Why the higher the altitude, the better the quality of coffee beans? Relationship between altitude and Coffee quality

Do you ask the barista what kind of coffee tastes good? If you did, you'd get answers that would make your head spin. You must have heard the word "altitude" more than once when baristas were explaining to you how good coffee tastes. What does altitude have to do with the coffee we drink? Why is altitude so important for coffee?

1. The importance of altitude

Elevation, the altitude at which coffee grows, directly affects the size, appearance and taste of the beans. Of course, you can't just walk into a coffee shop and tell the barista how much altitude you want to drink, but understanding altitude can help you understand coffee better.

In another of my articles on how growers choose coffee varieties, I said that altitude and climate affect coffee growers 'choice of coffee bean varieties. Simply put, Arabica coffee prefers to grow in cool highland areas between 1800 and 6300 meters above sea level, while Robusta coffee prefers to grow in warm lowlands between 600 and 2400 meters above sea level. From this we can see that altitude can greatly affect the quality and taste of coffee.

2. How to determine the altitude at which coffee is grown?

Elevation directly affects the appearance of coffee beans. When you look closely at green coffee beans, you will notice that each coffee has a different size and density. Are the coffee beans in your hand small and dense? Is the gap in the middle of the bean tightly closed or open? Is the slit straight or curved? Is the color of the coffee bean close to jade, light green or blue? The shape of the beans can directly reflect the growth altitude of coffee beans.

The best quality coffee beans are usually firm and grow at altitudes above 4500 meters. These beans grow extremely slowly, so the density of the beans is high, and the gaps in the middle of the beans should be curved. In contrast, coffee beans grown at lower elevations tend to have a lower density and a slightly open gap in the middle. As for the color of the beans, the growing environment of coffee beans and the processing technology of green beans will affect the color of coffee beans. If the beans from the same plantation are treated differently, for example, one batch is washed with water and the other with honey, the color of the beans will be completely different. In general, bean density is the most powerful basis for judging the elevation of coffee beans.

3. Why is higher altitude better?

Simply put, the higher the altitude at which coffee beans are grown, the better they taste. Coffee beans carefully cared for and grown at high altitudes are pleasant in acidity, rich in aroma and rich in taste, and everyone loves them. Conversely, coffee grown at low altitudes has almost no acidity, a single taste, and a flat taste. That's why baristas always emphasize altitude. If your barista tells you that your coffee is grown at an altitude of 5200 meters, it's definitely worth savoring.

Altitude is only one of many factors in coffee quality, but it is definitely the most important one. The next time you go to a coffee shop, ask the barista to explain the origin of the cup of coffee for you. This will not only enrich your coffee knowledge, but also enhance your overall coffee experience!