If you’re anything like me then you can’t even think about getting started on the day without a cup of coffee inside you.
Breakfast Blend is a popular option for those first few cups, but what exactly is this stuff? What makes it so suitable for those early mornings?
In this article you’ll find the answers to these questions and more. I’ve also included a quick review of a few of my favorite brands if you need some help getting started.
(Looking for something else for your morning cup? I have a massive coffee brewing archive that has more to explore!)
So, what is breakfast blend coffee?
There’s no hard and fast answer to this question, and the clue for this conundrum is in the name!
By definition, any coffee blend is going to have its own unique flavor and aroma profile, based on the particular blend the roaster has chosen.
Different breakfast blends do tend to share a few things in common though.
They tend to be less overpowering, for example, with a very balanced and straightforward profile.
That way any given blend can appeal to a broad audience of early morning coffee drinkers.
They tend to be quite acidic as well, but not too much so. They’re crafted to provide a pretty neutral, easy-going coffee experience that won’t overload your taste buds before they’ve even woken up!
How this delicate flavor is achieved owes a great deal to the roasting process, which I’ll cover in the next section.
Breakfast Blend Roasting
All coffee beans start off as green beans. They achieve their color and flavor profile as a result of the roasting process they’re put through.
Once fully dried out, they’re added to the roaster where the first outer layer of the bean is cracked open. All beans go through this early stage of the roasting process.
From here, it’s a case of how long and how intensely the beans are roasted.
The longer the roasting time, the darker the beans become. These beans tend to be relatively more bitter than light roasts, with a much stronger body.
The breakfast blend aims for a gentle roasting level somewhere between a light and medium roast.
You might think that a stronger tasting dark roast coffee contains more caffeine but that’s not necessarily true.
As the beans roast they lose their caffeine content, so a lighter breakfast blend might pack more of a punch than you were expecting.
Still, the end result is a neutral drink that should put a spring in your step without overloading the sense!
As I’ve already mentioned though, it’s all very subjective and dependent on the actual blend of beans the roasters use.
Experiment with a few different brands until you find a breakfast blend that’s just right for you.
Popular Brands
If you’re not sure where to start, I’m going to highlight some of my favorite breakfast blend K-Cups.
It’s fair to say that K-Cup coffee isn’t the best in the world. That said, all three of these brands do a great job of combining convenience with easy going coffee quality.
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Green Mountain Coffee Breakfast Blend
Green Mountain’s Breakfast Blend K-Cups are incredibly popular among home Keurig brewers all over the world.
This is a very clean, bright brew that’s quite sweet and has a slightly nutty taste. The beans used in production are 100% Arabica, and Green Mountain as a company is committed to sustainable long-term production as well.
If you just want to enjoy the flavor without any of the kick, these K-Cups are also available in a decaf edition.
Starbucks Breakfast Blend
However you may feel about Starbucks’ dominance of the urban coffee landscape, there’s no denying the quality of its breakfast blend.
These K-Cups do a pretty good job of replicating that same experience at home. Although coffee pods represent an ongoing cost, it’s one way of saving on those daily Starbucks coffee pick-ups.
This is a medium roast coffee with little hints of citrus throughout. If you’ve not tried these K-Cups before, you can always drop by a Starbucks and taste the “real” thing first to see if it suits your palate.
Kirkland Signature Breakfast Blend
First of all, just be aware that Kirkland’s Breakfast Blend comes in quite a big box. Keep an eye on the price before adding it to your basket!
I don’t think this blend is quite as good as the other two I’ve highlighted in this article, but if you can sample one of these K-Cups first then I think you might like them as an alternative.
Breakfast Blend v Donut Shop Coffee
If you’re aware of breakfast blend coffees, you’ve almost certainly heard of what’s known as “donut shop” coffee as well.
Both share some similarities – and are designed to serve the same purpose – but what separates the two?
Like breakfast blend, the purpose of a donut shop coffee is to get an effective, no-frills cup of coffee inside you early on in the day.
It’s a bold, clean, uncomplicated drink. It goes particularly well with sugary baked goods – hence the name!
This coffee is typically made using Arabica beans. These have a natural sweetness that compliments your breakfast very nicely.
Just don’t expect to experience any delicate notes of anything in this coffee.
For a lighter coffee experience, you’ll want to focus on breakfast blends.
If you need something stronger at the start of the day though, a donut shop coffee will do very nicely indeed.
Wrapping Up
Hopefully that’s answered your most common questions about breakfast blend coffee!
Try out a few brands and I’m confident you’ll soon find a new favorite for your coffee collection.
Mark’s a lifelong food fanatic and spent ten years working as an entertainment journalist. He now combines his love of food, drink and writing as the founder and editor of Viva Flavor. Read more