# Dark Roasted Beans - Are They Socially Acceptable?



## antinwales (Jan 16, 2021)

I have a coffee pal who, though very supportive in other areas of life, gets very angry about dark roasting.
Or "ruining", as he puts it.

 I am about to pull the trigger and replace recently-deceased DeLonghi B2C with grinder (Eureka Mignon Spec) and espresso machine (Lelit Grace) from BB.
So far, so straightforward.
But my family - who are indulging this upgrading to "get it out of your system" - like a strong dark coffee. They did not have a problem with the DeLonghi knocking out three strong black coffees in rapid succession.
"Coffee that tastes of coffee" they shout, rather than the "notes of pineapple, etc" in the disastrous "Unkle Funka" that damaged Xmas more than Covid did.
(Don't get me wrong - I enjoy beer that tastes of pineapple and Breakfast Stout and that. When my parents (used to) visit, my poor old dad would have a sip and say "So, do you have any beer that tastes of beer?" We're just not ready for coffee that doesn't taste of coffee yet)

Like my friend, I know many of you are already dying to write "Coffee doesn't actually taste of 'coffee'!" and it's actually a complex blend of tastes and aromas.
I understand that, but I need it to taste of coffee too.

Based on the above, can anyone recommend a product I may enjoy? Something that will make the bleary-eyed Americano drinkers' eyes light up and say "Ah, now I see!"?


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## KTD (Dec 28, 2017)

For me there's people who drink dark roasted coffee because they don't know enough about coffee and there are people who don't drink anything remotely dark roasted because they don't know enough about coffee.


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## johnealey (May 19, 2014)

@antinwales

Hi

Might want to carefully read through the description of flavours of any future coffee avoiding things like citrus and sticking more with chocolate, nuts, biscuit etc in the short term then dial it back from there 

Rave have a selection that may suit (Italian Job down) or even try something like Milk buster from BellaBarista (they may throw you a bag in with your machine)

Hope of help (if it helps, my wife still pulls a fierce face with anything Ethiopian let alone the wilder sub set like Guji etc)

John


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

You are going to open a can of worms my friend. You are asking for opinion where no facts can be established! You could give two people the same bean and get two totally different results due to personal capabilities. But, back on track, you find a lot of roasters seem to think a darker roasted bean is a lighter roasted bean led t for an extra 60 seconds.....I suppose technically thats correct of course.

coffeecompss.co.uk are a good place to start for beans of a slightly darker nature


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## Baffo (Jan 23, 2021)

antinwales said:


> I have a coffee pal who, though very supportive in other areas of life, gets very angry about dark roasting.
> Or "ruining", as he puts it.
> 
> I am about to pull the trigger and replace recently-deceased DeLonghi B2C with grinder (Eureka Mignon Spec) and espresso machine (Lelit Grace) from BB.
> ...


 I'm afraid that I might be a bit like your family, in the sense that being Italian I am not used to light roasts, and I struggle to like them (black, with milk anything goes..). On the other hand, ultimately coffee is a fruit, so isn't it theoretically more truthful to have a coffee that tastes of pineapple, rather than a coffee that tastes of "coffee"?

Surely there must be some medium roast out there that can appeal to you, your angry friend, and your family!


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

The only people who talk about light/dark are coffee nerds on forums. People who know nothing about coffee, but like coffee, enjoy nice coffee that is made well. I have never made coffee for someone (not a nerd) to then say anything about roast.

I do prefer light roasts myself & make them for friends & relatives.

I might not perhaps choose to make pourovers with dark roasts, but they might turn out fine in a French press/aeropress/clever or espresso. I have been served dark roasted espresso that was delicious.

That said, if your audience knows what they want, give it to them...or make what you like & tell them to do the same.

It's also a bit tricky to calibrate dark. medium, light etc. A lot of mass market espresso beans aren't that dark & a lot of "light" roasted filter roasts are medium/medium dark.


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## Irisco (Jun 12, 2020)

I've had a terrible dark roast coffee that tasted like "tarmac" and yet I have had others that were pleasant. It would be a shame to base a dislike of dark roasts on a few bad experiences. Not all coffee is equal.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Baffo said:


> ultimately coffee is a fruit, so isn't it theoretically more truthful to have a coffee that tastes of pineapple, rather than a coffee that tastes of "coffee"?


 We brew a drink from the dried & roasted seed of the fruit, not juice/pulp. A fruity coffee might be delicious, but another origin might not be particularly fruity and still be a representative sample.

If the coffee is roasted/made to a normal degree, with no added flavouring then it tastes of what it does, including "coffee".


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Drink what you want, coffee doesn't taste of coffee anymore than whisky tastes of whisky or as you say beer of beer.

Anyway try a decent blend or Brazilians these dont have to be earth scorched to achieve a decent coffee taste

I recommend these two that i used over Xmas

I used these for espresso and pour over for big batches after dinner

https://www.northstarroast.com/product/dark-arches/

https://www.northstarroast.com/product/brazil-fazenda-rainha-da-paz/


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## Doram (Oct 12, 2012)

Make the coffee you like, then socialise with people who approve of it (and keep a jar of instant coffee for those who don't). Job done.


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## Baffo (Jan 23, 2021)

MWJB said:


> We brew a drink from the dried & roasted seed of the fruit, not juice/pulp. A fruity coffee might be delicious, but another origin might not be particularly fruity and still be a representative sample.
> 
> If the coffee is roasted/made to a normal degree, with no added flavouring then it tastes of what it does, including "coffee".


 Correct, but most people (and I mean the average coffee drinker that would never be on this forum) have the false perception that the taste of "coffee" is that burned, bitter feeling that is more present on dark (and cheap) roasts, and they think that this is how coffee is, and a pineapple note would be something weird or artificial, when in fact it's probably/usually closer to "what coffee tastes like".

Again, lots of quotation marks cause we're treading on a minefield here..


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## EmmaC (Jan 17, 2021)

If you decide to try Extract again, their Original Espresso might be more what you're looking for. Unkle Funka definitely lives up to its name (maybe don't try Dr Stranglelove either) 😆


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## adamk (Jan 8, 2020)

antinwales said:


> Based on the above, can anyone recommend a product I may enjoy?


 I can strongly recommend the Twilight Blend from @BlackCatCoffee


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## JoeBL (Jun 2, 2020)

I avoid most dark roasted coffee because of the oil on the surface. Don't want that in my grinders.

Not opposed to ordering it if I'm at a decent cafe though. If the roaster and barista know what they're doing, it can be really pleasant.


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## allikat (Jan 27, 2020)

adamkovacs1126 said:


> I can strongly recommend the Twilight Blend from @BlackCatCoffee


 Oh good, I ordered half a kilo of that yesterday. I like a darker roast myself.


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## ZiggyMarley (Jan 9, 2019)

i like all roasts - my preference is towards the darker end of the scale.


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## ZiggyMarley (Jan 9, 2019)

adamkovacs1126 said:


> I can strongly recommend the Twilight Blend from @BlackCatCoffee


 not tried that yet, but i really like the Chocolate Point Blend from @BlackCatCoffee better IMO than the Signature Blend - which i am really struggling to dial in on the Niche


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## Mpbradford (Jan 28, 2020)

Light vs dark is a topic of perception and many variables. Dark for filter, can be light for espresso. You can have dark on the outside, light on the inside of a bean. There is also the origin/altitude/varietal that determines where might be "best" to roast a particular coffee. Some combinations of previous factors might not work as a light roast. The definition of dark is another topic. You can have dark roasted before and after 2nd crack in the roasting process (with/without a lot of oil on the surface). Personally I have only tasted one bean (Malabar) that I would consider tasted better after 2nd crack, but that's my preference for espresso and flat white to be specific. For all others its perfectly acceptable to roast to 22-25% development beyond FC, especially for espresso and forgiving extraction. But for some coffees - you will lose the essence of why you are buying that origin, if roasted too dark.

I think @KTD might have a point. If you stay generic about light/dark roast statements, without going into the specifics of the variables at play, its not doing justice to the complexity of the discussion.

To the original question - its fine to drink dark roasted coffee, just like its fine to drink Carling lager and Blue Nunn wine - if that's what you like.

I would start with a good forgiving/balanced blend with some Brazil/Central America/Indonesia origins and coffeecompass is a good shout if you prefer darker/Mahogony roasts - they seem to be able to roast darker without killing the flavours.


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## Stox (Jul 19, 2020)

I think lot of this is about personal preference. I've been adding comments to this thread (linked below), where the OP is asking for some help using similar equipment, recipe, and exactly the same beans from the same roaster that I have used recently. They haven't been able to produce a cup of something that they like, whilst I got something I liked even on one or two shots where things didn't work quite as intended. I have suggested that maybe it's just that the OP's expectations and taste differ from mine, and those of this particular roaster.

https://www.coffeeforums.co.uk/topic/57547-help-me-turn-these-beans-into-something-drinkable/?do=embed

On the specific subject of 'dark', has anyone tried this roaster?

https://thehoneybeecoffeeroastery.co.uk/shop/

I tried both their Ethiopian Yirgacheffe and Papua New Guinea Mount Hagen Estate and neither of them met my expectations.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

@antinwales At the moment you are using a BTC machine and the brewing method there does favour the darker roasted coffees, I might go as far as to say BTC machine generally need a coffee that's slightly darker. One you are using your espresso machine and grinder, you may quickly find that coffee as dark as you are used to don't taste as good and lighter to medium coffees have that flavour your family are looking for.

The new preparation method will gradually guide you to a roast style you prefer, and it might be a little lighter.


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## Dallah (Jan 31, 2015)

I don't tend to drink dark roasts myself but when I did I quite like the Mahogany Roasts from Coffee Compass. As people have noted above look for tasting notes of chocolate, nutty, biscuit and toffee. I think those are what people who want coffee that "tastes of coffee" really want. Especially with milk.


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## shimceltic (Oct 28, 2017)

I bought the Italian roast from monkeyboard coffee.
Nice and dark and I can taste it in my Latte, not tried as an espresso yet but I love proper Italian espresso so hope this is as good.
As someone mentioned about oil on the grinder indo notice a different noise grinding on my sage BE


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## 7493 (May 29, 2014)

Anything less than dark roast and I would get a riot from my "customers" (wife and son). They literally hate "fruity" coffee and want chocolate, caramel, biscuit and just possibly nuts. Fortunately, I'm inclined to agree with them!


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

I'd prefer to see photos of the beans as I wonder how dark "dark" still is and how light "light" still is....does that make sense?


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## Dallah (Jan 31, 2015)

DavecUK said:


> I'd prefer to see photos of the beans as I wonder how dark "dark" still is and how light "light" still is....does that make sense?


 Can't remember Dave. Do you most roast your own beans?

I suppose if someone wants proper Italian-style espresso but fresh and not burnt (that's right I'm looking at you Starbucks) then it's hard to better Rave's Italian Job.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

@Dallah I do still roast regularly...so I'm always curious. I have noticed light roasts getting darker and dark roasts getting lighter. Or at least I think so.


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## Dallah (Jan 31, 2015)

DavecUK said:


> @Dallah I do still roast regularly...so I'm always curious. I have noticed light roasts getting darker and dark roasts getting lighter. Or at least I think so.


 Maybe because I've not ordered from anyone other than Foundry for over a year I'm missing a trend.

Then again unless it tastes of Italian-style it's guaranteed that Jay Rayner will still moan about it.


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## Morningfuel (May 19, 2016)

DavecUK said:


> @Dallah I do still roast regularly...so I'm always curious. I have noticed light roasts getting darker and dark roasts getting lighter. Or at least I think so.


 It's interesting, I was told coffee compass was all dark, but most of what I've had was roasted about the same as James gourmet formula 6. Now I'm drinking craft house industrial and it's also about the same.

My decaf is crown and canvas sparkling - this seems a bit lighter maybe, and requires a much finer grind to get any kind of pressure (I use 1.8 ish for regular and the sparkling decaf is 1.4ish on feld 47 - that's a significant change).

I don't know, I wasn't a fan of the mahogany roast (which is, to me, dark) so I guess I live in boring medium land!


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## antinwales (Jan 16, 2021)

Thanks all - 6 bags of Rave ordered!
I hope I like the "Italian Job" blend or it's going to be a very long February! 😉


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