What’s the difference between specialty coffee and supermarket coffee?

The difference between specialty coffee and supermarket coffee mainly lies in quality, flavour and origin. Specialty coffee is made from better coffee beans, is fresher and has more pronounced flavours. Supermarket coffee is often produced on a large scale and therefore tastes flatter and more consistent.

You really notice this difference when you taste both side by side. While specialty coffee has more depth and character, supermarket coffee often remains a bit bitter or one-dimensional.

By understanding where the difference comes from, you’ll experience coffee differently and can better choose what suits your taste.

What is specialty coffee?

Specialty coffee is high-quality coffee that scores 80 points or higher according to international standards. This coffee is carefully grown, selected and roasted, giving you more flavour and character in your cup.

In practice, this means you’re drinking coffee where everything is right: from the bean to the brewing. The origin of the coffee is often known (for example a specific region or farm) and there’s a lot of attention to how the coffee is processed.

What is supermarket coffee?

Supermarket coffee is coffee produced and sold on a large scale, aiming to provide a consistent and affordable flavour. The focus is less on quality and origin, and more on volume and price.

In practice, this means the coffee beans are often of varying quality and blended from different countries. This creates a flavour that is recognisable but usually less pronounced.

The difference between specialty coffee and supermarket coffee

Aspect Specialty coffee Supermarket coffee
Quality of the bean Selected beans of high quality Often blended beans of varying quality
Flavour More layered, fresh, sweet or complex Often flatter, more bitter and less pronounced
Origin Usually well traceable to country, region or farm Origin is often less clear
Freshness Often roasted more recently, with roast date indicated Usually sits longer on the shelf, roast date often missing
Roasting Roasted to bring out the bean’s flavours Often roasted darker for a consistent flavour
Price Usually more expensive due to higher quality and more care in the chain Often cheaper due to mass production
Experience More focus on tasting and discovering flavours More focused on convenience and recognisability

You can best summarise the difference as quality versus convenience. Specialty coffee is all about flavour, origin and freshness. Supermarket coffee is mainly intended to be affordable, accessible and consistent.

Why does specialty coffee taste different?

Specialty coffee tastes different because every step pays more attention to quality and flavour. You notice this especially through:

  • Better coffee beans: Beans with fewer defects and more natural flavour, giving you more depth.
  • More care in processing and selection: Coffee is picked and processed more carefully, resulting in a cleaner and purer flavour.
  • A roasting that highlights flavour notes: Instead of roasting everything dark, it’s roasted to emphasise specific flavours like chocolate or fruit.
  • More freshness from recent roasting: Fresh coffee contains more aroma, making your cup taste livelier and fuller.
  • Clearer coffee origin: Because you know where the coffee comes from, you taste unique characteristics of a region or farm.
  • More nuance in the cup: You don’t just taste bitterness, but also sweetness, freshness and complex flavours.

Is specialty coffee better?

Specialty coffee is generally better when you look at quality, flavour, freshness and origin, because the beans are selected more carefully, contain fewer defects and are roasted to better bring out the natural flavours, while supermarket coffee usually focuses on affordability, mass production and a consistent but often flatter flavour.

When do you choose specialty coffee?

You choose specialty coffee if you value more flavour, freshness and origin over just convenience, because this coffee lets you taste how much difference there is between beans, roasting and brewing method and is especially interesting if you want to enjoy your cup of coffee more consciously.

Frequently asked questions about specialty coffee
What exactly does specialty coffee mean?
Specialty coffee is coffee of high quality that scores at least 80 points according to international standards and is known for better beans, more flavour and clear origin.
Why is specialty coffee more expensive?
Specialty coffee is more expensive because more attention and work go into the entire process, from cultivation and selection to roasting and freshness, which results in higher quality and better flavour.
Is supermarket coffee worse?
Supermarket coffee is not necessarily bad, but it is less focused on quality and flavour, which means it is often flatter and more bitter than specialty coffee.
Can you brew specialty coffee at home?
You can brew specialty coffee at home with the right beans and a good brewing method, allowing you to get more flavour and nuance from your coffee at home too.