Buying coffee beans: a practical guide

Freshness: roast date over best-before

Coffee doesn’t spoil quickly, but it does lose aroma. Roasted beans taste best in the first weeks after roasting and then slowly go flat. The best-before date says little about this – it’s often a year or more after roasting.

So buy an amount you’ll finish within a few weeks, in packaging that reseals well. An aroma valve and a resealable bag help keep beans fresh once opened.

Origin and variety

Most supermarket coffees are blends from several countries, which gives a consistent taste. A single origin comes from one country only and shows its typical character – with Ethiopian coffee, often fruity and floral notes.

For variety, the main distinction is arabica versus robusta. Arabica is considered more aromatic and refined, with less bitterness and less caffeine. Robusta is stronger and more bitter and is often added to espresso blends. The bag usually says whether a coffee is 100% arabica.

Match the roast to your brew method

Roast level shapes the flavour – and which brew method the coffee suits.

If you use several methods – filter in the morning, espresso in the afternoon – a medium roast is the best all-rounder.

Whole bean or ground?

Whole beans keep their aroma much longer: grinding increases the surface area, so aromas escape faster. With a grinder you can grind just before brewing and match the grind to each method.

Pre-ground coffee is convenient if you don’t have a grinder, but it’s fixed to one grind – usually medium, suited to filter. That is often too coarse for espresso and too fine for a French press. Once opened, use ground coffee within two to three weeks.

Choosing the right bag size

Larger bags are usually cheaper per 100 g but stay open longer. Allow about 7.5 g of coffee per cup and pick a size you’ll finish within about a month of opening.

If you buy in bulk, keep unopened bags cool and dark – and only open one at a time.

Ordering coffee online in Switzerland with Ethera

Coffee doesn’t grow in Switzerland – it comes from the tropics. “Swiss coffee” therefore means a Swiss brand or roaster. Ethera is a brand of ZETA GmbH in Zurich and brings one coffee to Switzerland: Single Origin Ethiopia, 100% arabica from the Ethiopian highlands, hand-picked and medium roasted.

There’s deliberately no online checkout, but ordering is still quick:

• Choose your size: 250 g, 500 g or 1000 g.
• Choose whole bean or ground.
• Send your order via WhatsApp or the order form.
• We personally confirm delivery, shipping costs and payment.
• Shipped by Swiss Post, usually within 1–3 working days of confirmation.