Choosing coffee doesn’t need to be complicated. Start with three questions: what flavours do you enjoy, how do you brew, and do you drink your coffee black or with milk?
Those answers are more useful than chasing the most expensive beans or the darkest roast. Whether you love a smooth, chocolatey cup or something bright and fruity, there’s room to explore at your own pace. Here’s how to find a coffee that suits you.
Start with the flavours you enjoy
Think about the cup you want to drink, rather than the coffee you feel you ought to like.
Smooth, chocolatey and nutty coffees are a welcoming starting point. They can offer a comforting balance of sweetness and body, especially if you enjoy milk in your coffee.
Fruity and floral coffees can feel brighter and more delicate. You might notice berry-like flavours or aromas that remind you of flowers or tea. If you enjoy discovering different flavours, this is a lovely direction to explore.
Bold and full-bodied coffees offer a more substantial feel in the mouth. They may have deeper roasted flavours or spicy notes. “Full-bodied” describes texture and weight, not how much caffeine a coffee contains.
Tasting notes are flavour impressions, not an ingredient list. Words such as chocolate, pecan or maple syrup describe what a coffee’s aroma and flavour bring to mind. They do not mean those ingredients have been added.
Think about how you brew and whether you add milk
Your brewing method influences what you notice in a coffee. Paper-filter methods such as V60 often produce a cleaner-feeling cup, while a cafetière retains more oils and can give a fuller texture. Espresso produces a concentrated drink, and a moka pot offers another way to enjoy a rich brew.
These are starting points, not strict rules. The same coffee can reveal different qualities when brewed in different ways.
Milk changes the balance too. It can soften sharper flavours and bring chocolatey, caramel or toffee impressions to the foreground. If you usually drink lattes or cappuccinos, look for a coffee whose character you enjoy with milk. If you drink it black, consider whether you prefer a smooth, gentle cup or something brighter and more distinctive.
What does roast level tell you?
Roasting develops coffee’s aroma and flavour. Lighter roasts often retain more of the coffee’s fruity or floral character. Darker roasting tends to bring more pronounced roasted flavours, although the result also depends on the beans and how they are brewed.
Roast labels are useful guides, but they aren’t identical across every coffee or roaster. Taste matters more than choosing a particular label.
A darker roast does not automatically mean more caffeine. A bold-tasting drink and a high-caffeine drink are not the same thing: your coffee dose, brewing method and serving size also matter.
Single origin or blend?
Single-origin coffee comes from a particular origin, which may be described as a country, region or farm. It can be an enjoyable way to explore the character of coffees from different places.
A blend brings coffees together to create a particular flavour balance. That might mean combining sweetness, body and depth in a cup that works beautifully with milk.
Neither is automatically better. Choose the flavour and style that appeal to you, rather than treating one label as a mark of superiority.
Curious about origins? Explore our coffee map as you get to know the coffees in our range.
Whole beans or ground coffee?
Choose whole beans if you have a suitable grinder and enjoy adjusting your grind before brewing. Choose ground coffee if you want convenience or don’t have a grinder. The important thing is matching the grind to your brewer.
A cafetière, also called a French press, generally suits a coarser grind. Filter brewers such as V60 usually use a medium to medium-fine starting point, adjusted to suit the brewer and recipe.
AeroPress recipes vary considerably, so follow the recipe you’re using rather than assuming there is one correct grind. Moka pots generally need a finer grind than cafetière coffee, but not the very fine grind typically used for espresso.
Espresso needs a fine grind and often careful adjustment to suit the machine, dose and coffee. No single setting works universally across grinders and brewing methods.
For more help choosing a pack and grind, see our bag-size and grind guide.
Find your Coffee Novice starting point
If you like smooth coffee with milk, try The Novice Blend. Combining coffees from Brazil, El Salvador and India, it is full-bodied with low acidity and caramel and dark chocolate notes. It has a smooth, creamy character with milk, and our product notes also describe enjoying it in a French press.
For a balanced filter coffee, consider Brazil Single Origin. From Cerrado Minas Gerais, it is smooth and lightly nutty, with sweet and chocolate notes. It’s a recommended choice for V60 and AeroPress.
If bold, substantial coffee appeals to you, explore Indonesia Single Origin. From Lake Toba in Sumatra, it offers a full body, low acidity, spicy aroma and tobacco tasting notes. Our product notes describe French press brewing, enjoyed black or with milk.
For sweet flavour impressions, try Pecan Sweet Blend. This Brazil and Guatemala blend offers pecan and maple syrup impressions, with toffee and milk chocolate character in milk-based drinks. It produces a medium-bodied espresso with soft acidity.
For moka pot or espresso, consider Guatemala Single Origin. From Antigua, it is full-bodied with sweet, blackberry and milk chocolate notes.
Looking for decaf? The Swiss Decaf uses Brazilian coffee and the Swiss Water decaffeination process, with smooth, nutty and dark chocolate notes. Decaffeinated does not mean completely caffeine-free.
Your coffee questions answered
Which coffee should a beginner try first?
Brazil is a welcoming starting point for a smooth filter coffee. If you mostly drink coffee with milk, The Novice is another good place to begin. Let your taste decide.
Should I choose whole beans or ground coffee?
Whole beans suit anyone with a suitable grinder. Ground coffee is convenient if you don’t have one. Choose a grind appropriate to your brewing method.
Does darker roast mean more caffeine?
No, not automatically. Roast flavour is not a reliable measure of caffeine. The amount of coffee you use and how you prepare and serve it also affect your drink.
Can I brew the same coffee in different ways?
Yes. Adjust the grind and recipe for each method. Trying one coffee in different brewers can help you discover which flavours and textures you enjoy most.
Your next coffee doesn’t have to be the “perfect” choice. Start with flavours that sound appealing, match the grind to your brewer, and enjoy finding your own favourites.
