Like many other people, I love coffee. My family loves coffee as well so I invited them to join me trying three different coffees from 7 Star Coffee Roasters. We are very particular about our coffee and some might even call us “coffee snobs.” 

We received 3 varieties of hand-roasted whole-bean coffee, Kenya AA, Guatemala, and Ethiopia. My husband was particularly excited about the Ethiopian coffee. He has loved Ethiopian coffee trying it in Ethiopia many years ago while deployed with the Army.

The Decker family owns and operates 7 Star Coffee Roasters. They roast the coffee beans after the customer orders and right before shipping which means the beans are freshly roasted.

To enjoy whole bean coffee, it must be ground first. The best coffee is freshly roasted beans freshly ground and brewed immediately. We had to experiment a bit with our grinder to make sure we were getting the perfect grind for our Keurig. We also had to experiment with filling the re-useable cups with the perfect amount of ground coffee. It was worth it!

The Guatemala was the lightest of three coffees and the Kenya AA was the strongest. The Ethiopian coffee fell in the middle. Not too strong and not too weak. Each type of bean had distinct qualities and flavor profiles.

My first cup of the Guatemala was not strong enough. It was too weak but that was not the fault of the bean or the roasting. It was not the fault of the grind either. It was me. I did not fill the filter cup correctly and chose the wrong size coffee mug. My second cup was amazing. It was refreshing and light.

It was no surprise that the Ethiopian coffee was my husband’s favorite. Just smelling the beans before grinding, I could smell the dried fruit, and when I ate a bean, I could taste the chocolate. On the bag, the coffee is described as with these words “Dried fruits, raisin, chocolate, mid-high body, hazelnut finish.”  This was heirloom variety grown at an altitude of 1950 meters.

I did not care for my first cup of the Kenya AA. I thought it was too strong. My daughter Emily prefers a stronger coffee so her favorite of the three was the Kenya AA. My husband made a cup of the Kenya coffee for me later and it was the best cup of coffee I have ever had at home. It was strong but not bitter. It did have a smooth mouthfeel. When I ate the whole bean, I could really taste the balance of the tangy acidity and toffee flavors. Clearly, I had messed up my settings again on the grinder or the coffee machine but after the cup my husband brewed for me, Kenya AA replaced Guatemala as my favorite.

After drinking coffee freshly brewed and freshly ground from freshly roasted beans, I am even more of a coffee snob. Even the pricier high-end coffee from the grocery store pales in flavor. I also learned the importance of setting the right grind on the coffee grinder. It makes a noticeable difference in the cup of coffee. However, I must say that even the cups of coffee that had I had brewed from the beans ground on the wrong grind setting were superior to the coffee we have purchased in the grocery store.

For those who do not have a coffee grinder or do not want to try grinding the coffee beans, 7 Star Coffee Roasters also offers ground coffee. They will ship to any physical address in the United States.

I recommend 7 Star Coffee Roasters. For those who think they do not like coffee, perhaps it is because they have never tried a freshly brewed cup of freshly roasted coffee from 7 Star Coffee Roasters.

-Product review by Tess Hamre, Single Product Reviews Manager, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, December 2019