A good and high quality coffee beans are the base of a good cup of coffee. Whether you have the most sophisticated and newest model of brewing devices, or how good are your brewing techniques, only the best coffee beans produces the best coffee.
We’ve listed below some of our favorite coffee beans which include household names, some are cult favorites but rest assured that all taste great so read on!
Best Coffee Beans
Holler Mountain – Stumptown Coffee
With people drinking coffee all over the world, it is an impossible task to identify and choose the best coffee, some prefer dark roast while others prefer light. Sometimes it depends on the brewing techniques, others choose coffee beans that are worthy of their hard-earned money.
Stumptown Coffee has been a favorite for decades, they produce many coffee blends that can be in our list, but our all-time favorite is Holler Mountain because of the strong flavor. It’s convenient and easy to drink, you can prepare your daily cup by drip, or you can brew it with your espresso and pour over.
This coffee is medium roast and has balance of chocolate and caramel notes with a bit of citrus and berry jam flavor. You can buy this in groceries, and online stores either pre-ground or whole bean if you prefer to grind them yourself. Stumptown’s Coffee – Holler Mountain can be pricey, but for us, it is worth every penny. You can enjoy the finest blends from the top and most influential roaster for your morning coffee.
Kick Ass – Kicking Horse Coffee
Kicking Horse Coffee is sold in almost every grocery store across the country, they offer variety of roast and coffee blends. Each one is explained in detail, how they taste and what brewing techniques and methods were used.
We chose Kick Ass, a dark roast with smokiness similar to French or Italian roast, it has an earthy aftertaste and sweet aroma with elements of vanilla and chocolate that you can taste on every sip. Kicking Horse Coffee’s are all organic, and is made of 100% Arabica beans.
If Kick Ass is not your type of dark roast, you try their blends which are Grizzly Claw or 454 Horse Power.
Super Crema – Lavazza
Lavazza is an Italian coffee company that was established in 1895, and their Super Crema is a special roast created for the best and delicious espresso.
Super Crema is a medium-dark roast with honey, almond and dried fruits notes. Lavazza retails at a great price, and you can easily order it on Amazon. Every sip will transport you to Italy’s lush countryside.
Hazelnut Crème – SF Bay Coffee
One of the most popular coffee flavor which is hazelnut, which SF Bay Coffee has mastered and has put their own delicious twist, Hazelnut Crème.
With toasted hazelnut, cinnamon, and Madagascar vanilla notes, Hazelnut Crème is medium-light roast with soft and subtle flavors that you can taste in every sip. Some things to note, this coffee is sold in one size (2 pounds) and it also contains artificial flavors. Though it is one of the best flavored coffee you will taste.
If you are wondering how flavored coffee are made, it is usually made by mixing and adding flavor oils to coffee beans while they are in the process of cooling. They spray the coffee beans when it’s hot with the flavored oils, so it locks in while it cools down.
Decaf – Kicking Horse Coffee
Some people love their coffee decaffeinated, but it’s hard to find a good cup of decaf. In the process of decaffeinating, coffee beans lose certain chemicals that affect the aroma and taste of your coffee. Here, we have Kicking Horse Coffee that produces amazing decaf without losing the taste and aroma that you love about coffee.
The rich combination of toasted hazel and dark chocolate makes every sip of Decaf by Kicking Horse incredible, consumers even suggest that they don’t see any difference with the Decaf and other products of Kicking Horse. Something to note is that Kicking Horse is a bit pricey, but you can expect an organic, fair traded, and just the right amount of roast coffee.
Death Wish Coffee Co. Whole Bean Coffee
Branded as the “World’s Strongest Coffee”, having 2 to 4 times the amount of caffeine compared to a regular coffee, the company Death Wish lives up to its name. But you shouldn’t be scared drinking this coffee for your daily boost, Death Wish is one of the most highly rated and reviewed coffee brands online.
A lot of people are purchasing Death Wish because of the extra boost they get from their daily cup and the smooth taste, with hints of dark chocolate and cherry. You will be surprised how delicious this coffee is.
Death Wish is on the pricer end, but considering the double caffeine per cup that will certainly take you on your day, it’s worth every penny. This coffee is also organic, fair traded and does not use any artificial ingredients or flavor.
Thunder Bolt – French Roast Coffee | Koffee Kult
Koffee Kult’s Thunder Bolt French roast is made of 100% Arabica with earthy and smoky notes with a bit of sweet aftertaste, this coffee is for people who love their coffee strong and delicious.
Koffee Kult’s coffees are on the pricier end and large bulks. It is recommended to but the coarse-ground for your French press for the maximum flavor.
Portside Blend – Seattle’s Best Coffee
Seattle’s Best makes 10 delicious coffee blends that you can enjoy at a budget friendly price. From their light roast, to their dark roast, you will definitely have something for you. They’ve perfectly combined affordability and high quality coffee blends that you can enjoy for your morning cup.
Intelligentsia House Blend
Intelligentsia House Blend combines notes of apple and citrus with the sweetness of sugar cane and milk chocolate for the best brew that will surely brighten and start your day right. They offer several light roasts like El Gallo Breakfast and Blend, which is also one of my favorites. Intelligentsia has been around for decades and has become one of an influential roasted that focuses on the best brewing techniques while being affordable compared to other brands.
Cold Brew Reserve – Stone Street Coffee
Cold brew has been popular over the last few years but the process of brewing coffee with room temperature water can be traced as far as 1600 in Japan. There have been a lot of benefits to cold brew like lower caffeine and little to no acidity without compromising the taste. Cold brew produces smooth and sweeter coffee that will surely jumpstart your day.
Stone Street, a company from Brooklyn that produces high quality coffee blends has one of the best cold brew coffee. Though on the pricier side, it will bring your iced coffee experience to another level.
What to Look for in Whole Bean Coffee
Tasting Notes
Trying new coffee can be overwhelming, specially with all the types and blends that we have today. We recommend starting on the type of roast that you like. Light roast coffee typically has crisp acidity, bright flavors, and mellow body. Medium roast coffee has a more rounded flavor, medium acidity and body. Dark roast tends to have deeper and stronger flavor. There are also coffee blends with tasting notes that’s usually present on every sip as an aftertaste.
Price
Personally, I drink 3 to 4 cups of coffee a day, and I don’t go to Starbucks every time. I like to brew my own coffee and enjoy it while working. Always try a small bag of coffee first to see if there is any difference between a $20 coffee and $5, depending on your preference, a pricier coffee does not mean a tastier cup.
