Specialty Coffee

People are often quick to call a good or expensive coffee a "specialty coffee." Yet, true specialty coffee is much more than that. When you buy specialty coffee, you're not just looking at the price. Far more important is the journey the coffee has taken. Every part of the process is essential for the coffee's flavor. Specialty coffee producers go to great lengths to produce coffee of the highest quality. Only the finest beans are selected for specialty coffee, and they are carefully roasted.

Are you curious about when a coffee can be called specialty coffee? Or are you a coffee lover who truly wants to try the very best? We'll explain what specialty coffee is and what to look for when buying it!

What is specialty coffee?

Every step of the production process is essential for making the best coffee. Therefore, it's crucial to be able to trace the exact path the beans have taken. Specialty coffee enthusiasts also value ethically produced coffee. You could even describe specialty coffee as a way of life or even an art form. Specialty coffee producers strive to deliver ethically produced coffee of the highest possible quality. The production process is therefore completely different from that of large coffee producers, where the coffee beans are roasted en masse in enormous factory roasters.

Incidentally, you can only call it specialty coffee if it has a cupping score of 80 or higher. In coffee cupping, the quality of the coffee is assessed by Q Graders. These specialists evaluate the coffee's flavor, texture, and aroma, among other things. The maximum cupping score a coffee can achieve is 100. Only a fraction of all coffee produced achieves this score. Incidentally, all coffees in our range achieve a cupping score above 80.

The difference with commercial coffee beans

The opposite of specialty coffee is commercial coffee. This coffee is produced on a large scale by companies whose goal is to maximize profit. However, specialty coffee beans are often roasted and offered by true enthusiasts. Because profit is central to commercial coffee and the coffee must appeal to the general public, it must be produced as cheaply as possible. Commercial coffee beans are often shipped in enormous shipping containers, after which they are roasted in a large factory roaster. The coffee is often less fresh by the time you get it in the supermarket.

Specialty coffee is produced in a completely different way, specifically for true coffee lovers and connoisseurs. The coffee bales are transported in jute or linen bags weighing 60 to 70 kilos and roasted in small roasters. This alone improves the quality. Furthermore, a whole process precedes this process. Only the finest beans are used for specialty coffee. There is a fair partnership with the farmer, allowing the farmer to dedicate the necessary attention to quality.

Specialty coffee is made for enthusiasts and gourmets

When you order specialty coffee online, you're guaranteed quality. However, it's not just about quality; careful attention is paid to all other aspects of coffee production. Specialty coffee lovers always drink their coffee while the beans are still freshly roasted and strive to prepare the perfect cup. A cup of coffee doesn't necessarily have to come from an espresso machine; slow coffees and filter coffees are also very popular among true coffee connoisseurs. Specialty coffee machines are often used to prepare slow coffee.

Specialty coffee enthusiasts, just like the producers, go to great lengths to create the perfect cup. Some enthusiasts use mineral water, and even true coffee fanatics add specific minerals to demineralized water. Specialty coffee is often said to require no sugar or milk. Connoisseurs often drink their coffee neat. Of course, that doesn't mean you can't add milk to your coffee at all. If you enjoy a latte or cappuccino, you certainly can.

The best specialty coffee

Want to order specialty coffee and be sure you're getting a great cup? In our webshop, we offer a variety of coffee beans that perfectly qualify as specialty coffee. These coffees are responsibly produced and have a cupping score above 80. To start, you naturally have our direct trade coffees , but Arabica coffee beans from Ethiopia or Brazil are also excellent choices. We also offer two specialty coffee blends: Premium Fruity Chocolate and Premium Specialty Coffee .

Which coffee is truly the best? That's mainly a matter of taste. We therefore recommend reading the descriptions of our various coffees to determine which one appeals to you most.

Yardsticks for quality

Want to be sure you're buying genuine specialty coffee? Specialty coffee beans always have a roasting date printed on the packaging because the coffee is consumed fresh. You'll rarely find a recent roasting date on the packaging of coffees you buy at the supermarket. Moreover, specialty coffee producers are true enthusiasts and put a lot of effort into the production process. Therefore, you can always find a wealth of information about the production process. The more information you have as a consumer, the greater the chance that you're dealing with specialty coffee.

At Eddy's Coffee, we always provide you with as much information as possible about the coffee you buy from us. We'll tell you about the variety, the size of the beans, the origin, the processing method, the flavor, and sometimes even the plantation. So when you order coffee beans from our webshop, you know exactly what kind of coffee you're buying!