No matter whether you’re buying arabica or robusta coffee beans, you’re going to have to make an important decision: do you want your coffee beans whole or ground?
In the past coffee beans bought online have almost exclusively been offered whole. However, more recently companies have begun allowing coffee drinkers the option to have their beans ground ahead of time. Omni Bev, for instance, offers all of their Highland Vietnamese Coffee Beans ground or whole.
Ground coffee beans generally have a bad reputation in the coffee community. That said, ground coffee beans are a great option if you know that you will be brewing a lot of coffee on a single occasion. Grinding coffee yourself generally takes time if you do not have a quality bean grinder, so if you are planning to host a morning brunch or afternoon coffee tasting with friends, opting for ground coffee beans will save you time so you can focus your efforts on brewing the coffee.
Moreover, pre-ground coffee can allow you to find the perfect grind ahead of time for how you plan to brew your coffee. All of Omni Bev’s ground coffee comes as a standard medium grind, which is perfect for auto drip, French press, and pour-over methods.
Whole bean coffee, on the other hand, is the perfect choice if you are planning to store your beans for a longer period of time. When coffee beans are ground, they are exposed immediately to air, moisture, heat, and light—four elements which increase the oxidation process and cause the beans to lose their natural flavor. Buying your coffee beans whole allows you to store them in tightly sealed, opaque containers, grinding only the amount you need at a given time. This allows you to maximize the flavor in every cup of your freshly brewed coffee.
It is important to note that the quality of the coffee matters just as much as the type of grind, or lack-thereof, that you choose to buy. Omni Bev’s Highland Vietnamese Coffee Beans are grown sustainably in micro-lots in Da Lat, Vietnam, and roasted in small batches to preserve the aromatics and natural acidity of the beans.
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