The Ultimate Guide to Finding the Best Medium Roast Coffee: Uncovering the Top Ground Coffee Brands in the UK
Looking for the best coffee to kickstart your day? Look no further! In this article, we'll be delving into the world of coffee beans, specifically focusing on the best coffee medium roast in the UK. We've scoured the market to bring you our top three picks, carefully selecting these gems based on their origin, quality, and brewing method compatibility. But that's not all - we'll also be diving into the certification, brand reputation, customer reviews, and even the health benefits of ground coffee. So grab a cup of your favorite brew, because we're about to embark on a flavorful journey to discover the best coffee medium roast out there!
Best Ground Coffee
Tested by Beth Lipton for Food Network Kitchen
These days, you have many options when it comes to buying coffee. You can choose from ground coffee, whole beans, instant coffee, cold brew, or even sign up for a subscription. Buying ground coffee is convenient and brings you one step closer to your morning routine. With so many brands available, it's important to find the perfect coffee that suits your preferences. Whether you enjoy dark or light roast, flavored coffee, decaf, or something else, we conducted extensive testing to find the best ground coffees on the market.
Our Top 3 Picks
It's no secret that there are thousands of medium-roast coffee beans available. With a wide range of flavors such as chocolate, nuts, and fruits, choosing the best medium roast coffee beans in the UK is not just about taste. To provide you with accurate information, I created a comprehensive table that evaluates various factors:
| Analysis Factor | How I Judged The Factor |
|---|---|
| Freshness of The Coffee | Roast date and size of the roasting batches |
| Healthy or Unhealthy Coffee | Tested and screened for nasties like mycotoxins, mould and pesticides |
| Traceability | High-quality sourcing and traceability of the supply chain |
| Flavour Profile (of course!) | Tasting notes and flavours |
| Brand credibility and reputation | Customer reviews |
| Value for money | The price and quality mix |
So, if you're short on time, here are our top 3 picks for the best medium roast coffee brands:
| Product | Benefits | where to buy |
|---|---|---|
Best Pick Overall Stability Blend |
| Shop & Save £5 |
Premium Pick Day-Break Blend |
| Shop Now |
Budget Pick THREE SISTERS |
| Shop Now |
Let me explain in more detail:
1. The Stability Blend by Balance Coffee UK
The Stability Blend is at the top of the list for several reasons. It is specially crafted to prioritize your health, making it an excellent choice if you care about the ingredients you consume. Our coffee undergoes rigorous screening and testing to ensure it is free from harmful substances found in lower-grade coffee. It is considered one of the best coffee beans in the UK, offering numerous health benefits. The medium roast blend has delightful flavors of milk chocolate, hazelnut, and fig. With its premium quality, freshness, and abundance of antioxidants, the Stability Blend is a mouth-watering coffee packed with health benefits.
2. Day Break Blend by Routon Coffee
Routon Coffee's Day Break Blend is a well-known brand in the coffee industry. This award-winning medium roast coffee is made from 100% Arabica beans and boasts flavors of dark, rich chocolate and treacle. The coffee beans are roasted fresh upon receiving orders, ensuring exceptional taste and quality. Customers rave about the deliciousness of this medium roast coffee, making it an easy choice for our list of the best medium roast coffee beans in the UK.
3. Kicking Horse Coffee Three Sisters
Kicking Horse Coffee's Three Sisters medium roast coffee offers a smooth and savory experience that is quite addictive. Available in both whole bean and ground coffee forms, it excels in both areas. The tasting notes are well-rounded and complex, which is a rarity for medium roasts. This coffee is also perfect for pour-over brewing methods and guarantees a spectacular cup of joe every morning. With its exceptional quality and affordable price, it is the best choice for excellent value.
How I Picked the Coffee Beans
For this taste test, I focused on medium roast coffee as I had already tasted through the dark roast options. Medium roast beans allow the specific flavors unique to each bean and its growing conditions to shine through more prominently compared to dark roast beans. While dark roast beans are known for their rich, bold, smoky, and chocolatey notes, medium roast beans tend to offer brighter, fruitier flavors (although some may have caramel notes as well).
While most supermarket coffees are pre-ground, I sought out brands that sell whole, medium-roast beans to ensure a thorough experiment. Armed with 12 bags of coffee, I brewed and tasted each one, judging them based on their freshness, healthiness, traceability, flavor profile, brand credibility, reputation, and value for money.
[Image: Chemex coffee maker](https://cdn.apartmenttherapy.info/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto:eco,w_730/k/Photo/Lifestyle/2019-12-Chef-Showdown-Coffee-Makers/Chef-Showdown-Coffeemakers-Chemex_030)
10 Top Medium Roast Coffee Brands in the UK
Enjoying a cup of medium-roasted coffee is a delightful experience, provided you choose the right brand of coffee beans. However, not all coffee beans from top medium-roast brands are created equal. Let me share my top 10 picks for the best medium roast coffee beans in the UK.
Once again, my top ten picks are based on careful analysis and the grading criteria I mentioned earlier. So, without further ado, let's jump right into it.
1. Stability Blend by Balance Coffee UK
At Balance Coffee UK, our vision is to bring speciality-grade and healthy coffee to consumers in the UK, and our Stability Blend perfectly matches that vision. This blend is not only a top seller, but also one of the best medium roast coffees available. It's not only delicious, but also of premium quality and incredibly healthy.
With a 30-day money-back guarantee, there's no reason not to try it and see if it becomes your new favorite healthy coffee. Our subscription service has an 80% customer retention rate, and we only receive 1 or 2 return requests for every 300 orders. We understand that coffee preferences are subjective, and we strive to please as many customers as possible.
Let's delve into the details of the Stability Blend:
- It is optimized for health, free from harmful substances that can affect your well-being. Around 95% of globally available coffee contains mold, mycotoxins, and pesticides, but ours is different.
- It contains 1000 antioxidants essential for your daily well-being and disease prevention. Our coffee is 100% Arabica and speciality-grade.
- We carefully roast the coffee in small batches to ensure maximum freshness.
- Last but not least, the Stability Blend offers incredible taste. These medium-roasted beans have subtle hints of milk chocolate, hazelnut, and fig.
And with our 30-day money-back guarantee, purchasing the Stability Blend is a risk-free choice.
Visit the official store
2. Daybreak Blend by Routon Coffee
If you're looking for a delightful medium roast coffee for your mid-day breaks, the Daybreak Blend by Routon Coffee is perfect for you. This award-winning blend earned two gold stars in the Great Taste Award in 2020.
What sets this coffee apart from others is its health-conscious attributes. It contains no artificial colors, flavors, or fat content. It is made from 100% Arabica beans to ensure premium quality.
The blend consists of 50% Cochalan beans from Peru and 50% Finca Rabanales beans from Guatemala.
Lastly, the Daybreak Blend delights with its tasting notes of dark chocolate, fruit, and treacle. It has put Routon Coffee on the map as one of the best medium roast coffee brands.
Visit the official store
3. Kicking Horse Three Sisters
Kicking Horse began as a small roaster in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, but it has achieved tremendous success since then. Their commitment to providing affordable and balanced coffee blends with fair trade practices sets them apart.
The Three Sisters blend is their flagship medium roast coffee, earning its place among the best in the market. If you prefer, you can also get the blend in whole bean form.
This premium blend is sourced from Indonesia, Central, and South America.
The Three Sisters blend is known for its delicious cocoa and stone fruit notes, accompanied by a delightful tropical aroma of coconut and dried fruit.
Visit the official store
4. Taylors of Harrogate Rich Italian Coffee Beans
Taylors of Harrogate is a family-owned, independent company known for its expertise in coffee. Their Rich Italian Coffee Beans are the perfect choice for a medium-roasted, full-bodied cup of goodness, especially on hectic days.
As soon as you take a sip of this coffee, you'll be captivated by its rich flavors. Taylors of Harrogate uses 100% premium Arabica beans, ensuring quality and excellence.
This blend stands out among the best medium roast coffees in the UK, offering a taste that reminds you of Northern Italy. Taylors of Harrogate uses traditional roasting methods to ensure freshness in every batch. The blend delights with its dark, rich chocolate, and almond flavors.
Visit the official store
5. Cherry Storm No. 17 Blend Coffee Beans
Regular coffee drinkers often recommend the Cherry Storm No. 17 Blend Coffee as one of the best whole bean medium roast coffees available.
This blend is made from 100% Arabica beans sourced from Brazil, Peru, and Honduras. The medium roast stands out with its lingering notes of chocolate and praline.
What sets this medium roast apart is its absence of a bitter aftertaste, making it one of the best choices for espresso lovers.
Freshly roasted in the UK, these beans are delivered to you with maximum freshness. However, it's worth noting that this blend might be too light for those seeking a stronger kick.
Visit the official store
6. Union Hand-Roasted Coffee Beans Yayu Wild Forest
During my exploration of different coffee roasts and flavors, I developed a fascination with blends and single-origin Ethiopian coffees.
Ethiopia is not only the birthplace of coffee but also home to exquisite beans. That's why I had to include the Union Hand-Roasted Coffee Beans Yayu Wild Forest in my list.
These 100% Arabica beans come from the Yayu Forest in Ethiopia and are expertly medium-roasted in the UK. This ensures that the beans are fresher compared to those offered by larger brands.
The coffee delights the palate with mild chocolate and marzipan flavors, perfect for those who enjoy a lighter coffee experience.
Visit the official store
7. Coffee Masters Mountain Water Decaf Coffee Beans
In those moments when you crave a cup of coffee without the caffeine, Coffee Masters Mountain Water Decaf Coffee Beans are the perfect choice. They are not only delicious decaf beans but also among the best medium roast coffee beans in the UK.
It's important to note that these beans are not entirely decaffeinated. Around 97% of the caffeine is removed, but approximately 3% remains.
The coffee cherries are carefully handpicked to ensure freshness and flavor. They are then sent to the UK for small-batch roasting.
These medium-roast beans are suitable for brewing espresso, cappuccinos, and regular coffee.
Visit the official store
8. Out Of The Grey Costa Rica La Minita
For those who prefer slightly darker roasts, the Medium to Dark Roast by Out of the Grey is the perfect choice.
These medium roast coffee beans, sourced from Costa Rica, offer delightful tasting notes of citrus, caramelized sugar, and creamy chocolate.
You can easily create a sweet and creamy brew using these medium-roasted beans.
What makes this blend one of the best medium roast coffee beans in the UK is its versatility. It can be brewed perfectly using a coffee maker, pour-over method, or even as a rich espresso shot—whatever suits your preference.
Out of the Grey pride themselves on growing this blend in a microclimate, resulting in a well-balanced and flavor-packed cup. Sustainability is also a priority, as evidenced by their Rainforest Alliance certification.
Visit the official store
9. Lifeboost Coffee Medium Roast
Lifeboost's Medium Roast coffee is incredibly popular, and for good reason. It offers a smooth, easy-drinking experience with low acidity.
What sets this medium roast apart is its remarkable balance. Despite being a single-origin coffee, it presents a well-rounded flavor profile that rivals blends.
In addition to its excellent balance and mouthfeel, you'll enjoy lingering notes of milk chocolate, brown sugar, and ripe fruit.
This coffee meets the highest standards as it is 100% Arabica and speciality-grade. It is also tested by a third party for mold, mycotoxins, and pesticides.
Lastly, Lifeboost is both certified organic and fairtrade, ensuring that it benefits both your well-being and the coffee-growing environment. It's no wonder that it has earned a spot on my list of the best medium roast coffee beans in the UK.
10. Volcanica Coffee Kenya AA
I've saved one of the best medium roast coffee beans in the UK for last. Kenya produces some of the world's finest Arabica coffee, offering an exquisite taste that can be a treat for your taste buds.
Volcanica Coffee has captured the essence of Kenyan beans beautifully with their Kenya AA coffee. This light to medium roast preserves the caramel sweetness while offering a full-bodied experience.
In addition to its sweetness, you'll also taste fruity flavors like raspberry and cranberry, making this medium roast unique and powerful.
Not only does it offer a mouthwatering taste, but it is also shade-grown and certified by the Rainforest Alliance. This demonstrates Volcanica Coffee's commitment to a sustainable coffee industry.
Visit the official store
The Best Bag of Supermarket Coffee Beans: Peet’s Coffee Big Bang
If you're looking for the best bag of supermarket coffee beans, look no further than Peet's Coffee Big Bang. This delightful blend includes Ethiopian Super Natural beans, known for their bright citrusy flavor and aroma.
This coffee blend boasts buttery caramel notes that add sweetness, richness, and depth to every sip. It offers a full-bodied, complex, and smooth experience with a touch of juicy brightness.
Peet's Coffee marks the roasting dates on the bag, allowing you to choose the freshest batch. Additionally, it often goes on sale for around , making it an affordable option. If you can find it in your supermarket, definitely grab a bag.
Buy: Peet's Big Bang Coffee, $12.99 at Amazon
Do you have a go-to brand of coffee beans that you pick up at the grocery store? Share your favorite in the comments below!
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Origin and Quality of Coffee Beans
The origin of coffee beans plays a significant role in determining their flavor and quality. Look for medium roast coffee made from high-quality beans sourced from renowned coffee-growing regions like Colombia, Ethiopia, Costa Rica, or Guatemala. Single-origin coffees offer a unique flavor profile, while blends provide complexity and consistency.
Certification (e.g., Fair Trade, Organic)
Certifications such as Fair Trade and Organic ensure that coffee beans are produced following ethical and sustainable practices. Consider choosing medium roast coffee certified by organizations promoting fair wages and environmental stewardship.
Brand Reputation and Credibility
Opt for medium roast coffee from reputable brands with a proven track record in producing high-quality coffee. Research customer reviews and feedback to gauge brand credibility and consistency.
Availability and Accessibility
Consider the availability and accessibility of the medium roast coffee you're considering. Look for brands that offer online ordering options or are locally available to ensure a continuous supply.
Reviews and Customer Feedback
Read reviews and customer feedback to gather insights about the flavor, quality, and overall experience of the medium roast coffee you're considering. This will help make an informed decision based on others' experiences.
Body and Mouthfeel
Medium roast coffee strikes a balance between light and heavy-bodied coffees, offering a smooth and medium-bodied mouthfeel that satisfies the palate.
Balance of Flavors
One of the defining features of medium roast coffee is its ability to balance different flavors. There should be an even distribution of sweetness, acidity, and bitterness, resulting in a harmonious and enjoyable cup.
Caffeine Content
Medium roast coffee generally retains a moderate caffeine content compared to lighter roasts. If you prefer a more energizing cup, opt for single-origin beans or blends known for their higher caffeine content.
Ethical and Transparent Supply Chain
Look for brands with a transparent supply chain that ensures fair treatment and compensation for coffee farmers. Supporting companies that prioritize ethical practices helps promote a sustainable coffee industry.
Roasting Date and Freshness
Freshness is crucial for a great cup of coffee. Look for medium roast coffee that displays the roasting date on the packaging. Ideally, choose coffee roasted within the past two to four weeks for optimal flavors.
Packaging
Select medium roast coffee packed in airtight and resealable bags to maintain freshness. Look for indications of quality packaging, such as freshness seals and one-way valves that preserve the coffee's flavors.
Sourcing and Sustainability Practices
Choose medium roast coffee brands that prioritize sustainable sourcing practices. Look for information about the company's commitment to farmers, biodiversity conservation, and environmental stewardship.
Brewing Method Compatibility
Medium roast coffee is versatile and can be brewed using various methods, including drip brewing, pour-over, French press, or espresso machines. Ensure the coffee you choose is suitable for your preferred brewing method.
Brewing Instructions and Recommendations
Different coffee beans may require specific brewing parameters to achieve the best results. Look for medium roast coffee that provides brewing instructions and recommendations to help you achieve a consistent and enjoyable cup of coffee.
Price Point and Value for Money
Consider your budget and look for medium roast coffee that offers good value for money. While premium specialty coffees may be pricier, they often provide a superior taste experience.
Personal Preferences and Taste Preferences
Choosing the perfect medium roast coffee ultimately comes down to personal preference. Experiment with different coffees, flavor profiles, and origins to find the one that aligns with your taste preferences and brings joy to your daily coffee routine.
Related Post: Best Ground Coffee
Conclusion
Choosing the perfect medium roast coffee beans involves considering several factors such as flavor profile, origin, certifications, brand reputation, freshness, and your personal preferences. By understanding these factors and aligning them with your tastes, you can find a medium roast coffee that provides a well-rounded, flavorful, and satisfying cup every time. Enjoy your brewing sessions!
Is Ground Coffee Healthy?
Whether you're a connoisseur or just someone who loves their morning cup, it's likely you start your day with coffee – after all, more than 60 percent of Americans do so daily. Although some may view coffee as a vice, it actually offers significant health benefits. Thanks to its abundant antioxidants, coffee is associated with a reduced risk of major illnesses including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, colon cancer, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's. Moreover, the captivating aroma of freshly brewed coffee might just be the perfect motivator to get us out of bed.
Related Links:
- The Best Coffeemakers, Tested by Food Network Kitchen
- Gifts for Coffee Lovers
- The Best Coffee Subscription Services
In conclusion, when it comes to finding the best medium roast coffee, there are several factors to consider. From the origin and quality of the beans to the brand reputation and ethical practices, each aspect plays a crucial role in determining the perfect coffee for you. Our top 3 picks showcase the finest options available in the UK, with Peet's Coffee Big Bang emerging as the best supermarket choice. With its exceptional body, balanced flavors, and transparent supply chain, it is the ultimate combination of taste and ethics. So why settle for anything less? Indulge in the best medium roast coffee and savor every sip of your morning cup, knowing that you've made a choice that is both conscious and delicious.
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