Specialty Coffee Beans
Latest articles, industry insights and brewing guides
Standard Coffee-to-Water Brew Ratios Explained
Find the standard and specialty coffee ratios in ounces, grams, cups, and milliliters for 1 to 12 cups, plus how to calculate your own.
How to Cup Specialty Coffee Like a Pro
Learn the 10-step cupping process used by specialty coffee pros to evaluate aroma, flavor, and aftertaste in freshly roasted beans.
What Is the SCAA Coffee Tasters Flavor Wheel?
The SCAA Coffee Tasters Flavor Wheel helps identify coffee flavors with precision. Learn what it is, how it’s used, and where to find it.
Oven-Roasting Panamanian Coffee: A Step-by-Step Report
An experimental oven roast of Panamanian coffee beans produced a deep city roast in 23 minutes with 36g in, 29g out. Here’s how it went.
Guatemala Antigua La Flor Coffee Review & Roast Guide
Discover the floral, citrusy profile of Guatemala Antigua La Flor, a Bourbon-heavy SHB bean roasted with a 1-minute post-first-crack finish.
Yunnan Arabica Coffee Primary Processing Guidelines
Learn the wet and dry methods for processing Yunnan Arabica coffee, including water standards, fermentation times, drying targets, and post-harvest steps.
How Kopi Luwak Coffee Is Made From Civet Digestion
Kopi Luwak is made from coffee beans eaten and excreted by civets. This unique process affects protein breakdown and reduces bitterness. Find out how it works.
What Is Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee?
Jamaica Blue Mountain is a rare, balanced coffee grown at high altitudes in Jamaica. Learn why it’s expensive and how it compares to other coffees.
What Makes Coffee Truly 'Blue Mountain'?
Only coffee grown in Jamaica’s Blue Mountains can be called Blue Mountain coffee, and legal grades, sizes, and exports are strictly regulated.
Brazil Coffee: World’s Largest Producer with Smooth Flavor
Brazil grows more coffee than any other country, known for smooth, sweet, low-acid beans ideal for espresso blends. Here’s why.
How Brazil Grades Coffee by Taste, Not Altitude
Brazil grades coffee based on cupping results, not elevation or bean size. Learn how their unique 5-tier system works and why mesh size matters.
What Does a Coffee Fruit Actually Look Like?
Before roasting, coffee starts as a fruit—typically a cherry-like pod with two beans inside. Here’s what it really looks like and how it’s processed.
Colombia’s High-Yield, High-Quality Coffee Beans
Colombia produces large volumes of high-grade Arabica, mainly washed-process Caturra, Colombia, and Typica, with two annual harvests thanks to its latitude and elevation.
How Colombia Grades Coffee by Bean Size, Not Flavor
Colombia grades coffee solely by bean size — Supremo and Excelso refer to diameter, not taste. Most high-quality beans list their farm or region.
What Makes Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee So Expensive?
Learn why authentic Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee is rare, costly, and sought after—plus how to brew it properly.
How Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Is Graded by Size and Defects
Learn how Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee is graded by bean size and defect limits—not just origin. Only 2% defects allowed at the top levels.
Why Kopi Luwak Coffee Costs Nearly $1,000 Per Kilogram
Kopi Luwak coffee can cost up to $1,000 per kilogram due to rarity, unique processing, and labor-intensive harvesting. Here’s why it’s so expensive.
Kopi Luwak Cupping Notes: World’s Most Expensive Coffee
A first-hand account of tasting civet coffee, roasted dark in Indonesia, with mild bitterness, earthy depth, and subtle aftertaste.
Why Is Civet Coffee So Expensive? The World’s Most Costly Bean
The world’s priciest coffee, Kopi Luwak, costs over $227 per pound due to its unique fermentation process via civet digestion. Here’s why.
Coffee Types and Characteristics: From Blue Mountain to Mocha
Explore the unique traits of global specialty coffees like Jamaica Blue Mountain, Colombian, and Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, plus brewing tips.