From Farm to Cup: 8 Things Every Coffee Lover Should Know About Your Coffee's Journey
Let’s Connect on Social
Hello Caffeinated Humans!
Ever wonder what happens between the moment a coffee cherry is picked in the mountains of Puerto Rico and the moment that silky latte hits your lips? Most coffee drinkers have no clue where their coffee comes from or the incredible journey it takes to get to their cup.
At 787 Coffee, we don't just serve coffee—we grow it, process it, and roast it ourselves at Hacienda Iluminada in Maricao, Puerto Rico. This means we control every single step from the soil to your cup. And trust us, that makes ALL the difference. We also partner with local farms in Puerto Rico, Mexico and Colombia.
Today, we're pulling back the curtain on the real farm-to-cup experience. Whether you're a coffee newbie or a total caffeine addict, these 8 takeaways will change how you think about your morning brew forever.
Let's do this!
1. Your Coffee's Flavor Starts in the Soil (Not the Roaster)
Here's something most people don't know: the flavor of your coffee is determined way before it's ever roasted.
Just like wine grapes, coffee beans get their unique taste from the soil, climate, and altitude where they're grown. This is called terroir, and it's why Puerto Rican coffee tastes different from Colombian or Ethiopian coffee.
At Hacienda Iluminada, our coffee trees grow in nutrient-rich volcanic soil at high elevation in the mountains of Maricao. The cool mountain air, tropical rain, and natural shade from the forest create the perfect conditions for our coffee cherries to develop rich, complex flavors with notes of dark chocolate, caramel, and fruit.
The takeaway? Great coffee doesn't start with fancy equipment—it starts with healthy soil and sustainable farming. When you buy specialty coffee from a single-origin farm like ours, you're tasting the actual place where your coffee was grown.
2. Handpicked Cherries = Better Coffee in Your Cup
Walk into any grocery store and you'll find coffee that was mass-harvested by machines that strip entire branches clean—ripe cherries, unripe cherries, leaves, and all. That's why most commercial coffee tastes burnt, bitter, or just... blah.
Real specialty coffee is handpicked. At 787 Coffee, our farmers walk through the rows of coffee trees and pick only the ripest, reddest cherries. It's slower. It's harder work. But it's the only way to guarantee that every single cherry going into your bag is at peak flavor.
Think of it like picking strawberries. Would you grab the green ones and the rotten ones along with the perfect red ones? Of course not. Coffee is the same way.
The takeaway? When you see "handpicked" or "hand-selected" on a coffee bag, that's not marketing fluff—it's a sign that someone actually cared about the quality of what you're drinking.
3. Processing Methods Can Make or Break Your Coffee
Okay, this is where it gets nerdy (but stick with us, it's cool). After coffee cherries are picked, they need to be processed to remove the fruit and extract the bean inside. There are a few different methods, and each one creates totally different flavors:
Washed Process: The fruit is removed quickly, and the beans are fermented in water. This gives you a clean, bright, crisp cup of coffee with vibrant acidity. Think fruity, floral, tea-like notes.
Natural Process: The whole cherry is dried in the sun with the fruit still attached. This creates bold, funky, wine-like flavors with heavy sweetness. It's like the difference between fresh berries and dried fruit.
Honey Process: A hybrid method where some of the fruit mucilage stays on the bean during drying. You get sweetness and body without going full-on fruity bomb.
At Hacienda Iluminada, we experiment with all these methods to bring out different flavor profiles in our Puerto Rican coffee. It's like having different recipes for the same ingredient.
The takeaway? The way your coffee is processed has a HUGE impact on how it tastes. If you love bright, fruity coffee, look for washed process beans. If you want something bold and wild, go for natural process.
4. Freshness is Everything (and Most Coffee is Stale AF)
Let's be real: most coffee you buy at the grocery store was roasted months ago, maybe even a year ago. By the time it gets to you, the flavors have faded, the oils have gone rancid, and you're basically drinking coffee-flavored cardboard.
Fresh coffee tastes like an entirely different drink.
At 787 Coffee, we roast our beans in small batches multiple times per week. When you order online or visit one of our coffee shops in NYC, El Paso, Westfield, or Puerto Rico, you're getting coffee that was roasted within days—not months.
Fresh coffee has a natural sweetness, vibrant acidity, and rich aromatics that make you go "WHOA" on the first sip. Once you taste it, you'll never go back to stale grocery store coffee.
The takeaway? Always check the roast date on your coffee bag. If there isn't one, or if it's more than 4-6 weeks old, you're not getting the full experience. Buy fresh, buy local, buy from roasters who give a damn.
5. The Farm-to-Cup Model Supports Real People (Not Big Corporations)
Here's the thing about most coffee: by the time it reaches your cup, it's passed through importers, exporters, brokers, distributors, and retailers. Each one takes a cut, and the farmer—the person who actually grew your coffee—gets screwed with pennies on the dollar.
That's not how we roll.
At 787 Coffee, we are the farmers. We own Hacienda Iluminada. We process the coffee. We roast it. We serve it. There are no middlemen taking a cut or marking up the price. This means:
Farmers get paid fairly (because we ARE the farmers)
You get fresher coffee (because we control the entire supply chain)
Quality stays consistent (because we're not buying from random farms every season)
When you support farm-to-cup coffee, you're supporting sustainable agriculture, rural communities, and real people—not faceless corporations.
The takeaway? Know where your coffee comes from. Ask questions. Support brands that own their supply chain and treat farmers like humans, not transactions.
Coffee catering for your private event, wedding, open house or to treat your team.
Don't settle for mediocre. Choose 787 Coffee catering NYC to make a powerful, positive statement to your employees, guests and clients. It's more than coffee; it's an investment in your company's success.
Get a Custom Quote for Your NYC Coffee Catering Needs Today!
6. Sustainability Isn't Optional—It's Essential
Climate change is hitting coffee farms HARD. Rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, and extreme weather are making it harder to grow high-quality coffee. If we don't take care of the land NOW, there won't be coffee for the next generation.
At Hacienda Iluminada, sustainability isn't a buzzword—it's how we operate every single day:
Shade-grown coffee that protects biodiversity and keeps the soil healthy
Water conservation during processing to protect local streams
Composting coffee pulp and cherry waste to enrich the soil naturally
Zero chemical pesticides because we believe what's good for the earth is good for you
We're not perfect, but we're constantly learning and improving our practices to protect the land, the coffee, and the community that depends on it.
The takeaway? When you buy sustainable, organic, ethically sourced coffee, you're voting with your wallet. You're saying "I want coffee to exist in 50 years, and I'm willing to support the people doing it right."
Be a CAFFEINATED HUMAN.
Be a creative human. Be a good human.
Be a NuevaYOL Caffeinated Human.
7. Roasting is an Art (and Science) That Unlocks Flavor
You can grow the most incredible coffee in the world, but if you roast it wrong, it's trash. Roasting is where the magic happens—it's where green, grassy-smelling beans transform into the aromatic, flavorful coffee you love.
At 787 Coffee, our roasters are trained to bring out the natural characteristics of each bean. We roast in small batches using precise temperature and time profiles to highlight the unique terroir of Puerto Rico.
Too light? You'll taste grass and sourness.
Too dark? You'll taste carbon and bitterness, and all those beautiful origin flavors get burnt away.
Just right? You get complexity, sweetness, and a clean finish that makes you want another cup immediately.
Our roasters aren't just pressing buttons—they're artists, tasting and adjusting every batch to perfection.
The takeaway? Great roasting isn't about going super dark or super light. It's about honoring the bean and bringing out its best qualities. Trust roasters who care about the craft, not just the caffeine.
8. The Best Coffee Experience is About Connection, Not Just Caffeine
Here's the truth: you can get caffeine anywhere. Gas stations. Convenience stores. Fast food drive-thrus. But coffee—REAL coffee—is about so much more than just waking up.
At 787 Coffee, we believe coffee is an experience. It's the moment you walk into one of our coffee shops and hear "HELLO, WELCOME!" in a way that makes you smile. It's the barista who remembers your name and asks about your day. It's the first sip of a perfectly pulled espresso that makes you stop scrolling and just be present.
Farm-to-cup coffee connects you to:
The farmers who grew your beans
The land where your coffee was born
The community you're supporting with every purchase
The baristas who pour their heart into every cup
When you choose 787 Coffee, you're not just buying a beverage—you're supporting local, celebrating Puerto Rico, and becoming part of our caffeinated community.
The takeaway? Coffee is more than a drink. It's a ritual, a connection, and a moment to slow down and enjoy life. Choose coffee that makes you feel something, not just coffee that wakes you up.
Ready to Taste the Difference?
Now that you know what goes into your coffee's journey from farm to cup, it's time to experience it for yourself.
Visit us at one of our coffee shops in NYC, El Paso, Westfield, Puerto Rico, or soon in Houston. Meet our baristas, taste the difference of fresh-roasted Puerto Rican coffee, and feel what it's like to be part of our caffeinated community.
Shop online at 787coffee.com and get our specialty coffee bags delivered straight to your door. Try our NuevaYol blend or single-origin beans from Hacienda Iluminada.
Come to the farm! If you're in Puerto Rico, visit Hacienda Iluminada in Maricao for a coffee farm experience you'll never forget. Walk the rows, meet the farmers, and taste coffee just steps from where it was grown.
From our farm in the mountains of Maricao to your cup, every step is built on passion, quality, and love for what we do. Thank you for being part of the journey.
Let's do this!
Stay cool and caffeinated,
The 787 Coffee Family
Shop Fresh Puerto Rican Coffee
☕ Order Coffee Online – Single-origin specialty beans roasted fresh
🌱 Visit Hacienda Iluminada – Experience the farm in Puerto Rico
📍 Find a Coffee Shop Near You – NYC, El Paso, Westfield, Puerto Rico & Houston