Best Medium Roast Coffee: 5 Brands for the Perfect Brew (2024)
Medium roast coffee strikes an elegant balance between acidity and flavor, but with many brands on the market, which kind ranks the best? I’ve had my eyes on a few up-and-coming companies, and I believe that Lifeboost Coffee holds the title of best medium roast coffee. Keep reading to find out why and to see several other high-ranking choices.
1. Lifeboost Medium Roast
Lifeboost’s medium roast brings flavors as colorful as the Central American birds printed on each bag. It begins with beans sourced from sustainable Nicaraguan farms. Lifeboost’s coffee process includes rigorous washing, detoxifying, and quality assurance. The result is a medium roast that is both pure-tasting and healthy, void of heavy metals and undesirable byproducts.
Let’s talk about the taste. Lifeboost’s medium roast is a cozy blend that primarily draws on natural, woody flavors. Since each coffee plant grows in shady areas of the Nicaraguan mountains, that environment influences its rich, sweet palette. It pairs excellently with cream and sugar, but it is also smooth enough to drink as is.
On top of the medium roast tasting great, Lifeboost brings a little extra to the table. It is one of the healthiest and most sustainable coffee brands, creating low-acid coffees that even sensitive stomachs and teeth can enjoy. The brand’s dedication to non-GMO, hand-picked coffee cherries shines through in the purity and vibrance of the blend.
Like all of the best medium roast coffees, there are multiple ways to enjoy this blend. You can order coffee grounds, whole beans, or portable go bags. Each fair-priced bag incurs fair trade principles, ensuring the harvesters get paid as they deserve. Plus, Lifeboost offers free shipping on most orders from its website.
Between the great flavor, health consciousness, and sustainable practices, Lifeboost’s medium roast takes my number one spot. However, there are plenty more excellent medium roast coffees on this list, and there may be one that fits your style better. Read on to look at more fantastic options for the best medium-roast coffee.
Exclusive: Lifeboost currently offers Emergent Brew readers free shipping and 50% off 3 12-oz. bags of their premium coffee. Use this link to get the special offer.
2. Bulletproof Original
Bulletproof is a coffee company dedicated to providing low-acid blends (and specialized keto coffee) to people worldwide. The process starts with beans sourced from Guatemala and Colombia, which undertake rigorous scrutiny and evaluation to ensure freshness. Each blend is free of toxins and GMOs and gets a rating from the Specialty Coffee Association.
Bulletproof climbed to my number two spot based on two factors: its flavor depth and its price. This medium roast shows that coffee doesn’t need to be acidic to be palatable. Cinnamon, plum, orange, and hazelnut notes express themselves in this brew. Each flavor shines brighter thanks to the thorough purification process the beans undertake.
Bulletproof’s formula makes coffee more energizing without drawbacks. The blend metabolizes quickly to avoid caffeine crashes, helps you burn fat, and reduces cravings. It also suits people with sensitivities thanks to its low-acid composition.
Anyone can enjoy Bulletproof’s Original roast as grounds, whole bean, or pod forms. One of the most fantastic parts about the blend is its generously low price. Free shipping isn’t guaranteed unless you order over $35, but between value packs and subscriptions, there are many ways to save. Nothing makes coffee taste better than having a little money left over.
Altogether, Bulletproof is a prime contender for the best medium roast coffee because of its extreme flavor depth and price. This economic blend grants many of the same benefits of Lifeboost, making it a worthwhile alternative to my number-one pick. Check it out yourself and see why Bulletproof Original is among the best medium roast coffees.
Emergent Brew Exclusive: BulletProof gives Emergent Brew readers 15% off any order (valid storewide). Just enter the coupon code EMERGENT15 at checkout. Here's the link to get the special offer.
3. Royal Kona Private Reserve Medium
Among coffee connoisseurs worldwide, Royal Kona Coffee has a stark reputation for flavor and quality. Every bean comes from farms across the big island of Hawaii, which feature in hotels, venues, and other high-class establishments all over the state. The brand’s blends feature 10% and 100% Kona mixtures, the latter containing depths of flavor.
Like the tropical setting where the plants grow, Royal Kona’s medium roast contains chocolate, fruit, hazelnut, and caramel notes. The American Academy of Taste judged the blend as “superior” based on its taste, aroma, and full body. It walks the line between intense flavor and low acid, making it a great all-around choice for coffee lovers and one of the best medium roast coffees on the market.
What makes Royal Kona’s coffee “private reserve”? That label means the farmer hand-picked the largest beans with the fewest imperfections for the blend. The result is a very pure, bold coffee unspoiled by blemished beans. Imbued with the natural influence of the Hawaiian mountains, the mix is some of the highest-profile coffee on the market.
However, high profiles come at a price. Due to Royal Kona’s reputation and the labor-intensive process of hand-selecting the beans, the tag on each seven-ounce bag is quite high. While it is among the most delicious and deep medium roasts, it is not the most accessible option for everyone, especially when you consider shipping costs.
Despite the price, Royal Kona’s Private Reserve medium roast is a feat of nature, available in both ground and whole bean form. If you can get your hands on a bag, its aroma and flavors will entice you, which is why it took the number-three spot on this list.
4. Koa Coffee 100% K’au Private Reserve
Across Hawaii’s big island are many “coffee belts,” each producing remarkably distinctly flavored beans. While the popular Kona coffee is grown in its “belt,” the K’au variety plantations rest south of there, bringing their unique bouquets and palettes. No medium roast puts these distinct beans to use better than Koa Coffee’s 100% private reserve.
Due to climate similarities, K’au coffee beans share some factors with high-quality Central American blends, but each bag brings a set of uniquely Hawaiian flavor notes. Among them are spices, citrus, jasmine, brown sugar, and currant. The flavors have a syrup-like mouthfeel and low acid, perfect for customers with sensitivities.
Having a taste cultivated in one of the world’s most unique microclimates is a plus, but Koa’s K’au medium roast does have some drawbacks. It is only available in whole bean form, meaning you need a coffee grinder to brew a cup. In addition, it’s only available in eight-ounce or one-pound bags, which some might think is too little or too much.
Lastly, rare Hawaiian coffee calls for a hefty price tag. K’au private reserve is labor-intensive to harvest and difficult to source. Farmers scrutinize each bean, eliminating almost every selection with blemishes and defects. That’s why it has a high price per bag and is difficult to find in stores.
Despite the high price and commercial rarity, the taste, depth, and uniqueness of Koa’s K’au medium roast make it a top contender. For the person who loves Hawaiian coffee but has tried all the mainstream beans, this is one of the best medium roast coffee options that you should have tried at least once.
5. Volcanica House Blend
Emergent Brew Exclusive: Use the coupon code SAVE5 to get 5% off your next Volcanica order. Use this link to get the special offer.
For a flavor as explosive as a volcanic eruption, the Volcanica coffee company blends combinations of high-quality beans. To make their house blend, they bring samples from Brazil, Colombia, and Ethiopia. After washing, the coffee boasts a rich, full, and sweet flavor backed by the sugars of its native lands.
Lemon, honey, and berry notes culminate to create a medium roast far sweeter than usual without sacrificing the bitter and acidic taste of coffee. It is an elegant, aromatic, and smooth coffee, even if the flavor is less complex than its competitors.
You can enjoy Volcanica’s house blend in as many ways as you want since it is available in whole bean, drip grind, espresso grind, and french press forms. If you wish to buy in bulk, you can order a five-pound package and save while doing so. Volcanica Coffee prides itself on providing high-quality coffee at a fraction of the cost.
Price and customizability are the major selling points of Volcanica, but it doesn’t bear the prestige, health benefits, or flavor that other coffees on this list have. Still, if you are just beginning to try medium roast coffees, I highly recommend it. Volcanica is an excellent gateway to the world of outsourced coffee beans without breaking the bank.
Conclusion
While it’s hard to define what makes the best medium roast coffee, Lifeboost’s healthy, delicious, affordable, and accessible blend is worthy of the title. However, if you haven’t tried the other coffees on this list, you should. Each brings an incredible history, a hand-picked process, and a variety of flavors and scents.