The best coffee beans are usually defined by your taste preferences and there are different ways of deciding which ones are better for you, here’s a short list of 5 of the best beans depending on your taste preference:
- For strength – Indonesian Coffee from Java, Dark Roast African Espresso
- For newbies – Brazilian beans (Santos)
- All Rounder – Continental Blend
- Best Light Roast – Yirgacheffe beans
- Best Green Beans – Single Origin Green
If you’re still wondering which is best for you then look no further.
Today we’re giving you a clear explanation on some of the most prevalent questions about fresh coffee, to help you decide what will give you your morning fix for the next few days or even weeks.
Enhance the strength of your coffee by using metal filters.
Of course it goes without saying; speciality coffee is the ONLY coffee you should be buying. You only need to read this article “Speciality Coffee – What is it & Why Should You Care?” to see how important it is.
The first question you should probably ask is –
“Do I need BEANS or GROUND?”
And the answer is simple – if you don’t have a grinder then you definitely need ground. But coffee beans will stay fresher for longer once you open the packaging.
The great news is, our roasting experts at Adams + Russell will grind them for you when you choose any type of bean from our selection.
Just select ‘Ground’ option when choosing your coffee – it’s that easy.

Which is the best coffee for strength?
So you want to know the real truth about strong beans.
Put it this way, there are a lot of theories out there and lots of coffee beans ‘claiming’ to be the strongest EVER coffee.
And it may not come as a surprise to hear that the strength of coffee is very much dependent on your taste buds.
Some people think the darker the roast, the stronger the bean. Yes, it’s also true that there’s a more intense flavour when you roast the bean for longer, which is what makes it darker.
However, this doesn’t always relate to a desired level of strength for everyone
For example, coffee beans can have a number of strength measurements that you may value in your every day coffee.
Here are 3 of the perceived strength elements that can be released during the roasting process:
Coffee Strength Elements
Strong Earthy tones
Indonesian Coffee from Java is renowned for having rich, earthy undertones and is a good choice. The cherry is wet hulled, which is where it gets the earthiness characteristic from.
Strong Acidity/Bitterness
To a lot of non-coffee geeks ‘strongest’ means a bean that is most bitter. The cheaper Robusta beans certainly fall into this category.
Robusta beans are so bitter, it’s difficult to find a blend that is 100% Robusta. So they are usually 20% Robusta blended with 80% Arabica beans.
Not only that, some companies will sell what they call a STRONG coffee but really it may be ‘packed full of cheaper robusta’.
Strong Tobacco flavour
Some of the darkest roasts usually contain tobacco undertones. Often the darker roasts are also known to have that ‘extra bite’.
Strong Savoury notes
Some of the more exclusive coffee beans are likely to have a savoury note to them. The savoury tones of a coffee bean may be best tasted at a medium roast, which means the flavour doesn’t intensify too much.
Strong Caffeine Levels
Who doesn’t love a Caffeine boost in the morning? And funnily enough, caffeine doesn’t actually have much (if any) taste. Again, Robusta beans are the choice for high caffeine, they also have a superb crema. Our very own Classico blend fits right into this category.
Which is the best coffee for strength when brewed?
Generally, the strength of a coffee can also be directly related to how much/little water you use to make coffee from a given weight of grinds.
Here’s a couple of simple tips to making the best coffee if you want it stronger:
How to Make the Best Strong Coffee
If you want it stronger, use more coffee.
And if you want weaker, use more water to brew it weak.
The average brew measurement is approximately 18g of ground coffee per cup poured.
Another trick to enhancing the strength is to use a metal filter as opposed to paper filters. Particularly when using an Aeropress, if you haven’t heard of an Aeropress, have a read here
Wikihow has a number of tips on how to make stronger coffee
The average brew measurement is approximately 18g of ground coffee per cup poured.
Which are the best coffee beans for me?
One thing to remember is – supermarkets do not do the best coffee! You only need to read this Coffee Forums thread to realise that.
Knowing this will help you out a lot when making your choice.
Everyone is different and it really does depend on your taste, but your tasting experience can also have an impact when asking yourself “which is the best coffee for me?”.
So we’ve put together some experience levels and matched them to flavours which may work best for you.
Green Bean:
If you’re brand new to choosing the best coffee. Try these Brazilian Coffee beans (Santos), They are lightly roasted beans with smooth flavour and a medium body. Use just under 17g per cup to get used to the taste.
Lightly Roasted:
The Yirgacheffe bean is great for anyone growing their taste buds. It has a bright acidity and floral/citrus flavour. It’s therefore less intense than some of the full bodied beans. Look out for a smooth medium roast
Moderately Roasted:
So you’re fairly experience but still trying to get used to the intensity. Keep a look out for medium roasts with sweet tones
2nd Crack:
You’ve been drinking coffee for years and don’t really need me to advise you. You probably love to try the different flavours and are enjoying making your own mind up about which is best for you.
No matter how experienced you are, anyone can have a look at our Single Origin Coffee comparison chart to determine which flavours sound the best.
RELATED PRODUCTS
Dark Roast Espresso
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What’s your experience in choosing the best for YOU? Share your knowledge in the comments below.
This Post Has 21 Comments
I bought from your stand at a village festival about four years ago. Great website. I’ve down loaded your guide. Now I’ve found out where you are I’ll be down next week!
Great to hear Bob. Thanks for being a valuable customer. Looking forward to seeing you
hi ,could you recommend a really choclatey coffee bean or blend, thanks
Hello Caterina
My favourite chocolaty blend is continental, especially when you add a little milk. Also check out the Timor single origin coffee which is superb, A classic African coffee with a little more acidity would be the Tanzanian Kilimanjaro. These are available on the 3 for £12.00 offer.
Hi.im a real coffee lover.i discovered a while back the quality of coffee in Portugal. Delta coffee was everywhere and never was it poor.i need a filter coffee. Can you recommend any.i don’t seem to get a caffeine rush so this isn’t a concern.
Delta Coffee is a company that loves its full bodied, coat your mouth style of beans. I would recommend the Timor or Papua New Guinea Single origin coffees. If you need even more omph in your cup check out the Milano Blend.
Back in 1971 I went to Switzerland and the coffee served at breakfast was gorgeous. I used to be able to fnd a swiss blend here in the UK,which was the same, but now i’m trying to find it again I can’t. Do you have any idea of what sort of coffee it would have been. I know it wasn’t a bitter coffee.
Hey Jill, Thanks for your comment. We’ve had people comparing the Espresso Blend coffee to the coffee in Switzerland. It’s really nice and not bitter.
Here it is if you’re interested… https://www.adamsandrussell.co.uk/wholesale/products/coffee/espresso/
Hi can you recommend a nice flavoursome coffee without the horrible head buzz sue
Hey Susan, I’m thinking you’re talking about the head buzz you would get from caffeine. If you’re looking for something nice and flavoursome without caffeine, you should definitely try our this one … Flavoursome decaf coffee
My husband always complains that the coffee I buy is bitter. Could you please recommend a coffee to try.
Hi Gillian. Thanks for your enquiry. It may be best to go for a lighter or medium roast if bitterness is a problem. Have a look at our single origin guide to see which one might work best for you click on the flavours to go directly to that coffee too – https://www.adamsandrussell.co.uk/single-origin-coffee-chart. I can personally recommend the Malawi, which is a light-medium roast. Another impact of bitterness is how long you brew it. If you brew it for a shorter amount of time, it won’t be as bitter. Hope that helps, it would be great to hear how you get on.
Thanks,
Matt
How can I buy some Cuban Coffee? I too have a love/hate relationship with Paypal. Ideally 1Kg of beans.
Hey Philip, hopefully someone from the roasters has sent you an email. Unfortunately we can’t sell Cuban through Paypal. So anyone who wishes to purchase needs to send an email to info@adamsandrussell.co.uk. Apologies for the inconvenience.
Have you started labelling your coffee with a roasted on date yet? If not can you give an indication of the likely age of the coffee beans you have for sale?
Hello Peter, We aim to send out the coffee within 5 to 7 days from the roast date. We do not place a roast date on the bag, perhaps we might look to do so in the future.
We roast in small batches of 5/10/15 kilo volumes. This means we never store coffee. Coffee is at it optimum up to 3 months from being roasted.
Should you want to come and check out how we roast the coffee you are welcome to come and take a look. If you come to see us at our Birkenhead shop and factory we will show you around and even make you a cup to sample.
what is the story with the roasting date , when can we find them on the bags ?
Hi there, for any questions about the roasting, please feel free to drop our team an email at info@adamsandrussell.co.uk. Thanks, Matt
Hi, I’m looking for a coffee with under notes of brown sugar, pineapple and cedar, can you advise please.
Hi. Are your coffees organic and/Or fair trade? Thanks
Hi Lis,
Yes, We do have fair trade coffees available. By far our most popular is the Colombian Fair trade coffee.