Our No. 7 Praxis lists the farm region, altitude, process, varietal and roast level right on the label. A supermarket bag marked "Guatemalan" or "Product of Guatemala" usually lists only the country of origin and sometimes a roast color, with nothing about where in Guatemala the coffee grew or how it was processed. That gap in what gets printed, not a claim about which tastes better, is the real difference between the two.
What our label says
Praxis comes from smallholder farms around Antigua, Guatemala, grown at 1,200 to 1,616 meters. It is fully washed and sun dried, grown from Bourbon, Catuai, Caturra and Typica varietals, and roasted medium. The ingredient list is one word: coffee.
What a typical supermarket Guatemalan bag says
Most grocery store bags that name a country do so as a general claim, not a single farm or region. Unless the package specifically says single origin, a bag naming a country can still be a blend of lots from that country or from several nearby countries. Altitude, process and varietal are rarely printed at all, since tracing that detail back to a specific farm takes more record keeping than most large packing operations do for a bag priced to move fast off a shelf. A roast color (light, medium or dark) is common. So is a best-by date, which tells you how long the bag has left to sell, not when the beans inside were actually roasted.
Side by side
| What's printed | No. 7 Praxis | Typical supermarket Guatemalan bag |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Antigua, Guatemala | Country only |
| Altitude | 1,200 to 1,616 m | Not listed |
| Process | Fully washed, sun dried | Not listed |
| Varietal | Bourbon, Catuai, Caturra, Typica | Not listed |
| Roast | Medium | Sometimes, as a color |
| Ingredients | Coffee | Coffee, occasionally with added flavoring |
| Date on the bag | None, roasted on demand (see below) | Best-by date |
Why we don't print a roast date
We roast to order rather than stocking pre-roasted bags ahead of time, so there is no single roast date that would still be accurate by the time a bag reaches your door. Our FAQ explains how roasting on demand works and how it differs from a bag that has already been sitting on a shelf with a best-by date stamped on it.
Does the label say who grew it
Praxis credits smallholder farmers around Antigua as the grower. A supermarket bag rarely names any grower or cooperative, since a large export lot sold under a single country name is usually blended from many farms rather than tracked back to one group. That is not a mark against the supermarket bag on its own, it is simply another line that does or does not appear depending on how the coffee was sourced and packed.
Does more on the label mean a better cup
Not by itself. A supermarket bag that only names the country can still hold good coffee, and a label full of detail does not guarantee you will like what is inside. What the extra printing gives you is something to compare. If you already know you like coffee grown above a certain altitude, or processed a certain way, a label that states those things lets you shop by them directly. A label that only says the country does not give you that option, whatever is actually in the bag.
What to check next time you are deciding
- Single origin or blend: does the bag say single origin, or just a country
- Roast date or best-by date: a roast date tells you age, a best-by date tells you shelf life
- Region: a specific area, like Antigua, or just the country
- Process: washed, natural or honey, if it is stated at all
- Ingredients: coffee alone, or coffee plus flavoring
Our pick
No. 7 Praxis
Antigua, Guatemala · 1,200 to 1,616 m · Fully washed, sun dried · Bourbon, Catuai, Caturra, Typica · Medium roast
A Guatemalan coffee where the region, altitude and process are all printed on the bag, with dark chocolate, bright fruit and butterscotch notes.
If you are used to a bag that only says "Guatemala" and are moving to something more specific, our guide on switching from gas station coffee to whole bean covers that bigger jump, and our breakdown of the Good Sense region label walks through reading a different one of our labels in more depth. Browse all ten coffees to compare region, altitude and process across the rest of the lineup.
The label tells you what is in the bag. It does not tell you what you will like.
Questions people ask
Does 'Product of Guatemala' mean single origin?
Not necessarily. Unless the package specifically says single origin, a bag naming a country can still be a blend of coffee from that country or from several nearby countries. Look for the words single origin printed on the bag, not just the country name, if that is what you want.
Why doesn't my supermarket bag list altitude or process?
Tracing a bag back to a specific altitude range or process usually means tracking a single lot from a single farm, which takes more record keeping than large packing operations typically do for bags priced to move quickly. Smaller batches, like the ones we roast to order, can carry that detail all the way through to the label.
Is a dark roast on a supermarket bag the same as one of your medium roasts?
Roast level is a separate scale from origin and process. A dark roast from any bag will taste different from a medium roast like our No. 7 Praxis regardless of where the beans came from, so treat roast level and origin as two separate things to check, not one.
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.