The ultimate guide for choosing specialty coffee 

So, you want to upgrade your coffee and are wondering where to start when buying specialty coffee? Well, you can start here, not only does Univers du Thé sell gourmet coffee in Brussels and all over the EU, check out our selection at the bottom, but we’ll also guide you through the most important factors to consider when choosing your next coffee beans. Let’s get started! 

What is specialty coffee?

Specialty, or gourmet coffee, are beans that have been carefully selected, are not mass-produced, and rank on top of the quality scale. They surpass the intensity of flavor that other coffees offer. 

These specialty coffee beans are also often tied with more local businesses and eco-friendly practices. While they tend to be priced higher than regular coffee, the taste is superior and the production methods are usually vastly different. As well as allowing for coffee from lesser-known regions to get a share of the market. 

Why should you buy specialty coffee?

If you are an avid coffee lover or are looking for a more conscious way to get your cup of coffee each morning, then considering gourmet roasts and smaller unique coffee brands might be the right thing for you.

Here are some of the main reasons to get specialty coffee 

• Higher quality coffee beans 
• Trying coffee from different parts of the world 
• Supporting smaller businesses and local farmers 
• Consuming in a more eco-conscious way 
• As a special gift to a coffee lover 

The basics of buying specialty coffee beans 

Specialty coffee may seem a bit pretentious from the outside but it is not only for hipsters, if you like coffee then you will quickly find your footing in the gourmet beans market. 

To buy great specialty coffee answer these simple questions and see where they lead you. 

What kind of coffee do you like?

The most simple of all, start with what characteristics you would like your next cup to have: strong flavors, maybe you want to buy coffee with a touch of hazelnut, etc. There are many things you can include in your list to help you match your ideal coffee bean. 

It can also help when you want to try something completely different that you’ve never had before just from knowing what you have already liked. This list of characteristics is a great guide in your java journey. 

What coffee accessories do you have?

One of the main things that will determine your specialty coffee choice is what coffee accessories you have available. If you have a french press you will need a bean that favors that method. Or maybe you have your own coffee grind to prepare your beans yourself. 

If you are just getting started with higher quality coffee and don’t want to overinvest, then just add your accessories to that list of characteristics and get on with choosing your next beans. 

Where does coffee come from?

Last but certainly not least you are going to want to know where your coffee is from. This will help you determine flavor notes and be sure that you are buying from a reputable source. It also helps to know about the local farmers and what the coffee brand is tied to, so you can continue to support good coffee projects. 

What are some of the best countries to get coffee from?

Here are the top ten rankings according to the Coffee Quality Institute.

• Ethiopia 
• Kenya
• Uganda
• Colombia
• El Salvador 
• Costa Rica 
• Thailand
• Indonesia 
• Brazil
• Tanzania

Where can you buy great specialty coffee? 

There are plenty of online stores where you can buy specialty coffee beans. Online coffee shops where you can buy directly from the farmer in some cases, or from a third-party roaster that collaborates with the locals. A simple “where to buy specialty coffee near me” search should give you a lot of interesting results. 

You can also just head over to our selection of unique beans in the Univers du Thé online store, where you can find a great variety of specialty coffee selections available for shipping to most EU countries and free specialty coffee shipping in Belgium. 

Amazing coffee selection in Univers du Thé

• Ethiopian “Wild Grown Kafa Forest”
• Kenya “Pearls of Africa”
• Uganda Mount Rwenzori AA
• Colombia Organico Kachalu
• Colombia Supremo La Ceiba
• Costa Rica Tarrazu “Volcan Azul”
• West Blue Java Indonesia
• Brazil Camocim Bio

This selection is just from the top ten list, there are so many more specialty coffee options waiting for you at Univers du Thé!