In this piece, we will take a look at the 15 highest quality coffee beans in the world. If you want to skip our overview of the global coffee industry, an introduction to how coffee companies have evolved over the years, and other recent trends and news, then you can check out 5 Highest Quality Coffee Beans In The World.
When we talk about coffee, it can very well be argued that just like gasoline, the beverage is responsible for a lot of work that takes place in the world. Companies such as Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) are multi-billion dollar enterprises that are capable of selling millions of coffee cups a day. Coffee powers up officer workers during their lunch and break times, making sure that the monotonous working environment of the modern day office does not lead to any productivity drops.
Apart from being crucial for productivity, coffee's history also makes it quite important when we talk about social gatherings. Beverages such as coffee and tea are consumed by vast chunks of the global population, a fact that is evident when we consider that in 2021, China, the world's biggest tea producer, produced a whopping 3 million tons of beverage. Insider Monkey also took a look at global tea production in terms of unprocessed tea leaves. This also revealed that China was the world's biggest tea producer as it churned out a cool 13.76 million tons of tea leaves in 2021.
Coming back to coffee, there are a lot of coffee stocks that are available for trading on the stock market apart from Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX). Just like they do with high growth sectors such as technology, hedge funds also invest in coffee stocks. Some broader factors that can influence coffee stocks are quite similar to what one would expect from energy stocks. For instance, for commodities such as coffee, weather plays an important role in ensuring global supply chain stability. A destroyed coffee crop creates imbalances in the supply chain and prevents processors' ability to meet the requirements of their customers. Negative weather disruptions drive prices higher, and other factors include political turmoil in major coffee producing countries. Insider Monkey took a look at the forecasted coffee production of countries for the marketing year 2023/2024 as part of our coverage of the Top 20 Coffee Producing Countries in the World to discover that the three top coffee producing countries in the world are Brazil, Vietnam, and Colombia.
Shifting to coffee stocks, when it comes to the number of hedge funds out of the 910 that were part of Insider Monkey's database for the third quarter of last year, seven companies saw more than twenty hedge fund investors. Among the 11 Best Coffee Stocks to Invest In, the top three were The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR), Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX), and McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD), with 41, 60, and 70 hedge fund investors, respectively. Looking at the recent news surrounding the more coffee focused companies in this list such as Restaurant Brands International Inc. (NYSE:QSR), The J.M. Smucker Company (NYSE:SJM), and Starbucks, all three have exhibited a degree of financial stability during the highly inflationary environment that has characterized consumer spending patterns in 2023 and before. Among the trio, J.M. Smucker has beaten analyst EPS estimates in all of its four latest quarters, while the other two have missed estimates only for the fiscal results of Q4 2022.
These firms are responsible for delivering the processed coffee bean to the consumer and they lie downstream in the global coffee supply chain. A coffee bean goes through a long process from the seeds that are planted in countries such as Brazil before it can make it to a bottle of Nestlé S.A. (OTC:NSRGY)'s instant coffee. Coffee beans are roasted after being harvested, with this part in the production process responsible for different blends such as Arabica and Robusta. A coffee's flavor depends on the time that the coffee bean spends being roasted, after which it is ground up and then prepared into a ready made form for daily consumption.
As to the outlook of the global coffee industry, it's quite bright when we consider comments made by the management of Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) during a recent earnings call where they shared:
The outstanding financial returns of new stores give us confidence we will reach our goal of 9,000 stores by 2025, opening nearly 1,000 net new stores every year. Finally, the September opening of the China Coffee Innovation Park, designed to be our most energy-efficient and sustainable coffee manufacturing and distribution center in the world, further signaled our commitment to the largest consumer market in the world and the growth of our business in China for China. We look forward to sharing more on the headroom we see in China later today. The momentum against the backdrop of headwinds in China this past year gives us optimism in our position and affirm our distinctive competitive advantages for our business. These advantages include our uplifting partners, including our China leadership team, our distinctive stores, our vertically integrated and highly digitized efficient operations, and our relevant innovation.
With these details in mind, let's take a look at some of the best quality coffee beans in the world.
15 Highest Quality Coffee Beans In The World
A close-up of a freshly roasted coffee bean, accompanied by a vintage aluminum scoop.
Our Methodology
To make our list of the highest quality coffee beans in the world, we consulted eight (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8) sources and assigned each coffee bean a score according to its ranking. Then, if a bean did not appear on a list, it was assigned a score of 11, and the scores were averaged. Finally, the top 15 coffee beans with the lowest scores were chosen and ranked accordingly. While the beans were typically classified according to their country of origin, if a particular kind of bean was present in multiple sources, its name was also mentioned - leading to multiple entries from the same country on our list.
By the way, Insider Monkey is an investing website that tracks the movements of corporate insiders and hedge funds. By using a similar consensus approach, we identify the best stock picks of more than 900 hedge funds investing in US stocks. The top 10 consensus stock picks of hedge funds outperformed the S&P 500 Index by more than 140 percentage points over the last 10 years (see the details here). Whether you are a beginner investor or professional one looking for the best stocks to buy, you can benefit from the wisdom of hedge funds and corporate insiders.
Highest Quality Coffee Beans In The World
15. El Salvadoran
Insider Monkey's Score: 10.125
El Salvador is a Central American country that has had a historic relationship with coffee. Coffee beans have been grown in the country for decades now, and like Brazilian coffee, El Salvadoran growers are also known for their bourbon breeds that lend a fruity taste to the beverage.
14. Nicaraguan
Insider Monkey's Score: 10
Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America. Coffee has been growing in the country for more than a century now. The primary Nicaraguan coffee bean growing regions are San Marcos, Nueva Segovia, Jinotepe, and Lake Nicaragua. The coffee industry is a crucial sector of Nicaragua's economy, and along with other agricultural products such as food and cotton, accounts for a large portion of the economy.
13. Brazilian
Insider Monkey's Score: 9.5
Brazil is one of the biggest coffee producing countries in the world. Estimates show that as much as 30% of the total global coffee production comes from Brazil, making Brazilian coffee beans important for the stability of the global coffee industry. Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Espiritos Santos account for most of Brazilian coffee bean production. Due to its scope, Brazil also has a well developed coffee bean processing industry. Thousands of companies sell Brazilian coffee beans, and the industry for instant coffee is much less saturated.
12. Ethiopian Harrar
Insider Monkey's Score: 9.25
The Ethiopian Harrar is one of the most well known coffee beans in the world. It is a dry processed coffee bean, which is quite flavorful when compared to some other Ethiopian coffee beans. The Harrar is also one of the oldest coffee beans in the world, and the fact that it is dry roasted means that generations of coffee roasters pass down the right skill through time.
11. Panamanian
Insider Monkey's Score: 9
Panama is a Central American country that is also one of the smallest in the world when it comes to the area. The bulk of Panamanian coffee production is Arabica, and one of the best known Panamanian coffee beans is the Gesha bean. One major reason that Gesha is popular is because it offers drinkers a complete taste palate ranging from flavors such as tea to a more fruity touch.
10. Guatemalan
Insider Monkey's Score: 8.875
Guatemala is another Central American country. Guatemalan coffee beans are typically grown in the Antigua and Atitlan regions of the country. Guatemala also ranks its coffees by the altitude at which the coffee beans are grown, with higher altitude coffee beans thought to be better.
9. Tanzania Peaberry
Insider Monkey's Score: 8.625
The peaberry coffee bean is different from standard coffee beans due to its flavor and aroma. One of the best coffee beans in the world is the Tanzania Peaberry. The Tasmanian Peaberry coffee bean is grown near Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru - providing it with the desired elevation characteristics for a stronger flavor.
8. Mexican
Insider Monkey's Score: 8.375
Most of the Mexican coffee beans are of the Arabica variety. Mexico's large land border with the U.S. also means that a large portion of its coffee bean exports head to America. Most Mexican coffee beans are produced in four states, and producers also have to contend with disease to keep up their output.
7. Brazilian Bourbon Santos
Insider Monkey's Score: 7.875
The Brazilian Bourbon Santos is a special kind of Brazilian coffee bean that is grown in Minas Gerais. This particular coffee bean is known for its chocolatey undertones and low acidity.
6. Indonesian
Insider Monkey's Score: 7.5
Indonesia is one of the few countries in the world whose coffee beans are primarily of the Robusta variety. One feather that the Indonesian coffee industry has in its cap is the kopi luwak coffee bean. This bean has often been the most expensive coffee bean in the world, with prices exceeding $1,000 for some bean varieties.
