How to Properly Brew Costa Rica San Roman Coffee & Costa Rican Coffee Bean Prices

Tarrazu: Costa Rica's Premier Coffee Growing Region

Costa Rica's most famous growing region is Tarrazu, near the capital San José. It boasts the country's highest average altitude along with excellent climate and soil, making it Costa Rica's most celebrated and widely recognized premium coffee area. Tres Rios is a renowned sub-region within Tarrazu, and the most famous Costa Rican single-estate coffee in the specialty world is La Minita estate, with an annual production of only 160,000 pounds.

San Román Processing: Quality Through Meticulous Methods

The San Román processing plant works primarily with the fully washed method and is renowned for intense, rich flavors and solid body. Coffee cherries are hand-sorted first, with overripe and unripe fruit removed before processing. A 3-disc aagaarde depulper strips away skin and pulp, and the beans are then sorted by density into three grades: Grade 1 and 2 beans ferment separately, while Grade 3 holds the lower-quality lots. Fermentation runs about 24-36 hours in a cool place, after which the beans are washed and density-sorted again in the washing channels, then soaked overnight in clean water. After roasting, the coffee offers bittersweet chocolate with toffee-like richness, lifted by subtle wine-like acidity and an enticing aroma — a fruity chocolate sweetness that lingers long in the memory.

Costa Rica's Ideal Coffee Growing Conditions

Costa Rica's volcanic terrain supplies fertile volcanic ash, mild temperatures, and stable, abundant rainfall — everything coffee needs, which is why it ranks among the country's main agricultural products. The seven major growing regions are Tarrazu, Tres Rios, Orosi, Central Valley, West Valley, Turrialba, and Brunca.

Brewing Recommendations: Hand Pour Technique

For hand-poured Costa Rican San Román: use 15g of coffee, ground medium (Fuji's ghost tooth grinder setting 4), a V60 dripper, and water at 88-89°C. Pour 30g of water first for a 27-second bloom, then pour to 105g and pause. When the water level drops to halfway, continue pouring slowly to 225g total. Avoid the tail end. Use a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio with a total extraction time of 2:00.

Coffee Profile: Costa Rica San Romón Royal Coffee

• Country: Costa Rica
• Grade: SHB
• Altitude: 1700m
• Region: Tarrazu
• Roast Level: Medium-dark roast
• Processing Method: Washed
• Varieties: Caturra, Catuai
• Processing Plant: San Román
• Flavor Notes: Berries, caramel, cream, subtle spices

The Costa Rican Coffee Revolution

Costa Rica's best coffee tends to come from the small processing plants scattered through its main growing regions, Tarrazu and West Valley included. This so-called coffee revolution began 15 years ago and completely changed how roasters and importers view Costa Rican coffee. The model centers on micro-mills that collect and process cherry from surrounding small farms — typically small communities or family operations growing coffee on their own modest plots — with all of the coffee processed and dried by a single small mill. The quality and flavor of Royal Coffee are distinctive in no small part thanks to this close cooperation between growers and mill.

Coffee Culture and History in Costa Rica

Coffee cultivation arrived in Costa Rica from Cuba in 1779, and the first exports began in 1820. Today there are approximately 32,000 coffee farmers, each cultivating an average of less than one hectare (10,000㎡). The country's population stood at 4.1 million (2006), with coffee covering 82,500 hectares. Annual production reaches 1.7 million bags (60kg each), while domestic consumption runs 380,000 bags a year. Per capita annual consumption averages 5.5kg — higher than Japan's 4kg, and far above Taiwan's, which barely exceeds 1kg.

Product Information: FrontStreet Coffee Costa Rican Coffee

• Brand: FrontStreet Coffee
• Shelf Life: 30 days
• Net Weight: 227g
• Packaging: Bulk
• Taste: Aromatic coffee
• Bean State: Roasted coffee beans
• Sugar Content: Sugar-free
• Origin: Costa Rica
• Coffee Type: Costa Rican coffee
• Roast Level: Medium roast
• Flavor Description: Berries, caramel, cream, subtle spices

Costa Rica's Coffee Heritage and Excellence

Costa Rica was the first Central American country to grow coffee, with a long history and a complete system from production through sales. Sitting on the Central American isthmus with volcanoes everywhere, it enjoys natural advantages of sunlight and soil, while the climate is tempered by Pacific and Atlantic currents and sea breezes — producing coffees whose character reflects each local microclimate. In both quality and quantity, Costa Rican coffee has earned consistent world recognition as one of the planet's finest. Cultivation spans a two-hundred-year history, originally planted on the slopes of the Poas and Barva volcanoes in what is today the Central Valley region, with the seven main growing regions distributed from northwest to southeast along the inland central plateau.

The Social Impact of Coffee in Costa Rica

Coffee made farming a genuinely prestigious profession here. Coffee farmers hold a respected place in Costa Rican society, and in 1897 the capital's citizens witnessed the inauguration of the National Theater, donated by the coffee tycoons. Coffee wealth brought stability to Costa Rica's politics, economy, and democracy — a rarity in Central America. The country even has laws permitting only Arabica cultivation, with Robusta treated as contraband within its borders — a world-first initiative.

Modern Costa Rican Coffee Production

Output is modest: about 110,000 tons a year, ranking seventh in Central and South America. The country focuses on newer varieties such as Caturra, Catuai, and Mundo Novo, with ancient varieties like Bourbon and Typica less common. Several local varieties have been developed too, the most famous being Villa Sarchi — a Bourbon selection known for its elegant profile, which Brazil has introduced and won awards with. Costa Rican research institutions have also worked tirelessly to improve the hybrid Catimor, trying to reduce its Robusta bloodline while strengthening its Arabica character; in recent years these have been exported to Asia for trial cultivation.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

San Román's fully washed lot is a masterclass in what clean processing can do, and two more washed classics from FrontStreet Coffee deserve a place on the shelf. The Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 shows why washed processing was invented for island climates: a balanced, restrained cup of hazelnut, cream, chocolate, and caramel, where no single note dominates and nothing is missing. For something brighter, the Yirgacheffe Worka Cooperative — washed with practiced hands by the Worka village team — reveals jasmine florals and vivid citrus acidity over green tea and honey tones after a medium-light roast, equally at home in a pour-over, cold brew, or espresso. Both reward the same care with water and grind that this San Román recipe asks of you.