[Video Guide] Online Coffee Buying Guide: Roast Levels, Origins, Processing & How to Choose the Right Beans

Buying coffee online can feel overwhelming—so many origins, roast levels, and processing methods. This guide breaks it all down in plain language: how freshness windows work, what roast levels actually taste like, how altitude and origin shape flavor, and which processing methods (washed, natural, honey) to try first. By the end, you’ll know exactly how to pick beans you’ll love—and how to brew them to bring out their best.

Frequently Asked Questions: 

How “fresh” should coffee be when I buy online?
For whole beans, aim to brew between 7–21 days after roast. Pre-ground should be used within a week.

Is darker roast always lower quality?
No. Dark doesn’t equal bad—but very dark can be used to mask defects. Buy from roasters who share origin, processing, and roast date.

What’s the difference between washed, natural, and honey?
Washed is clean and bright; natural is fruity and fuller-bodied; honey sits in between with layered sweetness.

Do AA/AAA grades mean better coffee?
They indicate bean size, not cup quality. Origin, processing, roast, and freshness matter more.

What brew method should I use for light vs. dark roasts?
Light: pour-over (V60/Chemex) for clarity. Dark: French press/cold brew for body. Naturals/honey: AeroPress/Clever for balanced complexity.

Choosing coffee online is easier when you focus on a few high-impact factors: freshness, roast level, origin, processing, and brew method.

Start with freshness. For whole beans, the sweet spot is 7–21 days after roast; earlier can be gassy and hard to dial in, later drifts toward flat. Pre-ground stales faster—ideally use it within a week. Whenever possible, buy whole beans and grind just before brewing.

Pick a roast level for your taste. Light roasts are bright and nuanced; medium leans balanced and chocolaty; dark is fuller-bodied and smoother. Be cautious with ultra-dark “French/Italian” roasts—sometimes they’re used to mask lower-quality beans. If you love juicy, fruit-forward cups, go light. Prefer bold and chocolate? Choose medium to dark.

Consider origin and altitude. Like wine, region matters. High-altitude coffees (e.g., Ethiopia, Guatemala, Colombia) grow slower, developing denser beans with lively acidity and floral/citrus notes. Lower-altitude coffees (many Brazils) ripen faster, often tasting milder, nuttier, and smoother. Asian origins such as Indonesia and Papua New Guinea skew earthy and spicy. Robusta (common in Vietnam) brings bitterness and extra caffeine—great for blends, less so for delicate filter brews.

Know your varieties. Arabica cultivars change the cup: Bourbon (sweet, chocolate-vanilla), Typica (clean, tea-like), Gesha/Geisha (floral, bergamot, stone fruit). Peaberry lots (a natural mutation) can taste a bit more intense due to denser single seeds.

Understand processing.

• Washed: clean, bright, origin-driven.

• Natural: fruity, wine-like, bigger body—but quality varies by drying control.

• Honey: in-between; yellow/red/black denote increasing sweetness/body.

When shopping, look beyond “AA/AAA” bean size grades; they don’t guarantee quality. Prioritize roaster transparency—origin, altitude, variety, processing, roast date—and customer reviews (especially for naturals).

Brew to the bean.

• Light & high-altitude: V60/Chemex accentuate clarity and citrus.

• Natural & honey: AeroPress/Clever balance immersion with filtration for fruit complexity.

• Dark & lower-altitude: French press/cold brew emphasize body and chocolate.
  Espresso often favors darker roasts for crema, but light/medium espresso can be stunning with careful dialing-in.

Bottom line: choose fresh beans, match roast/origin to your taste, experiment with processing styles, and pick a brew method that complements the profile. Small changes—grind, water temp, ratio—unlock huge improvements.

Full Video Transcript: 

"Hey guys, we're back—and we're in a new studio, so let us know what you think. We've got an amazing video for you today: it's going to be the ultimate online coffee buying guide. We're going to cover roast level, processing methods, single origin versus blends—we've got a lot in store for you today.

Welcome back! I'm Lizzy, and I'm all about helping you make better coffee at home. If that's something you're interested in, hit the subscribe button.

Like many of you, I absolutely love exploring the incredible world of coffee. But with what seems like millions of different coffees available online, it can be tricky to know where to start. Fear not, because in this guide we're unveiling the secrets to making the best choices when it comes to buying coffee online—and also what to look out for. By the end of this video, I promise that you'll be a coffee whiz kid.

First, I need to get a few things out of the way. No matter what coffee you're buying, you're always going to want to look for freshly roasted coffee. Seven to twenty-one days is the optimum time, and here's why: less than a week and the coffee can be quite gassy and may be difficult to brew properly—your cup might taste harsh or underdeveloped. Then between one and three weeks you've got the prime window where it's most delicious. As coffee beans age beyond 21 days, they start to lose a bit of their flavor and aroma. The coffee might taste stale or flat. It should still be adequate for a few months, but may not have quite as much life.

These recommendations assume whole beans. Pre-ground coffee is a different story because of its larger surface area—more is exposed to the air—which accelerates flavor degradation. For pre-ground, you want to consume even sooner, ideally within a week of purchase. As always, we recommend you buy whole beans and grind them yourself.

With that out of the way, let's begin by understanding your personal taste. Before you start choosing coffee, you need to stop and think: what do I actually want? Do you crave a bold and intense coffee experience, or are you drawn to brighter, juicier flavors? Generally, roast level plays one of the biggest roles in the taste profile. On one hand you have lighter roasts, which tend to be brighter and more acidic; on the other hand you've got dark roasts, which are full-bodied and have a smoother taste.

In a minute I'm going to tell you about a big con in the coffee world when it comes to dark roasts that might surprise you, but first let's start at the beginning of the process. Lighter roasts often give more flavor variation, as they highlight the coffee's natural flavors. There's no set color where roast becomes a medium or dark roast—it's more of a spectrum. The more you roast the beans, the darker they become, and the more they start to move towards chocolaty and caramel flavors. As you move towards darker roasts, you lose a lot of the bean’s original characteristics. You also get French roast and Italian roast, which are the darkest of all and are arguably burnt by this stage—you retain hardly any of the bean's natural characteristics. We made a video all about light versus dark roast, so I'll put a link to it around this video.

When buying coffee online, just watch out for super dark roasts, as often this is done by roasters to disguise poor-quality beans. If you're buying super dark roasts, they're likely lower quality—so if you're paying a premium for them, you might want to be wary. If you like that bright, juicy taste, definitely go for a light roast. If you want a more chocolaty and bold flavor, go towards medium and dark roasts. But remember, roast level isn't the only factor—even dark roasts from certain origins can surprise you with their complexity.

Where your coffee comes from has a huge impact on its flavor, and this may be one of the ways you want to shop for coffee. Think about it like wine: grapes grown in different regions produce unique wines, and coffee is no different. Factors like climate, altitude, and bean variety all play a super important role.

The first thing we need to take into account is altitude and climate. These are linked because as we go higher, the temperature becomes cooler. We can think of it in terms of slower growth versus faster growth. Higher altitude (1300+ m) means cooler temperatures, which slows down the growth of coffee cherries. This slower maturation allows the beans more time to develop complex sugars and flavors, resulting in denser beans with brighter acidity, floral notes, and sometimes citrusy hints. Lower altitude coffee (below ~750 m) means warmer temperatures, causing faster ripening of the cherries. This faster growth leaves less time for complex flavor development, leading to beans that are softer and less dense—the resulting coffee tends to be smoother, with less acidity, and is sometimes described as earthy or nutty.

For example, high-altitude coffees from Ethiopia like Yirgacheffe are known for their bright acidity and floral notes because the slower bean growth at altitude leads to denser beans packed with complex flavors.

Now, where does this high-altitude magic happen? First of all, Latin America: think Colombia, Guatemala, Peru, and Bolivia. These regions are famous for their mountain ranges and volcanic soil, creating perfect conditions for coffee to thrive. These coffees are known for clean, balanced flavors, often featuring hints of sweetness and fruit. Then there’s Africa—think Ethiopia, Kenya, and Rwanda—often more fruity and floral. Then you've got Asia—places like Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and even parts of India—which often boast bold, earthy flavors with hints of spice.

You may have noticed many of these areas lie close to volcanoes—and there's a good reason. The soil around volcanoes is full of minerals and nutrients from volcanic ash; it's like built-in fertilizer for coffee plants. This special volcanic soil (andisol) helps plants absorb important nutrients like potassium, which contributes to a coffee’s flavor profile. Volcanic areas also often provide helpful altitude.

On the flip side, at lower altitudes in Asia you have Vietnam, the king of Robusta. Robusta beans are known for their boldness and higher caffeine content, and a lot of this ends up in instant coffee. Robusta drinks also tend to be mixed with sugar to hide bitterness. Then you have Brazil, which does have some high-altitude coffee, but a significant portion grows at lower elevations. These beans are often used in popular blends because of their affordability and milder flavor.

And then, of course, you have the variety within the Arabica species. There are unique varieties, each with its own personality. You've got Bourbon, a highly prized variety known for sweetness and complex flavor—often featuring hints of vanilla and chocolate. Another well-respected variety is Typica, known for its tea-like characteristics. Then you've got Gesha (Geisha), a rare and highly sought-after bean famous for floral and citrusy aroma with hints of stone fruit and bergamot. Beyond this, you have peaberry. While this isn't a specific variety, peaberry coffee deserves a mention: peaberries are rounder than typical coffee beans because they develop without a twin bean in the cherry. Due to their denser structure, peaberries are often thought to have a more intense flavor compared to their non-peaberry counterparts.

Okay, so we've covered a lot of ground, but there's one more term you might encounter while shopping online: AA and AAA coffee grades. These can be a bit confusing, so let's break it down. In some producing countries—particularly in parts of Africa and South America—grades refer primarily to physical size. Generally, AA indicates large beans, with AAA meaning the biggest and potentially most expensive. However, size alone doesn't necessarily equate to higher quality. Factors like origin, processing method, and roast level play a much bigger role in determining final flavor and quality. Don't get too hung up on AA or AAA labels. Focus on details provided by the retailer—origin, processing method, and roast level—as these give a much clearer picture of what the coffee will taste like.

Which brings us to one of the most impactful variables: the processing method. How the bean is processed after harvest significantly affects flavor. To make things simple, three categories: washed, natural, and honey.

Washed (the most common) involves removing the fruit flesh after picking, then cleaning and drying. It results in a clean-tasting coffee with bright acidity and distinct, origin-driven flavors—think citrusy notes, floral aromas, and a smooth body. While washed offers consistent quality, some might find it a bit less complex than natural.

Natural dries whole cherries in the sun, fermenting sugars and infusing the bean with intense fruit flavors—sweet, complex, sometimes described as funky or wine-like. It can be phenomenal, but inconsistent drying or over-fermentation can lead to unpleasant flavors. Top tips: choose a reputable retailer with a track record for quality beans; look for reviews mentioning their naturals specifically; prefer retailers who roast their own coffee and share roast dates—fresher is better. Naturals can be bolder and less predictable, so be open to a new taste experience; if you prefer a clean and predictable cup, this might not be your first pick.

Honey process partially removes the fruit flesh, leaving some sugary mucilage to dry with the beans—landing somewhere between washed and natural. Variations like yellow, red, and black honey indicate how much mucilage remains (yellow closer to washed; black closer to natural). Experimentation is key—try different processes to discover your favorites.

So far we've covered a lot, but there's another important factor: ethical sourcing and sustainability. This is where certifications come in—think of them like stamps of approval. They verify that coffee is produced to certain social and environmental standards. The big three: Fairtrade (farmers receive a fair price), Certified Organic (grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers), and Rainforest Alliance (sustainable practices that protect forests and biodiversity).

Now you know how to choose fantastic beans online—but how do you brew them to perfection? The brewing method you choose can enhance the unique characteristics of your coffee. Lighter roasts and high-altitude origins often boast bright, citrusy flavors, so brewing methods like a V60 pour-over or a Chemex allow more control over flow and temperature, accentuating delicate notes. Natural and honey-processed coffees can be complex with fruity or funky notes; methods like AeroPress or Clever Dripper offer a balance between immersion and filtration to preserve those profiles. Darker roasts and lower-altitude coffees tend to be fuller-bodied and bolder—French press or cold brew emphasize these rich characteristics, creating a smooth, flavorful cup. Often espresso is a darker roast as it gives better crema, but you can absolutely experiment and pull delicious light- or medium-roast espressos.

Remember, this is just a starting point. Experiment with different brewing methods to discover what works best for your chosen coffee and personal taste. If you want to learn more about dark roast versus light roast coffee, click the link here—and if you want to learn more about the world of honey-processed coffee, click the video here. I hope this video has been useful to you, and don't forget to hit the subscribe button to stay up to date with our latest coffee tips. See you in the next video."