We have allocated a flavour and strength guide to each of our coffees to help you choose and have fun trying different coffees in order to discover which coffees you prefer. You can find these strength and flavour ratings next to each coffee on the product lists.

Roast and Strength of Coffee Explained

Customers often ask us, "What is the difference between a strong coffee and a darker roasted coffee?" or "Is a darker roasted coffee a stronger coffee?"

In our opinion, there is no simple answer to this question! Firstly it’s important to define what you mean by strength.

If by strength you mean the amount of caffeine contained in a coffee, then the largest single influence is the amount of coffee dosed compared to the amount of water to make a cup of coffee. In this regard the person making the coffee has the most influence, as they will determine the ratio of coffee grinds to water during the brewing process.

If however by strength you mean the ‘flavour’ or how much ‘bite’ the coffee has, then the answer is considerably more complex. Each individual type of coffee requires its own depth of roasting to bring out its best flavours. Therefore one particular bean may only require a medium roast, whereas another bean may require a darker roast in order to bring out its best and unique flavour notes. This is where the skill and experience of the roaster comes in.

A darker roasted coffee generally does have more punch to its taste. This is because it has been roasted through to the second, or even in a few cases its third crack, allowing more of its natural oils to be released (the darker the roast the more oily the beans). This may give the impression of a stronger tasting coffee, but it is a myth to say that darker roasted coffee contains more caffeine than a medium roasted coffee. There is in fact a negligible difference in the caffeine content of a darker roasted coffee than its medium roasted counterpart, and therefore strength of the coffee from a caffeine perspective is broadly the same. So in short, darker roasted coffee will usually taste punchier and may give the impression of being a stronger coffee due to its taste, but won’t be any stronger as far as the caffeine content is concerned.

Our Top 10 Best Selling Coffees

Dark Italian
Barcelona Espresso
Monsoon Malabar Dark Roasted
Continental
Colombian Organic & Fairtrade Dark Roasted
Guatemalan Huehuetenango
Espresso Trial Selection Pack	varies
Monsoon Malabar Italian Roast
Sumatra Blue Ling Tong Dark Roasted
Kenya Peaberry