Before you buy
Good questions
Straight answers about single origin coffee — and which bag to start with.
How to choose a single origin coffee
Start with how you brew, not where the coffee grew. For espresso, you want sugar and body that survive pressure — Brazil Machado, a natural-process coffee from Minas Gerais, is built that way. For drip and pour over, brightness reads as flavor rather than sharpness, which is why Kenya Kiambu is our standing recommendation for filter brewers.
Then read the notes like a compass, not a promise. Washed coffees from Kenya and Ethiopia lean bright and floral; naturals from Brazil lean chocolate and body. Every listing here names the farm or cooperative, the process, and the cultivar — the three facts that actually predict what's in the cup.
Why our single origins rotate
We buy at the top of each harvest, which means lots sell through and get replaced by whatever cups best next. The grid above is always the current truth. If you find one you love, our subscription is the way to make sure you don't miss its season next year.
What is single origin coffee?
Coffee from one place — a single farm, washing station, or cooperative — rather than a blend of several. The point is taste you can trace: one lot, one harvest, one set of decisions you can read about on the bag.
Is a single origin better than a blend?
Neither is better; they do different jobs. A single origin shows you what one farm actually tastes like. A blend aims for a consistent cup year-round — our ASCENT is built for that.
Which single origin should I try first?
Chocolate and body: Brazil Machado. The full single-origin experience: Ethiopia Buku Abel, our highest-scoring coffee at 93 points.
Why do single origins cost more than grocery-store coffee?
Smaller lots, higher grades, and more money reaching the farm. We list the farm, process, and cultivar on every bag so you can see what you're paying for. Most of ours run $18–25 for 250g.
Keep Reading
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A landrace isn't wild coffee and it isn't a named variety like SL-28. It's a crop population farmers keep reselecting...
Is Robusta a Different Species of Coffee?
Robusta is not a variety of arabica. It is Coffea canephora, a separate species with half the chromosomes and a...
What Is a Coffee Varietal?
A varietal is the kind of coffee plant the seed came from. The harder question is what that name is...
