Carlini Coffee explains the reasons why coffees taste differently

What makes a difference to the flavour of coffee beans

From Farm to Cup: How Every Stage Impacts Coffee Quality

When it comes to coffee, there’s no shortage of “experts” — from the local café barista to the home roaster who swears their beans are fresher and higher quality than anything they can buy.

The truth? Coffee is one of the most complex beverages in the world. Every stage — from farming and processing to roasting and brewing — carries risks that can make or break the final cup.


The Coffee Supply Chain: Where Quality Can Be Lost

Coffee’s journey involves:

  1. Farming – Cultivating and harvesting cherries.

  2. Processing – Turning cherries into green beans.

  3. Transport & Storage – Protecting beans before roasting.

  4. Roasting – Unlocking flavour potential.

  5. Brewing – Extracting the perfect cup.

While quality can be compromised at any stage, the highest risks are often at the roasting and brewing stages.


Farming & Origin Risks

Specialty coffee farmers are increasingly adopting better practices to produce high-quality green coffee beans that fetch premium prices. The market for lower-grade coffee — often used in instant and supermarket blends — continues to shrink.

Key challenges at origin:

  • Hand-picking risks – In many high-altitude regions, cherries are harvested by hand. Payment per sack can incentivise quantity over quality, leading to under-ripe, over-ripe, or pest-damaged cherries being collected.

  • Climate variability – Weather patterns affect flowering, ripening, and yield.


Coffee Processing: Where Flavour is Made or Lost

Processing methods vary widely and can dramatically influence flavour:

  • Washed / Wet Process – Clean, bright flavours.

  • Natural / Dry Process – Sweet, fruity complexity (Ethiopia is famous for this).

  • Wet-Hulling (Sumatra) – Heavy body, low acidity, but higher risk of mould or ferment taints.

  • Triple-Picked – Extra sorting for defect-free beans.

Some regions, like Costa Rica, maintain strict processing controls to protect quality. Others blend high-grade beans with average ones to meet volume requirements, which can dilute flavour potential.


Transport & Storage: Protecting Green Coffee Beans

Once processed, beans must be stored and shipped carefully:

  • Packaging – GrainPro or vacuum-sealed bags protect against moisture, odours, and contaminants.

  • Storage conditions – Poor facilities at origin can expose beans to heat, humidity, and pests.

  • Logistics challenges – Delays in export sheds, washed-out roads (e.g., PNG’s Mount Hagen), or landlocked countries like Uganda can extend storage times and degrade quality.

  • Container heat – Excessive heat during shipping can cause beans to sweat, reducing flavour quality.


Green Bean Selection & Roasting

Roasters choose beans based on budget, flavour goals, and blend requirements. With over 200 coffee varieties available to Australian roasters at any time, selection is both an art and a science.

Roasting considerations:

  • Bean compatibility – Not all beans blend well; acidity, fruit notes, and roast profiles must align.

  • Equipment quality – Cheap or outdated roasters produce inconsistent results.

  • True profiling – Controlling heat, airflow, and roast time to achieve consistent flavour — not just logging data.

  • Quality control – Skilled roasters cup batches regularly to detect defects and maintain consistency.

When high-quality beans meet skilled roasting on precision equipment, the results are predictable and exceptional.


Brewing & Extraction: The Final, Crucial Step

Even the best beans can be ruined by poor brewing. Common issues include:

  • Under-extraction – Sour, weak coffee from too coarse a grind or too short a brew time.

  • Over-extraction – Bitter, harsh flavours from too fine a grind or excessive brew time.

  • Incorrect dosing or tamping – Inconsistent espresso shots.

Pro tip: Coffee flavour comes from oils that require precise heat and pressure to extract. Match your grind size, brew time, and temperature to your brewing method for the best results.


Why Consistency is King

From farm to cup, consistency is the hallmark of great coffee. Variations in single-origin coffees — especially dry-processed beans like Ethiopian naturals — are natural, but skilled roasters and baristas work to minimise them.

When a coffee brand’s flavour changes unexpectedly, it’s often due to:

  1. Lower-quality green beans being purchased.

  2. Poor roast profiling or blending.

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