ARE YOU A COFFEE SNOB AND WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?
date
February 16, 2024.
category
blog
reading time
5 min
Can you guess the origin and altitude of your favorite brand of coffee right away? When someone mentions SL28 to you, you know it’s not a car model, but a variety of Arabica coffee grown in Kenya…You carry a coffee grinder as part of a mandatory accessory on vacation, or even just on a weekend in the mountains…When you come to your neighbor’s house, after she puts the water pot on, you subtly point out that you prefer Arabica to Robusta.
If you recognized yourself in at least one of the above statements, it means that you have successfully earned the title of coffee snob.
Can your strange behavior be somehow explained in a positive way? Is it really that bad to strive for quality and look for a damn tasty cup of coffee?
People who are passionate coffee drinkers at one point in their lives realize that just one cup of coffee can be a total “game changer”, and after that life becomes a constant search for finding a new, best, finest cup of coffee.
Regardless of whether you are the type of coffee drinker who searches the Internet for new and exciting brands and flavors or someone who believes that the brewing method is the key to a great cup of coffee, it is natural that you will pick up “a few” new pieces of information during your coffee adventure.
Although the term “coffee snob” can have a negative connotation, as it is sometimes associated with pretentiousness or being overly critical, people who are considered coffee snobs simply have a passion for coffee and enjoy exploring its various aspects.
So according to one definition, a coffee snob can be anyone who can’t go a day without coffee. Coffee is truly an art form, and a true coffee enthusiast will be happy to research different types of coffee. You are deep in the world of coffee if you know the origin, history, tradition, culture and varieties of different types of coffee.
A true coffee lover will never settle for average coffee – he simply wants the best quality coffee beans.
If you don’t have to say anything other than “hi” in your favorite coffee shop, and the waiter starts making your favorite coffee as soon as you enter the door – that would also be the feature of an excellent and passionate coffee drinker.
In addition, the coffee snob is an adventurer and is constantly looking for new, trendy cafes. They know which neighborhood cafe offers the best coffee and where you can find the best roaster in town.
He searches the web to find out which coffee shops serve the most legitimate beans.
A coffee expert knows the jargon of the coffee industry very well, so when he hears a discussion about single origin or blend coffees at the next table, he is very happy to share his opinion with arguments…In addition, he has a developed opinion about coffee and does not hesitate to express it.
A passionate coffee lover often prefers specialty coffee, and is sometimes skeptical of mainstream coffee. You need to know how to recognize these subtle nuances in the taste of coffee, so the enthusiastic coffee lover will appreciate those with rich flavor profiles and aromas. Experiment? Why not? The same coffee can have a completely different taste if it is roasted differently or brewed in a different way.
And no less important, coffee fanatics have a real small altar for coffee in their home, a certain part of the shelf (or cabinet) where at least six types of coffee stand with all the appropriate props.
Coffee snobbery reached new extremes during the pandemic, when the desire to recreate drinks at home that we couldn’t buy in cafes at the time led people to invest much more time in finding the right accessories to perfect their coffee brewing skills.
This has resulted in increased demand for home coffee making devices such as espresso machines, coffee grinders, French presses and others. For many, this obsession has become a ritualized act that includes different types of coffee, the art of brewing it, special specialized coffee machines.
Yes, people today simply understand coffee better, and that’s because of all the scientific research and technology that has improved our knowledge of the black gold. As a result, the coffee industry has exploded with new ways to prepare and enjoy coffee. The old guard, which recognizes only “Turkish”, is not happy about this change, but the world is changing, and rules are there to be broken. It is no surprise that a new term “coffee snob” has been coined. It really isn’t. Because the universe of coffee is full of myths and surprises.
So if you run away from your favorite coffee shop because your favorite waiter suddenly took the day off and if you do not under any circumstances settle for average beans, whatever that means for you – welcome to the elite world where there is no compromise when it comes to the perfect cup of coffee!