Coffee is one beverage that has global recognition and acceptance. Hardly is there any society that doesn’t at least know about it. This beverage is one that brings joy to many as it helps give them the needed boost to start the day.
This beverage as we know is full of many nutrients that are helpful to the body. Much as there is some controversy about its intake, we believe that if taken in moderation, it would do a body much good. We could go on about the goodness of this brew but time and space forbids. You can check out this site for more on the subject: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-13-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-coffee
What Is Organic Coffee?
We are all aware of the ‘craze’ for organic food products; this is because of the many GMO products all over the place. This is a valid concern because many people have been harmed by the ill effects of these products. It is a sad thing that people end up with diseases from products that would have benefited them if grown the right way.
For the purpose of our discourse here, we would explain in simple terms what organic coffee is. In fact let’s give you a list of the criteria that qualifies a product as organic.
- Inhabitants of grower communities are not exposed to toxic chemicals
- The environment is not damaged by any harmful practices
- No pesticides or toxic chemicals are applied to the soil or plants
This therefore means that the whole growing process is natural and environmentally friendly. Growers who are confident of the above facts go ahead to obtain certification the show that their beans are organic.
What Is Specialty Grade Organic Coffee?
While the certification for organic coffee stops at the conditions under which it is grown, the certification for specialty grade spans the whole process; from farm to cup. This grade of beans is cultivated in perfect climates and is almost without defects.
Before a product can qualify as specialty grade organic coffee, it must pass through rigorous and thorough testing. The score on the test must be nothing less than 80/100. It is true that about 3% of the coffee grown globally is organic but only 1% or even less are specialty grade.
Due to the fact that the process for getting this specialty grade is painstaking, only growers that are committed to excellence undertake its production. It is not something that can just be harvested en masse. There must be great attention to details to ensure that any bean that isn’t 100% is not included from the get go.
You can check this site for more details on qualification. But while you are at it, let us give you a summary of some of the requirements for certification.
Testers from the association of specialty coffee in America (properly known as SCAA) come in to rate the product after the careful picking process. They first start by measuring a certain ratio of the beans and roasting it for not more than 8 minutes. Then they grind and brew the coffee.
The tasting of the brewed beverage happens both immediately after it is brewed and after it has been left to cool a little. The factors upon which the rating is based include the following:
- Fragrance
- Flavour
- Acidity
- Aftertaste
- Balance
- Body
- Sweetness
- Uniformity
- Cleanliness of the cup
Each factor has point attached to it and that it what is tallied up at the end of the tasting. Any product that doesn’t score from 80 and above doesn’t qualify to be branded as specialty organic coffee.
How To Buy Specialty Grade Organic Coffee Online
We know that prior to the COVID 19 pandemic; many people had specialty stores where they went to buy items that they would not be confident to buy in a supermarket or general grocery store. But as it is now, everyone is forced to turn to online shopping. This brings us to the issue of buying your specialty grade organic coffee online.
There are two major types of this specialty grade and they are the single origin coffee and the blend. The term single origin speciality coffee is often used to depict the quality of the specialty grade beans. But more than that, it shows that it was sourced from one farm/grower or country.
So to be able to successfully buy this specialty product online, you need to know the source that you love most. For example, do you love Brazilian or Columbian coffee? Peradventure you do not know exactly which source your favourite is (we really doubt this, unless you are a newbie to specialty coffee), you can ask the storekeeper that you were buying from.
Apart from the above, the following are tips that can help you:-
- Always order from specialty stores and not e-commerce stores. The reason for this is because e-commerce stores are platforms where various vendors come on to advertise and sell their products. The owner(s) of the site may not necessarily vet the quality of the products. But with specialty stores, they would seek to protect their integrity hence the sales of good quality products.
- You can go through the websites of associations that have to do with growers of this beans or coffee lovers clubs. One of such associations is the Specialty Coffee Association.
- Another way of sourcing for an authentic online source for specialty grade coffee is through third party review sites. When you locate a brand that you wish to buy from, you can do a brief research on them on sites such as Yelp, Google business and consumer reports.
Conclusion
If you are a caffeine lover who is intent on enjoying only the best organic specialty grade beans, then you know that putting in extra effort in the process of purchase is worth it. We have shared some information in this article and we believe that it would come in handy. This is more especially for those unfamiliar with buying such products online.
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