Which should you buy? For organic and sustainable coffee buyers the decision is about more than taste - freshness, waste, storage and everyday habits also impact on the decision between buying whole bean or ground coffee. 

Whole bean vs ground coffee: the basics

Whole bean coffee is when the roasted beans are sold intact. They need to be ground in a coffee grinder before they can be used. 

Roast and ground coffee has already been prepared for your use, it has been ground before being packed, saving you from the step of grinding beans before making a cup of coffee. 

Grinding coffee increases the surface area of the coffee, so ready ground coffee does not last as long as whole beans do, once the bag of coffee has been opened. It is one of the reasons we made a careful choice of packaging materials for our coffees, as ensuring that the new recyclable bags kept the coffee fresh was a key consideration. 

Why choose whole bean coffee?

Did you know that between 75 and 95 % of what we commonly think of as taste actually comes from our sense of smell? When you grind coffee beans they release their full aroma and this is what gives your coffee that beautiful full fresh taste. 

If you are a coffee aficionado, choosing whole bean coffee gives you more control over the grind size for different methods of brewing. It is often chosen by people who enjoy the ritual of making coffee. It can be a stronger choice for organic coffee buyers who want the best taste from higher quality beans. 

With a bean-to-cup or grind-and-brew coffee maker, making coffee with coffee beans is easy!

Why choose ground coffee?

Ready made roast & ground coffee saves time. It is faster to prepare on busy mornings if you are racing out the door to work. In smaller kitchens with limited space, you can save on having to store a grinder.

Ground coffee is a good option for you if convenience matters more than customisation. And if you drink a lot of coffee, you’ll use up the bag quickly, thus reducing the length of time it is left open! 

Both our coffee beans and our roast & ground coffee are single origin, organic coffee so both are high quality. 

Our organic coffees are grown with fewer synthetic fertilisers and chemicals. Many of our growers practice agroforestry which reduces the need for artificial inputs and improves the taste of the coffee because shade slows down the coffee cherry growth, so they develop a higher concentration of sugars and natural oils. 

As an added bonus, shade grown coffee improves biodiversity in the local area and reduces carbon emissions as trees capture and store carbon. Agroforestry is also good for the environment, lowering temperatures and helping with water retention. 

What kind of coffee drinker are you?

Daily espresso drinker - you might prefer a whole bean coffee which gives you grind control - espresso coffee needs a fine ground coffee

Busy commuter - you’ll likely opt for roast and ground coffee so that you can make your daily cuppa faster 

Sustainability-focused shopper - choose whole bean coffee and make coffee making an experience

You don’t have to choose between whole bean or ground coffee - you can buy both! Our subscribers often buy all three types of coffee from us once they have found a single origin coffee that they prefer; coffee beans, ground coffee and coffee capsules.