We knew organic coffee beans would be better for our health and our taste buds, but we didn’t want to shell out the extra money for them. The more we learned about how conventional coffee is grown, though, the more we realized how essential it is to buy coffee from organic coffee brands.
Why Buy Organic Coffee?
Ever heard of the Dirty Dozen list? It’s a list that the Environmental Watch Group puts out to let consumers know which vegetables and fruits contain the highest amounts of pesticide residues.
Coffee isn’t on it, but it should be! Coffee is doused with all kinds of pesticides and chemical fertilizers unfortunately…
Conventional growers have to spray their plants with harmful chemicals because of the way they grow them. Coffee plants do best in full shade, but it’s easier to grow them in large quantities in big open fields.
Although this growing method leads to better profits, it introduces a host of problems. Insects overpopulate the plants when they’re grown in full sun, which leads to higher pesticide use. Because there’s no tree cover in the fields, fertilizer gets washed away by the rain and forces growers to use more chemical fertilizer. All of these chemicals get absorbed by the plants and end up in the coffee beans.
Some studies have shown that roasting the beans removes most of the pesticide residue, but those results aren’t super reassuring. We don’t want even a little bit of chemical residue in our coffee!
That’s why we switched to organic coffee beans. They’re grown in a more natural way in the shade, so they don’t have to be sprayed with tons of chemicals. They’re better tasting, better for the environment, better for you… and only a few bucks more than the conventional coffee you usually buy. They’re worth it!
If you’re ready to make the switch, here are our 6 best organic coffee beans for high quality coffee. You can’t go wrong with any of them!
Columbian coffee beans are some of the best in the world, and it shows in this medium roast! It has a beautiful toasted almond and caramel flavor that tastes just as good black as it does with milk and sugar.
It’s also made with arabica coffee beans, which are higher quality and better tasting than the more widely used robusta bean.
In addition to being Fair Trade and organic, this coffee is free of GMOs and gluten. There’s no nasties in this organic coffee!
What We Liked
- It’s delicious. No bitter after taste
- Excellent Customer Service
- Has a fantastic aroma upon opening
What We Didn’t Like
- It’s very acidic
This coffee is balanced and mildly sweet. It has a buttery flavor with hints of cocoa, nuts, pear, and caramelized sugar. It has no bitterness and very little acid, so you won’t need to add very much cream or sugar to it.
This coffee has a lighter mouthfeel that isn’t too rich or heavy. That could be a good or bad thing depending on your preferences, but we love it! It has a remarkably silky, smooth mouthfeel, and goes down nice and easy.
It’s the perfect cup of coffee to wash down your breakfast, and it’s completely organic. What more could you ask for?
What We Liked
- Fresh whole beans
- Very flavorful
- DARK roast – beans look almost ebony in color
- Smells great
What We Didn’t Like
- You’re buying 5 number of coffee beans in a single flavor type so if you don’t like the flavor you’re stuck with it.
Lavazza is one of the most famous Italian coffee brands, and it’s one of our personal favorites. They have an organic coffee line that does not disappoint!
This particular bag is an Italian roast made from whole Italian coffee beans. It has a full body and a rich flavor with both sweet and smoky notes. You may taste hints of wood, tobacco, caramel, chocolate, malt or honey in your cup.
You can brew this organic coffee in your French press, moka pot, or coffee maker, but Lavazza says it really shines when you use it to make espresso. We haven’t tried making it in our espresso machine yet, but we’re definitely going to the next time we buy it!
What We Liked
- Has a very nice, creamy mouth feel
- Very good expresso which is great for automatic expresso Machine. Doesn’t mess the grinder up with excess oil in it
- The roast is also perfect as it’s well balanced
What We Didn’t Like
- It’s expensive
This coffee is full-bodied, smoky, and spicy, just like a dark roast should be! It has pronounced roasted and smoky flavors along with a little bit of Sumatran spice. There’s some lemony acidity in this blend too that balances out all the bold flavors.
It’s the perfect cup of coffee to wake up to on a cold morning, and best of all, it’s organic!
What We Liked
- Rich, full taste regardless of brewing method
- Great value for the price
- Eco friendly packaging
What We Didn’t Like
- Lots of chafe in the grind
Whole Foods is known for its wide selection of organics, and their coffee company Allegro Coffee is no exception. This brand has lots of great organic options like this light and dark roast blend.
This blend has a nice balance of flavors because it combines two different types of roasts. It gets its subtle sweetness from the light roast and its bold smoky flavor from the dark roast. It’s a little spicy too, so it’s a great coffee blend to have on hand during the fall and winter to warm up.
What We Liked
- Excellent coffee beans for making cold brew
What We Didn’t Like
- None so far!
Equal Exchange is a great organic coffee brand. They only use sustainably grown, organic coffee, so their beans are a good choice for you and the planet!
This medium roast is smooth and balanced. It has hints of chocolate, almond, malt and vanilla, which gives it a subtle sweetness that you’ll love!
This coffee is made with high quality arabica coffee beans that are known for their great flavor. No matter what kind of coffee machine you brew them in, they’ll make an absolutely delicious cup of coffee!
What We Liked
- A well balanced dark roast
- Absolutely delicious
- Caffeine boost that lasted for most of the day
What We Didn’t Like
- Expensive
