The New Year is an opportunity for renewal and inner growth. Come join us as we finish exploring a few more ways of changing our coffee habits and challenging ourselves for the new year!
Summary:
Don’t have time to dive in? That’s okay. Just bookmark this post, and sip on this summary for now:
- Don't rest on a new roast - A coffee’s roast makes a big difference. Try a different style after New Year’s and open up a world of coffee possibility.
- Tea, Decaf, and Half Caff - It happens to the best of us. Find balance in your caffeine consumption by switching it up.
DON’T REST ON A NEW ROAST
It is common to feel little iffy about experimenting outside of the lines of what we usually drink. For those who’ve been drinking a dark roast most of their lives, trying anything lighter can be a big jump, maybe even “weird”. But take it from us - it can be so worth it to see what else is out there.
And, as it happens, we have the perfect tool for you to explore the world of roasting profiles at your own pace: our coffee subscriptions and our Blend Sampler Box. This New Year, look beyond your usual and make your morning cup a new experience.
Dark roast can be delicious, and done right it can retain some of the inherent character of the bean while maximizing that chocolatey, sometimes-smoky sweetness. But going too dark also erases the finer nuances of the bean, making one bean pretty much the same as any other. Kaldi’s Coffee offers several darker-roasted coffees like FTO French Roast and Cafe Malta, which are carefully roasted to develop a rich chocolate sweetness, but more of our coffees are on the medium to lighter side of roasting. This is in line with our philosophy of showcasing the flavors and unique nuances of the coffees we source from all around the globe.
A number of our year-round blends use roasting profiles in creative ways, giving you room to experiment with your own personal preference. Our Breakfast Blend, for example, tends to be more lightly developed, resulting in sweetness modulated by crisp acidity. On the other hand, 700 is a very balanced medium roast, harmonizing notes of dark chocolate with caramel sweetness and subtle fruit flavors that distinguish it as both drip and espresso coffee. Lastly, our flagship blend Cafe Kaldi is a post-roast blend of differently-roasted coffees that join together to layer acidic complexity on deeper notes of sweetness.
All of the above blends are available through our subscription program. Some of our subscribers like to alternate their subscriptions. By selecting a subscription for one coffee and setting the frequency at 4 weeks, then selecting another coffee and setting their desired frequency for that, they can regularly receive two alternating coffees. No more last minute frantic grocery trips or groggy drive-thru runs at 6 am.
Related article: How to Make a Coffee Subscription Work For You
Our Single Origin coffees are always roasted light to medium to better bring out the inherent characteristics of the bean. We want you to taste and smell the world of delicious nuance between a honey-and-apple Guatemalan and a blueberry tea-like Ethiopian. The subtle complexities of flavor and aroma arise from the coffee plant’s many varieties, the difference in soils, the elevation and latitude, and of course, the varied processing methods that shape the coffee’s final taste. Our Roaster’s Choice subscription service is the perfect way for you to venture into the wide world of single origin specialty coffee, and learn what you like best. Explore all that specialty coffee has to offer starting this New Year’s, right from the comfort of your own home.
TEA, DECAF, AND HALF CAFF
Too much of a good thing, indeed. We all hit points in our lives where we have to tone it down and reduce one habit or another. Coffee, as wonderful as it is, can be one of those. If you’re finding yourself wondering if your coffee habit is starting to feel like more of a jittery haul than a pleasure, it may be time to consider dialing it back a bit. Here are a couple of our suggestions, tried and tested:
- Cold Brew: cold-brewed coffee may have a similar pH to its hot-brewed counterpart, it actually has a lower titratable acidity. Basically, you’re getting less of the discernible effect of the acids in coffee. This can mean far fewer stomach aches and less heartburn, if hot coffee is giving you any grief. Pick up our cans, available in our cafes and most Schnucks, Dierbergs, and Whole Foods locations in the St. Louis area, or give cold brewing at home a try with a Toddy brew kit.
- Half Caff and Decaf: plain and simple, the classic way to dial back the caffeine consumption is to literally dial it back. Our Decaf Cafe Kaldi blend has mild acidity and a milk chocolate finish, while our Half-Caff Kaldi blends the Decaf with its fully-caffeinated counterpart Cafe Kaldi for a mildly caffeinated coffee with light citrus notes, mild nuttiness, and floral aromas.
- Tea: A cup of black tea contains only a little more than half as much caffeine as a similar cup of brewed coffee. Green tea contains even less on average. Perfect for a peaceful New Year’s Day, while still giving you that warming feeling.
Half Caff Kaldi - Just as perfectly balanced as our house blend, but with half the caffeine
SPECIALTY COFFEE AND YOU
Specialty coffee isn’t an all-or-nothing deal. It’s about connecting to the coffee’s origins, the long and beautiful processes that brought it to you, the hands that have shaped it. But the most important thing to remember is: what works for you, and what challenges do you want to take on?
-
READ NEXT:
4 WAYS TO CHANGE YOUR COFFEE HABITS, PART 1 
Related Content:
- Cupping Specialty Coffee | Education Page
- Brewing At Home Guide | Kaldi's Coffee Blog
- How to Make French Press Coffee with Any Gear | Kaldi's Coffee Blog
