Buy the Ethiopian natural, No. 2 Good Sense, if you want fruit and chocolate in a slow black cup. Buy the Costa Rican, No. 8 Consent, if you want a sweet, clean cup that works with milk or without it. Both are $28 for 12 oz, whole bean or ground, with free shipping in the US.
Ethiopian natural vs Costa Rican coffee: what does the label say?
Everything in this table comes from the roaster's label. Where the label says nothing, the table says nothing.
| No. 2 Good Sense | No. 8 Consent | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Sidama, Ethiopia | Alajuela, Costa Rica |
| Altitude | 1,700 to 1,900 m | 1,300 to 1,445 m |
| Process | Natural, hand sorted, dried on raised beds | Eco-pulped, sun dried |
| Varietal | Indigenous heirloom cultivars | Caturra, Catuai |
| Roast | Medium-light | Medium |
| Notes | Milk chocolate, fruit, caramel | Sweet apple, raisin, honey |
| Best method | Pour-over, 60 g per litre, 94 °C (201 °F), 40-second bloom | Drip or pour-over, 60 g per litre |
| Price | $28 for 12 oz | $28 for 12 oz |
Two differences matter most. The first is process. A natural is dried with the fruit still on the bean, which is why the cup leans toward fruit. A washed or pulped coffee has the fruit removed before drying, which usually gives a cleaner cup. The second is roast: Good Sense is medium-light and Consent is medium.
How do they taste different in the cup?
Good Sense is the more expressive of the two. The label lists milk chocolate, fruit and caramel, and the natural process is what pushes the fruit forward. It rewards attention, which is why the roaster recommends it for the slow first cup, when you actually want to taste something. If you want to know what fruity means across our range, see which of our ten taste most like fruit.
Consent is the easier cup. Apple and honey sweetness with a little raisin. The roaster suggests it for serving to someone who says they do not like black coffee. We wrote more about that bag in what No. 8 Consent tastes like, cup by cup and in our Costa Rican coffee beans page.
Which one is better for pour-over, drip or milk?
- Pour-over, black: Good Sense. The label calls for pour-over at 60 g per litre, 94 °C and a 40-second bloom.
- Drip machine: Consent. The label says drip or pour-over at 60 g per litre. If you are weighing it against another origin for a drip machine, Guatemalan vs Costa Rican for a drip machine covers that.
- With milk: Consent. The roaster says a natural Ethiopia goes to fruit and milk buries it, so Good Sense is best black.
Body is a separate question from flavor. Our guide to what body means in coffee explains how to read it on a bag. For step by step recipes, use the No. 8 Consent brewing guide. We do not have a separate Good Sense recipe beyond the label settings above.
How many cups does each bag make?
Both bags are 12 oz, about 340 g. At the roaster's 60 g per litre, that is about 5.7 litres of coffee, or roughly 16 mugs of 12 oz from either one. Price is identical, so the choice is only taste. If you are still undecided after reading the table, start with the one that matches how you drink coffee most days, not the one that sounds more interesting. If you drink two cups a day, one bag lasts about eight days. The longer answer on bag life is at how long a 12 oz bag of coffee lasts.
Which one should you buy?
Pick Good Sense if you drink black coffee, use a pour-over, and like fruit. Pick Consent if you brew a pot, add milk, or share coffee with people who are not sure they like it. Here are both.
Our pick
No. 2 Good Sense
Sidama, Ethiopia · 1,700 to 1,900 m · Natural, hand sorted, dried on raised beds · Indigenous heirloom cultivars · Medium-light
Fruit, milk chocolate and caramel on the label, for a black pour-over you drink slowly.
Our pick
No. 8 Consent
Alajuela, Costa Rica · 1,300 to 1,445 m · Eco-pulped, sun dried · Caturra, Catuai · Medium
Sweet apple, raisin and honey on the label, clean enough for drip and friendly with milk.
If you cannot decide, buy one of each and brew them the same way for a week. The subscription is 11% off, with skip or cancel in one click, and you can switch coffees between orders. You can see all ten coffees in one place, or read our FAQ on roasting and shipping.
We do not make claims about the farms beyond what is printed on the label, so if you want more than that, the label facts above are the full list.
Questions people ask
Is Ethiopian natural coffee fruitier than Costa Rican coffee?
On our labels, yes. No. 2 Good Sense (Sidama, Ethiopia, natural) lists milk chocolate, fruit and caramel. No. 8 Consent (Alajuela, Costa Rica) lists sweet apple, raisin and honey, which reads as sweeter and cleaner than fruity.
Which is better with milk, Ethiopian natural or Costa Rican coffee?
Costa Rican. The roaster says to drink Good Sense black because a natural Ethiopia goes to fruit and milk buries it. Consent is described as clean and sweet, with nothing in it to push back against.
Which roast is darker, Ethiopian natural or Costa Rican?
Neither is dark. Good Sense is declared medium-light and Consent is declared medium, so Consent is the slightly deeper roast of the two.
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Keep the ratio chart on your fridge
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