How to Choose the Best Dark Roast Coffee

I started roasting coffee in 1980, and I've roasted a lot of dark coffee since then.

One thing I've learned is that making coffee dark isn't particularly difficult. Making a dark roast that is rich, full-bodied and still tastes good is another matter.

When I'm roasting dark, I'm not trying to see how far I can push the coffee. I'm trying to find the point where the roast brings out the depth and body I'm after without overwhelming the coffee itself. I still want balance in the cup. I still want flavor. And I definitely don't believe dark roast has to taste burnt or harsh.

So when someone asks me what makes the best dark roast coffee, that's where I start.

What Makes the Best Dark Roast Coffee?

First, you need good coffee. You can't take an average green coffee, roast it dark and suddenly make it great. I've always believed the quality of the coffee comes first. Then it's my job as the roaster to figure out what to do with it.

Every coffee behaves a little differently in the roaster. You learn that pretty quickly when you've spent as many years standing in front of one as I have. You watch the coffee, smell it, listen to it and pay attention to how it responds to heat. Time matters. Temperature matters. Airflow matters.

Experience tells you when to make an adjustment and, just as importantly, when to leave the coffee alone.

With a dark roast, I'm looking for body and depth, but I'm also looking for balance. I want a cup with plenty of character that is still smooth enough that you want to keep drinking it.

What Should Dark Roast Coffee Taste Like?

There really isn't one answer, and I think that's where people sometimes get dark roast wrong.

You'll hear dark coffee described as if every cup should taste the same, smoky, chocolatey, bitter, whatever it might be. But the coffee you're roasting still matters.

A coffee from Sumatra doesn't suddenly become the same as every other coffee just because you roast it darker. The origin of the coffee, the green beans you select, and the way you develop the roast all contribute to what ends up in the cup.

Dark roasting certainly creates a deeper roast character. That's why people love it. But I still want to find something interesting underneath that roast.

Does Dark Roast Coffee Have to Taste Bitter or Burnt?

No.

There's a difference between the bitterness and roast character you may naturally find in a darker coffee.

I like dark coffee with some authority to it. I want body. I want aroma. I want that deep flavor that makes a dark roast satisfying, especially first thing in the morning. But I don't want to destroy the coffee to get there.

Go too far and the roast starts taking over. Pull it at the right time and you can get the richness of a dark roast while keeping the cup balanced and enjoyable.

That's where experience at the roaster really matters.

How I Approach Dark Roasting at Weaver's

I was lucky when I started in coffee. I learned from Alfred Peet and Sal Bonavita, and I learned by roasting coffee every day.You roasted. You tasted. You paid attention. Then you came back and did it again.

I eventually spent 27 years as Master Roaster at Peet's before we started Weaver's Coffee & Tea in 2007. After all those years, I'm still fascinated by what happens inside a coffee roaster.

People sometimes want roasting to be a formula. Put in this coffee, reach this temperature, follow this curve and out comes the answer.

Coffee changes from crop to crop and lot to lot. A roaster has to pay attention to what's actually happening in front of him. That's why time, temperature and airflow are tools, not answers.

I've said for years that I don't roast dark and I don't roast light. I roast right.

What I mean is that I'm trying to find the roast that's right for that coffee and for the cup I want to create.

Sometimes that means taking a coffee dark. When I do, I want the roast to add something to the coffee—not erase it.

How to Choose a Dark Roast for Your Taste

When somebody asks me which dark roast they should buy, I usually want to know what they like to drink.

Do you want a big, classic dark roast with plenty of roast character? Do you like a full-bodied coffee where you can still pick up more of the character of the origin? Do you want something smooth? Do you drink your coffee black, or are you looking for a coffee that will stand up nicely with milk?

Those questions are much more useful than asking which coffee is “the best.”

Your best dark roast is the one you look forward to making again tomorrow morning.

At Weaver's, there are a few different directions I'd point you depending on what you enjoy.

Which Weaver's Dark Roast Coffee Is Right for You?

If you want that big, classic dark-roast experience, start with our French Roast Coffee. This is the direction I'd go for someone who tells me, “John, I like my coffee dark.”

If you want full body with more of the character of the coffee coming through, I'd look at our Sumatra Coffee. It has notes of dark chocolate, cedar, maple and warm spice. It's a very different cup from French Roast, which is exactly the point. Dark roast doesn't have to mean one flavor.

And if you love dark coffee but don't want as much caffeine, Decaf French Roast Coffee gives you that bold French Roast character with 97% less caffeine.

If you're not sure where to begin, take a look through our Dark Roast Coffee collection and compare the coffees. Flavor should make the decision for you.

EXPLORE WEAVER'S DARK ROAST COFFEE

Which Brewing Methods Work Well With Dark Roast?

Dark roast can work beautifully across different brewing methods, so I wouldn't make this more complicated than it needs to be.

If you like espresso with plenty of body and a deeper roast character, dark roast is a natural place to explore. Drip coffee is how a lot of people enjoy these coffees every morning, and French press is a good match when you enjoy a fuller-bodied cup.

Dark roast can also be very good over ice, particularly if you like a stronger coffee presence in a cold drink.

The important thing is to brew for your own palate. I've been in coffee a long time, and I'm still not going to tell you there's only one correct way to enjoy it.

Whole Bean or Ground Dark Roast?

If you have a grinder at home, I'd choose whole bean and grind the coffee as you need it.

If you don't have a grinder, or you simply don't want to deal with one, buy it ground for the way you make coffee. Convenience matters too.

I'd rather have you making good coffee every morning than buying whole beans because somebody told you that's what a “serious” coffee drinker is supposed to do.

Coffee shouldn't be intimidating. It should be something you enjoy.

Find Your Best Dark Roast Coffee

After all these years roasting coffee, I still love a great dark roast.

There's something about the aroma when you're roasting it and the depth you can develop in the cup that never gets old for me. However, I've never believed the goal was simply to make coffee as dark as possible. The goal is to make it delicious.

For some people, that's going to be French Roast.  For others, Sumatra will be much closer to what they're looking for. Someone else may want Decaf French Roast.

That's why I wouldn't worry too much about somebody else's idea of the “best” dark roast coffee.

Find the coffee that tastes right to you.

Then make another cup.

— John Weaver
Master Coffee Roaster & Co-Founder
Weaver's Coffee & Tea

EXPLORE WEAVER'S DARK ROAST COFFEE.