How Do You Choose Coffee Beans to Buy in Australia?

To choose coffee beans to buy in Australia, check the roast date and whether they're roasted to order, then match the grind to your brewer and the roast to how you drink it. Next, compare origin, choose decaf if that's what you want, and buy a pack size you'll get through.

Our family started roasting coffee in our garage in 2014. We founded Grounded Drops in 2018 with drip bags, and we roast to order in NSW, with the roast date on every label. This is how I'd work through a bean order for home.

How do I check how fresh the coffee is?

Look for a roast date on the label and a clear statement about when the coffee is roasted. At Grounded Drops, we roast to order and the roast date is on every label.

Check those details before you get caught up in the name on the bag. Keep a note of the roast, origin and grind so you can repeat an order you enjoy.

Our beans are air roasted. If you're curious about the process, I've explained it in our air roasting article.

Which grind do I choose for my brewer?

Choose Whole Beans if you grind at home; otherwise, select the grind named for your brewer below. For ground orders, we grind the coffee the day before it ships. One exception: Bunji's 250 g pack isn't offered in Espresso grind, so choose a larger Bunji pack or Whole Beans.

Whole beans or ground coffee is a practical choice about your setup. If you have a grinder suited to your brewer, Whole Beans lets you make adjustments at home. If you don't, choose the matching ground option instead of buying beans you can't use.

Using more than one brewer? Check the grind for each order rather than assuming one ground bag will suit every method. If there's no grinder or brewer at work or when you travel, drip bags are a separate option for that situation.

Which of our beans suits you?

If you drink milk coffee, I'd start with Hodophile, which we make for milk-based coffee. Wayfarer and Nemophilist are medium-dark single origins for milk or black, and Gadabout is our medium-dark decaf for either.

The table compares our current Coffee Beans options. Our tasting notes describe the coffee; use them to narrow your choice, rather than as a promise about exactly what you'll taste in your cup.

Start with the drink you actually make. If your household drinks both milk coffee and black coffee, compare the options we list for both. If you're curious about Bunji, it's our medium roast, grown in Far North Queensland.

Should I choose a single origin or a blend?

A single origin identifies coffee from one origin, while a blend brings coffees together. In our range, Wayfarer is from Colombia, Nemophilist is from Kenya, and Hodophile combines Colombia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Guatemala and Brazil.

Compare Wayfarer's notes with Nemophilist's if you want to explore those single origins, or look at Hodophile if you're choosing for milk. Being a blend doesn't make a coffee a lesser choice, and a single-origin label alone doesn't tell you which you'll prefer.

For the terminology behind the product descriptions, read what specialty coffee means. For this order, I'd keep the focus on the origin, our notes and how you drink your coffee. You can also look at our current Roast of the Month if you'd like another origin to consider.

Does "Australian coffee" mean Australian-grown?

No. Coffee roasted in Australia and coffee grown in Australia describe different parts of the coffee's journey.

We roast to order in NSW. Bunji is our Australian-grown coffee from Far North Queensland, while our other beans use imported origins roasted here. If where the coffee grows is central to your choice, look at our Australian-grown beans and check the origin description.

A local roasting address doesn't, by itself, tell you where the beans grew. When you compare beans, look for both: the growing origin and where they're roasted. That avoids ordering on the strength of the word “Australian” when you meant something more specific.

What if I want decaf?

Choose Gadabout if you're looking for our decaf beans. It's a medium-dark roast listed for milk or black, available through our decaf collection.

Then make the same practical choices as for the other beans: Whole Beans or the grind for your brewer, followed by a pack size that suits your use. You don't need a separate buying checklist. If you're comparing the range, our decaf buying guide has more detail.

Should I buy 250 g, 500 g or 1 kg?

Start with 250 g when you're trying a bean, then move to 500 g or 1 kg once you know you like it and your household will get through it. Our beans come in 250 g, 500 g and 1 kg packs.

Think about how often you brew at home and how many people share the bag; the right size for someone else's kitchen may be too much for yours.

At the time of writing, Wayfarer, Nemophilist, Hodophile and Gadabout cost $15.35 for 250 g, $28.55 for 500 g and $52.75 for 1 kg. Bunji costs $17.55 for 250 g, $34.05 for 500 g and $65.95 for 1 kg.

The roast date is on every label; our coffee storage guide covers looking after the bag once it arrives.

Quick answers

Should I buy whole beans or ground coffee?

Choose Whole Beans if you grind at home. Otherwise, choose the grind option for your brewer: Espresso, Stovetop, Aeropress, Filter or Plunger. One exception: Bunji's 250 g pack isn't offered in Espresso grind, so choose a larger Bunji pack or Whole Beans.

Which Grounded Drops beans are made for milk?

Hodophile is made for milk-based coffee. Wayfarer, Nemophilist and Gadabout are also listed for milk or black.

Are all Grounded Drops beans Australian-grown?

No. Bunji is Australian-grown from Far North Queensland. Our other beans use imported origins, and we roast to order in NSW.

Does Grounded Drops sell decaf beans?

Yes. Gadabout is our medium-dark decaf, listed for milk or black.

What size bag of coffee beans should I buy?

Choose from 250 g, 500 g and 1 kg. Start small when you're trying a bean, then size up once you know you'll get through it.

Shop drip bags or Shop beans.

Richard