common than both Arabica and Robusta. Liberica trees grow much larger than both Arabica and Robusta trees, but taste much the same as Robusta beans.

Excelsea beans were considered to be their own entity in the past, but were reclassified to be a type of Liberica in 2006. As you could probably guess, Excelseas beans are quite similar to Liberica beans.

Both Liberica and Excelsea beans are used for purposes similar to Robusta beans.

Acidity vs Bitterness

Natural Acid in Coffee

Coffee, especially Arabica coffee, is naturally acidic. Not in the melt-through-human-flesh kind of way though! Coffee is acidic in the sense that it’s pH is below 7. For reference, tomato juice is more acidic than any coffee you’ll get your hands on!

Acid in coffee is responsible for the bright, crisp or sharp sensation. It’s that pleasant bite that coffee offers. It can be fruity or wine-toned, or citric or something else! Acidity adds a dimension, and coffee without it would be pretty dull.

Typically, beans grown at higher altitudes are more acidic than beans grown at lower altitudes, and lighter roasts are more acidic than darker roasts.

Acidic vs Bitter Tastes

While it’s true that some coffee beans offer up a sort of pleasant bitterness akin to something like dark chocolate, more often than not, bitter coffee is the result of over-extraction during the brewing process.

In a similar sense, although coffee has natural acidity, an overly acidic taste is typically the result of under-extraction!

Hold on a second, extraction of what? Glad you asked. Extraction of soluble solids during the coffee brewing process!

Extraction has an immense impact on the final taste of your drink!

In general, a good coffee has between 18% - 22% of soluble solids extracted from the grinds. If you stray too far either way from this range, you’ll start to get undesirable tastes!

A number of factors influence extraction, including:

• How finely you grind your beans
• The temperature of water used to brew
• The amount of time the water is in contact with the grinds

These principles are illustrated nicely by the french press. If you use fine grind coffee instead of usual coarse grind, OR wait too long to plunge, you’ll get over-extracted, bitter coffee.

If you try to brew with hot tap water instead of near boiling water, you’ll probably end up with under-extracted, sour, acidic, (and probably watery) coffee!

What were we talking about again? 

Right, acids in coffee! 

The take home point is that desirable acids in coffee are part of what makes beans from different regions of the world distinct, and probably play a role in shaping the taste profile of your favorite brew!

But don’t worry, if you have trouble with acidic coffee, we’ve included some low acid options for you in our 15 best beans for coffee! 

Check out Nicaraguan Mycotoxin Free, Sumatra Gayo or Bali Blue Moon! 

Final Thoughts

Well, that certainly took a while. Congrats if you've read all the way to the end! You're now equipped with the knowledge to acquire and brew yourself up some of the best coffee in the world!

Cheers!