How we select our green beans

Have you ever wondered how we decide which coffee makes it onto our shelves? Why this particular lot from Colombia and not another? And why do filter and espresso coffees have different price points (what's really going on there?)?

Today we're pulling back the curtain and sharing the detailed process of how we select green coffee at Unity Coffee Roasters.

Our three core selection criteria

We have three main criteria for coffee selection, and the first is pricing strategy. We maintain distinct price ranges for espresso and filter separately — and this isn't by accident. The espresso range is typically lower than filter because espresso and filter serve completely different purposes.

For espresso, we need coffee that delivers consistent, full-bodied results every day. Coffee that works for the cafés we partner with and people brewing espresso-based drinks at home. For filter coffee, we can afford more expensive lots because the pricing strategy is broader here — people are willing to pay more for unique flavor characteristics.

The second criterion is our brand vision — how we see coffee as a company, what we want to communicate, and what we want to show people. We understand which lots our customers love and what the current demand is for different beans, because we talk with you every day :)

The third criterion is our product matrix. We maintain a fairly large coffee selection, and this is something we strive to keep consistent so that our café guests and online customers always have a choice of different, unique coffees. We see this as our mission — expanding flavor experiences. We're glad we can "afford" this approach: several stable espresso lots at great prices and lots of diverse filter coffee from different corners of the planet.

How this works in practice

The selection process always starts with inventory checking. We open our green coffee inventory spreadsheet and identify which positions — filter or espresso — will run out soon. We factor in ordering and delivery times, and proactively start searching for replacements.

As mentioned, we strive to maintain a product matrix with coffees of different processing methods. When our roaster sees "okay, I'm running out of washed coffee," he starts looking for a new lot with exactly that processing method.

But the criteria don't stop there, of course.

"If I'm running out of washed Kenyan coffee, I'll first look for washed Kenyan coffee. If there's no washed Kenyan available, I'll search for coffee with a similar flavor profile — most likely some African washed coffee. This could be Rwanda or Burundi, for example. Coffee that's at least similar in character, so we can replace the position not with exactly the same origin, but with a similar flavor profile.

I also try to curate coffees with different flavor profiles in our lineup. If for some reason I end up with two lots that taste similar, when one runs out, I'll replace it not with something similar, but with something completely different to make our selection even more diverse." – shares Oleg, our head roaster.

Working with suppliers

An additional criterion is supplier relationships. Those who've followed this channel for a while might remember our early shipping struggles and coffee stuck in customs.

It's much more reliable and cost-effective to work with one or two suppliers with broad selections than with numerous small ones, ordering one or two microlots each and overpaying for shipping. By purchasing several bags of excellent coffee from small suppliers, we immediately exceed all our pricing ranges.

We prefer to "invest" in the beans themselves rather than building transportation costs into the price.

Seasonality matters

We don't forget about seasonality. Each country produces coffee in its own season. There are several countries like Brazil and Colombia that do this almost year-round because they have large territories and farms in completely different regions. Coffee grows in different conditions, so they can spread harvest throughout the year.

Other countries don't have this luxury — farmers can harvest 1-2 times per year, and that's it. Because of this factor, during certain periods we encounter "not available" notices.

Understanding coffee "Blind"

Just as we recently presented our updated website to help you choose, suppliers provide all the necessary information about green beans — moisture content, density, Q-score, flavor characteristics, variety. Based on this information and experience, we understand what this coffee will be like.

The next stage is ordering samples from suppliers and cupping. It's important to note that we're not testing the roast (because we have our own roasting approach), but the coffee's potential — how we can adjust the roasting profile.

The Q-Score factor

We have criteria for Q-scores too. Usually we don't work with filter coffee below 86 points, but sometimes you take coffee scoring 84-85 points and it turns out incredibly good after roasting. Then our customers get excellent coffee characteristics at a reasonable price.

The complete picture

Now you know that behind every bag on the shelf lies an entire decision-making system. Each time we select a new lot, we think about how it fits into the bigger picture, how it complements what we already have, and what new experience it brings to your cup.

Because ultimately, this entire complex process serves one purpose — so that when you open a bag, brew your coffee, and think: "Yes, this is exactly what I needed."