I Tasted Cameron’s Donut Shop Medium Roast Coffee: Review

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by Nigel Ong

Donut shop blend coffees are tasty and enjoyable to me. They are usually light or medium roasts, blended to work well with sweet baked foodstuffs, such as donuts. The key is keeping a traditional, all-American roast for that comfortable, easy-to-sip experience.

I could not resist picking it up when I saw Cameron’s Donut Shop Blend. I expect a smooth, easy-going coffee that opens up my appetite for some good old donuts. 

Will the coffee perform well or disappoint? Let’s find out in this review. I will brew the coffee three ways and then compare its taste with other relevant brews.

About Cameron’s Donut Shop Blend Roast 

Cameron’s Coffee Roasters was founded in 1978 by Janie and Jim Cameron in Shakopee, Minnesota. The initial idea was to offer quality coffee roasts to the local community. Still, the reception was so good that the roastery expanded to produce more coffee.

The company gained popularity for its unique approach to coffee roasting, focusing on small-batch processes to ensure freshness and flavor integrity. 

Cameron’s prides itself on sourcing premium-grade Arabica beans and employing eco-friendly practices, including 100% compostable pods and responsible sourcing.

Cameron’s offers a wide range of roasts to cater to diverse tastes, from light and bright blends to deep, dark roasts. Their product lineup consists of over 80 roasts, including: 

  • Single-origin coffees,
  • Flavored coffees, and 
  • Signature blends

One of the most popular roasts from Cameron’s is the Donut Shop Blend. Cameron described this blend as a classic, sweet, balanced roast that works perfectly with your favorite donuts. 

Reviews on Amazon seem to be quite positive of the blend, mentioning the inviting and pleasant aroma. Many also seem to enjoy the coffee’s robustness, without being too overwhelming, and the overall wallet-friendly price of the coffee. 

First Impression

My Cameron’s Donut Shop Blend bag is a 10-ounce bag, about 283 grams if you operate in metric. There are larger ones, of course, and generally speaking, the larger the bag, the cheaper the coffee gets per cup. 

The bag is designed in a comfortable combination of sky blue and white colors, with the lettering on the coffee bag reminiscent of old American diners. 

When I tear open the coffee bag, I can quickly pick up the fresh, fragrant aroma of roasted coffee with a hint of nuttiness. The smell has a classic feel, giving me the impression that this should be an easy-drinking, smooth coffee. 

The aroma also has some sweetness, although I cannot pinpoint what flavors they are. There’s also a bit of smoke and woody notes, which suits it as a medium roast. 

My bag of Cameron’s Donut Shop Blend comes as ground coffee. The grind size is medium, so it should work with popular brewing methods, such as the French press, coffee machine, or pour-overs.

How Does Cameron’s Donut Shop Blend Roast Taste?

To sample Community Coffee Breakfast Blend, I will brew it in three ways:

French Press: This brewing style makes a murky, full-flavored coffee with floating particles. This should allow me to sample the coffee in all its ‘glory.’ I expect a full and strong flavor with this coffee.

Pour Over With Filter Paper: This method produces a ‘cleaner’ version of the coffee without too much oil and particles floating about. I look forward to picking up some subtle flavors here.

Espresso: Espresso may be more common with darker roasts, but I found it generally able to concentrate flavors very well. I look forward to being surprised here.

French Press

I prepared my French press coffee using the Bodum Caffettiera. I maintained a coffee-to-water ratio 1:12, measuring out 15 grams of coffee to 180ml of hot water, heated to about 185°F (85°C). 

After stirring the coffee grounds, I allowed the brew to steep for 4 minutes before pouring.

The resulting coffee looks slightly dark brown with a touch of clarity, a regular, classic coffee appearance. The aroma was particularly inviting, resembling the aroma of fresh bread with a soft touch of sweetness.

The flavor mirrored the aroma when I drew the coffee into my palate. It offered a gentle and silky feel on the tongue without smashing it. The coffee also revealed itself slowly, showing its body and acidity in a restrained and controlled way. 

As I continue to sip the coffee, I can slowly pick up some sweet and nutty notes. The sweet notes can be best described as sugary, with some smoke. There are also the nutty notes, which help to make the coffee quite enjoyable to nurse and sip on slowly.

The finish was satisfying, with a lingering sweet aftertaste that went away faster than expected. This sort of made me want to chase the flavor by sipping faster. Still, I suppose the gap can be easily filled by biting into a donut and enjoying its flavor instead.

Pour Over With Filter Paper

For my pour-over coffee, I assembled a setup that included:

I aimed for a 1:18 coffee-to-water ratio, initiating the process by pre-wetting and blooming the grounds, followed by a careful and steady pour of hot water to ensure optimal extraction of flavors.

The result is a coffee that was noticeably lighter and had a ‘cleaner’ taste profile than its French Press counterpart. This is expected from a pour-over coffee, as the filter paper removes fine particles and sediments. 

As a result, the coffee shows a clearer cup in appearance and taste, and the earthy and smoky flavors are toned down.

However, there is a downside to pouring over coffee. While the filter paper makes a cleaner cup, it also captures some of the essential oils from the coffee beans, slightly removing the overall intensity of the coffee’s flavor. 

I prefer the French press, as the pour-over coffee has become too clean and, to me, a bit sterile. But then, this is individual preference, so try both brew styles and decide for yourself.

Espresso

I don’t think Cameron’s Donut Shop Blend is meant to be enjoyed as espresso. Still, I decided to give it a try regardless. I believe espresso can concentrate a coffee’s essence into a tiny, potent shot, revealing its true character.

I pulled out my Wacaco Minipresso GR and extracted a shot of espresso from the Donut Shop Blend. 

The outcome was a rather aromatic espresso crowned with a creamy, soft crema. The lighter shade of the crema is probably due to the medium roast. Visually, this espresso could stand up to those crafted by skilled baristas in upscale cafés.

The scent was gentle, acidic, and a bit nutty, with a soft hint of smokiness. The taste of the espresso itself was on the lighter side, with a noticeable tartness peeking through, particularly in the crema. 

Given its medium roast nature, the espresso does not taste smoky compared to darker roasts. This is a soft espresso you can slowly sip and enjoy rather than gulp down.

Cameron’s Donut Shop Blend Roast vs Popular Medium Roasts

Since the Cameron’s Donut Shop Blend is medium, comparing it with other popular medium blends makes sense. 

I pulled out these medium roast blends, made coffee with them, and sipped them one after the other with the Donut Shop Blend:

The Cameron’s Donut Shop Blend is blended to be paired with sweet baked food, which means it may not do too well alone. When I sip this coffee with other medium roasts on the list, this weakness shows up rather clearly. 

Other medium roasts seem to have a better finish and flavor. I get more satisfaction from sipping these coffee roasts than the Donut Shop Blend. The latter does not have enough ‘give’ to the flavor and finishes faster.

I would pick the Dunkin Original Blend from these coffee roasts as the most satisfactory and enjoyable to sip, with the Big Bang coming second.

Is Cameron’s Donut Shop Blend Roast For You?

After extensively sampling Cameron’s Donut Shop Blend coffee, I would say this is an easy-sipping, comfortable coffee designed to be sipped with baked goods. This could be donuts, strudles, or other sweet pastries.

It is light, does not have strong flavors, and finishes rather quickly, which helps the palate to clear up to enjoy the pastries. 

I also see this coffee as a great daily go-to to sip, especially on lazy weekends when you just want a soft cup. You can also brew a large batch in the morning and leave it in the pot. You then come back to it over the day.

I can also see this coffee being used to introduce people to drinking coffee, as its soft flavors would be less intimidating to new drinkers.

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