Transparency

Transparency, meaning specific information about the beans. Every specialty coffee packaging should include information about the product's origin (including the name of the specific farm in the region), the botanical variety, and, of course, the bean species. This information is crucial because the taste and quality of coffee are influenced by numerous elements that ultimately influence the consumer's sensory experience. In addition to the aforementioned information, specialty coffee packaging can also include information about the altitude of the plantation, the beans' SCA score, the roasting date, and even the harvest date.

The situation is completely different when it comes to the coffee we see on supermarket shelves. International companies specializing in industrial coffee roasting purchase numerous beans from various farms and regions, then blend and roast them together. Therefore, there's no information on the packaging regarding country of origin, roast date, or even variety. When buying industrial coffee, we don't actually know what we're buying.

Quality

While this may sound like a cliché to some, it's hard to disagree that high-quality coffee simply tastes better. This is no surprise, as specialty beans are treated with extraordinary care at every stage – from cultivation and harvesting, through transport, to roasting and sale. For coffee to be called specialty, it must undergo rigorous inspection by experienced coffee graders (Q-Graders), a process not applied to industrial coffee. This is one of the reasons why typical supermarket coffee is unhealthy – commercial coffee packages often contain unselected beans, including those with defects such as mold or mildew.

Taste

All of the above-mentioned aspects influence taste. Specialty coffees are roasted on an ongoing basis, depending on the number of orders and customer demand, allowing the beans to retain their full flavor and aroma longer. Professional roasters typically offer only whole bean coffee, which is recommended to be ground immediately before brewing to avoid losing volatile compounds—the aromas responsible for 80% of our sensory impressions. The vast majority of industrial coffees are ground and dark roasted (which always tastes the same and masks its imperfections). To conceal a flat sensory profile (or almost complete lack thereof), artificial flavors are added to the beans.

Is specialty coffee better than supermarket coffee?

While there's no accounting for taste, in our opinion—and the opinion of millions of people around the world—yes. With specialty coffee, the emphasis is on the quality and flavor of the beans. With industrial coffee, it's on price and quantity. Anyone, even those unfamiliar with coffee, can easily tell the difference between specialty beans and regular supermarket coffee. So, is it worth paying a few zlotys more to enjoy excellent coffee quality and flavor, along with clear information about the origin and roasting date? We leave the answer to you.