Choosing gourmet coffee can be a bit overwhelming, but with a few tips of the trade it can be as easy as one, two, three. Many people sometimes feel overwhelmed by the sheer variety of choices, but with a little knowledge of the gourmet coffee world, it doesn't have to be scary. Actually, it can be a lot of delicious and warming fun!
First tip in knowing how to choose gourmet coffee is figuring out what type of roast you prefer. There are typically three roasts offered in the gourmet world: light, medium and heavy. Personally, I prefer a medium roast, which is basically just that. Not too heavy, but not too light. Just nice and medium in flavor. Some people prefer a very rich and robust cup of coffee, and the perfect fit for that would be a heavy roast. If you prefer a lighter, and also flavored coffee such as French vanilla, a proper choice would be a light roast. I like medium as it is both a bit of robust and can also be flavored. I'm currently loving Caribou coffee with its notes of dark chocolate and raspberry. It is heavenly to sip on a holiday morning, such as Christmas or Thanksgiving.
Next step in choosing a gourmet coffee, may be figuring out what region you most enjoy. Some people prefer South American blends where as others may prefer a blend from Asia. Different regions offer different tastes, and it takes sometime to figure what your favorite region will be. Again, taste test is the key here! Trying new offerings with definitely help figure which is your favorite.
Next step is choosing your price point. Gourmet blends typically range from around $10 - $600 per pound. Now that is a drastic difference! Deciding how much you want to spend may be the most important step of the journey.
Next is the step of deciding if you prefer plain roasted coffee or flavored. For myself, I prefer a flavored coffee. Some of my favorites are: French Vanilla, Mocha Java, Hazelnut and Caramel Apple. The world of flavored gourmet coffee is endless and lately I have been seeing more and more bakery type blends such as: Cinnamon Roll, Pecan Roll, and even Birthday Cake flavored coffee.
Regardless of what blend you choose, what region the beans come from, or if you choose to drink flavored or unflavored coffee, the journey of finding your favorite coffee is a delicious one! Personally, I haven't meant a fresh cup of coffee I didn't like yet, and for that I am quite thankful.
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