Choosing Green Coffee: Replacing a Favorite That’s Out of Stock

Just because your favorite coffee is out of stock, doesn’t mean you’re out of options.

As an agricultural product, coffee is subject to seasonality. Unfortunately, this means keeping any specific single origin coffee in stock year round is nearly impossible without compromising freshness. No matter how hard we try, the day will come where we will sell out of your favorite coffee. 

It can be difficult to predict if and when a specific coffee will be back in stock because, as a seasonal plant, there are a number of factors beyond our control that influence the crop cycle. Some coffees we buy once, and never see them again. And even if we purchase a subsequent lot from the same farm or cooperative, the flavor characteristics of the coffee can change from one season to the next. 

This can be frustrating, especially if you were hoping to reorder a coffee you’ve bought in the past. But the good news is, we usually have a fresh alternative with similar cup characteristics. It may not be from the same farm, or even origin for that matter. But through the years we’ve developed our own list of coffee stand-ins for those we crave from out of stock origins.

A rack of cardboard boxes filled with small bags of green coffee from many different origins in the Sweet Maria's warehouse.
A rack of cardboard boxes filled with small bags of green coffee from many different origins in the Sweet Maria’s warehouse.

Here’s a list of factors we consider when searching for a comparable coffee:

These are are just a few aspects to keep in mind when looking for a good replacement. They’re meant to be used as a jumping off point, no one category on its own. Try using them as a path toward finding a suitable replacement with similar cup flavors.

  • Origin – Looking for a bean from the same region, or one nearby, is a good place to start. Coffee flavors can be regional to some extent, as neighbors often grow the same cultivars, and share similar processing techniques.
  • Processing – How a coffee is processed can have a big impact on the flavor profile. This is particularly true for dry and honey process coffees. For example, dry processed coffees are likely to be fruit forward whether from Ethiopia, or Burundi, or Guatemala for that matter! That doesn’t mean every dry process coffee tastes the same. But if you’re trying to replace a dry process coffee, sorting our list by that specific process type will help narrow your focus.
  • Flavor Attributes – This carries the most weight when looking for a replacement. Use our “Flavor and Profile” filters in the green coffee menu to view coffees with specific core flavor characteristics (see below). Within each coffee review the short descriptions, and cupping and flavor graphs, provide valuable information on how the coffee tastes. Try to keep in mind that numbers and scores only tell us so much. There’s no substitution for the full cupping notes in the reviews.

Of these three criteria, flavor is the most important factor to consider. Just because we have coffee from the same origin as the coffee you’re trying to replace, doesn’t mean they will taste the same. Conversely, you just might find that the coffee bearing the closest resemblance comes from the opposite side of the world!

Wet Hulled coffee ("giling basah") produced at a coffee cooperative in Central Java.
Wet Hulled coffee (“giling basah”) produced at a coffee cooperative in Central Java tastes very similar to a Grade 1 wet hulled Sumatra.

Our go-to replacements for out of stock origins

Here’s our list of origins we look to for replacements when customer favorites sell out. You might be surprised where we find flavor correlates!

  • Guatemala – There are several origins that work well as replacement to the balanced wet process Guatemalan coffees of Antigua and Huehuetenango. Looking to other Central American origins like Nicaragua and El Salvador is a great starting point. But farmers in Rwanda and Burundi grow Bourbon coffee (also widely cultivated in Guatemala), a cultivar known for producing syrupy sweetness and articulated acidity when grown at high altitudes and can express similar flavors as Guatemala. Wet process coffees from Flores and Java also tend to yield a crowd-pleasing cup, showing balance of sweet and bittering coffee flavors, and thick body as well. Stick with wet process coffees. On the Cupping and Flavor graphs, look for coffees that score at or above 8.5 in Sweetness category, at or below 8.6 Brightness, and 8.5 or above for Clean Cup.
  • Colombia – An issue with all replacements is that no coffee origin produces a monolith of flavor, so to replace a “Colombia” can mean a lot of different things! I look to neighbor Peru for some of the flavor variance, offering both balanced coffees and some more fruit forward wet process lots that come from longer fermentation times, similar to Colombia. Guatemala is another origin to explore, especially some of the more nuanced coffees from our Proyecto Xinabajul.
  • Washed Ethiopia and Kenya – Trying to replace the singular cup profile of wet process coffees from these two origins may prove to be difficult because they’re so unique. Though perhaps not so floral, some Burundis will tick off boxes for ‘delicate’ and ‘elegant’ – flavor aspects I enjoy in washed Ethiopian and Kenyan coffees – as does the occasional coffee from Congo and Tanzania. Latin American Gesha coffees will certainly scratch your itch for jasmine florals, but at a cost of 2-3x the amount of our average washed Ethiopia.
  • Dry Process (“DP”) Ethiopia – Simply choosing another dry process, isn’t good enough. Dry Process Brazil, for example, do not make a good replacement option. My first choice would be another African dry process, like Burundi or Rwanda. If we’re out of options in those two origins, try looking over our Guatemala and Nicaragua lists. The DP’s from these two countries tend to taste a little funkier in flavor, but we’re seeing improvements out of both origins every year.
  • Sumatra – If you’re looking for a Sumatra replacement, chances are, you’re looking for a Wet Hulled coffee. Lucky for you, Sumatra isn’t the only Indonesian origin producing them! Java is another source for us, often with a much lower defect count than Sumatra.
  • Yemen – These are also very difficult to replace since there aren’t many origins producing coffees with a similar flavor profile to Yemen. Some of the Dry Process coffees from Ethiopia find flavor parity, but tend to be a little more fruit forward and clean. Still, they’re likely your best bet. Look for terms like “Rustic”, “Earthy” and different types of wood in the Cupping Notes and Short Descriptions. Check the graphs as well, looking for “Rustic” and “Fruits” scores of 3 or more in the Flavor graph, and a “Brightness” score of less than 8.5 in the Cupping Graph.
Narrow your coffee results using flavor and process filters in our green coffee menu
Narrow your coffee results using flavor and process filters in our green coffee menu

With so many coffees on the website, where should you start?

With 40+ single origin coffees on our list, this can mean a lot of scrolling! Using our green coffee filters in the sidebar will narrow the search by only showing coffees with certain core cup characteristics. The spider graph and flavor wheel are also helpful tools in finding a coffee that has certain attributes you like, such as Fruits, Body, Complexity, and Brightness (acidity).

It’s important to note that a coffee can have more than one flavor filter tag. A dry process coffee might be tagged as both “Fruited” and “Chocolate Bittersweets” for example. If you’re looking for a replacement for your favorite bittersweet washed Nicaraguan coffee, for example, a dry process is NOT the way to go.

All this is to say that filters and graphs help you thin the herd, but the Cupping Notes complete the flavor portrait needed to settle on a substitute for a coffee we don’t have.

Should you need help finding a replacement for your favorite coffee, you can always reach out to us directly for our recommendations – [email protected].

Learn more about our coffee descriptions in Understanding Our Coffee Reviews

Check out and green coffee overview and valuable basics in our Green Coffee FAQ’s

Here’s a primer on understanding our coffee reviews

In this video, Tom discusses how to go about choosing what green coffee to roast, both for folks just beginning to home roast and for those who love a certain coffee that is now unavailable.

Check out this article on Porch.com for more tips and the benefits of roasting your own coffee.

43 Responses

    1. Hi Sam, you mentioned “blends” in your question, and I’d recommend either our French Roast blend at the moment, or Liquid Amber when it’s back in stock.

      when I think “low acid”, I think of the coffees from Sumatra and Brazil. But both of these origins also carries a distinctive flavor profile that are important to be aware of when considering the full flavor picture. They are bittersweet when roasted dark, and the muted acidity really allows that characteristic to be quite intense!

      We have other single origin coffees that are milder in acidity too, and you can tell which ones by looking at the cupping graphs in the reviews. In general, an acidity score of 8.0 or lower should be mild. We also have a flavor tag you can sort the list by called “Less Bright More Body”. You’ll have to be in the full green coffee list to access those filters.

      You can access that list (filter selected) here.

      Here’s a short video that shows how to use those tags.

      And here’s more info on using our charts and graphs in our reviews.

      Hope this helps!

      -Dan

  2. I have been purchasing my green coffee from you for about 15 years. I keep strict reviews on roast level, roast method,etc.etc. I then give a numerical score for my Aero press and for my DeLonghi fully automatic espresso machine. I recently issued my highest rating. I should mention that I am very partial toward the Kenya coffees. And the winner is: Murang’a Gatua AA. Would love to see it on the menu again. Just thought you might want to know.

    Reply

    1. Thanks for your comment Daniel. Picking a favorite is so tough! We make flavor connections to other origins in our coffee reviews, but not usually accompanied by roasting recommendation. I like these ideas, and we’re always looking for ways to improve our supporting information.

      Thanks!

      -Dan

  4. I seem to prefer Guatemala #1 and then Nicaragua’ Your currently out of both. Any other suggestions?

    Reply

    1. Hey Jim! We have our first new crop Nicaraguan coffee launching tomorrow, with another 3 behind it over the next 2 weeks. Guatemala’s start hitting the list August 16.

      I would recommend El Salvador, another newly arrived origin for us. We launched a Tabí variety from Finca Miravalles yesterday (“Atiquizaya”), as well as a fruit-forward dry process lot from Finca San Luis. You can check out both here.

      Cheers,
      Dan

    1. Hey David,

      We still offer a variety of sample sets, with more on the way. Some of the origin specific sets come and go, depending on availability, but we do our best to offer as many up as possible! You can find them here:
      Green Coffee Sample Sets

      You can also find them via the menu on our store: Green Coffee–>Shop by Type–>Sample Sets

      Happy roasting,
      Jarrett

  6. I love to roast Central and South American green beans. I only to roast medium light to medium. I use a Hottop Drum Roaster. Is it common, after a light roast that the beans color are not uniform? Some times I have burnt beans. Is this normal or am I doing something wrong?

    Reply

    1. Hi Daniel, very light roasts can present a little uneven in coloring, but I wouldn’t expect any burnt coffee. To me, that would indicate either scorching, or coffee getting stuck somewhere in the drum. How hot are you warming up the roaster before charging a batch? Also, when is the last time you cleaned your roaster?

      Thanks!
      Dan

  7. I”ve been told, if you find your coffee is to acidic, you should add a pinch of salt or egg shells to your ground beans while peculating? Will this alter the flavor of the coffee in any way?

    Reply

    1. I would absolutely expect that to come through in the cup, but I’ll let you be the judge on whether or not you like it 🙂 If you want to tone down acidity, you might try roasting a little darker. Extending the roast time by dropping the temperature before you hit 1st Crack can also help flatten things out. You can also try coffees that score lower in acidity. For us, that would be 8.0 or lower on our Cupping Graphs that we post in the reviews. Brazils are pretty low acid, as are some of our wet hulled Indonesian coffees. Central American coffees tend to be brighter than Brazil, but occupy a middle ground between that and higher toned African coffees.

      Hope that helps, and feel free to drop a note if you try the additives!

      -Dan

  8. I wish that Sweetmaria’s had de-caffeinated coffee.
    I’ve been buying only Sweetmaria’s coffee for years, and now the doctor says I have to lay off the caffeine. I have a case of atrial fibrillation–the jitters–that went away as soon as I quit the caffeine. Atrial fibrillation can and often does drop people dead in their tracks.
    The doctor also said that the same coffee without caffeine is super healthy. I That’s why I wish that Sweetmaria’s would sell me some coffee without caffeine. I want to stay alive and keep drinking lots of great Sweetmaria’s coffee!.

    Reply

    1. We only have a few certified Organic options. In fact a lot of green coffee is grown organically, ie no inputs of herbicides or pesticides. For example, every Ethiopia coffee we have on our list, or have for the past years, is organically grown but not certified.

  10. For years I bought your French roast blend, my wife and I enjoyed our daily americanos. I’ve been roasting with Behmors for around 18 years now, but for the last couple years switched to primarily Costa Rica Tarrazu region beans. Have been disappointed with recent CR and Guatemala beans (a different supplier), neither of which work well for darker roast espresso/americanos. I’d like to revert back to Sweet Maria’s French roast blend but see that it’s no longer available. What do you recommend as being close or better? We both prefer a darker FC+ type of roast for our coffee. FYI, I have a Bezzera Mitica machine (11+ yrs) and grind with a Eureka Libra. Thanks for your suggestions.

    Reply

    1. Hi Gordon, while our French Roast blend changed throughout the years, wet hulled Indonesian coffee made up about 1/3 of the blend most of the time. When taken to 2nd Crack, those coffees tend to bring rustic earth tones, thick body, and intense bittersweetness. The only other blend we have with wet hulled coffee is our Liquid Amber blend. However, it also has Monsoon and Robusta which bring even more intense roast bittering. I recommend Espresso Monkey, or New Classic. Monkey a great blend at FC+, some of the earthy bittersweetness from the Brazil component, with subtle fruit accents from the dry process African component (our French Roast typically had dry process African coffee too). New Classic is more chocolate-centered, with caramelized accents. No dry process component in this one, so it should be more in line with the Central American origins you mentioned. They’re both a little different than the French Roast blend, but work great at Full City+, and should be good replacements in their own way.

      Hope this helps!
      -Dan

  11. Thanks, Dan, for the prompt and courteous response. I know I’ve tried small batches of both blends you mentioned but that’s been many years ago. I think I’ll buy 5lbs of each and go from there. Appreciate your advice and knowledge. Thanks again. Gordon

    Reply

    1. You bet, Gordon. One other thought would be to recreate the blend with the ingredient categories we used: equal parts wet hulled Indonesia / washed Latin America (typically Central American, lower acidity coffees) / dry process Africa. The only one that might be tricky to find on our list at the moment is wet hulled Indo, since we are out of Sumatra’s. We do have this really nice wet hulled Java though that is a great sub.

      Cheers Gordon.

      -Dan

  12. Thanks again, Dan. I’m going to buy both the monkey and new classic and just for grins, I may experiment in blending those 2 along with some of the dry process Costa Rica (and/or Guatemala) beans I have on hand. I still have around 10lbs of the CR and 2-3lbs of the Huehuetenango. Otherwise I’m stuck with those beans that I’m not thrilled with, at the same time I’m not keen on compromising the quality of your blends. I’ll do small batches. Will be keeping an eye out for more of your future buys of wet hulled Indonesians. Thanks again.

    Reply

    1. “Small batches”…that’s the way to do it! You might try roasting each ingredient separately, then play around with the ratios post-roast. Once you land on one you like, you can then try blending the green. Just a thought.

      Cheers Gordon.

      Dan

  13. Dan, I think I’ll also buy 5lbs of the wet hulled Java and mix that in with the washed Costa Rica beans, maybe add some of the monkey blend (but no monkey poop…lol). I mean… why not?

    Reply

  14. This might be a question that has been asked before. Has anyone ever made a chart of what roasts work well with which beans? I know you have notes on each bean like this, but it would be helpful to have a simple chart to refer to. So if I pull out Rwandan beans, I can look on the chart and see they work best with medium to dark, or best with light roast. Or conversely, if I know I want to do something dark roasted, I could look on the chart and see these are the beans that will work well in a dark. Maybe it’s possible to use your search function to do all that? But I would even love to have something I could print out and just keep next to the roaster.

    Reply

    1. In theory that sounds like an amazing idea. So A+++ on the concept! But the reality is more complicated for 2 reasons. On the coffee side, origins or types of coffee, like Rwanda, can be very different. There are different sub regions, different process methods. It’s not clear what roast to always recommend for each area, and for each type of process. Also, some things really work well in multiple ways. Take Kenyas – super light roasts, if well done, can be citrusy and bright and some people will love that. Others find it shrill and abrasive. On the flip side Kenyas work on darker levels and it brings out the black currant notes, and pungent roast tastes. Some people will think thats amazing and others will say you ruined the coffee! So there are different interpretations, and those are based on personal preference. And that gets really complicated. We would almost have to create a separate chart for each person based on what they think really great coffee tastes like. Anyway, your suggestion raises a lot of good discussion points and thanks for making it!

    2. I see your point. I tend to think that my preference (dark, always dark) is everybody’s preference. I have a friend that only drinks light roast. I roasted some for him not long ago, and thinking he couldn’t really want it super light I made it more of a medium (I think about 440 degrees?). He didn’t like it. Too dark for him. So I tried a new batch that was very solidly a light roast. I made some to try myself, and I didn’t like it. It tasted like boiled tree bark. I’m just not sure if that is all the roast, or partially the beans. I used Sumatra beans, which I almost always see roasted super dark.
      So getting back to my original comment, I was hoping for a guideline to start with that doesn’t involve just reading every note on every different bean you sell. And not every bean seller makes as useful notes as you do. I did find in your search feature where you could look for beans that do well with a certain roast. That is helpful. I just want something going the other direction too. Thanks for your response.

    3. Ok I get it – a guideline that isnt so specific, but gives a good starting point. Especially making groupings for people who like light, medium or dark roasts.

  15. We really love your Hawaii Kona Darnell Estate Typica for its sweetness and soft bright tones.
    Knowing it is not always available:
    What would be your closest and best “Sweet Maria” replacement choices?

    Reply

    1. Hey Russell, great question. I always think of Central American coffees as nice replacements for Hawaii. We have a fresh Costa Rica going up on Wednesday that shares similar qualities – clean, simple sweetness, mildly present acidity (“Chirripo Finca Jose”). Another future launch that’s a good fit is Guatemala Antigua Pulcal Inteligente, launching next week. A lot of the Antigua coffees we carry have the soft bright tones and sweetness you speak of, often prevalent in washed Hawaiian coffees. Of those two, Pulcal tops the list for me, but think you’ll find both tick off similar boxes (and at a fraction of the price!).

      Best,
      Dan

  16. I’m all about espresso, meaning I haven’t gotten into the milk game. I don’t like fruity-ness at all, I’d take bitterness over acidity any day. I have been drinking Ethiopiques2.0 and have been liking it a lot, just overall great coffee taste, not fruity nor bitter for me. I roast it until 2nd crack is snapping but not too fast. A little bummed that it is out of stock. Before Ethiopiques I was on New Classic for some time, and Espresso Monkey before that.
    On my last order I had done Altiplano Blend, New Classic and Ethiopiques. Two known and a new one to try. The Altiplano Blend was just OK for me, not spectacular.
    What would be a good recommendation to replace Ethiopiques with something similar?

    Reply

    1. Hey Adrian, we actually have a few hundred pounds of that blend left and are relaunching it middle of next week. We also should have long stock on ingredients again in a few weeks once our first Ethiopia container arrives.

      For replacement, Monkey’s a good option as it also has dry process Ethiopia in it. So does Moka Kadir. MK also has Yemen in it, which are fantastic as dark roasted espresso.

      Hope that helps!

      Best,
      Dan

  17. This isn’t related directly to your video. I used to buy exclusively Sumatra dark roast from Peets. Recently i decided to experiment with home roasting, so I purchased some Sumatra beans from you, but was surprised to find that the label on the bag suggests that they are suitable for an expresso roast. I tried roasting these beans into a medium level but found the results underwhelming. How can i re-create the flavor and aroma profile of that Sumatra dark roast? What kind of beans would you suggest?

    Reply

    1. Hello Albert, glad to hear you’re giving home roasting a try! It can be hard to perfectly recreate something purchased commercially, but I’ll provide some guidance that we hope will help. First, our descriptions (and bag labels) often have two, separate pieces of information at the bottom which can guide you. 1) Recommended roast range. 2) Do we recommend it for espresso aka “good for espresso.” Let’s start with “good for espresso.”

      Technically you can brew and enjoy any coffee at any roast level as espresso. We add “good for espresso” to coffees that we feel exhibit qualities that people brewing espresso are typically looking for: big body, mild to moderate acidity, and heavy chocolate roast flavors when taken to the Full City/Full City+ roast level. You can read about all our thinking on good for espresso here. So coffees with the “good for espresso” label will often exhibit some or all of those characteristics.

      The other info you’ll see on the label is the recommended roast range, with terms like city, city+, full city, etc. You can find more detailed descriptions here. Notice there’s no “espresso roast.” That being said, Full City and above is where many people roast coffee to when they intend to brew it as espresso. So for the Sumatra you purchased, I imagine the label said something like “City+ to Full City+. Good for espresso.” In the context of trying to recreate the coffee you have historically enjoyed, you’d probably want to roast towards the Full City+ range or maybe a little beyond. It can be helpful to visually compare your beans to the ones you’re trying to match to see if you’re roasting dark enough (or too dark).

      With all the in mind, recreating a coffee is just plain difficult. Imagine trying to recreate a dish from your favorite restaurant at home. Even if you perfectly know all the ingredients and recipe, reproducing it is no easy feat. And in this case we don’t have access to the recipe (roast level/strategy/equipment) nor ingredient (exact beans or blend they used.) Sumatran coffees exhibit a range of flavors, so the beans may not be exactly the same even if from the same producing country. Part of the joy of home roasting is experimenting and trying different beans and roasts to get that “perfect cup.” Hopefully this info will help you get there!

  18. Thank you, Jarrett, for taking the time for such a detailed reply. I do appreciate it. I am trained as a physical chemist and can appreciate the organic chemistry involved in the coffee roasting process. I think one issue I have is that the air roaster I am using is just not up to the task. I will try to plug the roaster closer to the power panel to compensate for the voltage drop. (I have to do the roasting in the backyard due to the loudness of the roaster.) If that still doesn’t do it, then I will have to return the roaster to Amazon. Then, maybe I’ll consider one of the roasters you have on offer. They are a bit more expensive than I was planning to spend on this project, however. Thanks again.

    Reply

  19. My wife and I have fallen in love with Polar Espresso Blend roasted around Full City to Full City +. Our previous favorite was your competitor’s Bali Blue Moon. Do you have a recommendation for something like your Polar Espresso Blend to use until Polar Espresso Blend is available again next holiday season?

    Reply

    2. Howdy Loren! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed this year’s Polar Expresso blend. While it does differ from year to year, it tends to be built around a dry process African coffee. Like Tom said, I think the best option would be to blend this yourself using ingredients from our list since it’s a pretty unique blend for us.

      This year’s blend used dry process Ethiopia, wet process Guatemala, and a little wet process Kenya. The key to reconstructing a close approximation is finding a dry process Ethiopia that isn’t too wild/bright, and offers a bit of bittersweetness when roasted dark. Thankfully, we have a great option right now in Ethiopia Dry Process Senna Katta Mountain. For the Guatemala, you’re looking for balance in the cupping graph with positive bittersweetness and body (8.5+), and mild to moderate acidity (no brighter than 8.5). Guatemala Michicoy Finca Rosma is a great fit, and has been great at Full City/FC+. Kenya’s are typically bright, which is why we tend to use a smaller amount (but not always). Look for one with a recommended roast range to at least Full City, if not Full City+ (in our short description and/or specs tab of the review). That will indicate that we found very positive flavors at darker roasts. Kenya Nyeri Ndaroini AA is a good candidate from the current offer list.

      I would buy 2# of each, and first roast them separately. This will also allow you to familiarize yourself with what each coffee brings to the blend so that you can make informed decisions when adjusting the ratio. To start, I’d try 2 parts each Ethiopia/Guatemala, to 1 part Kenya. I often use our blue scoops to make up these quick blend ratios, or you can always weigh things out on a scale. But that’s going to be pretty close to our Polar blend. You can then blend pre-roast once you’ve found a suitable recipe.

      I’d also recommend trying our Monkey blend when that’s back in stock. It also incorporates Ethiopia dry process and washed Latin American coffee, but Brazil rounds things out rather than Kenya. Unfortunately, we’re out of stock at the moment but hope to have that back on the site early this year.

      Hope this info helps. Feel free to reach out with any questions!

      -Dan

  20. Thanks for the guidance! [Getting a personal reply from a large on-line company is a treat in this day and age.] This years Polar Espresso had a deep coffee flavor with no bitterness. We enjoyed it with no added sugar or cocoa powder.

    Reply

  21. It looks like you currently only have one decaf available: Colombia San Antonio EA Decaf. Usually you’ve had a bunch of choices. What’s up with that? Is it just a post-holiday glitch? Or is there a shortage particularly of decaf? Do you expect to getting more options in soon? Meanwhile I’m going to try the San Antonio.

    Reply

    1. Hey David, a combination of having a run on our decafs over the holidays and inability to get something lined up in the wings. We expect to have a broader selection in a few weeks, including a new Peru, as well as another EA Colombia, but from Nariño (current one is Inzá).

      Thanks for your patience!

  22. What green coffee beans do you recommend for using to flavor beans such as chocolate, fruity, and cinnamon flavors. I already have been roasting coffee beans but would like some direction on which green coffee beans I need to use for which flavor profile.
    Thanks,

    Ashley

    Reply

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