Seeing as more than 50% of Americans aged over 18 drink coffee every day and grabbing coffee is the #1 thing Americans do in the morning, we figure at least some of you will be celebrating National Coffee Day this month. If you aren’t an experienced coffee drinker, or maybe you are one but you’d like to explore new flavors or get back to basics, we’ve come up with a few tips and facts that should help you pick the perfect cup of joe.

How to Choose the Best Coffee

Bean Roast 

First and foremost we’re focusing on the roast of your bean. The way in which your coffee beans were roasted is an incredibly important factor in determining the strength of your coffee. When coffee beans are roasted it alters the color, taste, smell, and density of the final product (aka your cup of coffee). A solid rule to keep in mind is the darker the bean, the stronger the coffee. If you’re looking for a lighter roast we recommend you try out the following: a Cinnamon Roast or a New England Roast. For a medium roast try out an American Roast, a City Roast,  or a Full City Roast. For the darkest roast (and the strongest coffee) try out these various blends: Vienna Roast, French Roast, Italian Roast, or a Spanish Roast.

Brewing Method 

Even though there are way more than two brewing methods for coffee, we’re going to focus on these two because they’re most popular.

Regular Drip: This method of brewing is the most popular and is one the easiest ways to create your favorite cup of coffee. The cup of joe created by this method of brewing is smooth and bright. Keep in mind the hotter the water used to brew, the brighter the cup of coffee will be.

French Press (or Manual Drip and Press Pot): The French press is probably the second most popular brewing method. Although brewing with a French press may require an investment in a durable specialty item, using a French press allows you to manipulate more factors that affect the taste of your coffee (such as water temperature,  the amount of grind used, etc.).

Types of Coffee Drinks 

As for the types of coffee drinks, this is where things get a little complicated. We’ve all been at a Starbucks or a coffee shop and have wondered “what exactly is a cafe au lait mocha latte cappuccino macchiato?”. Okay, so maybe we made that drink up, but that doesn’t mean we don’t wonder what some of these drinks are! To clarify we thought this coffee infographic would do just the trick (big thanks to The Bean Stalker!). Let us know what your favorite drink and or roast is by commenting below!

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