If you are not a big coffee drinker, you might not notice the difference between commercial coffee and specialty coffee grown and roasted with love. However, believe us there is a huge difference between both types of coffee.
The idea of this post is that in the future you recognize the bean type, tasting notes and intensity as soon as you take the first sip of specialty coffee. The problem with regular coffees is not only the origin, but also quality. They are bland, bitter, sour, and the freshness is questionable. This type of bad coffee is cheap and easily available at supermarkets and many chain coffee shops. In the other side, specialty coffee is hand-picked, and roasted to perfection to provide a rich, full body with vibrant tasting notes and an experience you will want to go repeat in each cup.
Let’s take a look at the key differences between specialty and commercial coffee in terms of quality, taste, altitude of growth, and other factors in the production process. Luckily, more and more people are turning to specialty coffee daily because the quality and taste is unlike anything else. Use this information to help choose your next bag of coffee with more consideration to your health, palate, and the environment.
We hope this simple chart could be useful to understand why you should be drinking specialty coffee
| Characteristics | Specialty coffee | Commercial coffee |
| Quality | Consistent size, color and density with very few defects | Varied sizes and inconsistent roast, many defects remain. |
| Taste | Aromatic, with rich body and flavor | Bland, bitter, sour often burnt |
| Altitude | Shade-Grown at High Altitudes | Grown under the Sun at Low Altitudes |
| Caffeine content | Slightly Lower | Slightly Higher |
| Harvesting | Hand-Picked | Machine-Picked |
| Selection | Often Hand-Sorted | Machine Sorted Only |
| Type of bean | Arabica | Mix of Arabica or Robusta |