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The Best Coffee to Wake Up Your Senses
Written By Review Team at the Kitchen Institute
Every coffee connoisseur has a favorite brand. It’s the tried-and-true grocery store stock for some. For others, a boutique roaster that exclusively accepts internet orders. However, because we only drink coffee once (or maybe three times) a day, it’s easy to become bored with the same old cup of joe. Nevertheless, the coffee industry is big and diverse, and there are always other brands ready to fill your cup. We’ve compiled a list of the best coffees in 2025, from light roast to dark roast to decaf; there’s something for everyone!
Detailing the Best Coffee of of 2025
Lavazza Super Crema Coffee Blend
Best Overall
Lavazza has been in the Lavazza family for four generations, founded in 1895 in Turin, Italy. Lavazza is a global original Italian brand that specializes in premium coffee roasting. Lavazza has selected the best quality coffee beans and creatively blended them for over 120 years to give coffee enthusiasts a genuine Italian coffee experience. The Super Crema blend delivers a substantial body with flavors of roasted hazelnut and brown sugar, as well as all the harmony of Italian espresso, thanks to its thick crema and fragrant taste profile. This taste profile consists mostly of Arabica coffee beans and balanced roasting, delivering rich aromatic intensity. It has floral and fruity overtones, a delicate texture, and a compact crema.
Key features/specs
| Ideal for people who want a typical espresso coffee | Has inherent sweetness that can be used without sugar |
| Has a sweet scent and a strong flavor | Comes with a full, rich flavor and no bitterness |
| Thick, compact crema that is easy to achieve |
Lifeboost Medium Decaf Bean Coffee
Runner Up
Lifeboost strongly emphasizes health, and the coffee claims to be palatable. Drinking Lifeboost will offer you the boost of energy you need to get things done, along with a delicious taste that will have you coming back for more time and time again. While Lifeboost beans are low in acidity, they nevertheless taste great. Single-origin and shade-grown, it is certified organic and a single-origin coffee. Lifeboost uses only the highest-quality Arabica beans grown without pesticides in Nicaragua’s mountains. All of our coffee is sourced ethically, is certified organic, and is free of pesticides or other harmful chemical residues.
Key features/specs
| High altitude farming reduces germs and fungi | It has a medium to moderate acidity, giving it a taste that isn’t overpoweringly bitter |
| Decaffeinated using the Swiss water process without any pesticides on the coffee trees |
Peet’s Dark Roast Ground Coffee
Honorable Mention
Alfred Peet was known for reaching perfection through his blends, combining coffees that were individually so excellent that they could stand alone. Look no further than their unique mixes for unrivaled intricacy and subtlety. Major Dickason’s Blend, created by Mr. Peet and his most discerning client, has become the coffee that embodies Peet’s rich, delicious taste. Rich, complex, and full-bodied, this global blend is unrivaled. Peet’s Commitment aims to create our trademark rich taste to obtain the world’s best coffee beans, hand-roast them in small amounts, and maintain the highest level of freshness.
Key features/specs
| Peet’s utilize their five senses to unleash the taste potential of each bean | Fine-tuning the subtleties of each mix and single-origin coffee they roast |
| Their roasters are experts at what they do | They keep a greater degree of freshness than others |
Dunkin’ Original Blend Ground Coffee
Most Convenient
You never have to go without a good cup of coffee, whether you’re at home or on the road. Simply rely on Dunkin’, the brand that has been brightening coffee consumers’ days since 1950, when the first Dunkin’ shop opened. Dunkin’ ground and whole bean coffee allow you to brew your favorite mixes in the convenience of your own home, using your existing coffee machine. There’s a lot more to discover. Brew up all the greatest beverages for any season and mood, from classics to quirky varieties, ground and whole bean coffee choices, to K-Cup pods and beyond.
Key features/specs
| A rich, smooth flavor that no one else can match | Pre-ground and ready to brew in the comfort of your own home |
| Medium roast coffee, carefully blended and roasted | Replicates the flavor of brewed Dunkin’ coffee sold in Dunkin’ cafes |
Folgers Medium Dark Roast Coffee
Most Reliable
The Best Part of waking up is Folgers coffee, and there’s a reason for that. The mouthwatering flavors and mind-blowing fragrances just can’t be surpassed — and they won’t let you down. Every cup, every time, you can count on genuine quality. This kind of coffee isn’t created by chance. The Folgers method is rigorous, with experience dating back to 1850. Beans are hand-selected for quality and double-dried for a richer, more consistent flavor. The attention to detail that goes into each batch of Folgers coffee reflects the individuals who make it. Their enthusiasm and honesty are crucial to your ideal cup, from seasoned growers to attentive roasters and toasters.
Key features/specs
| Contains 100 percent pure coffee | Has a rich, full-bodied taste |
| Coffee with a bold, medium-dark roast | Can be brewed as per your preferences |
Starbucks Dark Roast Ground Coffee
Also Consider
Bring your Christmas traditions to life this winter with Starbucks coffee’s distinctive flavors. Send the best holiday present to your family and friends to celebrate the season and join in making small joyful moments. The falling beans become eerily quiet after being masked with oil. A skilled roaster keeps an eye on them, knowing that if he presses them for another second, they’ll catch fire. As the dazzling beans turn black, white smoke lingers in the air. This deepest roast is loved for its strong smokiness. It is straightforward, full-bodied with low acidity, and has been highly popular since 1971. You can’t roast it much darker since it’s French roast.
Key features/specs
| The distinct smoky aroma of French roast | A 20-ounce bag of Starbucks ground coffee is included in each pack |
| Darker-roast coffees have a more powerful, strong flavor |
Best Coffees Buying Guide
What Are Some Important Features of the Best Coffees?
It’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with characteristics that are on the label or in the cup. Here are a few coffee characteristics to consider.
AA.
This is the second-largest bean on a Kenyan grading scale. It is usually sold at a greater price than the other grades.
CAFE.
Coffee and Farmer Equity is a Starbucks term that means “coffee and farmer equity.” Those standards, developed in collaboration with Conservation International, “help our farmers grow coffee in a way that is better for both people and the earth,” according to the company’s website.
Caffeine
The amount of caffeine in a cup depends on various factors, including the blend, brewing method, and bean type.
Decaffeinated
Green coffee beans are decaffeinated before being roasted. The outer layers holding the caffeine are scraped off the green coffee beans after being cooked. After that, the decaffeinated coffee beans are returned to their original moisture content levels and prepared for roasting. The processing almost always influences the flavor, and decaffeinated brews can taste flat or lifeless.
Certified fair trade
Part of an international non-profit organization that promotes sustainable agriculture and fair prices for small farmers. The certifying group, TransFair USA, also advocates for healthy working conditions (including no forced child labor), limits the use of toxic pesticides, and supports farmworker credit plans and training.
Flavored
By adding flavoring ingredients to the roasted beans, brews with the flavors and aromas of hazelnut, vanilla, Irish cream, and other flavors can be created.
Growing area
Coffee is grown all over the world in the tropics. Regional influences have resulted in a diverse range of coffees with distinct flavors and aromas. Coffee lovers have a preference for one region over another.
Organic
This indicates that the coffee was cultivated without synthetic fertilizers or the majority of industrial pesticides.
Certified by the Rainforest Alliance
Chemical pesticide use was reduced, water and soil were conserved, and workers were treated fairly, according to this non-profit organization.
How Can You Keep Your Coffee Safe and Fresh?
Although decorative glass canisters look nice on a counter, they are not ideal for storing coffee. To maintain freshness and flavor, coffee must be kept free from moisture, heat, light, and strong aromas. Strong scents from other foods stored nearby can be picked up by coffee. It’s not a good idea to keep your daily supply of coffee in the refrigerator because moisture will soon degrade its quality. Instead, use these suggestions.
Keep it airtight
Invest in a container made of sealed ceramic, glass, or non-reactive metal. If you buy a large amount of coffee, divide it into two containers and keep the larger, unused piece sealed until you need it.
Keep it at cool places
Keep your coffee away from the oven; instead, put it in a dark, cool place. If you have a cabinet on an outside wall that gets a lot of sun, don’t put it there.
Purchase in less amount
After it has been roasted, coffee quickly loses its freshness. To keep freshness and flavor, buy freshly roasted coffee in quantities that will last one to two weeks.
What Distinguishes the Best Coffee From the Rest?
Flavor
The term “flavor” refers to all of the other cupping criteria. It is a general assessment of the coffee, frequently compared to a standard chart or “flavor wheel.”
Acidity
Acidity is similar to the dry, bright sensation on the sides and back of your tongue that you get when you drink red wine. The bright, dry flavor that gives a cup its life is acidity. The acids found in coffee are thought to be the cause of perceived acidity, which does not necessarily correlate with the pH of the coffee.
Many wet-processed coffees, including Kenyan coffees, are acidic. The acidity in dry, processed coffees is low-toned and mild. It’s worth noting that acidity lessens as the roast progresses. In espresso coffee, high levels of acidity are undesirable.
Even instant coffee contains some of the 800 chemicals responsible for taste bud activation. The difference is that instant coffee loses the most volatile aromatic components, resulting in a significant reduction in overall flavor.
The proton transfer of acids to receptors on the human tongue causes the felt acidity of coffee. Acidity is a highly prized feature in most coffees, especially those from Central America and East Africa.
However, sourness is an extreme form of acidity that might be considered a flaw.
Coffee grown at very high altitudes and in mineral-rich volcanic soils has been linked to acidity. Washed coffees’ perceived acidity is likewise much higher than naturally (dry) processed coffees.
It is most likely because naturally processed coffees have more body than wet-processed coffees, which conceals acidity: the roast degree, roaster type, and brewing process all impact the acid concentration of a brew. Cuppers rate acidity on a scale of 0 to 9; coffees with a score of 6-7 are considered highly acidic.
Aftertaste
The sensation that follows the swallowing of coffee is known as the aftertaste. Cuppers evaluate the aftertaste’s persistence, or how long it takes from the initial aromatic feeling on the back of the throat to the sensation’s disappearance.
Body
Allowing the coffee to rest on the tongue and stroking the tongue against the roof of the mouth is the greatest way to sense the body of the coffee. The fat content of the coffee causes the body to range from thin to light to hefty. Medium and dark roast coffees contain more body than lighter roasted coffees but less acidity.
Aroma
The scent of coffee comes from a complex combination of volatile components in the brew. Aromatic compounds, such as sulfur compounds, have been found in around 800 substances.
Bitterness
Roasting techniques and different quantities of hydrocolloids, caffeine, and a variety of acids all influence the bitterness, sourness, and astringency of coffee. The bitterness helps to hide the acidity and gives another pleasant flavor to the brew at modest levels. On the other hand, Bitter chemicals might override the other components in coffee, resulting in an unfavorable effect.
What Are the Different Types of Coffee?
Even though the genus Coffea contains over 100 species, the commercial variants arabica and robusta correspond to the two most frequent species.
Arabica coffee is grown extensively in Central and South America, East Africa, and Asia. On the other hand, the robust species is predominantly found in Africa, Brazil, and parts of Asia.
Arabica
Arabica Coffee (Coffea Arabica) is a plant of various kinds that appears to be native to Ethiopia and grows at altitudes of 900 to 2000 meters. It is distinguished by a low caffeine content and a strong flavor and scent.
Robusta
Robusta Coffee is a type of coffee that is grown in the Coffea Canephora. Robusta coffee originated in Zaire, but it is now grown in various locations with temperatures ranging from 20 to 60 degrees Celsius in a warm climate. Robusta coffee contains more caffeine than arabica coffee, often more than twice as much. It has a sour taste to it.
People Also Asked
What coffee does not have a bitter aftertaste and is smooth?
Arabica beans provide coffee with less bitterness and greater flavor, but they are more expensive. You can also use beans from the Kona region of Hawaii, Brazil, or Costa Rica to make a less bitter cup.
Which coffee does not have a strong flavor?
Coffee that has been darkly roasted is not particularly strong. Some people are used to having this in their coffee drinks. When roasting coffee, there comes a time where the coffee has reached its maximum "clean" development, and then it's all downhill from there.
Are there a lot of chemicals in coffee?
Regular coffee is one of the most chemically processed foods on the planet. Synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides are all there — it's a mouthful with a terrible flavor. Chemical residues in the air and water have an impact on the neighboring communities.
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