Whole Bean Vs. Ground Coffee - What's the difference?

If you've ever stood in the coffee aisle aimlessly staring at all options and felt a little lost, no worries, you're not alone. One of the coolest things about the coffee industry is that there are so many different levels of expertise and education. We all start with the same knowledge and based on our taste buds, we find ourselves heading down different trails, having different preferences that build coffee into our lives. 

At Bandit, we consider ourselves the black sheep of the industry. We do things a little differently therefore we attract a much different customer. We once were not coffee experts so we don't expect you to be either. Our goal though is to help take our friends (that's you), on the journey with us and make you feel at home and comfortable about learning the in's and outs of the coffee world. So, with that being said let's get down to the nitty gritty in today's lesson.

The true differences between ground and whole bean coffee.

 

Pictured above is what coffee looks like from start to finish. You have the actual coffee cherry that progresses to the green bean, which then after roasted turns into something that you may recognize, that you seen at your local grocer and then the ground coffee. As you can imagine from start to finish, the coffee goes through quite the process. Through each of these stages it obtains very different flavors. 

So now you know how the process goes. What do you choose? Here is the 101 on each. 

WHOLE BEAN: This allows you to grind per serving which most times will result in just a fresher taste. Be sure when choosing whole bean to check out the roast date OR the type of packaging. You will need to invest in a grinder but you can find a great quality one at a low cost. You also will start to feel like a real coffee connoisseur every morning. Try this one! We find ourselves purchasing whole beans when we are trying out new flavors from different farms and even from different parts of the world. Since we love coffee so much, it brings the whole experience to another level.

 

Here is our favorite coffee grinder: 

GROUND COFFEE: It is safe to say that ground coffee is the quickest and easiest way to throw together a pot of coffee. So, if a regular drip coffee maker is your thing? We suggest going straight for ground. Here is our favorite blend! 

It's no secret that trendy mixed espresso drinks are in. Forecast for 2019 shows that you will be seeing more of those creative coffee based beverages so don't expect them to go anywhere soon. We are seeing more teens making purchases at coffee shops and young adults investing in more elaborate brewing systems. 

Getting a real cafe experience in your own home is nothing short of luxury so here is our recommendation on how to get the real deal in the comforts of your own home. 

WHOLE BEAN- When choosing the perfect bean for your espresso machine you will need to go through a few steps but they are well worth it. First, Choose your roast. (light, medium or dark) the lighter the roast the more the caffeine.

Found your roast? Great. Now simply grind to the specific recommended texture.(We've attached a cheat sheet below). We advise that you grind your bean to every brew for the freshest flavor! You won't regret it!

GROUND - If you choose to purchase ground coffee for your espresso machine, be sure to go for an espresso roast. This will insure that the grounds are a little finer and will work perfectly in your espresso machine. We love this one from Bandit Coffee. Black Jax - Espresso Roast is nitro packed so it's as fresh as the day it was roasted but it'a also finely ground so that it's perfectly ready to make your espresso treat without the hassle of grabbing for the grinder!

 

FRENCH PRESS/CHEMEX - A good batch of French press coffee requires a coarse, even ground. This means that if you are buying pre-ground coffee, you want to avoid anything that's ground for espresso, we suggest this. 

DRIP COFFEE MAKER - We recommend that you use pre-ground coffee if you use drip brewers such as the manual pour over or a standard coffeemaker. Since pre-ground coffee has the perfect coarseness for these machines. The problem of using coarser coffee grounds with the wrong brewing method is that the coffee is filtered too fast, resulting in a weak flavored drink. If the ground is too fine, the flavor becomes bitter as it is overly extracted.  Using pre-ground coffee beans removes the guesswork when it comes to determining the grind size.

ESPRESSO MACHINE - this method for brewing requires either fine or coarse grind–something that you won’t get from pre-ground coffee beans.