How to Pick From 50+ Coffees

Fifty-plus coffees is a lot to look at when you just want a good cup. Here is how we help guests pick one, first by type and then by roast.

We get the question every day at the bar: "What should I try?" The honest answer is that it depends on what you already like. We roast every coffee in small batches of 50 pounds or less, so there is no wrong door. There are just two easy questions to ask yourself. What kind of coffee do you want, and how dark do you like it?

Pick by type

Our coffees fall into five families. Start with the one that sounds like you.

Blend

A blend is two or more coffees put together to make one cup that tastes the same bag after bag. This is our biggest family, and it is where a lot of our Santa Barbara names live: State Street, Santa Barbara, Rincon Red, Montecito, Hope Ranch. If you want an everyday coffee that is easy to love, start with our blends.

Single Origin

A single origin comes from one place, so you taste that place on its own. Colombia Supremo, Sumatra, Guatemala, Brazil, Papua New Guinea, Uganda, Java Estate and more are on the shelf. If you like to compare and learn what you prefer, browse our single origins.

Flavored

Our flavored coffees are blends too, with a flavor added to the beans. Think Kona Macadamia Nut, Hawaiian Hazelnut, Coconut Cream, Double Chocolate, Fiesta Cinnamon and French Vanilla, with seasonal ones like Pumpkin Spice when the weather turns. If coffee is your dessert, have a look at our flavored coffees.

Decaf

Decaf does not have to mean settling. A number of the coffees people already know us for come in decaf, including State Street, Santa Barbara, House and Espresso Blends, and some of them use the Swiss Water Process. If you want the cup without the caffeine, see our decaf coffees.

Naturally Grown

Each Naturally Grown blend is made from coffees that are Organically Grown, Shade Grown and Fair Trade. Organically grown means no chemical pesticides or fertilizers. Shade grown coffee gives birds a place to live, and Fair Trade pricing helps return a living wage to the people who farm it. The Island Blends and our Colombia and Peru N.G. sit here. Read more on our organic page or shop Naturally Grown.

Pick by roast

Once you know the type, pick the roast. We keep it simple. Light is Full City. Medium is Viennese. Dark is French and Double French. Some of our coffees come in more than one roast, and some blends mix roast levels in the same bag on purpose. If you want the story behind that, read We Mix Roast Levels (Not Just Origins).

A good rule: if you liked a bag, try the same type one roast step lighter or darker next time. You learn a lot about your own taste that way.

Still not sure? Taste it first

Not ready to choose a whole bag? Our sample packs and adventure packs let you try a few at once, from light and medium roasts to origins, flavors and Naturally Grown.

Or come see us. Our cafe at 321 Motor Way is in the same room as the roaster, and we have been roasting there since 1989. Tell us what you usually drink and we will point you to a few to try at the bar. Drip coffee comes with a free refill for one hour after you buy it, so you have time to taste and think.

Then take home the one that made you smile. That is the right coffee.