For a lot of people, coffee is on top of their list once they get up in the morning because it prepares them for the day.
It gives them the energy they require throughout the day, and the simple aroma just makes the morning better and brighter.
Aside from being an energy booster and mood enhancer, people also take it because of its health benefits. Firstly, decreasing the chance of acquiring Type 2 Diabetes.
Secondly, some studies show that it links to lower chances of depression. Next, it supports brain, liver, and heart health. And lastly, it improves athletic performance.
Most coffee drinkers are comfortable with commercial coffee, and they normally consume three cups a day.
Although commercial ones are very popular, some people are learning to love gourmet or specialty coffee. According to the National Coffee Data Trends, 54% of Americans consume specialty coffee at least once a week.
Here are a few reasons why people love it, and maybe you should too.
Flavorful
Specialty coffee contains special flavors, hence the name, Expect notes of apple, berry, bubblegum, caramel, honey, jasmine, lychee, lime, nectarine, orange, papaya, pecan, pineapple, raspberry, red fruit, tangerine, toffee, strawberry, sugarcane, and different spices.
Some of these flavors make some of the coffees exotic, which other coffee enthusiasts are looking for. These flavors are prioritized over caffeine content.
Commercial coffee, on the other hand, revolves more around the flavors of chocolate, cocoa, and nuts. Robusta is the type of coffee widely used in commercial ones.
This has a burnt taste, compared to the flavorful taste of Arabica, the type used in specialty ones.
High quality
Quality is a very big difference between specialty and commercial coffee. Specialty or gourmet is graded by a committee of the Specialty Coffee Association or any licensed Q Grader, ranging from 80 to 100 points.
Below 80 is considered below quality, 80 to 84.99 is very good, 85 to 99.99 is excellent, and 90 to 100 is outstanding. Commercial beans are not evaluated.
This grading form is used by specialty coffee producers to make sure they create the best flavors in the market. They make sure they’re in the best conditions and some of these producers even invest in laboratories.
The beans are handpicked during harvest season, compared to conventional ones, which are harvested by machines. This harvesting process gives an assurance that all specialty beans are picked carefully before they hit the market.
No defective beans go out. Commercial ones can have black, broken, or sour beans.
The packaging of specialty coffee is also a plus because it is designed to protect the beans from moisture and oxygen as well as preserve their natural aroma.
Variety
Gourmet has more to offer than conventional ones. These advertised ones have very limited selections in terms of roast as well as blend. Specialty or gourmet can be categorized according to the bean’s origin, like Columbia, Ethiopia, or Kenya. It can also be categorized according to the roast, such as French or Italian.
They can also either be from a single origin or single estate. Single-origin means they came from one particular country. Single-origin types have more authenticity in taste. These help small communities thrive, despite not having up-to-date infrastructure.
Single estate, on the other hand, is more specific, coming from estates that have more than 50 years of experience in growing coffee. The quality of beans varies on the estate, but all of them are hard to find anywhere around the world.
Lesser caffeine content
As mentioned above, the type of beans most commonly used in commercial coffee is Robusta, while Arabica beans are used for gourmet. Robusta beans have more caffeine content of up to 2.5%, while Arabica will have up to 1.7%.
Coffee drinkers who are in good health conditions can take regular coffee up to three to four cups a day. But for those who experience negative effects, such as anxiety, dehydration, dizziness, headache, hyperacidity, insomnia, nausea, palpitation, restlessness, and shakiness, they opt for the lesser caffeine content.
Trackability
Some coffee aficionados want to track where their coffee is coming from. Commercial ones are known to be produced and manufactured by big companies. Their packaging doesn’t specify the country of origin or the quality of the beans used.
Special ones are very easy to trace since they provide specific and detailed information such as the country of origin, the farm where it came from, the processing method used, the style of roast used and the date it was roasted, and so much more.
This information is crucial to some aficionados who are very specific about their needs.
Healthier choice
Specialty compared to commercial coffee is a healthier choice since the ingredients are organic, NON-GMO, and vegan. It also contains antioxidants, folic acid, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, and vitamins B1, B2, B3, and B5.
In summary, specialty or gourmet coffee is superior to commercial in many aspects. If you value quality over price, then maybe it’s time to make the switch too.
Leave a Reply