Dark Roast Ground Coffee

Dark roast ground coffee consists of coffee that has been roasted for the longest possible time and then subjected to different grinding grades to provide the right consistency for a wide variety of brewing methods. The characteristics of dark roast coffees include unique bouquets and tastes that meet the preferences of one segment of the universe of coffee lovers. Staples® meets your beverage needs with ground coffee and coffee beans as well as coffee makers and grinders.

Dark Roast Ground Coffee Beans Are the Result of a Long Production Process
Coffee beans come from inside the deep-red coffee cherry fruit of coffee trees. After the fruit is picked, many times by hand, it's hulled and polished to expose the bean. The beans are dried and stored in a “green” state, where they are still soft and spongy. The dried beans are then roasted, causing chemical reactions that create different “colors” of intensity as excess moisture is gradually reduced. Dark-roasted coffee beans reach an internal temperature of around 460 degrees Fahrenheit and are then cooled immediately by air or water.

Dark Roast Ground Coffee Comes From Many Countries and Is Called Various Names
The two main types of beans are Arabica coffee, which grows at elevations of more than 5,000 feet and thrives in the cool mountain air, and Robusta, which grows at lower-lying levels and does well in the heat of regions around the Equator. Many of the most popular dark-roasted beans come from Kenya, Sumatra (Indonesia), Ethiopia, Columbia, Brazil, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Hawaii; the last is known for its Kona bean variety.

Dark-roasted coffee beans are one roasting step above medium roast coffee beans, sometimes called full city roasts. The dark roasts are known by several other names, including European, continental, New Orleans, Viennese, and French roast. The darkest of the dark roasts is espresso, a fine-ground dark roast favored as Italian espresso or Cubano-style espresso that comes in compressed bricks.

What Are the Characteristics of Dark Roast Ground Coffee Beans?
Dark roasting produces beans with a shiny, dark chocolate color coating that has a distinct oiliness to its touch, and it also produces a sheen of oil on the surface of the liquid coffee. The dark-roasted bean has a more bitter, sharper coffee taste than lighter roasts, yet the coffee is less acidic and contains less caffeine. Dark roasted coffee is rich and full-bodied, with multiple layers of aroma and taste. Different brands of dark roast ground coffee produce various bouquets and tastes, but some are described as biting with smoky overtones, velvety with caramel notes, and roasted with sweetness.

What Grinds of Dark Roast Ground Coffee Are Suitable for Different Brewing Methods?
All beans are ground to different levels of fineness, starting from extra coarse and running to coarse, medium-coarse, medium, medium-fine, fine, and extra fine. Most drip-brewing coffee makers work well with medium dark roast ground coffee, while coarse grinds work well with French presses and medium fine grinds with siphon-style brewers. Fine grinds are considered espresso grinds, while extra-fine grinds are used for making Turkish-style coffee with ibriks.

How Is Dark Roast Ground Coffee Packaged?
You can get ground coffee in aluminum cans, plastic containers, or in foil packages coated with polyethylene for protection from the elements. The foil packages come in a variety of sizes, including 10, 11, and 12 ounces, and 1 pound. Some of the major brands of dark roast ground coffee are available in small, 1.4 to 2.5-ounce packets for individual cups of coffee. Major brands are also available as a Kosher coffee, flavored, decaffeinated, and organic grinds.