FAQs

What’s the difference between light, medium, and dark roast?

Light Roast is roasted for less time, preserving more of the bean’s original character. Expect brighter acidity, lighter body, and more distinct fruit, floral, or origin-specific flavours.

Medium Roast offers a balance between the bean’s natural characteristics and flavours developed during roasting. It generally has a smooth, balanced body with notes such as caramel, chocolate, nuts, or fruit. It’s a great place to start if you’re unsure which roast you prefer.

Dark Roast is roasted longer, producing a fuller body and deeper roasted flavours. Expect lower perceived acidity and bolder notes such as dark chocolate, toasted nuts, caramelization, smoke, or spice.

Which roast has the most caffeine?

Contrary to a common assumption, darker does not automatically mean more caffeine. Roast level has a relatively small effect compared with factors such as bean variety, the amount of coffee used, and brewing method. If caffeine is your priority, focus more on how much coffee you brew than roast colour.

What's the difference between Whole Bean, Standard, Coarse and Espresso?

Whole Bean means your coffee arrives unground. This is our recommendation if you own a grinder because grinding immediately before brewing generally gives you the freshest flavour.

Standard Grind is a medium grind designed primarily for conventional drip coffee makers. If you use a typical countertop coffee machine, this is usually the option you want.

Coarse Grind consists of larger coffee particles and is best suited to brewing methods with longer extraction times, particularly French press and cold brew.

Espresso Grind is very finely ground for the short, pressurized extraction used by espresso machines. Choose this if you're brewing espresso rather than regular drip coffee.

Which grind should I order?

A simple rule of thumb is: Drip coffee maker → Standard | French press → Coarse | Cold brew → Coarse | Espresso machine → Espresso | Have your own grinder → Whole Bean. For pour-over and AeroPress, the ideal grind can vary with the brewer and recipe, so whole bean is particularly useful.

Why should I buy whole-bean coffee?

Coffee begins losing aroma after it's ground because considerably more surface area is exposed to oxygen. Whole beans allow you to grind only what you need immediately before brewing, giving you greater control over grind size and typically better aroma and flavour.

How should I store my Morning Watch coffee?

Keep your coffee sealed in a cool, dry, dark location away from heat, moisture, sunlight, and strong odours. Avoid routinely storing coffee in the refrigerator, where moisture and food aromas can affect it.

How much coffee should I use?

A good starting point is approximately 1:16 coffee-to-water by weight—for example, about 30 g of coffee for 480 g (roughly 480 mL) of water. From there, use more coffee for a stronger cup or less for something lighter.

What coffee should I try first?

If you're new to specialty coffee, a medium roast or balanced blend is usually an approachable starting point. Your Featured Blends section currently includes options such as Breakfast Blend and 6 Bean Blend, while the sample pack is useful for customers who want to compare several coffees before committing to a full bag.

What does “single origin” mean?

Single-origin coffee comes from one specific country, region, farm, or producer rather than combining beans from several origins. These coffees are often chosen because they showcase flavours associated with their particular growing region.

What's the difference between a blend and single-origin coffee?

A blend combines coffees to create a particular flavour profile and consistency. Single-origin coffee emphasizes the characteristics of a particular origin. Neither is inherently better—they provide different coffee experiences.

Does stronger-tasting coffee mean more caffeine?

No. Strength of flavour and caffeine content aren't the same thing. A dark roast can taste substantially stronger while containing a similar amount of caffeine to a lighter roast when brewed using comparable amounts of coffee.