Table of contents
Guatemala
$ 7
| Varieties | Arabica, Bourbon, Pache, Catuai, Caturra, Typica |
| How to Serve | Typically served as black coffee in an Americano-style mug with sugar and milk to taste. |
| Flavor | Floral acidity with a chocolatey aftertaste sometimes. Some people say it has a hint of citrus as well |
| Recommended Machine | French Press, Pourover, Stovetop, and Cold Brew |
| Good As | Americano, Mocha, Latte, Doppio |
| Price Range | $7 – $19 for a 12oz pack |
| Caffeine Level | 0.4% |
Guatemala has one of the farthest-reaching coffee cultivation cultures. It’s said that Guatemalan coffee is the purest coffee one can drink. This wonderful country is full of culture and beautiful places to visit, however more than its other aspects it’s known for its coffee cultivation. Guatemala coffee quality is premium and it is affordable as well.
Guatemalan coffee has a distinctive taste. The flavors are quite immaculate for a black coffee, and the scent of the grounds is rather rich as well, with a black tea-like aroma to it, these coffee beans are unique to its landscape and culture.
The prices of Guatemalan coffee are quite fair. Most brands carry premium quality products for a fair amount of money in exchange for Guatemalan ground coffee. Shipping rates range from $3.30 to $4.00 per pound, depending on the area of the United States.
The country produces about a dozen different varieties of coffee, but the most common ones are:
| Arabica Beans | Bourbon Beans | Pache Beans |
| Catuai Beans | Caturra Beans | Typica Beans |
A cool fact about Guatemalan coffee is that many coffee stores, both well-known and small businesses, always have these beans as an option for their consumers. Roasted Guatemalan coffee costs between $7.00 and $19.00 per ounce in the United States despite how widely available it is. But being the fifth most popular coffee bean in the world will land you those prices.
Much like other countries known for their coffee, Guatemala is no different in variations of coffee landscapes and farms that are cultivating it across the country. There are many regions that are known for high-quality coffee in the country, but the most popular ones are Antigua, Atitlan, Huehuetenango, and Acetenango.
The Antigua region of Guatemala has produced some of the best coffee in the world’s history. This is very evident among the consumers and critics as Antigua is the place to be if you want to know about Guatemalan coffee. In terms of aroma, the coffee beans grown here have stagnant floral characteristics with undertones of citrus fruits.
Antigua coffee is spicy and smoky, with powerful overtones of chocolate and caramel on the palate. It also has nutty characteristics that are typical of other coffees from this region. The active Fuego volcano continues to deposit new minerals, making the soil fertile. The main advantages of this region are, of course, fertile land, a lot of rain, a steady temperature, and altitude, which is 5000 feet above sea level.
Coffees from the Atitlan region are recognized for their rich, fragrant flavor, spicy or flowery acidity, and heavy body. During the wet-processing of the coffee cherry, some farmers use the waters of Lake Atitlan, and subsequently, the coffee beans are sun-dried.
The coffee beans in this location are famous because of Lake Atitlán and the neighboring volcanoes, which are common in many parts of Guatemala. Most of Atitlán’s coffee beans are grown on the slopes of the volcanoes that surround the magnificent lake, making its soil one of the most mineral-rich of Guatemala’s five volcanic zones. The beans grown in the best Guatemalan coffee area provide a full-bodied cup with citrus undertones.
Huehuetenango features unique and delicate fruity flavors, a very light body that can occasionally be slightly buttery, a sweet flowery aroma, and a clean aftertaste that stays pleasantly on the palate.
The Huehuetenango region is the tallest and driest of Guatemala’s three non-volcanic regions. Despite its altitude of more than 6,500 feet, the location is protected from frost by mild winds from the Tehuantepec highlands in Mexico.
With beans grown in Acatenango, there’s a distinct note of sweet almonds, with touches of caramel and vanilla. Upfront, there’s a lot of juicy acidity, as well as some bitterness, fruit character, and a clean finish with dark chocolate and spice flavors. It is truly one of the best places to produce Guatemalan organic coffee. At 2,000 feet above sea level, the Acatenago region’s deep forests and cool temperatures, along with Pacific Ocean breeze gusts, allow the coffee beans to be sun-dried, adding some unique flavors to the coffee profile.
The coffee beans benefit from the region’s soil, which is rich in healthy volcanic minerals, as they are grown near the Fuego volcano.
We have done our research and have found five different brands that are available on Amazon that have the best of the best Guatemalan coffee. All of the coffee companies ethically source their coffee from Guatemala’s coffee regions and they always make sure to roast them according to the specifications of the coffee bean. All of the companies also have their own specific unique easy to package products and impose them into the world for all types of coffee lovers.
We pay attention to the following:
For more detailed information on how exactly we rate the coffee products we suggest in our guides, click here.
In this section of our guide for Guatemalan coffee beans, we are diving into the individual products of the brands we have found on Amazon.
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Price: $$34.99 (subject to change) (subject to change) |
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Size: 5 pounds |
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Type: Arabica |
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Roast: Medium-Dark |
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Producer: Don Pablo |
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Beans: Whole |
This is a fantastic product that produces a clean, full-flavored brew. I personally tried making it with a French Press but you can choose whichever you prefer. It keeps nicely in the bag after being opened and resealed, although I do store it in airtight plastic storage containers to keep it fresh.
You can get about a month out of the 5 pounds of coffee that is in the packaging. The pricing is absolutely unbeatable for such a premium quality Guatemala coffee. This is one of the best offers on the market for the price and quality it provides. The flavor is rich and dark, although not as dark as some others I’ve tried before. In fact, the acidity of this particular coffee brand is on the average side. This is the most expensive option in our top five list of Guatemala coffee brands, where the price is well worth the product’s quality. Additionally, the producer of the coffee has years of experience in the coffee industry and is incredibly eco-friendly.
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Price: $$24.95 (subject to change) (subject to change) |
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Size: 32 oz |
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Type: Arabica |
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Roast: Medium |
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Producer: Fresh Roasted COFFEE LLC |
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Beans: Whole |
I wasn’t expecting much, but I wanted to see whether you could find good 5-pound beans for about $30 or under that price range and this is pretty much how I discovered the brand called “Fresh Roasted Coffee LLC”. After doing intensive research on the brand and tasting the product firsthand I was fairly surprised that the taste of the coffee was not as bad as I thought it would be. This Guatemalan organic coffee is definitely not a premium quality however as a coffee enthusiast myself I still enjoyed the specific aroma and taste of this particular product. It is definitely a mid-range coffee with unique capabilities and aspects.
It turns out that you can indeed find a quality coffee under thirty dollars. I’ve been drinking it ever since it got delivered to me. As for the taste of this particular coffee, It’s dimly lit, but not incandescently so. It can even produce good Espresso with a thick crema. Because this blend is entirely made up of South and Middle American beans, it may be too “boring” for individuals who prefer African and Asian beans in their blend. At the present asking price, it’s a steal.
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Price: $$14.99 (subject to change) (subject to change) |
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Size: 12 oz |
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Type: Arabica |
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Roast: Medium |
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Producer: Finda Dos Marias |
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Beans: Ground |
Founded in 1969 to better the lives of smallholder coffee growers, Finda Dos Marias has grown to include over 20,000 coffee farmers. This brand is very conscientious about many aspects. For example, they ensure that all of their facilities are being improved and kept up to date. Additionally installing water pumps and constructing schools for the Guatemalan community.
As for the product itself, This particular option is coffee with a medium-strong body with subtle smoky undertones and a sweet rounded flavor. It’s a number four medium-strong roast and a hundred percent Guatemalan blend coffee. An education lesson on coffee, according to the back of the package. This coffee originates from the Federation, the cooperative of Agricole.
Overall this is not the best of the best but if you are on a tight budget and still want a relatively good product this is definitely the way to go. Even though this is a low range product regarding its price it is still a favorable option as the taste is fairly okay. Well worth a try.
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Price: $$19.99 (subject to change) (subject to change) |
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Size: 3 pounds |
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Type: Arabica |
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Roast: Medium-Dark |
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Producer: Pablo’s Pride |
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Beans: Whole |
This Guatemalan whole bean coffee is quite nice. It’s one of the best in its price range. A package of this particular product from Pablo’s Pride costs about 20 dollars. The flavor of it is quite variable for a mid-range product. It also has low acidity alongside the fact that it is medium dark which can be perfectly suitable for coffee lovers who prefer a product that is not incredibly strong.
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Price: $$5.49 (subject to change) (subject to change) |
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Size: 10 oz |
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Type: Arabica |
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Roast: Medium |
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Producer: Gevalia |
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Beans: Coarse Ground |
If you want to buy Guatemalan coffee for cheap with a company that has a good reputation, Gevalia Arabica is definitely a good option. This brand caters to both high and low-end consumers. I’ve long been a fan of and user of Gevalia coffee. Though several of my favorite flavors and blends are no longer available, I’ve still been loyal to the brand due to the fact that they always keep things interesting. If I can describe the company in one word it would be progressive as they constantly improve their products.
I’ve been brewing a medium roast Arabica blend for the past two months while experimenting with low-cost coffee products. During this process, I came across this Guatemala medium roast blend and decided to give it a try. This Guatemalan blend coffee combination has me completely enamored. The grind is coarser than other finer grinds, and the flavor is good, taking in mind the pricing of the product. In no way this is not a high-quality roast, however, if one is looking for a cheap Guatemala coffee this is a great option to have as it’s from a reliable company that always makes their products interesting.
But one thing that I need to outline is the company’s HQ itself. It is not a Guatemalan brand, but a Swedish one. They simply ethically source green coffee beans from numerous regions in Guatemala and roast them to perfection.
There are a few ways that you can brew Guatemalan coffee so we will go through the most common ones. In this section of the guide, we will be focusing on both traditional and modernized methodologies of making coffee with Guatemalan coffee beans.
The traditional method of making coffee in Guatemala is fairly simple to do. It’s very common within the country to do the following after picking the Guatemala coffee beans from the plantations.
Firstly the Guatemalans like to peel the beans and then wash them with cold water. After that they roast them, which is a very standardized process, they just throw all the washed beans on a silver platter and heat them up before eventually, they start to grind them up.
After the traditional process, they very much follow a pour-over method which is perfectly suited for these coffee beans.
While the specific processes vary depending on the type of coffee and the raw materials used, there are four essential parts to the process: raw coffee beans must be roasted, roasted coffee beans must be ground, ground coffee must be brewed for a specific amount of time, and liquid Guatemalan dark roast coffee can be made.
Check Out The Best Pour Overs Here
A French Press would be great to have to brew Guatemalan coffee beans. If you already have the French Press lying around in your kitchen all you will need to do is five simple steps.
Click here if you’d like to learn how to French Press like a pro.
When brewing any type of coffee, heating up the equipment is a crucial stage. Preheating your brewing equipment will prevent temperature fluctuations in your brew because the cold equipment and hot water will balance each other out. Preheating your French Press has the extra benefit of keeping your coffee hotter for longer. Make sure your Guatemalan ground coffee is kept at room temperature as well.
The amount of coffee you measure out is mostly determined by the size of your French Press and the amount of coffee you desire. A medium-coarse grind is best for a basic procedure, but a medium grind is best for the advanced versions. For coffee presses, the standard ratio you should aim for is 1:15. This equates to one ounce of coffee to fifteen ounces of water.
Check Out Top 5 French Presses
A Drip coffee maker is great for Guatemalan coffee beans. These beans can be used to make a coffee that is more suited for drip. The roast is what sets it apart. When you roast a coffee light, it has higher acidity in general. Because of the extended extraction time with a drip, you taste less acidity. Acid flavors are strong in an Espresso that is distinctive. To acquire the nutty and chocolate tones that most people enjoy in an Espresso, coffees are roasted darker.
To begin, filter the basket up to 1/2 inch from the top. I also build a small indentation in the center of the coffee grounds to prevent them from sluicing out when the water reaches that volume of dry grounds. Because the inside spray function on my machine isn’t very good, I give it a gentle kick to keep the Guatemalan ground coffee from exploding over the edge. It fulfills my requirements perfectly.
Click Here to Learn About Drip Machines
A Precision Brewer is a great way to make a cold brew for a hot summer day with Guatemalan coffee beans.
Measure and crush your beans to your preferred taste; for every 6 ounces of water use roughly 14-16 grams of beans before grinding them up. If you haven’t done so before, grind to “medium.” I prefer a fine grind for some roasts, while coarser settings produce a “sweeter” outcome for others. Your results may vary. Fill the container with the measured coffee. After doing so pour in a little amount of chilled water.
Swirl the mixture of the Guatemala coffee beans for a few minutes until all of the grinds are moistened. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours before serving. I prefer 18 to 24 hours. Separate the grounds from the coffee as much as possible by decanting them into a separate container. Pour over ice, drink it straight away. The secret to a good cold brew is in the perfect coffee-to-water ratio. You want to make it a lot stronger if you’re going to put ice in it. If you’re going to consume it in large containers you’ll want it to be much weaker. It’s all a matter of personal preference when it comes to the right ratio.
Cold Brew Machines & Guide Here
This section is where we recommend what types of coffee people should make from Guatemala beans. Not all types of coffee brewing methods are compatible with the specific capacities of Guatemala coffee beans. Americano is the most optimal choice for this type of coffee beans to be made with. Additionally, other suitable brewing methods include Mocha, Doppio, and Espresso. There are also a couple of methods that one should consider avoiding making completely as they are not suitable to the specific aspects of Guatemala coffee beans.
Americano is the most commonly brewed type of coffee with Guatemalan coffee beans. If you have access to an Espresso Machine, an Americano is one of the easiest coffee drinks to create. It’s a freshly brewed Espresso shot that’s been diluted with hot water. This can be done with various ratios. I recommend five ounces of hot water for every ounce of Espresso as it is a relatively standard starting point. Depending on the strength of coffee you prefer, this ratio can be modeled according to your taste. Check down below to see our guide on making an Espresso. To put it another way, a twelve-ounce Americano would be made with two ounces of Espresso and ten ounces of hot water.
A Mocha is usually a combination of some type of chocolate syrup, Espresso, and steamed milk.
In this particular case adding a little bit of chocolate helps enhance the already pre-existing chocolatey flavor of Guatemalan beans. The natural chocolate flavor profile of these coffee beans distinguishes them from others. Most coffee shops use chocolate syrup to sweeten the coffee, while some boutique coffee shops utilize cacao powder to give the drink a stronger natural flavor.
At Starbucks, a Mocha is created using Guatemalan organic coffee with a particular recipe. To make it, combine all of the ingredients (cold bar of mocha, Espresso, chocolate syrup) in a blender, then top with whipped cream.
Thanks to the lower acidity of Guatemala coffee, a double espresso, aka Doppio is the perfect way to brew it. The majority of the time the taste and specific matters are determined by the coffee beans. normally you should go up to 0.7 ounces and make slightly shorter doubles.
With some mild roasted new wave single origins, you should use slightly more amounts of coffee specifically around 1.2 ounces for the final drink.
Follow these simple steps to make a perfect Doppio:
A Detailed Guide for Doppio Here
Guatemala coffee is also good as a regular Espresso, not just as a double Espresso.
To produce proper Espresso with Guatemalan ground coffee, you’ll need to apply some pressure throughout the brewing process to extract the oils that form the creamy coating that distinguishes real espresso. Many people brewed their own true Espresso for decades before the corporate coffee companies swept in.
Here are the steps you need to follow:
Check Our Espresso Brewing Masterclass
Not all coffee types are suitable for Guatemalan coffee beans, and that’s not really something to worry about. I have a few versions I wouldn’t recommend making, but note that this is my subjective view. You can go ahead and try these brews anyway.
Mazagran – the added lemon that is typical with Mazagran isn’t a great suit for Guatemalan beans which already have bright acidity. Why add more acidity to an already acidic drink?
Cappuccino – the added steamed milk dilutes the Guatemalan bean taste way too much, leaving you with a very light coffee. I personally think that Guatemalan beans should be used to make strong coffee, which is why I don’t really like them as a Cappuccino.
Latte – pretty much the same reason as with a Cappuccino. But with Latte it’s worse as the coffee to milk ratio is much larger on the milk side.
