Coffee Beans From Aldi? Yes! Affordable and Pleasant!

_{At Beans and Burrs, we are amateur coffee lovers. We intend to write coffee reviews in a way that makes sense to regular coffee drinkers. All opinions expressed here are our own.}

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One day my wife came back from our local Aldi store and gave me two bags of whole bean coffee, triumphally claiming that she paid less than $5 for each. Let me clarify this, I am not a coffee snob, but I am usually getting my coffee from a local roaster or shipping freshly roasted coffee bags. So I am used to drinking excellent stuff. I must admit that the first thing I thought was, “coffee beans from Aldi at that price? How bad will it be?”. The answer: “much better than expected.”

I brewed those beans with different methods and tasted them to provide a fair review. I always kept in mind that it costs up to three times less than fresh coffee from a good roaster ($12 to $18 for 12oz).

Meet Aldi Whole Bean:

Simply Nature – Fair Trade Certified Organic Single Origin Whole Bean | Peru or Honduras. Price: $4.99

What does Fair Trade Certified Organic coffee mean?

Fair Trade coffee must fulfill the standards set by a particular Fair Trade organization (here, Fairtrade) certifying them.

“Fairtrade changes the way trade works through better prices, decent working conditions, and a fairer deal for farmers and workers in developing countries.”

Certified USDA organic means that all steps between the farm and the store have been verified organic. Organic certification requires that farmers and handlers document their processes and get inspected every year.

Both coffees claim to be committed to product quality and environmental care. They also focus on improving their community’s quality of life by providing educational scholarships to children of workers’ families.

Awards for Aldi coffee beans

In 2019, Those two whole bean coffee bags received the American Masters Of Taste Superior Taste Gold Medal Seal from Chefs in America! And in 2020, they won the Chefs Best Award.

The ChefsBest® is an independent judging organization dedicated to recognizing and honoring America’s Best food and food-related products. They are not only Best tasting and America’s Best but also the highest quality! 

Let’s take a backseat

I will be candid; I will not reveal that this secret $5.00 coffee is better than a fresh $20 award-winning coffee. This is not the point, and that is not what this coffee is supposed to be. It is suitable for what it is: a perfectly decent inexpensive option from a grocery store, and I am more than OK with that. 

I had the chance to sample delicious coffee at home or in various renowned coffee shops. I would say that my standards are very high. Yet, I’m afraid I have to disagree with many connoisseurs in coffee discussions who automatically dismiss anything that is not a fresh specialty coffee. You see, sometimes, you need something simple and “basic.” You do not always enjoy high quality and subtlety. Sometimes, going back to something “good enough” allow you to appreciate “incredible” better. If you only consume the best quality, you tend not to notice it anymore.

Like for wine and whiskey, you don’t always want complexity, layers, and perfection. Sometimes, you want a good drink without thinking about it and paying a fortune for it.

I encourage you to watch this video from James Hoffmann, “What No One Tells You About Learning To Taste.” 

“If everything you drink is special, then nothing is special.”

Just because something isn’t “perfect” doesn’t mean it has nothing of value. 

Let’s review the Single Origin Whole Bean | Peru 

Medium roast, 100% Organic Arabica coffee.

Smell

Opening the bag, it smells OK, not great, like most beans from the grocery store that are probably a few months old already. There is no substitute for freshness; that is no surprise here. This impression is confirmed by the beans’ shiny (oily) appearance. With time oil migrates from the inside of the beans to the surface. The beans look a bit dark for being labeled as a medium roast.

Pour-over

Espresso

I expected things to collapse as espresso and getting a thin, watery, harsh coffee. Instead, I end up with a medium body, reasonably thick, nutty sweet, and easy to drink espresso, with some bitterness but nothing offensive. From the beans’ look, I expected it to taste “ashy,” like most Starbucks beans, but there is none of that. It does not leave any unpleasant aftertaste. I find it a bit flat but certainly not unpleasant.

You might want to read: How to Make Your First Espresso Shots?

and 7 Essential Accessories That Will Improve Your Espresso Routine

Americano

Next, I prepared another espresso and poured it into a hot water cup to taste it as an Americano (Americano recipe, here). Unlike the pour-over and the straight shot of espresso, there is an added “brightness,” a pleasant acidity. It makes an enjoyable cup of coffee.

Let’s review the Single Origin Whole Bean | Honduras 

Medium roast, 100% Organic Arabica coffee.

Smell

The experience when opening the bag is the same as with the Peruvian.

Americano

As an Americano, the first thing I appreciate is the lack of bitterness. It is sweet, round, with a pleasant caramel taste. A bit unexciting but very easy to drink and enjoyable as an everyday coffee.

Espresso

It is a bit less “bright” than the Peruvian, sweeter as an espresso. It is an easy espresso with a dark chocolate flavor, a bit of a “grassy” vegetal note. There is no acidity at all. Bitterness is moderate. It leaves a pleasant caramel aftertaste. I would be happy to find that on the road when I travel without access to a specialty coffee store.

Pour-over

Brewed as a pour-over, I find the same characteristics as the Americano: a round, sweet, easy-to-drink cup of coffee. Nothing stands out, but there is no unpleasant bitterness or off-flavors.

The verdict

My expectations were low, but I ended up rather impressed. Since then, there is always a bag in the pantry, available when I run out of specialty coffee or “resetting my expectations” between two fresh packs of the good stuff.

I knew I would not get the quality and freshness from what I could find at a roaster, but I wondered how it would compare to the grocery store’s options from Starbucks, Peets, Lavazza, and Illy. Spoiler alert! After tasting both Aldi options, I found them more enjoyable than most.

Moreover, if you start with espresso at home, you will need to practice a lot, like mentioned in our article (How to make your first espresso shots); and waste a lot of coffee before finding your correct settings! Aldi would be an affordable option.

At home, we use Aldi coffee beans for cooking or baking. By the way, check out our recipes featuring coffee.

The bottom line

As I already mentioned, it will not wow any specialty coffee amateur. Still, it is a decent coffee that I like a little better than other grocery store alternatives, and it is very cheap. I enjoy it as much as Illy that costs nearly three times the price here in the USA.

If you live near an Aldi store, grab yourself a bag, and taste for yourself. At that price, you are not taking a risk.

Sources:

Aldi, Simply Nature Fair Trade Organic Whole Bean Coffee Peru or Honduras – https://www.aldi.us/en/products/beverages/coffee/detail/ps/p/simply-nature-fair-trade-organic-whole-bean-coffee/

Fairtrade – What is Fairtrade? – https://www.fairtrade.net/about/what-is-fairtrade

USDA Organic, March 13, 2019, What the USDA Organic Label Means? – https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means

The Roasterie – Sept 10, 2020 – Arabica vs. Robusta https://theroasterie.com/arabica-vs-robusta-the-ultimate-guide-to-types-of-coffee/