Imported Pure Coffee Bean Brand Recommendations - Price Differences and How to Choose Quality Coffee Beans

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The Importance of Coffee Bean Quality

The appearance, density, and storage conditions of coffee beans are all closely related to quality. From the preprocessing of coffee beans to the baking and maturation production process, whether the processing technology can maximize the retention of flavor and nutrition, and whether its production complies with industry production standards determine the level of production technology indicators. The higher the production technology, the more stable the quality, and it also ensures product safety.

Top Global Coffee Brands

1. UCC / Japan

Score: 88

In the 1960s and 1970s, UCC provided substantial assistance to lead the Jamaican coffee industry back to life. From then on, they signed an agreement, giving Japan 90% of the Blue Mountain coffee quota. Therefore, UCC's Blue Mountain coffee is also an undisputed top-quality authentic product. For friends who want to taste authentic premium Blue Mountain coffee flavor, UCC is undoubtedly the best choice. UCC coffee bean product categories comprehensively cover from mass-market to high-end, and have long dominated and influenced Japan's coffee consumption and coffee culture. As of March 2015, UCC's net sales had reached as high as 138.5 billion yen. UCC coffee beans have rich aroma and full aftertaste. In addition to Jamaica's "Blue Mountain Coffee," it also produces "KONA Coffee" in Hawaii and "Arabica Linton Mandeling Coffee" in Indonesia, achieving "from cup to seed" full-process quality control. Every UCC coffee bean is worth recommending. The pure charcoal-roasted coffee beans sell well domestically, with 500g priced at 99 yuan.

2. LAVAZZA / Italy

Score: 85

In 1895, Luigi Lavazza bought a small grocery store in the old commercial district of northern Italy, initially entering the coffee industry. After World War II, it had grown into a unique enterprise in the Italian coffee market. After the 1980s, branch offices were successively established in Europe and America, with annual production exceeding 100,000 tons, making it the world's largest coffee merchant. LAVAZZA is now the world's third-largest coffee roaster and the representative brand of Italian coffee, occupying 47% of the local market share. LAVAZZA coffee sells 17 billion cups of coffee annually, with turnover exceeding 1.3 billion euros. Its coffee beans undergo deep roasting, with prominent rich flavor that makes coffee experts reluctant to part with them. The price range is 70-140 yuan/500g, which is quite reasonable. The most popular CREMA EAROMA Italian aromatic coffee beans can be bought for 148 yuan per 1kg, and many coffee shops choose this variety.

3. Cubita / Cuba

Score: 83

Cubita is the number one brand in Cuba's coffee export market, known for its rich, fragrant taste, using 100% Cuban Arabica washed green coffee beans. These coffee beans come from Cuba's Crystal Mountain, which has a geographical location adjacent to Jamaica's Blue Mountain Range and similar climate, nurturing large-grained, highly mature, excellent-quality coffee beans with flavor comparable to Blue Mountain coffee. Therefore, it's called "unique Caribbean flavor coffee" and "special coffee bean among island coffee beans." This is the coffee served in the Cuban embassy. However, Cubita coffee beans are not easy to buy as authentic imports domestically; those with the means can choose proxy purchasing.

4. illy / Italy

Score: 82

illy Coffee Company uses 100% premium Arabica coffee beans, blending unique aromatic flavor, commonly found in various hotels, restaurants, and homes throughout Italy. It has 7.5% local market share and as high as 30.3% in the household market. It is one of the two major coffee bean roasters alongside LAVAZZA, selling over 6 million cups of illy coffee globally every day. illy's excellent processing technology can control caffeine content below 1.5%, and decaf products below 0.05%, something most coffee bean producers on the market cannot achieve. From raw bean picking to packaging and factory release, illy coffee beans must undergo 114 inspections to ensure perfect and reliable quality. With such outstanding quality and technology, prices are naturally not cheap. The best-selling Italian espresso coffee beans, medium and dark roast, are priced around 90 yuan/250g.

5. Wallenford / Jamaica

Score: 80

Wallenford Blue's coffee bean products are all made from first-grade Blue Mountain coffee raw beans, roasted and processed. It is currently Jamaica's highest-quality and best-selling Blue Mountain coffee. It is said that only coffee grown in the Blue Mountain Range at altitudes between 950-1700 meters is eligible to receive Jamaica's official "Blue Mountain Coffee" certification. Wallenford is known as "Superior Quality" in Blue Mountain coffee. During the 2010 World Expo, Wallenford Blue was the designated promotional coffee brand for the Jamaica Pavilion. Its quality management, stability, recognition, and flavor indicators are all world-class, so prices are much higher than other coffees, making many consumers hesitate. Regular 500g costs around 700 yuan, while gift box sets can cost over 2,300 yuan.

6. Starbucks / United States

Score: 74

Founded in 1971, it's the world's largest coffee chain, headquartered in Seattle, Washington, USA, with nearly 21,300 branches worldwide across North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Pacific regions. Starbucks started with coffee beans and became a giant coffee chain group in 20 years without advertising. Starbucks ranks 82nd in the "World's Top 500 Brands" compiled by World Brand Lab. Its extremely high recognition and influence are the best demonstration of its coffee bean quality. Popular Colombian coffee beans, Italian roast coffee beans, and French roast coffee beans basically cost over 160 yuan per 500g, with medium cost-effectiveness.

How to Choose Quality Coffee Beans?

First, buy coffee beans from the roaster closest to you, meaning if you're in China, there's not much need to buy foreign brands.

If possible, for example, if there's a great roaster in your location, just buy directly from them.

Beginner Stage

Most of the time, choosing coffee beans is very simple - just communicate with the seller, tell them all the equipment you use, and your preferred flavor (or preferred origin).

After you've been drinking for a while and have some understanding of various origins, you'll probably understand what cupping scores and flavor descriptions mean. When buying beans again, you can choose based on cupping scores and descriptions (although I think cupping scores are somewhat inflated).

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Basically, that's it.

Of course, I'm not completely against foreign roasters. Mainly, the best flavor period for coffee beans is at most one month, so by the time they reach your hands, it's only half a month... it's not very meaningful.

These foreign high-volume beans will never have great flavor, including a certain bottle and a certain person. No other reason - large production volume, these beans prioritize stability over flavor pursuit.

So if you want to drink a better cup of coffee, please choose roasters with smaller production volumes... (this is actually quite contradictory, it's hard to achieve perfect balance between wanting good taste and wanting mass production. These third-wave specialty coffee chain newcomers have already done very well!!!)

So I'll reiterate - it's not that I don't recommend them, it's just that the cost-effectiveness is not high.

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse bean varieties, where you can find various famous and unknown beans, while also providing online store services. https://shop104210103.taobao.com

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473