What Is The Best Coffee For Drip Filter Brewing?

Have you ever wondered what coffee works best for your automatic drip machine? This article explores the best coffee for drip filter brewing methods.

Best coffee for drip filter
Read on to know the best coffee for drip filter brewing

When it comes to coffee, many people’s first thoughts turn to drip filter setups of different kinds: pour-over, automatic brewers, and a few hybrid systems. There’s no question that it’s a versatile method of coffee brewing and one that can be as easy or as complicated as you want. That versatility extends to the coffee you put in your drip filter, too.

So what is the best coffee for drip filter brewing? There are a lot of answers possible and a lot of variables that come into play. Let’s delve deeper.

Drip Filter Coffee Is A Chameleon

Light and dark coffee beans
Light, medium, and dark roasts work well in drip filter

The question of what makes the best coffee for drip filter brewing is a broad one: it’s very much a question of tastes and preferences. And in fact, drip filter coffee is different from some other brewing methods in that just about any roast will work equally well. Of course, grind size is still important, and depending on the type of filter you use, it can make a big difference, but light, medium, and dark roast coffees all give a great result in drip filter coffee.

So the key question is less an issue of picking the best coffee from a particular region or level of roasting, but instead narrowing things down to the qualities drip filter brewing highlights in the finished pot of coffee. Drip filter brewing methods are quick, and while they get a relatively full extraction, they don’t go as deep as a method like french press or cold brewing–so you want to focus on coffee beans with all their best traits right upfront.

What to Look For In Drip Filter Coffee

A man doing a drip filter brew
There are many options to try in your drip filter

When you’re looking to try something new in your drip filter rig, the good news is that you have as many options as there are bags of coffee in the world. The bad news is that it’s hard to narrow that field down.

But in my opinion, the traits that make for a good pot of drip filter coffee are fairly straightforward. The best coffee for drip filter brewing has moderate acidity, medium body, and bold flavor. So which coffees match up to that description?

The Best Coffee For Drip Filter

My choices for the best coffee for drip filter brewing are mostly blends because, unlike other brewing methods, drip filter brewing harmonizes the qualities of different beans brought together, rather than muddying the flavor notes. In addition, drip brewing gives you a cup of coffee that’s greater than the sum of its parts, so blends work very well. My favorites are:

Kicking Horse Coffee Grizzly Claw: I enjoy this blend for many reasons, but where Kicking Horse Coffee’s Grizzly Claw blend really shines is the drip filter. The socially responsible blend of Central and South American beans has a rich and complex flavor, and the dark roast translates well to the brewing method. So when you just want a deep, dark cup of coffee from the pot, this blend gives you everything.

Kicking Horse Coffee Grizzly Claw Dark Roast Whole Bean
$33.99 ($0.97 / Ounce)
  • Dark Roast
  • Whole Bean
  • Recommended methods: French press, drip machine, pour over and cold brew
  • Origin Central & South America
  • Organic, Fair-Trade, Kosher
  • Shade-grown Arabica coffee


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03/07/2024 02:00 pm GMT

Allegro Coffee Breakfast Blend: While I tend to prefer medium and dark roasts for most brewing methods, drip filter coffee is where a lighter roast truly shines. Allegro Coffee’s Breakfast Blend is a great example. Blending Latin American beans from various farms with a small amount of Ethiopian coffee beans results in a lush flavor profile of milk chocolate, caramel, and citrus – a bright and engaging way to start the day. 

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03/08/2024 02:05 am GMT

Cooper’s Cask Ethiopian Bright Light Roast: For a long time, most coffees that made their way out of Ethiopia were dark roasts. The beans from that region definitely translate well to darker roasts.

But this light roast from Cooper’s Cask highlights the bright, citrusy acidity of Ethiopian coffees in a way that darker roasting just can’t. In a drip filter brewing context, that lightness comes across without tasting weak or watery. 

Ethiopian Bright Light Roast
$18.95 ($1.58 / Ounce)
  • Single-Origin Coffee: Ethiopian Bright Light Roast Coffee, Grade 1 Single Origin.
  • Vibrant Taste Profile: Intensely bright and clean, lemon tart, raw honey, floral nectar.
  • Quality Sourced Beans
  • Small Batch Roasters
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03/07/2024 04:55 pm GMT

Starbucks Pike Place Roast: Starbucks developed its Pike Place Roast to honor its origins, and the blend is carefully sourced and roasted specifically to be ideal for drip filter brewing. The smooth, well-rounded blend of Latin American beans works equally well with black or with a splash of milk, making it a great choice in households with fans of both.

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03/07/2024 12:54 am GMT

Author

  • Savannah McClelland

    Savannah is a coffee lover who took her appreciation of the brew to the next level starting in college, becoming a barista before combining her love of writing with her affection for a good brew. She has written for several publications including Cracked.com and TopTenz, and also works as a ghostwriter. Find Savannah on LinkedIn.