How To Know If Your Coffee Beans Are High-Quality

People who really appreciate and enjoy a good cup of coffee will naturally want to know how they can make sure the coffee beans they buy to have at home are high-quality. Whether you want to enjoy an afternoon jolt or simply don't feel like making a trip out to the local coffee shop for a great cup of joe, having good beans at home is key to making excellent coffee. So, knowing what to look for when you buy beans is important. Luckily, there are a few characteristics to keep in mind and look for when buying high-quality beans.

The first thing to seek out is actually on the outside of the coffee beans themselves. Good quality coffee beans are full of oils and acids, so when they are roasted, those liquids coat the outside of the bean. The roasting process draws out the oils and acids, so when you hold the beans, a bit of residue should be left behind on your hand. If coffee prepared from the beans is stale, bland, or smells like spoiled oil, then the beans are definitely not good (via Keys Coffee Co.).

If you can't taste-test the coffee beans, look at them, or hold them to evaluate their oil content, then there are a few other things to keep an eye out for. High-quality coffee beans will feature a one-way valve on the bag itself. Freshly roasted coffee beans release gas. So, the valve allows the gas to be released without letting air in, which keeps the beans fresher for a longer period of time (via Coffee Brew Guides).

Another detail on the bag to look for is the roast date. Bags that feature a roast date instead of a best-by date can help you choose and buy beans that are a lot fresher. Best-by indicates the producer is just trying to elongate the shelf life instead of producing freshly roasted beans consistently, according to Coffee Brew Guides.

Naturally, knowing the country of origin and picking up arabica beans instead of robusta beans is important too. Good quality coffee producers will want to share where the coffee originated from, and arabica beans are much more versatile. So, even though they are more expensive, arabica beans will deliver more flavor.