DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPECIALTY COFFEE VS. COMMERCIAL COFFEE

There’s no better way to start a day than with a cup of coffee, and the game-changer secret to this morning routine is… indeed, the coffee type. There’s a ‘specialty coffee’ that most coffee snobs love to buy from their coffee suppliers. Specialty coffee is not consumed merely to retain consciousness during work hours. Most of the time, coffee snobs prefer specialty coffee due to the pleasant coffee experience it offers. 

The definition of ‘specialty coffee’ goes beyond just ‘coffee,’ these specialty coffee varieties are far different from commercial coffee. Unlike most commercial coffee, specialty coffee possesses a higher quality through its wonderful flavor notes and lower acidity content.

WHAT’S CONSIDERED SPECIALTY COFFEE?

It seems that everyone in the coffee shop gets hyped about these coffee beans coming from faraway lands. You might be clueless when hearing coffee snobs talk about the origin of the coffee, but don’t worry, just continue reading. When you overhear the coffee snobs talk about the coffee beans, the term ‘specialty coffee’ stands for single-estate coffee bean varieties. 

Generally speaking, when the specialty coffee varieties are single-origin or single-estate coffee beans, this means that coffee only grows in a specific area. In other words, it’s sourced from only a single coffee farm from a specific geographic location. Today, the hype of single-origin coffee has spread among coffee lovers around the world. As these coffee beans are relatively easy to find via online or luxury coffee shops. Thus, the hype came from the availability of them via online and store. This easy access for global customers has made coffee lovers browse and purchase multiple coffee varieties from different regions. Again, the hype was basically created by these coffee snobs. Well… quite different compared to decades ago when coffee enthusiasts merely had limited options of coffee beans to choose from.

When single-origin coffee becomes widely available in the online store, you might add a new coffee variety to your morning coffee routine. Then, why not choose Indonesian specialty coffee? Indonesia continuously provides a diverse range of specialty coffee, and the ‘best of the best’ among them is Gayo Sumatra green coffee beans. Grown in a perfect altitude for coffee growing, Gayo Sumatra green coffee beans develop the best characteristics of specialty coffee; unique flavor notes and aroma profile. A perfect match for coffee lovers seeking a new pleasant coffee experience.

HOW ABOUT COMMERCIAL COFFEE?

After knowing what it means as specialty coffee, the question might turn to commercial coffee. Well… most coffee lovers agree that commercial coffee is a regular coffee that you regularly purchase in retail stores, gas stations, free at the hotel room, and restaurants. If you find cold-brew coffee packaged in bottle/can packaging or instant ground coffee, that’s unmistakably what it’s called commercial coffee. 

Whether it’s flavored coffee products or instant black coffee available at places mentioned above, most of these coffees are products from low-cost green coffee beans or what we called commercial grade coffee. This includes second to fifth-grade robusta coffee beans, or a blend of low-grade robusta coffee beans and grade 2 robusta coffee beans. In other words, the commercial coffee you purchase might be a coffee blend of the good grade robusta coffee beans and the lower grade robusta coffee beans.

ARABICA VS. ROBUSTA GREEN COFFEE BEANS – WHICH IS BEST TO CHOOSE FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

When deciding the perfect coffee variety to purchase from a coffee supplier, there are some factors to consider. It’s important to focus on your business strategy based on your coffee business’ type, ingredients budget, and target market. If you’re a coffee roastery owner, it’s highly recommended to consider purchasing specialty-grade arabica green coffee beans or commercial-grade robusta green coffee beans based on your business type and needs. This way, you’re able to set up your target market. Whether it’s specialty coffee shops, retailers, beverage manufacturers, restaurants, or other business types.

Other than that, purchasing specialty-grade green coffee beans is a good idea if you own a luxury coffee shop or have a thought to launch a coffee brand. You might need to view yourself from your customer perspective, all they expect when visiting a coffee shop is indeed a diverse range of high-grade coffee beans (and don’t forget the fact that some of the customers are coffee snobs). For this reason, choose only high-quality green coffee beans that enable you to roast and brew black coffee without flavor enhancers.

WHERE TO PURCHASE INDONESIAN SPECIALTY COFFEE?

In general, coffee business owners need to do direct sourcing to get Indonesian specialty green coffee beans. However, due to the high effort, time, and accommodation cost required, many in the industry have shifted to create a hassle-free sourcing experience. Today, you can rest assured that direct-trade coffee suppliers are capable of providing a simplified supply chain for their customers. This way, their global customers are still capable of importing Indonesian specialty green coffee beans directly from the source. 

Direct-trade coffee suppliers like Wallacea Coffee specialize in providing the highest-quality green coffee beans. The green coffee beans are consciously sourced from top coffee plantations only, making the quality guaranteed and coffee variety is selectively selected. Based on this reason, most specialty coffee suppliers provide more Arabica coffee options rather than commercial-grade Robusta. 

Buy Gayo Sumatra, Mandheling Sumatra, Lintong Sumatra, Ijen Mountain arabica, and Java Estate robusta green coffee beans through a direct trade with us. Visit our BYOC (Build Your Own Container) system and mix up all green coffee beans inside a 20 F/T container.