What Is Whole Bean Coffee? (Ultimate Guide)
When you’re going shopping for coffee, it can be pretty overwhelming to see all options. Whether you are an avid coffee drinker or just someone who occasionally enjoys a good cup of coffee, it can be challenging to choose the right type of coffee. Whole bean coffee is a great way to enhance your coffee drinking experience.
Whole bean coffee is sold in its bean form, allowing you to grind it manually at home. With whole bean coffee, your coffee will stay fresher for longer and maintain more of its natural aromas. To brew whole bean coffee, you will need a grinder and a coffee maker, such as a French press.
While you may decide that whole bean coffee isn’t right for you, this guide will help you take the first step in learning about your coffee preferences. If you are thinking about purchasing whole bean coffee and a grinder, I will discuss everything you need to know about making coffee with whole beans.
Ground Coffee vs. Whole Bean
Ground coffee and whole bean coffee aren’t necessarily better than one another as much as they work better for certain people.
Ground coffee and whole bean coffee only differ because ground coffee is ready to brew. In contrast, whole bean coffee must first be ground before brewing.
Whole bean and ground coffee are also different in taste, smell, and freshness. Depending on your priorities, you may enjoy ground coffee for its efficiency or whole bean coffee for its fresh taste and aroma.
However, if you decide to try whole bean coffee, you will need to think about buying a coffee grinder and finding a way to brew.
How To Make Coffee With Whole Beans
The most important thing to know about making coffee with whole beans is the grinding process. As you will purchase coffee in its bean form, it’s necessary to grind the beans to the consistency of your choosing.
The first step in making whole bean coffee is purchasing a grinder–if you don’t already have one. Unfortunately, with such a variety of bean grinders available for purchase, it can be hard to find the right one for you.
If you need to purchase a grinder, I recommend the SHARDOR Electric Burr Grinder that you can buy on Amazon.com.
While I prefer using a burr grinder, there are other options on the market, and it’s essential to understand the difference between the different types of grinders you will see.
Burr Grinders vs. Blade Grinders
- Burr Grinders: These grinders are typically the most popular because their design ensures coffee ground consistency. Burr grinders work with two different toothed disks that will spin according to the setting you put the machine in. Whether you decide that you want fine or coarse grounds, the entire batch of coffee grounds will all be the same with a burr grinder.
- Blade Grinder: If you decide to purchase a blade grinder, it’s essential to understand that it works like a blender, and as such, will create very inconsistent grounds–making it difficult to make the perfect cup of coffee.
Making Coffee With Burr Grinders
Making coffee with a burr grinder is relatively straightforward. All you need to do is choose how fine you would like your coffee grounds, and turn on the grinder (which can vary from a button on the side to a push plate at the top).
Making Coffee With a Blade Grinder
When you make coffee with a blade grinder, it’s essential to know these three steps:
- Put two tablespoons (28.3 grams) of coffee beans per the desired cup of coffee into the reservoir (do the same with a burr grinder).
- Grind in short bursts, as holding the button for too long can overheat the coffee grinder and the beans.
- Grind until you have the correct consistency (if you want really fine coffee grounds, you will have to repeat this process a few times).
Choosing How Fine or Coarse You Want Your Coffee
Before grinding and making your cup of coffee, you will want to choose how fine you like your coffee grounds.
- Fine: This setting will have little to no sheen–or a layer of oil. Fine grounds work best if you want to make an espresso.
- Medium: This setting is the common choice among coffee lovers, as it is the type that is typically sold in stores when you buy pre-ground coffee.
- Coarse: if you have a French press or a percolator, choosing the coarse size is the best option. Don’t use a burr grinder when making coarse coffee, or else you might get greasy coffee.
Do You Get More Coffee With Whole Beans or Ground?
Bearing in mind the grinding process, you will get more coffee with ground coffee. Although a bag of whole bean coffee may weigh the same as a bag of ground coffee, it will take up less space once it is ground up, which means that you may end up with less coffee once you grind up the beans.
As you may get less with whole bean coffee, it’s essential to understand that weight doesn’t equal volume when purchasing coffee.
If you choose to purchase whole bean coffee, you may get less coffee than a bag of ground coffee that weighs the same.
What Is the Difference Between Ground and Whole Bean Coffee?
Before deciding between ground coffee and whole bean, it’s necessary to understand the differences between the two.
The main differences between ground and whole bean coffee are that ground coffee is cheap and cost-effective, while whole bean coffee stays fresh and requires more work to brew.
As ground coffee is cheaper and more efficient, it is the popular choice among coffee lovers as there is little prep work involved. Additionally, whole bean coffee will be more expensive than ground coffee due to higher shipping costs and the potential for bean contamination.
Whole bean coffee is fresher than ground coffee due to the natural aromas and oils that are released once it is ground.
As whole bean coffee maintains freshness and natural oils, many people wonder about its potential health benefits.
Is Whole Bean Coffee Healthier?
While whole bean coffee doesn’t have any unique benefits that you can’t get from ground coffee, there are some perks to drinking whole bean coffee over ground coffee.
Whole bean coffee is generally healthier than ground coffee, but not substantially. However, whole bean coffee is fresher as it keeps oils and aroma up until the brewing point. In addition, it lacks additives that may be added to pre-ground coffee.
By purchasing whole bean coffee, you have more control over what you are putting in your body, and in the end, your coffee will taste better.
Is Whole Bean Coffee Stronger Than Ground Coffee?
Whole bean coffee isn’t stronger than ground coffee due to the nature of caffeine. The taste can be minimized when pre-ground coffee sits in a bag for a week, but the caffeine level is the same with whole bean coffee and ground coffee.
As a chemical, caffeine is much more stable and doesn’t decrease over time.
If you purchase the same type of coffee (in either bean form or ground up), there will not be a noticeable difference between the bean form and the ground form. Whole bean coffee is no stronger than ground coffee.
If the caffeine level in your coffee is essential to you, rest assured that as long as you purchase the type of coffee you usually buy, there won’t be a difference between whole bean and ground coffee.
Is It More Expensive To Buy Whole Bean Coffee?
While there are many benefits to buying whole bean coffee, a significant priority for many people is the price of the coffee they’re buying.
It is generally more expensive to buy whole bean coffee than it is to buy ground coffee. However, this doesn’t apply to every coffee brand; coffee prices really depend on the brand you’re buying.
Despite this, it typically costs more to ship whole bean coffee, which is why it is more expensive. What you’ll find, however, is that the price difference between coffee isn’t too substantial when you’re making it at home.
This is why both whole bean and ground coffee are cheaper alternatives than going out to buy coffee. The significant price that you’ll have to consider is that of the grinder.
Conclusion
Now that you’ve learned a bit more about the types of grinders you can buy, the different settings for grinders, and the differences between whole bean and ground coffee, you will be much more prepared next time you go shopping for coffee.
In summary, whole bean coffee is a slightly more expensive version of ground coffee that requires you to grind your own coffee beans manually. This process can be tedious, but a good coffee grinder can release natural aromas and flavors that create a delicious coffee cup.
