A Guide to Buying Coffee Beans in Melbourne: Blends, Single Origin, Filter & More

Part of the joy of coffee is experiencing the huge range of flavours and types available. But with all the different options it's easy to feel confused or stick with what you know, even if you'd like to dabble in something new.

Let's talk about different coffee types, from blends, single origin, filter, espresso and capsules.

The Bean Cartel is an Award Winning Specialty Coffee Roaster, right here in Notting Hill Melbourne.

Whether you're new to specialty coffee or you're one of our Bean Cartel fam who wants to try something new without the worry of choosing something you don't like, this guide will help you choose the right coffee beans.

What’s the Difference Between Blends and Single Origin?

Blends

A blend combines beans from multiple origins to create a balanced, consistent flavour profile. They’re designed to be reliable across different brew methods and work especially well in milk-based coffee like lattes and flat whites.

At The Bean Cartel, our El Rudo blend is one of our most popular. Expect caramel toffee and hazelnuts, with a hint of dark chocolate - a flavour that holds up beautifully in milk.

Single Origin

Single origin beans come from one specific farm or region. These coffees often have more distinctive and unique flavour notes- think citrus, florals, berries and spice. Ideal for people who enjoy black coffee or are looking to explore the variety and complexity Single Origin coffee can offer.

Our Colombia Maypop, won Gold at the 2025 Golden Bean AUstraliasia awards for the filter category. It opens with fresh herbal florals and soft stonefruit then flows into oolong tea, with passionfruit and a clean finish. Perfect for filter brewing or a black pour-over we're sourcing limited edition supply of this. In the mean time, find your single origin coffee flavour here.

Filter Coffee

Filter coffee refers to both a style of preparation and a style of roasting. Filter coffee is made by passing hot water through coffee grinds. Unlike espresso, there is no pressure applied. Instead gravity does its thing so the process takes longer. These beans are best suited for methods like: 

• Pour-over 

• Batch brew

• French press

• AeroPress

If you're someone who enjoys black coffee or likes to explore flavour clarity, filter coffee is a great place to start.

Should You Buy Whole Beans, Ground, or Capsules?

When you buy coffee beans from us, you get to choose your grind type.

Choosing the right format depends on your coffee equipment and setup and how involved you want to be in your coffee routine.

Whole Beans

If you have a grinder, this is the ideal way to enjoy coffee. You get maximum flavour and aroma, and can buy in bulk which is economical.

Ground Coffee

Perfect for convenience and tailoring, choose your grind based on your method.

Coffee Capsules

For those who want fast coffee without the hands on aspect, try specialty coffee capsules. They are filled with freshly roasted beans the same quality you’d find in our whole-bean range and packaged in compostable pods that work with Originalline Nespresso® machines.

Supermarket or Woolworths coffee capsules

Supermarket capsules often stay on the shelf a long time which can result in sacrificing the flavour that comes with freshness. Our coffee capsules are small-batch, locally roasted and made with the same high quality we use across our range, so you get the ease of a pod without compromising on taste.

A Rare Achievement in Coffee Roasting

We’re proud to say that The Bean Cartel is among the very few coffee roasters to have taken out Gold medals in three major categories at the Golden Bean Awards:

• 2024 Milk – Dr Chan’s Seasonal Blend

• 2025 Filter – Colombia Maypop

• 2025 Espresso – Apricot Delight

Winning across milk, filter, and espresso is rare  and it reflects the care, precision, and consistency we bring to everything we do.

Quick Recommendations Based on How You Drink Coffee:

• Love milk-based coffee? Try El Rudo or Dr Chan’s Seasonal Blend

• Prefer black filter coffee? Enter our Colombia Maypop competition or choose your flavour and filter type

• Want simplicity? Our compostable capsules offer specialty flavour fast

All of our coffees are roasted in Melbourne, ethically sourced and shipped fresh.

Shop now and taste the difference. 

Final Word

When you understand the difference between blends, single origin, roast styles, and formats, choosing the right coffee gets easier — and way more fun.

Whether you're a home barista, capsule user, office drinker or always on the move, the right brew can seriously upgrade your day.

Questions or comments? Email us at  info@thebeancartel.com.au we’d love to hear from you.