How to Buy Coffee? Where to Buy it? How to read coffee Labels? 

These are some of the top questions we get asked and we want to help answer them.

Buying coffee can feel overwhelming. Clever packaging, buzzwords, and price tags can blur what you’re really getting.

This guide cuts through the noise to help you make informed choices about your coffee. And help you find the great coffee that will be just right for you. 

Let’s break it down:

Origin: Where Your Coffee Comes From

Look for the origin on the label. It tells you the country, and sometimes the specific region or farm. This matters because coffee’s taste is influenced by the altitude, soil, and climate where it’s grown.

• Single Origin: Coffee sourced from a single country, region, or farm. Expect distinct flavors that reflect that place.

• Blends: Coffee mixed from multiple regions or farms. Can be designed for balance, consistency, or to achieve a particular flavor profile.

Pro Tip: If a bag doesn’t list the country of origin or simply says "Imported Coffee," it could mean the brand isn’t being fully transparent about the source. While blends can absolutely be high-quality, it’s always a good sign when a coffee label tells you where the beans come from—even if it’s a blend of different regions.

Roast Level: The Flavor Shaper

Roast level is a big flavor factor and affects the caffeine content too.

• Light Roast: Bright, acidic, and complex. Often highlights the origin’s unique flavors.

• Medium Roast: Balanced, smooth, with more body and sweetness.

• Dark Roast: Smoky, bold, with deeper, roasted flavors. Often masks lower-quality beans.

Watch out: Generic terms like “bold” or “strong” can be misleading. Always look for the roast level instead.

Wait, but bold means stronger, which means more caffeine, right?
Wrong.

Bold or strong flavor doesn’t mean more caffeine—it usually means a darker roast with a more intense, roasted taste. In fact, lighter roasts tend to have more caffeine by weight because they lose less moisture during roasting. So if you’re after a caffeine kick, a lighter roast might be your best bet.

Roast Date: Freshness Matters

Always check the roast date. Freshly roasted coffee peaks in flavor within 2–4 weeks.

Avoid: Bags without a roast date (often older, pre-packed commodity coffee) or with only a best-before date.

At grocery stores, especially for lower-grade or mass-produced coffee, you’ll often see only a best-before date. This can be misleading, as it might mean the coffee was roasted 6 months to 2 years ago—long past its peak freshness. Always choose a coffee with a clearly labeled roast date for the best flavor.

Certifications: What They Really Mean

Certifications can tell you about farming practices, ethics, or sustainability—but they don’t guarantee quality.

• Organic: Grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.

• Fair Trade: Farmers were paid a minimum fair price.

• Rainforest Alliance: Combines environmental, social, and economic criteria.

Important: Certifications are helpful, but not the whole story. Some of the best small-lot coffees aren’t certified because the process is too costly for small farmers.

Grind or Whole Bean?

For best flavor, buy whole bean and grind fresh. Pre-ground coffee starts losing aroma and flavor the moment it’s ground.

If you’re buying ground, match the grind to your brewing method:

• Coarse: French press, cold brew

• Medium: Drip coffee, pour-over

• Fine: Espresso, Moka pot

Price: What Are You Paying For?

High prices don’t always mean better coffee. Here’s what you should pay for:
Transparent origin and processing info
Recent roast date
Specialty grade beans (usually 80+ SCA score). 

Premium < Specialty:

Not all coffee labeled “premium” is the same. Premium is a broad term, not a formal grade, and it often means coffee that’s lower quality than specialty-grade beans. This doesn’t necessarily mean the coffee is bad—it just tends to have less complexity and nuance, and is often produced for the mass-market. If a bag says premium without clear details about the origin or processing, it’s a sign to dig deeper into what you’re actually buying.

 

Watch for Flavour Notes

Flavour notes (like “chocolatey,” “floral,” “citrus”) are not additives—they describe the natural taste you might experience in the cup. If a label says “flavored,” that’s a different story: it means added syrups or oils.

Understanding the flavour profile can help you choose the coffee that best fits your taste.

Here’s how certain flavour families often translate into the body and overall experience of a coffee:

• Fruity (berries, stone fruit, citrus):
  Expect a lighter-bodied, often juicy or refreshing cup with higher acidity. These coffees tend to be bright and vibrant—think of a fresh fruit salad.

• Floral (jasmine, rose, lavender):
  Often found in light to medium roasts, floral notes signal a delicate, tea-like profile with a soft, elegant mouthfeel.

• Sweet (caramel, honey, brown sugar):
  These coffees usually offer a medium body and a smooth, mellow experience with a touch of natural sweetness.

• Nutty/Chocolatey (almond, hazelnut, cocoa):
  Expect a fuller body and a comforting, rounded flavor—these are classic, easy-to-love profiles, often with less acidity.

• Spicy/Woody (cinnamon, clove, cedar):
  These coffees tend to have a deeper, richer body and a warming, sometimes bold, character—common in darker roasts.

• Earthy/Herbal (moss, tobacco, fresh herbs):
  Found in some origins, these coffees offer a savory, grounding profile with lower acidity and a heavier mouthfeel.

Acidity vs. Bitterness: Don’t Confuse the Two

Acidity and bitterness are not the same thing, but they often get mixed up when talking about coffee. Let’s break them down:

Acidity = Brightness

In coffee, acidity is a positive trait. It adds liveliness, crispness, and complexity to the cup. Think of it like the tartness in a fresh apple, a splash of lemon juice, or the zing in a citrus fruit.

Coffees with higher acidity often have fruit-forward, juicy, or floral notes and feel lighter and brighter in the mouth. These are usually light to medium roasts from regions like East Africa or Central America.

Bitterness = Sharp, Harsh Aftertaste

Bitterness is different—it’s the sharp, lingering taste that can feel heavy or drying on the tongue. It’s more like the taste of dark chocolate, burnt toast, or over-steeped black tea.

Bitterness often increases in dark roasts or when coffee is over-extracted (like when you brew too long or grind too fine). While a touch of bitterness can add depth, too much can overpower the cup.

Process: How the Coffee Was Prepared

This is a term often overlooked, but it impacts taste:

• Washed (Wet Process): Clean, bright, and often fruit-forward.

• Natural (Dry Process): Sweet, fruity, sometimes wine-like.

• Honey Process: A middle ground, offering body and sweetness with balanced acidity.

If the label doesn’t tell you the process, you’re missing a key clue about flavor.

Final Takeaway: The Coffee Label Checklist

✅ Clear origin
✅ Roast level (light, medium, dark)
✅ Process (washed, natural, honey)
✅ Roast date (not best before)
✅ Whole bean vs. ground
✅ Flavor notes (not artificial)
✅ Certifications (optional, not the only indicator)

Coffee isn’t just coffee—it’s a story in a cup. The more you understand the label, the better your chances of finding your kind of good.