Original blog post: https://www.puursuzanne.nl/lifestyle/tips-en-weetje/hoe-kies-je-koffie-die-past
By Suzanne
↠ Editor-in-Chief
↠ Loves walking, vegan food, coffee and minimalism
↠ Eating plant-based more often
You pay attention to what you eat, what you drink, and where it comes from. But when it comes to coffee, you often reach for the same bag because you're not quite sure what to look for. That's a shame, because coffee is one of the few things you drink every single day. So it's worth taking a closer look at least once.
This article helps you make a practical choice: from your taste preferences to a coffee that fits your lifestyle.
Start with your taste preference: smooth or bold?
The first question isn't which brand to buy, but what you actually enjoy drinking. With filter coffee, this becomes especially clear, because you taste the coffee in its pure form, without the concentrated intensity of espresso.
Do you prefer a smooth, rounded flavour that's easy to drink, even without milk? Then look for a light to medium roast, often labelled as "mild" or with a low intensity rating on the packaging. Arabica coffee is a good starting point: this type of coffee is naturally smoother, fruitier and less bitter than Robusta.
Or do you prefer something with more body and a bolder flavour? Then a darker roast might be a better fit. Lavazza, for example, offers varieties specifically suited to filter coffee, such as Lavazza Qualità Oro, known for its smooth and aromatic profile, or Lavazza Gran Selezione for those who prefer something fuller and more intense.
Practical tip: Check the intensity rating on the packaging (usually a scale from 1 to 5 or 1 to 10). Start somewhere in the middle if you're unsure what you like, then adjust based on how it tastes to you.
How does milk or a plant-based alternative affect your coffee?
If you're mindful about your lifestyle, you might drink oat milk, almond milk or soy milk in your coffee. This matters when choosing your coffee, because plant-based milk alternatives interact differently with coffee than whole milk.
Oat milk is naturally a little sweeter and creamier, making it a great match for lighter, milder coffees. A coffee that's too strong or bitter can taste a little flat or unbalanced when combined with oat milk. If you prefer oat milk, go for an Arabica blend with a low to medium intensity.
Almond milk is thinner and has a distinctive flavour that can easily overpower the coffee. It's best paired with a bold coffee that can hold its own, otherwise you'll mainly taste the almond.
Do you drink your coffee black? Then you experience the coffee exactly as it's meant to taste. That's when choosing quality really pays off, because there's nothing to soften or mask the flavour.
Caffeine and health: what should you look out for?
As a conscious consumer, you probably also want to know how caffeine affects your body. Filter coffee generally contains more caffeine per cup than espresso, simply because more water passes through the coffee grounds, extracting more caffeine.
Do you notice that drinking coffee in the afternoon affects your sleep or makes you feel restless? Then you have two options. The first is timing: use 2:00 PM as a rule of thumb for your last coffee of the day. The second option is to switch to decaf. Lavazza also offers a decaffeinated variety that stays close to the flavour profile of its regular coffees, which isn't always the case with other brands.
Pay attention to where your coffee comes from if sustainability matters to you. UTZ and Rainforest Alliance certifications provide information about growing conditions. Organic coffee goes a step further by restricting the use of synthetic pesticides. Lavazza offers organic options, but other brands, such as Moyee and Simon Lévelt, also focus specifically on sustainable and organic coffee if that's a bigger priority for you.
Whole beans or ground coffee: which works better for filter coffee?
For filter coffee, you need a medium-coarse to medium-fine grind. You can choose pre-ground coffee, which is convenient and consistent. If you want more flavour and freshness, you can buy whole beans and grind them at home. Freshly ground coffee tastes noticeably better because more of its aromas are preserved.
A simple electric coffee grinder doesn't have to cost much and is well worth the investment if you brew coffee every day. For conscious consumers who value quality, this is a logical next step.
How to make the right choice
To make it more concrete: imagine you're a conscious consumer who brews filter coffee, uses oat milk and is sensitive to caffeine in the afternoon.
In that case, you're looking for a mild Arabica blend, preferably organic or sustainability-certified, that pairs well with the natural sweetness of oat milk. Lavazza Qualità Oro is an accessible choice that's widely available. If you want to take it a step further, explore organic options from Moyee or Simon Lévelt. Switch to decaf after 2:00 PM to avoid disrupting your sleep.
It's not a complicated decision. It's simply about knowing what you're looking for.