Not all coffee is created equal — and if you've ever wondered why your morning cup can taste dramatically different depending on the bag, single origin organic coffee is the answer worth exploring. In a world flooded with blended, mass-produced beans, single origin coffee stands apart by telling a very specific story: one farm, one region, one harvest, one flavor.

You don't need a $500 espresso machine or a barista certification to brew exceptional coffee at home. What you do need is a solid understanding of a few key variables — and beans worth starting with.

Most people think about what's in their coffee in terms of flavor — the roast level, the origin, the brewing method. But there's another question worth asking that most coffee drinkers have never considered: what else is in your cup?