Congo Coffee from Oxfam Ranked #1 in Blind Tasting by Caffènation
Rob Berghmans, founder of the well-known Antwerp-based coffee roaster Caffènation (20 years old, 4 locations), was invited by Gazet van Antwerpen to participate in a blind cupping session of 14 different arabica coffee brands. His verdict? Oxfam Fair Trade’s Congo coffee scored the highest in taste, and he praised its exceptional price-quality ratio.
Rob Berghmans, founder of the well-known Antwerp-based coffee roaster Caffènation (20 years old, 4 locations), was invited by Gazet van Antwerpen to participate in a blind cupping session of 14 different arabica coffee brands. His verdict? Oxfam Fair Trade’s Congo coffee scored the highest in taste, and he praised its exceptional price-quality ratio.
Expert judgement with a critical eye
“I didn’t expect much from this test,” said Berghmans, who’s been in the coffee business for 21 years. “We sell specialty coffee beans of the highest quality, which are lighter roasted compared to most supermarket coffees – the focus of this test.” But the Congo coffee from Oxfam Fair Trade clearly stands out and shouldn’t be lumped in with standard supermarket blends.
His 8/10 score came with this glowing review:
“Nice balance between acidity and sweetness. I taste raspberry and lemon zest. That balance is key – in cooking and in coffee. Light roast, pleasant to drink, and perfect as filter coffee. I’d love to drink this at home. At this price? It’s a steal.”
“The winner? I’d definitely drink it at home. Unbelievable that such good coffee is sold at that price.”
Affordable top quality that benefits everyone
Compared to the 13 other brands in the test, Oxfam’s Congo coffee stood out not just for flavour, but also for price. Some coffees cost up to 50% more, yet scored significantly lower on taste.
Oxfam’s coffee pricing is based on a guaranteed fair trade minimum price, which increases when the market rises but does not fall below a set threshold, even when the market does. In addition, Oxfam pays a fair trade premium per kilo, which increases depending on quality and organic certification — as is the case for this award-winning Congo coffee.
So when you choose this coffee, you get outstanding quality and you support smallholder coffee farmers, who often only receive a tiny fraction of the final retail price.
Cupping: the gold standard for coffee tasting
Did you know that blind cupping follows strict guidelines?
- Use 18 ml of water (just under boiling) per gram of ground coffee
- Let the coffee steep for 4 minutes, then first taste at 60°C
- Coffee is slurped — just like wine — to fully engage the taste buds
- A second tasting follows as the coffee cools to refine the evaluation
(Source: Christine De Herdt, Gazet van Antwerpen, 07/12/2024)