Coffee is a fruit that grows best in a warm climate. You can find these fruit plants all over the world, from Colombia and Mexico to Uganda and Kenya. There's even an Arabica coffee been plant in Ringwood, UK if you know where to look. 

Within each country producing coffee, you'll find loads of different regions. It's a lot like wine if you're familiar with how vineyards work. Certain regions are known for certain tasting notes, often due to altitude or the minerals found within the soil.  

When we talk about single origin coffee, we are referring to the coffee fruit themselves and the exact region they were picked from. In order to be classed 'single origin', the coffee must all have been harvested from the same area. This is typically regarded as being better quality as you are able to get a much clearer sense of the tastes and identity of your brew. 

Coffee blends are more common in supermarkets and typically come with a smaller price tag. Blended coffees can be made up of beans from several different regions, in several different countries. Often, roasters blend low quality beans with a high grade coffee to bring down the cost per bag. With that being said, there are some brilliant coffee blends on the market so don't rule them out straight away!   

Preground coffee is the opposite of whole bean... It's ground to your requirements before being sent to your address or to the supermarket. Although preground coffee is kept in an airtight bag, it will deteriate much quicker than whole bean. We're passionate about amazing, super fresh coffee – that's why we believe in whole bean 100% of the time. 

In order to brew fresh coffee, the beans have to be ground so that more of the coffee is exposed to water. Grind size varies depending on the coffee maker you're using. Turkish coffee requires the finest grind size, going right up to cold brew which requires coarsely ground coffee. 

Manual brewers, such as the Core Coffee Press, require a grind size between 400 and 800 microns. Espresso ground coffee can be as fine as 200 microns, but it's worth reading about your machine because it will depend whether or not you have a pressurised portafilter basket. 

To get the best possible cup of coffee, you should always grind fresh. You wouldn't go to a coffee shop and find them using preground, would you? There are hundreds of amazing coffee grinders on the market, including manual and electric machines. The Core All Grind is a fantastic choice is you typically use manual coffee brewers. 

Dark roast coffee can be easily distinguished by it’s dark, intense colouring, strong aroma, and bitter-tasting notes. This coffee develops its characteristics through its longer roasting time and high temperatures. The longer the roasting time, the darker the beans will be.

The long roasting process causes the coffee beans to release a lot of their oils and moisture. As a result, dark coffee beans are more brittle and smoother than a bean that has been light roasted.

Whilst you can expect a dark roast coffee to be less sweet in taste, they do have much less acidity when compared to a light roast and often include strong flavours. These include liquorice, spices, dark chocolate, and ashy undertones.

Contrary to popular belief of dark roast coffee being stronger, it contains slightly less caffeine than light roast coffee. The longer coffee spends roasting, the more oil and caffeine is extracted from the bean. This means light roast coffee retains the most caffeine and is therefore stronger in comparison.

Read our recent blog to explore further differences between light and dark roast coffee.

Light roast coffee is typically light in colour, high in acidity and offering delicate tasting profiles, such as fruit, teas, and chocolate.

The roasting process is much shorter compared to that of a darker roast and involves slightly lower temperatures (up to 350º -410º). As a result of this, light roast coffee beans hold more of their oils, meaning their flavours are not compromised – this is evident in their aromatic taste.

The light roast coffee bean is very dense in characteristics, much less brittle than a dark roast coffee bean and not oily or shiny to touch. They are often described as being slightly rough with their textured surface.

If you’re after a delicate brew with a sweetened edge and low levels of bitterness, a lighter roast is the one for you!

Find out how light roast coffee differs from dark roast coffee in our comparative blog.