Do you want to get into the specialty coffee world? If so, you may feel overwhelmed by all the options available. How do you find the specific coffee you like? Well, a great place to start is with medium roast coffee—a perfect combination of all the good parts of both light and dark roasts. Discover everything you need to know about medium roast coffee and how to find the right bag of beans for you!
What Is Medium Roast Coffee?
In coffee, there are three types of roasts you can have for a bean: light, medium, and dark. Medium is one of the more popular roast types, as its middle-of-the-road flavors appeal to a large audience.
Typically, medium roasts are more flavorful and bolder than their light roast counterparts, but less bitter and not as strong as dark roasts. While there’s a wide variety of medium roasts out there, they are well-loved for their ability to preserve the flavor of the bean.
Guide to Choosing Whole Bean Coffee
Finding the right coffee for you can be a lot of trial and error, but at least you get to enjoy new types of specialty coffees along the way! Here is our guide to help you begin the journey of finding your favorite medium roast coffee.
1. Determine Your Roast
While we recommend medium roasts for beginners, you may want to branch out and find a different roast.
Contrary to popular belief, darker roasts don’t have more caffeine, but rather lighter roasts do—though it’s a pretty minimal change across the board. However, they do differ in acidity, bitterness, sweetness, and antioxidant activity.
So while medium roast is a great place to start, you may want to play around with other roasts to see if you like the flavors more in other types of coffee roasts.
2. Read the Notes
If you’ve been in the specialty coffee world, you’ve likely heard the term “coffee notes.” This term refers to the underlying flavors, aromas, and even mouthfeel of the coffee. Popular notes include fruity, floral, nutty, or sweet.
Discovering what notes you enjoy can take some time, and you may not immediately taste the “notes of blueberry” as you learn your preferences—but it can be a fun challenge to train your mouth to taste the distinct notes and discover which ones you consistently like. Once you have an idea of your favorite coffee notes, shopping for coffee in the store or online becomes a lot easier!
3. Smell the Beans
Our senses of smell and taste are intrinsically tied. The aroma impacts how things taste, and some smells are so strong that you can practically taste them. So one of the best tips we can provide when shopping for coffee is to smell the beans. This will give you an idea of the flavor and if you will enjoy it. Most coffee bags will even have a small opening that allows you to breathe in the scent.
4. Find Your Preferred Method of Brewing
While the beans play a crucial role in the flavor of the coffee, how you brew it can also determine your coffee experience. While medium roast coffee is ideal for the classic drip coffee method, you may want to experiment with other types of brewing, such as:
- Pour over
- French Press
- Moka pot
- Aeropress
- Cold brewing
5. Take It as You Like
There is no rule in the coffee world that you must take your cup black. Once you find the right beans for you, make your cup exactly how you like it. Whether you love creamers and syrups, like a dash of cream, or appreciate coffee just as is, make it your own—great coffee is meant to be enjoyed!
Enjoy the Sweet, Fruity Taste of Our Nicaragua Medium Roast Coffee
What better way to start your coffee journey than with beans that go towards clean water? At Three Avocados, our medium roast Nicaragua coffee helps to support communities without access to clean drinking water. So not only do you get a great-tasting cup of joe, but you also directly impact the lives of people in need across the world. So pick up a bag of this sweet, slightly fruity coffee, and support our mission to provide clean water!
