Coffee is a natural morning companion with its ability to wake you up and provide a comforting, pleasant taste. Brewing coffee at home will allow you to have the utmost control over the final product, which is a must for most coffee enthusiasts, but before you can start brewing coffee, you need to have the right supplies. Here are three tips that will help you choose the coffee that will give you a great coffee-drinking experience, day after day:

1. Select an origin

All coffee originates from somewhere. The place-name on any given bag of coffee refers to the place where the coffee was grown. The soil acidity, weather, and ambient temperature of a growing climate can all affect the final taste of a coffee bean. Single-origin coffees, such as Colombian coffee, contain coffee beans that were all grown in the same place. Colombian coffee offers a smooth and balanced taste thanks to the temperate conditions it is grown in. Many coffee drinkers make single-origin coffee a staple in their pantry for this reason.

2. Choose your favorite roast

Coffee beans can be roasted to various degrees of doneness, ranging from light roasts to dark roasts. Medium roasts are a good choice for most people, and best of all, medium roasts allow coffee beans to truly shine. If you don't know what kinds of roasts you enjoy, you can let your nose guide you. Roasted coffee beans are highly aromatic, and most bags of coffee feature vents designed to allow carbon dioxide to escape. By placing your nose near the vent and gently squeezing the bag, you can get a whiff of the coffee inside. To pick a roast you will enjoy, simply choose the coffee that smells the most appealing to you.

3. Pick a whole bean variety

When purchasing coffee, you have the option of buying your coffee pre-ground. However, pre-ground coffee can significantly limit your brewing options. All-purpose grounds are too coarse for use in espresso machines, which can be problematic for some people. Whole bean coffee is sold in its intact, unground form. You can grind whole bean coffee to the fineness that you desire.

Whole bean coffee can also retain its freshness better than pre-ground coffee. Whole bean coffee has a less exposed surface area, which means that it will maintain its peak flavor and aroma for as long as possible. Storing your whole bean coffee in an airtight, dark container can further improve the longevity of your coffee.

To learn more, try experimenting with different coffees, such as 2-pound whole bean Colombian coffee, from local suppliers, such as SF Bay Coffee.