Whole Bean vs Ground Coffee – Which to Pick (Expert Guide)

What Is Whole Bean Coffee

As we can also easily understand from the name, whole coffee beans are just whole beans that are only roasted but not ground. They are the first option of many coffee lovers to store their coffee for longer periods of time and still fresh. In this way, you can get your favorite coffee beans however you like; you can roast them by your taste and store your favorite flavor longer.  

Benefits of Whole Bean Coffee

The benefits of having whole coffee beans and storing your coffee as-is are limitless, but we are here to state some most important ones for the quality of your coffee. First of all, whole beans stay longer in their highest quality. Their shelf life is longer than ground coffee.

Whole beans can stay fresh for up to one month, which is a very long time for you to ground your own coffee and enjoy it the same way at all times. With whole beans, as you decide the size of your grind, you can go for whatever brewing method you like. That gives you so much freedom to create your coffee compared to ground coffee. 

How Does Whole Bean Coffee Work

For many people, whole bean coffee is the best option as soon as that is accessible. In many cases, you can obtain whole beans from your local store or you can order them online. The first step is definitely obtaining them; then, you need to find a good way to store them. Any dry and ambient area is great to store your coffee; it needs to be away from excessive moisture and odor.

You may need to roast them if they are not roasted already. In this case, a simple pan will go a long way and you can easily find the perfect roast taste for you. Let’s get into making your coffee pretty briefly; first, you need to grind it. You can use a premium French press coffee grinder. After grinding it as you like, you can use any brewing method you like and enjoy your freshly made tasty coffee.  

Pros and Cons of Whole Bean Coffee

Pros

• Stays fresh for a longer time.
• You will be able to try different brewing styles.
• Ground size can also be adjustable with whole beans.

Cons

• Requires extra time to ground every time.
• You may need extra equipment to ground/brew your coffee.

How to Keep Whole Bean Coffee Longevity 

Keeping your coffee as fresh as the day you bought it is as important as brewing it properly. Freshness is the key to better-tasting coffee; after all, nobody wants to say hi to a morning with a stale coffee. So “how do I do that,” you ask? There are only some very simple and certain steps you need to take; 

Step 1 – Adjust and take care of your moisture level

The oils inside the coffee are water-soluble, which is good; they are the main ingredients of coffee that give it its unique flavor. Once you pour hot water, you will be enjoying that beauty, but it also means once it comes into contact with moisture, your coffee will start losing its flavor. So adjust the moisture level in your storage as low as possible. 

Step 2 –  Prevent oxidation

Oxidation (which basically occurs when anything comes in contact with oxygen, aka air) causes the natural chemicals in coffee to degradate. When that happens, coffee goes stale and loses its taste and flavor. Oxidation occurs more in ground coffee and if you are using whole beans, you need to brew it right away.

Step 3 – Grind it

This loss of carbon dioxide causes coffee to lose its flavor. Grinding your coffee and storing it incorrect fastens this process. 

Step 4 – Keep light away from your coffee

Funny enough, the light will cause your coffee to lose its flavor. That’s because there are flavor compounds in your coffee that are degraded by light. So make sure that your coffee gets enough sleep.  

There you go! These are the main steps you need to take to keep your whole beans as fresh as possible. Also, don’t forget to get your coffee in smaller batches if you cannot finish the whole bag within 7-10 days.  

 

How to Brew Whole Bean Coffee 

Brewing the perfect mug for your everyday coffee is just a couple of steps away from you. Here we will be providing a step-by-step guide about how to brew whole bean coffee properly. 

Step 1 – Obtain your coffee

For this, you can go to your local market, visit your local coffee shop or shop online. These days you can find whole bean coffee even in Starbucks. 

Step 2 – Grind it

For this, you can use grinders. You need to work with the grinder that grinds the coffee to the size you like it. If you don’t have much space for extra equipment in your kitchen, you can also go for automatic machine coffee makers with a built-in grinder. For example, a Keurig coffee maker can be a stylish accessory for your kitchen. 

Step 3 – Brew it

Make sure to use the ground coffee right away as it will state very fast once it is ground. As you are grinding it yourself, you can choose whatever size you want to achieve, depending on your brewing method. What method you should be using is totally up to your own personal choice! New technology machines with vacuum brewing mechanisms allow you to apply minimum heat, therefore, obtaining the perfect coffee. 

Step 4 – Temperature and time

Ideal brewing temperature and time decide to be 95C and 8 minutes for coffee, but of course, that completely depends on your personal preference. These days, most automatic coffee makers also offer pre-set programs to brew your coffee, which makes it so much easier. 

There you go! There are golden steps you need to follow to achieve the most delicious coffee for your enjoyment. Of course, don’t forget to use quality water and store your coffee correctly to get the best results.   

 

What Is Ground Coffee

Ground coffee is actually is like the normal coffee that you can get from a store. It’s either in a particle or a dust form in the packaging. You can find many different options of ground coffee in your local coffee shop, market and even Starbucks. When making your own coffee at home, having ground coffee comes with both pros and cons. We are here to evaluate the situation considering all these.   

Benefits of a Ground Coffee

First, the biggest benefit of having ground coffee must be the ability to prepare your coffee without grinding it first. If you are the kind of person that needs to be on the go at all times, then ground coffee is just for you.

The preparation takes a long time with bean coffee, so that that ground coffee will be a lifesaver for you. Also, depending on where you live, finding whole bean coffee might not be the best option for you. If that’s the case, ground coffee is much easier to find and obtain for many people. 

How Does Ground Coffee Work

Ground coffee -being pretty self-explanatory- is coffee that you can obtain already in a crushed, particulate form. Once you obtain your coffee, all you need to do is brewing it as you normally would. Although it is easy to obtain and easy to brew, it won’t give you the robust full flavor that whole bean coffee will provide.

That has a couple of reasons, first is being the shelf life of ground coffee which is obviously lower than the whole beans’ because ground coffee is in touch with oxygen a lot more than whole beans. Another downside of having ground coffee might be not being able to choose the ground size. Since the ground size is directly related to the brewing method, you may have trouble choosing the brewing style you want. 

Pros and Cons of Ground Coffee

Pros

• Faster than whole bean coffee because it is already grounded.
• Easier to obtain than whole bean coffee.

Cons

• You can only brew with certain brewing types.
• You can’t choose what kind of roast you want easily.
• You can’t know what is exactly into your coffee.
• Might not be as fresh/tasty as whole beans.

How to Brew Ground Coffee 

As we already have gone over how to brew whole bean coffee, it would be a shame to leave the ground beans aside. So here is a complete guide on how to brew ground coffee. 

Step 1 – Get your coffee

You can visit your local market and coffee shops to get it. In most coffee shops, you will also have the opportunity to choose your ground blend from actual beans and they can grind it for you right there.

Step 2 – Brew your coffee

The grind size of your coffee will determine the brewing method, so you might be a little limited if you are not sure about the grind size or you only have the opportunity to obtain a certain size. One of the best methods to brew ground coffee is on the stove since they help you brew with minimal equipment. You can experience making an incredible cup of coffee using a percolator since they are the world’s best stovetop espresso maker.

Step 3 – Adjust the water temperature and time

Most coffee experts suggest having water at 95c for 8 minutes for the best coffee experience. Since taste is a personal preference, you can adjust that. If you have an automatic coffee brewer, it will make the best adjustments for your taste which is so much easier. 

There you go! Now you know how to brew the best coffee. Don’t forget to try out new recipes and add some fun to your routine if you feel like it. Creams, milk, sweeteners, sugar and syrups are all amazing additives to your coffee! 

Also, never forget to lean your equipment afterward for a better coffee experience every time.   

 

Whole Bean vs Ground Coffee Comparison

Expiration

When it comes to shelf-life,  whole bean coffee can preserve its taste and quality longer than ground coffee. The reason for that is gound coffee has a larger surface area. Therefore it gets, in contact with oxygen a lot more than whole bean coffee, causing it to lose flavor over time. So if you plan to store your coffee for a longer period of time, you better go for whole beans. 

Regardless of the type, the coffee always needs to be stored in an ambient environment away from moisture and odor. Improper storage conditions cause coffee to lose its unique flavor and go stale. 

Taste

Taste doesn’t differ drastically between whole beans and ground coffee unless we talk about the blends. In that case, getting whole beans allows you to know which type of beans you are having, so the taste will be unique and richer. Ground coffee, especially store-bought, is mostly mixed with different blends, which might have a mixed taste. 

Flavor

Whole beans being processed less help them to maintain a better, more packed taste. Not being processed further than roasting really allows whole beans to give the coffee’s full flavor into your drink. Not being as flavorful as whole beans, ground coffee is still delightful; in fact, it is easier with ground coffee to mix flavors. Because of this, many coffee enthusiasts prefer groud coffee and mix different blends to create a unique drink. 

Ease and Accessibility

When it comes to accessibility and method, whole beans are more suited for people who want to take their time in the roasting and brewing process. Although it takes more time, it gives you the freedom to experience the roast and the grind size.

Therefore you can also decide your brew type. Pre-ground coffee definitely helps you with time since you don’t have to grind it yourself and brewing ground coffee is pretty straightforward.  

Grind Size

Grinding size is directly affected by the brewing method and the taste of the coffee; it’s definitely one of the most important factors to consider whether you are grinding coffee yourself or buying pre-grounded coffee. Getting whole bean coffee and grinding your own definitely gives you the freedom to choose the grind size and therefore play around with your blend and brew. You also need a grinder to grind your coffee. 

Brewing Methods

One of the main things that help you choose the brewing method is actually the grind size. If you get ground coffee, you may not have such freedom to choose your brewing method. Drip coffee machines use a medium grind size, French presses require a coarser grind size, and an espresso maker needs a very fine grind size.

If you are the kind of person that likes routine and goes with one brewing method at all times, then ground coffee is an amazing option for you. 

Time

Even though we might think… time, what do you even mean? Time is a very important aspect when it comes to coffee. Most of us drink coffee every day! So how much time we are spending on coffee is a big deal.

If you have time to prepare yourself a cup every morning, of course, getting whole bean coffee is the best option for you, but if you are running late all the time because well… sleep. Then ground coffee is the best option for you. Either way, don’t forget to use a stainless steel coffee mug that keeps your coffee warm for hours. 

Drinking Frequency and Volume

It’s important to go through the amount of coffee you drink since it will directly be effective when you have the coffee on your counter. If you can’t finish an average-sized bag in 7-10 days, you better get whole beans since they have more shelf life. 

Cost

When it comes to cost usually the whole beans are more expensive compared to the ground coffee. That’s because when producing the whole beans, the producer needs to give more attention to the quality of the beans, whereas you can easily get a mixed quality of ground beans.

Especially specific blends will surely be a lot more expensive than regular ground coffee. Still, it usually worths the extra money because of the experience like Vietnamese coffee has incredible flavor and aroma. 

FAQ About the Whole Bean vs Ground Coffee

Do coffee beans stay fresh longer than the ground?

Yes, they do! That’s mainly because of the surface area. When the coffee beans are grounded, they get exposed to oxygen and other degrading factors, so they get stale a lot faster than whole beans. 

Are whole beans cheaper than ground coffee?

Definitely not. Most of the time, whole beans coffee is better coffee because the producers take more time and effort to select each coffee bean to provide a standard rather than blend everything. So you will get a better quality true blend with whole beans. That alone makes the whole bean coffee more expensive than ground coffee, but of course, if you are buying a special blend of ground coffee, that wouldn’t be cheap either.  

Is whole bean coffee healthier?

Cmon, do you really think that should be a question? If you are buying from a trustable provider and you know your coffee, they’re no such a thing as “healthier” when it comes to whole or ground beans. Whole beans are turned into ground coffee as well… So are they healthier …meh, not really. The only thing to consider is how trustable is your ground coffee. If it is %100 coffee, you are good to go. 

Do you get more coffee buying whole beans or ground?

We would say they are the same. The only thing is that the whole beans will last longer. This means with the same amount of ground and whole bean coffee, you may need to throw some ground coffee away faster if you can’t finish it. Other than that, the difference in weight is very insignificant. 

What can I use to ground coffee beans?

You definitely need a grinder to ground your beans. There are many different grinders out there in the market; we sincerely suggest you stay away from blade grinders. If you have limited space, you may go for equipment that both can grind and brew for you, like a dual coffee maker allows you to brew various drinks. 

What is the cheapest coffee bean?

Usually, store-bought coffee beans are so much cheaper compared to getting coffee beans in a coffee shop. When we compare the blends, Arabica beans are cheaper than Robusta and the price goes higher; the uniqueness of a blend is going higher. So the answer to the question is, regular Arabica store-bought beans would be the cheapest beans possible. 

Can I grind coffee beans with a blender?

Theoretically, you can, but blade coffee grinders break off the beans’ unequal sizes and may cause the brewing to occur unevenly. That might be effective on the flavor of your coffee. Which also might cause you to lose some o that valuable coffee. You may get a manual coffee grinder that offers excellent grind quality.

Conclusion

To sum up, whole bean coffee is generally considered better coffee because each bean needs to be picked individually, which causes less fraud. While ground coffee, they can commit fraud with the blend and blend various coffee types, which causes mixed flavor. Meanwhile, trustable ground coffee is definitely not less good and comes with its benefits.

Ground coffee is so much faster since it does not require extra grinding time and you also don’t need extra equipment for it. Though if you are the kind of person that likes the experience of making your own coffee, getting whole bean coffee will allow you to play around with different roasting types, grinding sizes and brewing methods. 

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