How to choose good coffee: know your taste

Coffee is a common habit, yet not everyone knows which kind suits them. Some drink phin coffee every day without telling Arabica from Robusta. Some think good coffee means… the more bitter the better. In fact, choosing coffee that matches your taste makes the experience far more pleasant and helps you avoid jitters, sleeplessness or headaches.

Two common types of beans

In the coffee world there are two “main characters”: Arabica and Robusta. It is the most basic knowledge, yet essential for finding your taste.

Arabica: aromatic, gently acidic

• Delicate aroma of flowers and fruit
• Light, natural acidity
• Clean, rounded finish
• Less caffeine

Robusta: bold and strong

• Clear, strong bitterness
• Low acidity
• Long, “heavy” finish
• More caffeine

Once you understand these basics, choosing the right coffee becomes much easier.

If you are new to coffee, take caffeine slowly

Don’t start with espresso or strong phin coffee if you are not used to it. Many beginners get “coffee drunk”: nausea, racing heart, queasiness, sleeplessness.

A gentler approach is to start with milk-based drinks:

• Latte
• Cappuccino
• Mocha
• Flat White
  These drinks are built on espresso, but the milk and foam soften the bitterness and add a creamy, fragrant feel.

Once you enjoy bitterness, try cold brew or an Americano

Cold brew is coffee steeped cold for a long time (12–24 h): soft, smooth and low in harsh acidity. Ideal if you want to stay alert without an upset stomach or a caffeine shock.

An Americano is espresso lengthened with hot water, for those who want espresso flavour but a little lighter.

Both have little sugar or milk, so you taste the aroma and flavour more clearly.

The factor nobody mentions but matters a lot: the roast

Light roast

• Keeps fruity, floral notes and a distinctive acidity
  Suits Arabica and pour-over

Medium roast

• Balanced between aroma, acidity and bitterness
  Easy to drink, versatile

Dark roast

• Chocolate and caramel notes, low acidity, more bitterness
  Suits espresso, milk coffee and Vietnamese phin

If you like flavour that is strong but not too sour, choose a medium to dark roast – an easy match for most tastes.

How to avoid getting “coffee drunk”

• Don’t drink coffee on an empty stomach
• Avoid coffee after 5 pm if you sleep lightly
• Choose blends with more Arabica if you are sensitive to caffeine
• Go easy on sugar and milk if you want the real taste
• Drink water alongside to avoid a dry mouth and caffeine jitters

Many people think getting coffee drunk comes from “strong coffee”, but sometimes it is just the wrong time of day or drinking too fast.