Ask a few people who know a thing or two about coffee what the benefits of buying whole beans are, and most of them will probably say whole beans result in a better tasting cup of coffee.
Yup. That’s 100% right.
It’s undeniable that pre-ground packaged coffee, in general, can lack a little bit of flavor compared to freshly ground whole beans. This is because once coffee is ground, the rate at which it oxidizes greatly increases. Oxidation, in turn, causes coffee to lose its flavor.
It’s not that there isn’t a flavor difference, it’s that there are other factors that affect the flavor profile of your cup of coffee more than whether it was packaged as whole beans or pre-ground.
For most coffee drinkers, the difference in overall taste between brewing using pre-ground coffee and whole beans will be detectable, but subtle.
That being said, for a lot of coffee drinkers (including me), the difference is noticeable enough that they will only buy whole beans when they have the choice.
At the end of the day, switching to grinding whole beans at home is a relatively easy change to make (compared to perfecting grind sizes to change the flavor profile, optimizing brewing temperatures, purchasing better equipment for brewing, and so on).
So, while a difference in taste isn’t a huge concern with whole beans vs pre-ground coffee —otherwise, why would we sell pre-ground coffee at all?—there are other good reasons to go whole bean the next time you buy coffee:
On the other hand, pre-ground coffee has its benefits as well:
Whether you choose to buy pre-ground coffee or whole coffee beans all comes down to what is more important to you at the time—convenience, or taste and customization. There’s no “right” or “wrong” answer as to which is better.
Fortunately, Black insomnia offers both varieties—whole beans for the caffeine fiend with a few extra minutes to customize their cup, as well as ground coffee for the convenience-minded fiend on the go.
Why not try both, and decide which is the right one for you?