Whether you can’t start your morning without a cup of joe or you’re just a casual sipper who loves testing different styles of coffee, one thing’s for certain – the endless debate between whole bean coffee vs. ground coffee rages on. And, all lovers of coffee are stuck right in the middle, trying to decide which side to root for. While each has its own unique pros and cons, we support Team Whole Bean. Here are a few reasons why.
Whole Bean Coffee Stays Fresh And Flavorful
It’s a fact that whole coffee beans, coated in a flavorful oil, stay fresh and flavorful for longer compared to ground coffee. This is because ground coffee is so fine that it takes no time for oxygen to absorb the sweet sugars, gentle acids and other essential oils, causing your coffee to taste stale and bitter. In fact, it takes just a few seconds for coffee grounds to start losing their natural flavor. Beans on the other hand stay fresh since it takes longer for the oxygen to cause those oils on the inside to evaporate.
Whole Bean Coffee Tastes Better
With more freshness comes a better-tasting java. Whole bean coffee simply tastes better. This also relates back to the fact that grinding your beans at home and brewing them right away allows you to craft the freshest coffee possible. This keeps the many layers of complex flavors intact compared to ground coffee, which always seems to be lacking in taste. Do a side-by-side taste test and see for yourself – whole beans will brighten your senses while traditional grounds are bound for the drain. A pack of whole beans paired with a nice grinder is your best chance at always crafting a fresh cup of coffee.
Whole Beans Let You Control Your Grind Size
Regardless of how you’re brewing up your next cup, whole beans let you control how fine your grind is. This affects the flavor and caffeine content of your beverage by exposing more surface area of the grounds, resulting in a quicker extraction of flavor. To reduce acidity, you can grind your beans finer, while you can reduce bitterness by grinding more coarsely. A cold brew, for example, calls for a coarse grind, because the water sits with the coffee for an extended period of time under cold extraction. Espresso, on the other hand, is ground almost to a powder since the coffee is infused at such a high pressure in just 30 seconds.
Whole Beans Are Better For The Environment
If you take your coffee as seriously as your love for the environment, then you should exclusively buy whole beans. Grounds have to go through extra processing before it ends up on grocery store shelves, meaning manufacturers must use extra resources throughout a coffee production lifecycle. The vast majority of specialty coffee and single-origin manufacturers offer their product in whole bean form, which gives the consumer better traceability and peace of mind knowing there are minimal processing techniques involved – a true farm-to-table experience.
Whole Beans Are A Great Business Decision
Whether you’re a CEO or administrative assistant, if you’re in charge of ordering the coffee, whole beans will give you the most bang for your buck. Since they stay fresh for so long, you can make a bulk order to bring costs down and use your stash for months to come. Plus, you get the added benefit of providing employees with a tasty pick-me-up that will keep them motivated through the workday.
Pros and cons of whole bean coffee
Still not convinced that whole bean coffee is the better choice? Let’s take a look at some pros and cons of this flavorful form of coffee:
- Pro: Stays fresh and flavorful for months.
- Pro: Grinding immediately before brewing gives you a fresher cup of coffee. Fresh coffee tastes better.
- Pro: Achieve different strengths and flavors by adjusting your brewing method.
- Pro: Whole bean coffee is better for the environment.
- Pro: A great option for commercial purposes and bulk orders.
- Con: Takes more time to prepare – but just a few extra seconds with an automatic grinder.
- Con: Whole beans need to be ground correctly and to a consistent size for the best-tasting coffee.
Pros and cons of ground coffee
Of course, let’s not forget that ground coffee does have some benefits for the average coffee consumer. Here are some reasons – and not so good reasons – to give ground coffee a try:
- Pro: Quick and easy, just dump the grounds in and press brew on your machine.
- Pro: Consistent grind size directly out of the can.
- Pro: No need to purchase extra equipment like a grinder to brew your coffee.
- Con: Ground coffee starts losing flavor in just 30 seconds after its ground, so it may be stale before it even leaves the manufacturing plant.
- Con: You can’t adjust grind size to achieve different flavor profiles.
- Con: Pre-packaged coffee can only be brewed according to the recommended methods.
Are You Convinced Of The Benefits Of Whole Bean Coffee?
There are more than enough reasons to make the switch from ground coffee to whole bean coffee – enjoy a more flavorful brew, locked-in freshness that lasts for the long haul and get complete control over the taste of your coffee with a quality grinder, among other great benefits. If you’re a coffee connoisseur, do yourself a favor and pick up a bag of whole bean coffee today and bring your senses to life!
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