Former Bachelor Ben Higgins has his own coffee brand now — and it's actually really good

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• Former Bachelor Ben Higgins co-founded a coffee company, Generous Coffee.
• I tried the coffee and spoke to Higgins about the company and its mission to help others.

Former Bachelor Ben Higgins has traded roses for coffee beans as a co-founder and president of Generous Coffee Company. Started with business partners Drew Scholl and Riley Fuller, the company gives 100% of its profits to nonprofits — primarily Humanity and Hope United, an organization that assists underserved communities in rural Honduras.

Insider spoke to the Bachelor alum about his experience becoming a business owner in the coffee industry. He shared his must-have gadgets for making the best cup of coffee possible, as well as gift ideas for those looking to spread some generosity.

"I've learned so much over the last three and a half years that it's hard for me to call myself now just a casual coffee drinker," Higgins said.

He added that becoming a coffee expert was never the goal with Generous. "My desire has always been to try to just keep us doing something good for the world and using coffee, which I believe is one of the coolest things that we have on this planet, as the avenue to do it. So I would say I'm an above-average coffee drinker."

How does Generous Coffee taste?

If living in Seattle, the coffee capital of the US, has taught me anything at all, it's what a good cup of coffee is supposed to taste like. I would say I'm an average coffee drinker and have one or two cups per day made in a Keurig, pour over, or coffee pot. I always drink my coffee with about two tablespoons of half and half so I did the same with Generous Coffee.

I prefer light-to-medium roasts and enjoy coffee that isn't too sweet or too bitter. To try a range of Generous Coffee flavors, I brewed three cups from the sampler pack which included roasts named after the founders — the Higgins, the Fuller, and the Drew. The company also sells individual bags (whole beans or ground) for between $16 and $18, and offers a subscription service where coffee can be shipped to your door every one to three weeks.

The Drew is a dark roast blend with flavors of toasted almond, dried fruits, and toffee. I don't usually go for the darker blends but this one surprised me with its nutty and sweet flavors. The body was smooth and light in texture with a bitter aftertaste, and I mean that in a positive way — it served as a bold and refreshing end.

The Higgins is also a dark roast with notes of dark chocolate and caramelized sugar. This one ended up being my favorite. It tasted like there was a drizzle of caramel in my cup of coffee but it wasn't overpowered with sweetness. I would definitely drink it as an everyday coffee.

The last cup of coffee I tried was the Fuller, which is a light roast with notes of fresh fruit and chocolate. Since I normally gravitate toward lighter roasts, I thought this one would be my favorite but I didn't taste the fresh fruit flavors I was hoping for. It was smooth and not too sweet with acidic undertones that overpowered the initial flavors.

Every bean sold from Generous Coffee is single-origin, meaning that it can be traced to one single producer on a farm. All of the coffee that Generous sources scores an 85 or higher on the specialty grade coffee scale for measuring coffee quality from the farm to the roaster to the coffee brewer. The rigorous scoring process includes defect examinations, judging the ripeness of the bean, cupping (coffee tasting) and more.

How does Generous Coffee give back?

The coffee company has product partnerships with fellow charitable brands like MudLOVE, Allmade Apparel, Utopian Roasters, and Vida Plena — proceeds from their products sold on Generous Coffee's website go on to help communities in the Central African Republic, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Guatemala. A portion of their profits also goes to Humanity and Hope United, co-founder Riley Fuller's organization that assists underserved communities in rural Honduras.

And, two times per quarter, Generous donates to nonprofit organizations such as UNICEF, the Alzheimer's Association, the Kutoa Project, and Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.

It's clear that Higgins seeks out companies with similar missions, which is also how he came to choose Utopian Roasters as Generous Coffee's roasting partner; the organization converts cocaine fields in Colombia to coffee farms which can then increase their famers' pay by 80%. "Every cup of coffee that we consume is coming from the hands of people all around the world that are hand picking it, hand drying it, and supporting their families off of this incredible product," Higgins said. "And we get to drink it. Oftentimes, we drink it without the gratitude and appreciation that a cup of coffee deserves."

Higgins' at-home coffee setup

Higgins shared his must-have coffee gadgets for at-home brewing, as well as gift ideas for those looking to spread some generosity.

Fellow Clara French Press

When Higgins has time in the mornings, brewing a cup of coffee in a Fellow Clara French Press is his go-to. "I've always just enjoyed the slowness of it, the art. I know people love a good pour-over, but I find that, for me, a French press is really hard to beat, especially a good French press," he said. When it comes to his favorite bag of Generous Coffee, he — unsurprisingly — enjoys his namesake blend the most.

OXO Conical Burr Coffee Grinder

One of our top picks for best coffee grinder and Higgins' favorite, the OXO Conical Burr Coffee Grinder helps him brew coffee in the mornings.

Higgins used to use pre-ground beans to brew coffee but that quickly changed when he started Generous. "I will tell you for anybody out there that's reading, even if you're an average coffee drinker, it is game changing. I mean, it is just wonderful to grind your own coffee," Higgins said.

MudLOVE coffee mug

The coffee entrepreneur also recommends mugs from MudLOVE. The brand sells stoneware and jewelry made in the US or Dominican Republic where every purchase donates one week of clean water through the nonprofit, Water for Good, to the Central Republic of Africa.

The bottom line

Supporting a company with a philanthropic mission is always a good way to spend your money. However, it's even better when the product makes you want to keep coming back. Generous Coffee provides both delicious coffee and a business model dedicated to helping others.