Best Ground Coffee in UK (2021)

Known to be an all-day fuel, coffee is a must have for most. Morning, midday or night, this delicious beverage can be enjoyed hot or cold. It soothing, warm and comforting aroma, and taste has the potential to take over the atmosphere promising a relaxed setting.

This potent aromatic dream comes in many forms, with ground coffee beans being amongst the favourite.

Here is a simple guide, and a few answers to your sought after questions.

What is the Best Tasting Coffee to Buy?

To get the best tasting coffee a process of roasting, grinding and brewing the best coffee beans is required. Looking at the variety of coffee that is on the shelves, readily waiting for consumers, the best one to buy would have to be the most satisfying to your taste buds.

In the world of coffee, the Premium Organic Arabica ground coffee is the leader for taste as it is known for its smoothness.  Carefully roasted, bit by bit and time and again to get the richest and most flavourful coffee. This brand is a coffee lovers dream as it is a cravings satisfaction.

What is the Best Ground Coffee UK?

There is a vast variety of coffees to choose from in the UK but knowing which one is best will be up to your preference, as only a coffee lover can tell.

Just like wine tasters, coffee lovers can differentiate between the different strengths in their coffee, determining the best brands by tasting.

On the UK’s scene, the opening brewers act, won by Spiller and Taits signature blend ground coffee, as it has grabbed the silver medal in the 2014 taste of the west awards and the Gold in the prestigious great taste awards in 2017.

This coffee seems to have won the hearts and taste buds of many, making it a force to be reckoned with in the ground coffee world as it is still the most consumed in the UK. It takes the spot for the best in the UK as its original taste and flavour is distinguishable.

What is the Highest Rated Coffee? And Why?

Coffee ratings would depend on a persons preferred taste as not everyone likes having their coffee brewed in the same way.

Some prefer a strong roasted, brewed taste while others enjoy the milder subtle tasting coffee. Whatever it is, and whoever the taste testers are will be part and parcel of the highest rated scores.

As of the 2020 year, the Bean Brothers Coffee Company is at the top of the ratings as they have bagged the prestigious food and beverage awards for great taste. They are followed closely behind by the 2017 great taste award winners, Spiller and Tait who are still the top sellers on the UK market.

Dark Roast vs Medium Roast vs Light

Strong, medium or mild,  black or white, the choice is yours. When it comes to dark roast medium roast and light coffees, preference will be according to a desired taste. Let’s have a look at what to expect from the taste of these three favourite strengths.

Dark Roast

Dark Roast – A dark roasted coffee emits a rich, deep, dark chocolate taste. With its bitter sweet nutty flavour and its strong rich promising aroma, this brew will hypnotize your taste buds.

Medium Roast

Medium Roast – This medium, smooth, chocolaty, and mild nut flavour has the potential to mesmerize your taste buds.

Light Roast

Light – This mild aromatic coffee flavour is a soothing relaxant.

Your preferred taste will be the winner of these three.

Which Country Is the Best For Coffee?

Undoubtedly, Columbia is at the top of the coffee game, producing the richest most flavourful coffee bean that is harvested in the fields of mineral rich volcanic soil. The clever use of the extra rich volcanic soil has proved to be an asset to coffee growers, as the end result is in much demand throughout the world.  Known to produce the best quality coffee, and proven to be amongst the tastiest, after many tests and trials, against many other competitors, Columbia is still in the lead. Their coffee farmers have found favour with this growing method, and their cloudy climate has been a positive contribution in aiding the growth of this delicious coffee bean, making them the best coffee producers in the world.

Buying Lots vs Small Amounts

Everything has a life span, and coffee is not any different. Some things get better with age and others wither and lose their strength.

The coffee bean has a similar endurance, so buying big amounts of coffee to store for a long time is not advisable, as coffee beans tend to lose their strength and flavour, making them milder over time and tasteless over very long periods of time. If you want the best and most flavourful coffee, then freshly bought coffee in small amounts would be best to give you your preferred coffee taste. 

Single Origin vs Blends

Single origin coffee emits the most natural blend as they are not altered or modified to suit a specific taste. They are preserved in their original state giving off the most natural tasting coffee. They are not mixed or blended with other coffee beans, gaining them their name of single blend.

It’s an acquired taste to the known and would probably be a pusher to the clueless.  Blends on the other hand are enjoyed by many, as it is a taste that they have become accustomed to. The variety of coffee beans blended together gives of a milder taste than the original.

Self-Made vs Store Bought

When it comes to self-made and store bought coffee, the preference will have to be up to your taste. As we all know that when it comes to any type of food or drink, nothing compares to that of a fresh taste, and the same would apply to coffee. Store bought ground coffee is widely used although it has taken a hit with the bad reviews from coffee artisans as the taste compared to that of self-made is apparently altered much, losing most of its original flavour. This is said to be caused by the process during the roasting and grinding as once coffee beans are ground and exposed to air, it deteriorates in flavour, taste and smell. Self-roasting and grinding your own coffee beans will award you with a much richer, original taste as opposed to that of store bought ground coffee which gives you a surfaced flavour. The differences in the aromas of self-made vs store bought coffee is unpleasant to the noses of the coffee artisans and those whose have acquired a taste for self-made.

Finding a local roaster in the UK

All coffee lovers have a specific acquired coffee taste that they are accustomed to, and sometimes finding that specific tasting coffee can be challenging. Would you believe it if I told you that finding a local roaster to personally roast your coffee to the acquired taste, is possible. There are countless coffee artisans that are passionate about the way they roast coffee beans, ensuring us locals that they are skilled to perfect the roasting according to a specific taste. All that is required from us is an accurate description of the coffee taste that we desire. These master roasters are perfectionists. Yes, a local roaster is a bit more expensive than the store, but with local roasting comes the promise of the freshest coffee, roasted according to your preferred taste. Here are a few useful tips to find your own personal master roaster. 

• A simple Google search for a master roaster in your area will be helpful.
• Ask your local Coffee Shops as they usually render a coffee roasting service.
• Ask around about the local coffee roasters in your area.

You would be surprised at how many locals run coffee roasting businesses from their homes. Although not certified, these local coffee roasters are masters of their trade.

7 Best Coffees available in UK

Here is the updated list of the 7 best coffees:

1. Columbian Volcano coffee
2. Tanzania’s Volcanica coffee
3. Mocha Java coffee
4. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
5. Hawaii Koa coffee
6. Tanzanian Peaberry coffee 
7. Robusta coffee