Sometimes coffee lovers are surprised to learn that Mexico is one of the world's largest coffee exporters. Why? Simply put, we hear about Mexican coffee less than we do about other origins. But we’re here to change that!
Grab yourself a mug and join us as we explore Mexican coffee — where it's grown, how roasting shapes its flavor, and how our partnership with the farmers at the Cooperativa de Producción Tzeltal-Tzotzil in Chiapas brings delicious coffees to your morning brew.
What Do Mexican Coffee Beans Taste Like?
Coffee lovers often describe Mexican coffees as well-balanced and smooth, with a rounded mouthfeel, medium acidity, and pleasant nutty or spice notes.
Our certified organic, Fair Trade Mexican coffees come from our farmer partners at the Tzeltal-Tzotzil Cooperative in Chiapas. We find their coffees very smooth and approachable, with a medium body and mild acidity, and we enjoy their subtle flavor notes of chocolate, nuts, and soft fruit.
As with any coffee from any origin, taste can vary widely with altitude, climate, soil, and variety, as well as the various growing and processing methods the farmers use.
Where Is Mexican Coffee Grown?
Most Mexican coffees are grown in the southern and central parts of the country. This is where the climate is more tropical, which makes it more suitable for coffee production than in the drier northern, subtropical states. Some of the most productive states in Mexico are Chiapas and Oaxaca in the south, followed by Veracruz and Puebla slightly farther north.
Many Mexican coffee farms are located at moderately high to high elevations, where mostly smallholder farmers grow their coffee trees in rich volcanic soils, often using traditional shade-grown and organic agricultural methods. These factors also make these regions highly suitable for growing Arabica coffee varieties.
Our Partnership With the Tzeltal-Tzotzil Cooperative
Our partnership with the Cooperativa de Producción Tzeltal-Tzotzil, or the Tzeltal-Tzotzil Cooperative, began more recently than many of our other farmer partners. While relatively new, our relationship with them has been exciting. The Tzeltal-Tzotzil is a small cooperative that grew from just 19 farms when it began but has now grown to nearly 400 smallholder farmers. Most of them are Indigenous farmers who speak the local Tzeltal and Tzotzil languages and who average less than 10 acres for each farm. The members all work together to strengthen their organic production and share resources for the success of all farmers in the cooperative.
As part of our People-Centered Development model, we meet with our farmer partners regularly and directly invest in community-led projects that support the well-being of their families and communities. One recent project involved investing in infrastructure prioritized by the cooperative, which included updated depulpers, solar driers, and biodigesters for anaerobic organic fertilizer production.
As a worker-owned cooperative and Fair Trade Federation member ourselves, we know what it takes to build something farmer by farmer — which is part of why this kind of direct, long-term partnership matters so much to us.
And you can taste the result of these farmer partnerships in every brew. Coffees from the Tzeltal-Tzotzil cooperative produce mellow, softly sweet cups that reflect the care, knowledge, and dedication of the communities who grow them.
From Our Collections
Explore our Mexican Coffee
Smooth, approachable Mexican coffee from the Tzeltal-Tzotzil Cooperative, about 350 Indigenous smallholder farmers in Chiapas — chocolate, nuts and soft fruit with mild acidity.
Shop Mexican CoffeeHow Are Mexican Coffee Beans Processed?
Mexico is a major global coffee producer, and the majority of its production for export consists of washed Arabica beans. The washed method is a multi-step process that will typically vary by region and cooperative, but it generally involves the following steps.
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Farmers depulp the freshly picked cherries in a mechanical depulping machine that removes the fruit from the seeds, which are what we call coffee “beans.” This leaves the moist, wet beans still in their parchment layer (a seed coat) with a sticky layer of mucilage left behind from the fruit.
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They then lightly ferment the beans by immersing them in water for about 12 to 36 hours. This allows time for the natural enzymes to break down the sticky mucilage so it can be easily rinsed off.
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Workers wash the beans with fresh water to remove the remaining mucilage.
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Next, they dry the beans by laying them in the sun and raking them over several days, until their moisture content drops to between about 10% and 12%.
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Finally, workers remove the dried parchment layer when the beans are ready for export.
How Roast Level Changes Mexican Coffee
Roast level can have a profound effect on the flavor of coffee because roasting creates different flavor profiles than those that come from the origin.
Medium Roast
Medium-roasted Mexican coffees are often appreciated for their balance of natural acidity, sweetness, and flavor notes that may hint at chocolate, nuts, or baking spice. The result is a medium-bodied cup with mild acidity, which typically works well with a range of brew methods, including drip coffee makers and brewing for a crowd. Our medium roasted certified organic, Fair Trade, shade-grown Mexican Chiapas produces a smooth cup with notes of brown sugar and cinnamon.
French Roast (Dark)
Dark roasts are roasted longer, which mutes the natural fruitier flavors of the origin and further tones down the already mild acidity while adding bolder roast-forward flavors, with flavor notes hinting at dark chocolate or toasted nuts. Our certified organic, Fair Trade Mexican Chiapas French Roast produces deliciously smooth, low-acid cups with notes of dark chocolate.
In Blends
The mild acidity, balanced body, and delicious flavor profiles also make Mexican coffees well-suited to blending. They can be blended with coffees from other origins with brighter acidity or fuller bodies to create a more balanced cup.
You can also blend lighter roasts with darker roasts from the same origin to get distinctive flavors, like we do with our certified organic, Fair Trade Aztec Two-Step, a medium-dark blend with cupping notes of dark chocolate, nuts, and graham crackers. Mmmm, is anyone else craving Mexican coffee?
Mexican Coffee Brewing Tips
While your brewing method will depend on your equipment, personal preferences, and the coffee, here are some general tips to help you brew excellent Mexican coffees.
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To enjoy the freshest aroma and flavors in your mug, choose whole beans and grind them yourself right before brewing. But we understand that’s not always an option for your lifestyle or setup. In that case, we can grind them fresh to order, or set up a Dean’s Beans coffee subscription so fresh beans show up on your doorstep right when you need them.
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Matching the brew method to the roast can help highlight certain characteristics, but remember there is no right or wrong method—what’s “best” is whatever you like best!
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Light roasts are often brewed in a pour-over with a paper filter since it removes some of the natural oils, which helps highlight the subtle flavors of the origin better.
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For dark roast lovers who enjoy a fuller body and creamier mouthfeel, try an immersion method like the French Press that doesn’t use a paper filter, so you can retain those natural oils.
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Medium roasts can generally be brewed easily using any method, including pour overs and French presses, but they’re also very well suited to the AeroPress and an auto-drip machine.
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Water temperature can have an impact on how the coffee extracts during brewing. Using boiling hot water could result in overextraction and bitter flavors, so try to keep your brewing temperatures between 195°F and 205°F (90°C to 96°C). If you don’t have a temperature-controlled kettle, you can simply bring the water to a boil and let it rest for about 30–60 seconds before you use it.
Never Run Out
Start a Dean's Beans Coffee Subscription
Whether Mexican Chiapas is your go-to, or Aztec Two-Step is calling your name, a Dean's Beans subscription keeps your pantry stocked with fresh, certified organic, Fair Trade beans from our partners at the Cooperativa de Producción Tzeltal-Tzotzil. You'll also get 10% off every shipment, exclusive perks, and surprise discounts!
Start a SubscriptionFrequently Asked Questions
What Makes Mexican Coffee Unique?
The majority of Mexican coffees are produced at relatively high elevations and rely on traditional shade-grown methods, mostly on smallholder farms. The climate, rich volcanic soils, and growing methods produce coffees that are well-balanced and smooth, with pleasant, subtle flavor notes of chocolate, nuts, soft fruits, or baking spices.
Which Roast Is Best for Mexican Coffee?
Since Mexican coffees are known for their smooth body, mild acidity, natural sweetness, and subtle flavor notes from the origin, a medium roast can help highlight those traits if that's what you're after. Our fan favorite single origin Mexican coffee is a medium roast called Mexican Chiapas, noted for it’s smooth, cinnamon and brown sugar cupping notes and drinkability.
Final Thoughts on Mexican Coffees
Mexican coffees may not be as famous as some of the others, but they’re definitely worth a try. You’ll enjoy their smooth body and delicious flavor notes hinting at soft fruits, chocolate, and baking spices.
Of course, roasting changes the flavor of coffee, and here at Dean’s Beans customers can try Mexican coffee as medium roast, French Roast or dark roast, and in blends. Whether you’re aiming for your perfect French Press or a delicious cup from your home coffee pot, we’re confident our Mexican coffees offer a titilating option for your morning brew.
To get the most from Mexican coffees, we believe you must start with fresh coffee and transparent sourcing. All our coffees are sourced through partnerships with smallholder farmers who use traditional shade-grown and organic agriculture methods, and we always roast and optionally grind fresh to order. We’re proud to work alongside the Tzeltal-Tzotzil Cooperative to bring some of the best certified organic, Fair trade Mexican coffee to our customers.
