How to choose a good coffee

THREE KEYS TO GETTING IT RIGHT

Want to try a coffee with a different level of quality and flavour? Choosing the right coffee is the first step. Below we guide you through the 3 most important things to consider when choosing a good coffee: origin, roast and freshness.

Comercio Justo

ORIGIN

This is where choosing the quality and flavour of a good coffee begins. India, Colombia and Ethiopia are among the few places on earth with the natural conditions for growing coffee.

Telling the nuances apart: that is the specialty we have developed at Quinto Café when selecting our raw material. As a fruit of the land, coffee varies from year to year and from plot to plot. Everything affects its quality: climate, altitude and the human hand, among many other variables. Discovering a good coffee is our passion, season after season.

As you can see, this is a job best left to the selectors. What falls to those of us who love good coffee is to choose only fair-trade coffee that respects the land and the people who work it.

ROASTING

Roasting determines quality and the balance between flavour and caffeine. It's a complex subject, and one the selectors also take care of for us. Our choice is between a commercial coffee and a specialty one.

Commercial coffee tastes bitter, more astringent and harsh, because it comes from plants that withstand everything, pests included.


Specialty coffee is Arabica only, with careful processing at every stage, from the plant to your cup, so you find balanced aromas, sugars and flavours.

Discover our selection

FRESHNESS

This is where the difference lies when you buy coffee. The selector may have found incredible flavours, but if the roaster burns the beans or adds sugar, it's all lost and it becomes commercial coffee.

Here's an example: plenty of paellas have socarrat, the crispy bottom layer, but only a few get it right. The same goes for roasting coffee so it expresses its aroma, flavour and creaminess.

When you buy coffee, choose one that has been roasted recently, as close as possible to the date you buy it. That way you can enjoy its unbeatable freshness and flavour. Discover the difference for yourself.

Like every fruit of nature, its freshness directly affects its flavour and flavour is what we enjoy most in a coffee. So drink fresh, recently roasted coffee and you'll discover a unique taste.
At Quinto Café we roast in Madrid every Tuesday and Thursday.

Want to know more about coffee roasting?

Profiles

  • SPICED

    An aromatic coffee for days that call for something special.

  • CARAMEL

    Real natural sweetness, for that afternoon break that makes your day.

  • FLORAL

    When it comes to cold brew, jasmine notes are perfect for changing the flavour of your day.

  • FRUITY

    A fruity coffee with milk, perfect for every morning.

  • CHOCOLATE

    Days that need a PUSH! call for a chocolate-profile coffee.

  • HAZELNUT

Choosing a coffee by its profile or flavour

Profile, or flavour, is one of the most important factors when choosing a good coffee. Coffee can range from bitter and strong to sweet and smooth, but it goes much further than that.

Broadly speaking, a profile is defined as “the result of the coffee cupping process, carried out through the senses to perceive fragrances, aromas and flavours”. That means you can choose a coffee by its tasting notes, making it easier to find the coffee you love: the one you have with milk at breakfast, after lunch or during the day, the one you drink cold in summer, and so on.

More about profiles and flavours

Choosing a coffee by its origin

A coffee's origin can have a big impact on its flavour and quality. Different countries and regions produce coffees with unique flavours and profiles.

Brazil: known for very balanced coffees with sweet, nutty and chocolatey notes. 

Colombia: produces smooth, balanced coffees, characterised by good acidity and plenty of sweetness. 

Ethiopia: the birthplace of coffee, with a wide range of profiles, but mainly floral, fruity and citrus flavours. 

Burundi: a still little-known origin that will surprise you with its sweet notes, good body and complexity.

Kenya: offers coffees with bright acidity, good body and great complexity on the palate.

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