Coffee! It’s a part of most people’s morning grind. But have you ever thought about the secret behind that perfect cup of java? Getting that perfect cup comes down to a few important factors, including how and where the coffee is grown, how the coffee is harvested, and how it’s processed. And by good coffee, we are talking about specialty coffee. In my search to unravel the secret behind a good cup of coffee, I had the folks over at Coffee Planet step into The Beautiful Lifestyle online to share with us the science and the goodness that goes into every cup.

What Really Makes a Good Cup of Specialty Coffee?

Location, location, location

Location is crucial when it comes to growing high-quality coffee. Great coffee maestros travel all over the world to visit the best coffee farms. The Coffee Planet folks tell me they have established strong relationships with farmers and producers in over 20 countries in Africa, Indonesia, India, and Central and South America. To guarantee quality and a fair price crop-to-cup they source flavor blends such as the Reserve African Blend which takes the finest single-origin beans from across the regions of Africa to create the signature flavors from the continent.

All the way up

For specialty coffee, altitude matters. At higher altitudes, coffee takes longer to mature which creates complex sugars and rich flavors. At Coffee Planet, their blend grown at the highest altitude is Single Origin Ethiopia Kura whole bean coffee which can be grown up to levels as high as 2000 above sea level which gives it its signature vanilla sweetness, nutty notes, and a lemony aftertaste.

The temperature has to be right

Roasting plays a big part as well – over-roasting is a major culprit in the burnt, bitter taste of most mass-market coffee. Coffee Planet has a HACCP, UTZ, and ISO certified roastery which is managed by expert Roast Masters and a team on hand to ensure this does not happen. By using state-of-the-art roasting equipment, they create special blends and unique recipes like the Single Origin Guatemala Finaca San Francisco coffee with its sweet and citrus flavors.

The final product

With gourmet coffee, you know you’re getting quality crop-to-cup coffee. All Coffee Planet coffee, I’m told, is specialty graded at 84 or higher. Whether it be specialty on-the-go in your local Zoom store, a bag of their Single Origin from Costa Rica, or a cup of Columbian Single Origin at their flagship coffee shop in Circle Mall, Coffee Planet puts the special in specialty coffee.

So, how do you take your specialty coffee?