Marketing claims can be tricky to navigate on all types of food products. In the world of coffee, claims from brands that call themselves “specialty” or “gourmet” can leave shoppers confused. Do these claims actually mean that a coffee is of superior quality? Seeing the word “Organic” on a bag of coffee is often associated with high-quality coffee, but what does this term really mean? Brian Abernathy, Master Roaster at Grumpy Goat Coffee Roastery in Bonita Springs, Florida shares what shoppers need to know about coffee marketing claims and why not all coffee is created equal.
The misassumption around Organic coffee
“Just because a coffee is labeled “organic” does not mean that it will taste good,” says Abernathy. “There are plenty of lower quality, commercial grade coffee that earns an “organic” designation. High quality coffee is grown at high altitude and at altitude the climate, soils and farming conditions are completely different than at sea level where most commercial grade coffee is grown.”
“Also, pests do not live at high altitudes so the farming methods naturally result in a much cleaner cup. In addition, another indicator of a high quality coffee is freshness. There are organic coffees sold that have been sitting in warehouses for months and at varying climate controlled conditions. The coffee drinkers we speak to would rather put fresh roasted coffee in their body rather than an organic coffee that has been sitting around for months,” he shares.
Coffee quality is most influenced by bean quality (freshness, traceability and origin/altitude) and expert roasting processes for optimal flavor profile. While an Organic certification on coffee is important in terms of removing pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and GMOs from your cup of coffee, not all Organic coffee will automatically taste amazing. Coffee shoppers need to understand the full picture in order to truly shop for the highest-quality coffee available.
Decaf coffee quality
Even coffee that is organic can still be poorly grown, harvested, or processed, according to Abernathy. This is especially seen in decaf coffee, where the decaffeination process has a huge role in overall taste. “When coffee providers rush the decaffeination process they’re left with subpar coffee. A lot of decaf coffee found in stores has been exposed to chemical solvents to strip out the caffeine. This can affect the taste of the coffee,” he shares.
“However, there are two natural decaffeination processes that consumers can look for when choosing coffee. This way they can avoid the chemical processes and potential side effects that your readers want to avoid. The trademarked Mountain Water and Swiss Water processes are what the beans go through that are sourced by Grumpy Goat. The second natural process is the carbon dioxide decaffeination method.”
Shopping for quality coffee
Now that we’ve established that not all coffee is created equal, how can you know what to look for when purchasing coffee? The answer is to do your research — way beyond the claims that are listed on a bag. Per Abernathy, Altitude/origin, traceability and cupping score are better examples of reliable indicators for a high-quality coffee.
Why roast date matters
“Roast date matters too. However, if a roast date is not disclosed do not automatically assume it’s older coffee. For example, at the Grumpy Goat Coffee roastery we practice small batch roasting and our inventory turns over fast enough that we do not need to mark roast dates on our packing. We roast 4-5 times per week so our inventory is always fresh,” he shares. In general, purchasing from a local roastery is a better option that purchasing mass-produced coffees that sit on store shelves for months before consuming.
Red flags to look for
“Since altitude, origin, roast date and traceability are key indicators of coffee quality, a lack of some or all of this information on a package could be a red flag,” he says. “In general, coffee sold at big box supermarkets and other stores is commercial grade coffee. To be a better shopper for high quality coffee, seek out a specialty coffee roaster either locally or that ships through their e-commerce store. Their website should disclose factors such as altitude, origin, roast date and traceability and tasting notes.”
Consumers who want to choose higher-quality coffee should work with a specialty coffee roaster to start accessing coffee with excellent flavor profiles. “Ask the roaster to help you identify which of their offerings are fair trade organic, women-produced or part of another ethical sourcing program that promotes sustainable farming practices or reinvests revenues into the villages the farms are located for building medical clinics or buying solar powered lights.”
Organic labeling isn’t everything
“Almost by default, coffee grown at high altitude is organic, even without any official governmental designation,” Abernathy shares. “The farming practices conducted by growers at high altitudes are very clean. Pests do not typically live at high altitudes which negates the need for pesticides, etc. Just because a coffee earns an organic certification does not mean that it is high quality beans. It just means that the farm followed a set of defined procedures.” The National Coffee Association is a great source for those who want to explore more information on Organic coffee certifications.
