Coffee beans or ground coffee: 3 reasons to choose whole beans

The debate between coffee beans and ground coffee is always heated. Those who choose pre-ground appreciate its convenience, those who prefer whole beans claim that their coffee tastes much, much better.

And we have to be honest with you: we are 100% on the side of whole beans!

The advantages of buying whole bean coffee are too obvious to ignore and that is why you need to know about them:

• Great coffee creates happy moments, pre-ground coffee deprives you of them;
• The coffee ritual should be liberating, not just limited to pressing the button on the coffee machine;
• Pre-ground coffee is a waste of money: you deserve better!

If you are used to buying pre-ground coffee, we understand: the convenience factor is considerable. But, when you realise that you are missing the opportunity to make your morning almost perfect, we are sure you will want to change course.

Reason 1. Coffee beans are still fresh when you buy them

There is a big problem with coffee that comes from the supermarket. It is already ‘past its prime’.

The reason is that the beans have been roasted weeks, if not months, before, so they have lost most of their natural flavours and sugars. In fact, the peak freshness of coffee is only 1-2 weeks after roasting!

But there is an even bigger problem: most coffee sold in grocery shops is pre-ground. And pre-ground coffee loses most of its natural aroma in just 15-20 minutes. You read that right: minutes.

This is because the coffee powder is so fine that oxygen takes almost no time at all to get into it and spoil it. The natural sugars, soft aromas and delicate acids turn into a ‘sour bitterness’.

And here is the absurd thing: pre-ground coffee is already stale when you buy it, but it costs the same! Coffee beans, on the other hand, stay fresh for longer, because the beans are huge compared to the particles in the grind, so the oxygen takes much longer to do its dirty work.

This is why we always recommend waiting to grind the beans until you are ready to use them, to preserve that incredible flavour and unique aroma of fresh coffee.

Reason 2. Whole beans are suitable for any coffee machine

Most of the time, the pre-ground coffee found in supermarkets is only good for one thing: the classic mocha (at most, you will find a few suggestions for espresso machines). And it is super convenient to use, we are not going to deny that. However, what if you want to make a French-style coffee? Or perhaps a filter coffee?

Remember this: pre-ground coffee does not work with 95% of coffee machines.

The grind size must be matched to the right coffee machine, otherwise you risk getting an unbalanced taste. It is not difficult to find the right match (in fact, it is very easy!), but when the coffee is already ground, you do not even have the possibility to make it the right size to fit your machine.

Preparation method	Grind size
Espresso	Fine to extra fine
Turkish coffee	Fine
Moka	Fine (and here pre-ground is fine)
Filter coffee	Medium
Napoletan Cuccumella	Medium
Aeropress	Coarse
French press	Coarse
Cold brew	Coarse

As you can see, the area in which pre-ground coffee works is... very limited.

If you want to prepare other types of coffee, it is essential to be able to grind the whole beans to the right size, and especially to do so just before brewing, to preserve all the aromatic nuances.

This is why a coffee grinder is the number one tool for preparing good coffee at home (besides top-quality artisan coffee, of course!).

Fun fact: The coffee grinder already existed in the 17th century. Invented in Turkey and widely adopted in Europe, it was initially produced by small artisans, later becoming an indispensable tool in every kitchen, so much so that the future French industrial giant Peugeot started mass production in 1842. In Italy, the first manufacturer of coffee grinders was the Piedmontese company ‘Tre Spade’.

Reason 3. With whole beans, you have more power over the taste of coffee

With pre-ground coffee, you are condemned to one flavour. If you don't like it... well, too bad for you! The grind size cannot be changed, which means that you cannot use a different brewing method either.

Whole bean coffee, on the other hand, allows you to adjust the flavour by making slight changes to the grind. This is what we mean:

• The size of the grind determines the speed of extraction. With small particles, extraction occurs faster, while large particles take longer. Therefore, by making small changes to the particle size (i.e. the degree of grind) each time you prepare coffee, you will slowly find your magic formula. Every morning can be better than the one before!
• Coffee too bitter? It can be remedied. When using good, fresh beans, a bitter taste may indicate over-extraction. You simply have to try a coarser grind so that the coffee goes down faster.
• Is the coffee too sour? This is also not a problem. The sourness results from insufficient extraction: in practice, the coffee beans have been ground too coarsely. By using a finer grind, you can increase the extraction level, et voila! The balance returns.

With whole bean coffee and a coffee grinder, YOU control the brew, not a distant factory that decides the degree of grind for you.

Brew coffee that makes you happy

A richer, fresher, more aromatic coffee not only tastes great, it makes the start of your day much more pleasant and exciting. Coffee in the morning, made just the way you like it, gives you a deeply intimate moment dedicated to your well-being.

With good fresh coffee you can turn this daily ritual into a moment that fuels the rest of your day, not only with caffeine, but also with serenity, concentration and happiness.

That is why we love coffee beans so much: there is no better way to start the day on the right foot. And that is also why we help coffee lovers find the best beans to brew at home.