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Undeniably, coffee is one of the most popular beverages, liked and loved by millions. However, several coffee shop owners admit not being able to live up to the expected quality. In other words, failing to pick the best wholesale coffee beans for a rich aroma and state — the crux of successful coffee-selling.

This post takes a dig at explaining the basics of knowing the roots of your coffee and how to buy wholesale coffee beans, the types of roasting, grading, the basics of order timeline, effective packing, and everything else in between.

Read on!

Discovering the origins of your coffee — Where do coffee shops get their beans?

Alright, first things first! 

Knowing the source of your wholesale coffee beans is of utmost necessity before you take things forward.

You must understand that coffee beans are sourced from several parts of the world that impart a range of characteristics, making way for a distinguished taste, texture, and aroma. 

Broadly classified, a coffee plant (otherwise known as Coffea) makes way for two kinds of beans namely, Arabica and Robusta. The former accounts for almost sixty percent of the world’s coffee drinking population and grows abundantly across the world.  

Also, there are more than twenty types of Arabica coffee beans that include the likes of Villalobos, Caturra, Mocca, Pacas, and Kent to name a few. Plus, one of the upsides of sourcing Arabica beans is that it is one of the naturally occurring sweetest blends (and smoothest grain) preferred by the majority.

The other kind, Robusta, is predominantly cultivated across Indonesia and Vietnam, along with a few places in Africa. 

Compared to Arabica, the Robusta beans are way more acidic and account for a higher yield. In comparison, they are dense, pack a rich flavor, and naturally contain more caffeine. To see the detailed difference between Arabica and Robusta, read our blog at: Buying bulk coffee: Difference between Arabica and Robusta. 

Now, to be a successful coffee brand, it is recommended that you keep both varieties available or choose to be a specialist in just one kind. However, no matter what you do, never invest in pre-roasted beans because, despite the convenience, they can seldom match the freshness and flavor of whole beans that make a perfect cuppa.

The roasting — Herein lay the magic

When looking to serve high-quality coffee to customers, roasting is one factor that can make or break your brand. 

Starting with a seasoned toaster who knows what he is doing,  you will also need to take into consideration other aspects like cooling, sorting, and final packing of grains, as things differ according to the adopted process. 

For instance, a clear roasting will result in more acidic-natured coffee as compared to a light one accounting for higher caffeine levels , and therefore, a mild taste. Similarly, dark roasting gives you more sweetened stuff and is a perfect choice for a rich, filling cup of espresso.

The grade of your coffee beans matters

Like diamonds, coffee beans too have a systematic grading system to help determine their quality. The grading method is developed and equated by the SCAAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America) and involves a fairly complex screening of beans. 

According to the grading standards established by the SCAA, coffee beans are usually graded from 1-5 as listed below: 

• Specialty grade beans (Grade 1)

• Premium grade beans (Grade 2)

• Exchange grade beans (Grade 3)

• Standard grade beans (Grade 4)

• Off grade beans (Grade 5) 

Besides, each coffee brand is responsible for its own certification and varies from one kind to another, like organic ones that might require an exclusive certification before rollout. 

Understanding the order timeline — Sourcing, transportation, and packaging 

For an emerging coffee brand, besides knowing the best place to buy bulk coffee beans, roasting, grading, and understanding the order timeline is vital.  

One must know that roasted coffee tends to lose its flavour and aroma real quick. Thus, you will need to ensure the fastest mode of transportation to preserve the flavour. This is where some brands gain a competitive edge over others, as sourcing stuff from distant countries, no matter how good they are with their coffee beans, will not serve the purpose. 

Lastly, you will need to ensure that the grains, when dried, should be vacuum-packed to help keep their organoleptic properties intact.

It's not only about world-class coffee, but a world-class experience

Like any other business that needs solid groundwork to get things done, building a coffee brand is certainly no different. 

When looking to serve world-class taste in every sip, you will need to do some running around. Start by visiting your direct competitors in the market and see what they have to serve to their band of customers. 

Ask people about their preferences when it comes to finding fresh coffee in town, analyse the findings, and come up with buyer personas that you can target and serve. While at it, look out for essentials that other brands might be missing out on and try to bring the same to your tables to gain leverage. 

In essence, deliver an experience that customers will fall back to each time.

Importing coffee beans

If you are looking to import coffee beans, Indian coffee is a type of coffee that is popular worldwide. India is one of the biggest producers and exporters of coffee. To see the types of coffee available for export, visit India’s largest marketplace for coffee export: Import coffee beans.

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