Coffee and Alternatives

Coffee supplies: choosing your coffee and alternatives

Start with the way you make your drink. Whole beans, ground coffee and coffee concentrate need different preparation, while chai and other drink mixes have their own recipes. This guide helps you compare formats before exploring the individual categories. It does not assume that every product suits every brewer.

Coffee beans or ground coffee?

Coffee beans let you grind the amount you need before brewing. Choose this format if you have a grinder or a bean-to-cup machine that accepts whole beans. Check the machine instructions before adding coffee, particularly if it has separate bean and ground-coffee compartments.

Ground coffee removes the grinding step, but the grind must suit your equipment. A bag labelled ground coffee is not automatically suitable for espresso, a cafetiere and a filter brewer. Look for the manufacturer’s preparation guidance for the exact blend and format.

Match the grind to the brewing method

Grind size affects how water moves through coffee and extracts flavour. AeroPress describes a medium-fine grind as finer than drip coffee and coarser than espresso. Its instructions also vary by recipe, so follow the guidance for your brewer and adjust one variable at a time. Do not assume that a product’s name alone establishes brewing compatibility.

Keep the dose, water quantity and brew time consistent when comparing coffees. This makes it easier to judge what you enjoy rather than attributing every difference to the beans. Start with the equipment manufacturer’s recipe before experimenting.

Cold-brew concentrate for mixed coffee drinks

Coffee concentrate is already brewed and is a different format from beans or ground coffee. SOLO’s manufacturer recipes use one part concentrate to three parts milk for an iced latte, or three parts hot water for an Americano. Follow the instructions on your carton for preparation and storage; do not apply that ratio to every concentrate.

Chai, elixirs and finishing ingredients

The adjacent categories cover chai, elixirs, chocolate dusters and AeroPress accessories. These are different products, not interchangeable substitutes. Compare whether a drink mix is a powder, syrup or concentrate, and follow its preparation directions. A chocolate duster is a finishing ingredient rather than ground coffee.

Read the current ingredients and allergen information before choosing a mix. Do not assume that all chai products have the same ingredients or that an alternative to coffee is caffeine-free. Check accessory dimensions and brewer compatibility, including the filter size, before choosing replacement parts.

Compare pack sizes without guessing quantities

Check both the weight of each bag and the number of bags in a listing. A single 1kg bag and a case of smaller bags are different purchases. Where the title, image or description disagree, ask for confirmation rather than inferring the quantity from a photograph. For like-for-like comparisons, calculate price per kilogram using the confirmed total weight.

Storage and freshness

Lavazza advises storing beans and ground coffee away from light, heat and moisture in an opaque, airtight container. Follow the product label and close the packaging after use. For concentrate and other drink mixes, use their own storage instructions, including any refrigeration requirements after opening.