Before I started Hornet Coffee, I flew Hornets in the Marine Corps, and I learned to respect anything that shows up ready to go. For a lot of you, that's the drip machine on the counter: fill it, flip it on, and pour. The only thing it needs from you is the right bag, one that doesn't bite back.
If that's you, and you like your coffee smooth and chocolatey instead of sharp and sour, here are three bags on the Hornet shelf worth a look. I'm quoting each bag's own description, so you're getting the roaster's words, not mine.
Delícia do Brasil, Nossa Familia Coffee (Portland, Oregon)
Nossa Familia roasts in Portland, Oregon, and grows this coffee on the Carneiro family's farms in Brazil. In the bag's own words, it's "Sweet, chocolaty and nutty with low acidity — an easy, everyday medium roast from Brazil". That's about as close to a drip-machine job description as I've read.
Sober AF, Wagon Coffee Roasters (Denver, Colorado)
Wagon Coffee is a women-owned, recovery-centered roastery in Denver. Sober AF is an organic medium roast from Bali, and the tasting notes on the bag read: "Chocolate, Vanilla, Earthy, Syrupy, Low Acidity". The description sums it up as "Full bodied, very low acidity." If you like a heavier cup that still goes down easy, start here.
Cast Iron™ Med Roast, Iron Bean Coffee Company (Perrysburg, Ohio)
Iron Bean is a veteran-owned roaster in Perrysburg, Ohio, which earns a salute from me. Cast Iron is a single-origin organic Honduran medium roast. In Iron Bean's words: "Taste smooth, never bitter flavors with subtle notes of black pepper, caramel, and milk chocolate." The bag also says it's "Low in acidity without taking away any strength or flavor". Call it a breakfast coffee with a little spine.
A few drip-machine basics
None of this is a secret, but it's the stuff that makes a good bag taste like a good bag:
- Grind fresh if you can. Whole bean, ground right before you brew, keeps more of the flavor you paid for. All three of these bags come whole bean or ground.
- Go medium on the grind. A medium grind is the usual match for a flat-bottom drip basket. If you buy ground, Delícia do Brasil and Sober AF both offer a medium grind for drip.
- Keep the machine clean. Old coffee oils and mineral buildup will muddy even a great roast. Rinse the basket and carafe, and descale the machine the way its maker recommends.
- Use water you'd drink. If your tap water tastes off, filtered water is an easy fix.
Let Flight Concierge pick for you
These three are a starting point. The Hornet shelf carries hundreds of coffees from small roasters, and the fastest way to find yours is Flight Concierge. Type what you like in plain words, something like "chocolatey, low acid, for my drip machine," and it matches you with three bags. No quiz, no app, no account needed.
Semper Fi,
Trevor Hull, founder, Hornet Coffee Company
Keep reading
If you want something gentler still, see coffee for people who don't really like coffee.
Curious about the other end of the cup? Try bright, fruity coffee for pour-over.
FAQ
What coffee is low acid and chocolatey?
Medium and medium-dark coffees from Brazil and similar origins tend to taste like chocolate and nuts with less bite. Tell Flight Concierge how you drink it and it picks three bags from different roasters. Ask Flight Concierge.
What's the best coffee for a drip machine?
A medium grind and a medium roast that tastes balanced at drip strength is a good start. Flight Concierge can match bags to your machine in one sentence. Ask Flight Concierge.
Is fresh coffee less bitter?
Coffee that our partner roasters roast to order skips months on a shelf, so it tends to taste smoother. Ask Flight Concierge for a smooth drip bag. Ask Flight Concierge.
I loved my last bag. What should I try next?
Name the bag and roaster you loved, and Flight Concierge leaves that bag out and picks three close neighbors by roast and tasting notes. Try it with a bag you already know: Ask Flight Concierge.