Gone are the days when a cup of coffee was ordinary. The proliferation of coffee shops, seemingly on every street corner, has given people a wide choice in the coffee they drink. This has also led to the increase in the need for gourmet coffee distributors, and there are now numerous coffee distributors ready to supply the nation’s coffee houses, hotels and offices with the many single origin coffees and blends now available.
Gourmet coffee distributors may have started out as dealing in the wholesale market, but many will now sell in smaller quantities to individual buyers. The appreciation of gourmet coffee has grown, and with it the increase in homes having their own coffee machines, so coffee drinkers now want to be able to taste gourmet coffee in the comfort of their own homes.
Coffee Distributors Educate!
Gourmet coffee distributors not only supply a wide range of coffees to their customers, but, in many cases, will also seek to pass on their knowledge of different coffees and educate their customers in the characteristics of a good coffee and the style of roasting that will produce a particular flavor.
As an example, one of the gourmet coffee distributors, the Java Estate Roastery in North Carolina, has pages on its website explaining the component characteristics and degree of roast which combine to produce a gourmet coffee. The main characteristics which define a coffee are body, acidity, flavor and aroma. They also explain the differences between the four main roasts which are light-roast, medium-roast, dark-roast and Espresso which is the traditional Italian style of roasting coffee.
Most of the gourmet coffee distributors sell Arabica beans from around the world. Where a bean is grown can give it different attributes. A bean grown in South America can produce a totally different flavor to one grown in Africa. Often the coffee distributors will sell in large packs of 2lb or 5lb, but will also make their coffees available in 8oz, 12oz or 1lb packs for their retail and individual customers. In fact some will even do 2oz “taster” packs so that people have a chance to try out a new coffee. This way they can decide if it is to their liking before making a larger purchase.
In keeping with the varied demand of customers coffee distributors will provide single origin, flavored and blended coffees as well as decaf varieties, organic and fair-trade coffees.