Buy No. 2 Good Sense if you want fruit in the cup and plan to drink it black, and No. 10 Folklore if you want a mild, round pot that suits the whole house. Good Sense is a natural from Sidama, Ethiopia at Medium-light. Folklore is a fully washed coffee from Piura and Amazonas, Peru at Medium. Both are $28 for 12 oz, whole bean or ground, with free shipping in the US.
How do they compare side by side?
Everything below comes from the label.
| No. 2 Good Sense | No. 10 Folklore | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Sidama, Ethiopia | Piura and Amazonas, Peru |
| Altitude | 1,700 to 1,900 m | 1,100 to 1,700 m |
| Process | Natural, hand sorted, dried on raised beds | Fully washed, sun dried |
| Varietal | Indigenous heirloom cultivars | Caturra, Bourbon, Catuai, Pache, Catimor |
| Roast | Medium-light | Medium |
| Notes | Milk chocolate, fruit, caramel | Salted caramel, citrus, silky |
| Price | $28 for 12 oz | $28 for 12 oz |
What does natural versus washed change in the cup?
A natural coffee is dried with the fruit still on the bean. A washed coffee has the fruit removed before drying. That is the main difference between these two bags, and it is why the notes read so differently: fruit and milk chocolate on one, salted caramel and citrus on the other.
The roast steps in the same direction. Good Sense is Medium-light and Folklore is Medium. We do not have cupping scores or any other measure to hang numbers on, so we will not claim one is better. They are built for different moods.
If you want to see how a natural Ethiopia stacks up against a different washed coffee, we ran that comparison in Ethiopian natural vs Kenyan for pour-over. For what is in the Sidama bag on its own, see Ethiopian natural coffee beans.
Which one is better for a slow morning?
That is Good Sense. The roaster says to brew it as a pour-over at 60 g per litre, 201 °F (94 °C), with a 40-second bloom, and to drink it black. A natural Ethiopia leans toward fruit, and milk tends to bury that.
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
Milk chocolate, fruit and caramel on the label. Brew it as a slow pour-over and drink it black.
Not sure of your pour-over numbers? The pour-over ratio cheat sheet has grams, water and time.
Which one is better for a pot the whole house drinks?
That is Folklore. The roaster says drip or French press at 60 g per litre, and calls it mild and round, the kind of cup that does not fight back. That makes it an easy choice when people at the table like their coffee differently.
Our pick
No. 10 Folklore
Piura and Amazonas, Peru · 1,100 to 1,700 m · Fully washed, sun dried · Caturra, Bourbon, Catuai, Pache, Catimor · Medium
Salted caramel, citrus and a silky cup on the label. Mild and round, easy to make for the whole house.
The full set of ways we make it is in the No. 10 Folklore brewing guide, and the Peruvian bag is covered in Peruvian coffee beans.
How do the brew recipes differ?
| No. 2 Good Sense | No. 10 Folklore | |
|---|---|---|
| Method | Pour-over | Drip or French press |
| Dose | 60 g per litre | 60 g per litre |
| Per 8 fl oz mug | about 3 level tablespoons | about 3 level tablespoons |
| Water | 201 °F (94 °C), 40-second bloom | Just off the boil |
| How to drink it | Black | Black or with milk |
The doses match, which means you can swap one bag for the other without changing your spoon count. The method and the water temperature are what differ. Folklore is the more forgiving of the two because a drip machine or a French press does most of the work for you.
What does the label not tell us?
It does not tell us how a cup will taste to you, and it gives no score for either bag. Folklore lists two regions, Piura and Amazonas, which is why its altitude is a range of 1,100 to 1,700 m. Good Sense lists a single region and a narrower range, 1,700 to 1,900 m. We stick to those facts and leave the rest to your own palate.
Who should buy which?
- Buy Good Sense if you drink black coffee, brew by hand, and want the cup to taste of fruit.
- Buy Folklore if you brew with a drip machine or French press, or you want one bag that works for guests.
- Buy both if you are undecided. The price is the same, so the choice is only about taste.
All ten are $28 for 12 oz with free US shipping, and you can see all ten coffees on one page. If you finish a bag every two weeks or so, the subscription is 11% off, with skip or cancel in one click.
More questions about ordering are on the FAQ page.
Pick the fruit or pick the caramel, and you will not go wrong with either.
Questions people ask
Is Ethiopian natural coffee fruitier than Peruvian coffee?
On our labels, yes. No. 2 Good Sense is a natural with fruit in its notes, and No. 10 Folklore is fully washed with salted caramel and citrus. Both lists come from the roaster.
Which is better with milk, Ethiopian or Peruvian coffee?
The roaster says a natural Ethiopia goes to fruit and milk buries it, so drink Good Sense black. Folklore is described as mild and round, which suits drip or French press.
What is the roast level of Good Sense and Folklore?
No. 2 Good Sense is Medium-light and No. 10 Folklore is Medium, as declared by Temecula Coffee Roasters.
Free printable
Keep the ratio chart on your fridge
One page with grams, level tablespoons and scoops for every cup size and for coffee makers from 2 to 14 cups. Leave your email and the download link appears right here.