by Nigel Ong
Aside from the major coffee houses, there are many small and independent coffee roasters that produce great coffee. One of them is Community Coffee. One of their most famous coffee roasts is their Breakfast Blend.
How good is the Community Coffee Breakfast Blend? I picked up a bag of it to try out. I’ll brew it several ways and then sample it black and with popular flavorings. Finally, I compare it with other popular roasts I have in my collection.
| Method | Taste Notes |
| French Press | Dark, earthy, and peanut-like aroma. Full-bodied with some smokeNotes of peanuts and dark chocolate. |
| Pour Over With Filter Paper | Lighter and less intense than French press. Peanut and cocoa notes are more forward. |
| Espresso | Light and not too smoky Pleasant crema and nutty notes.Slight honey-like sweetness |
| With Sugar | Adds sheen and texture. Accentuates chocolate and peanut notes. |
| With Sweetener (Equal) | Delayed sweetness, which lingers longer than sugar.Less natural taste. |
| With Milk | Softens coffee and adds creaminessAccentuates cocoa and peanut notes. |
| With Creamer (Coffee Mate) | Mellows the coffee and enhances chocolate and peanut notes. Creaminess is present but less enriching than milk. |
About Community Coffee
Community Coffee is a coffee roaster in the United States based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Founded in 1919 by Norman “Cap” Saurage, the brand began as an experimental coffee blend sold at his two grocery stores in downtown Baton Rouge.
Within just a few years, the growing demand for his unique coffee blend prompted Saurage to shift his operations to a repurposed barn in 1923. By 1924, he had transitioned entirely from the grocery business to concentrate solely on coffee.
The company experienced a notable cultural moment in the late 1950s and early 1960s when Jim Henson, the creator of the Muppets, made commercials featuring the Muppets characters Wilkins and Wontkins, specifically tailored for Community Coffee.
With a legacy spanning over a century, Community Coffee has continually evolved. Today, the brand imports coffee beans from regions such as Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico and roasts the coffee in the US.
In the mid-1990s, the company expanded into the retail sector, launching coffeehouses across Louisiana and later in Texas and Alabama. In 2013, these coffee houses were spun into a distinct entity, CC’s Coffee House.
First Impression
The Breakfast Blend is one of Community Coffee’s most popular coffees, which made me pick up a bag to try. It has a bright red packaging, which reminds me of Tim Hortons.
On the packaging, it describes the coffee as having a ‘Honey and Hazelnut’ flavor. The packaging also mentions the coffee as a medium roast with a full body.
When I tear open the coffee bag, I can quickly pick up a nutty smell on the coffee – not hazelnut as described on the coffee bag, but more of a peanut-like aroma.
There is also some hint of chocolate, although I could not pick up any sweet notes. There’s also a bit of smoke, which indicates this should be a rather full-bodied coffee.
My bag of Community Coffee Breakfast Blend comes as ground coffee. The grind size is medium, which means it should work with popular brewing methods, such as the French press, coffee machine, or pour-overs.
How Does Community Coffee Breakfast Blend 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 full flavor 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. This should help me to sample more of the subtle notes.
Espresso: Espresso may be more common with darker roasts, but I found it generally able to concentrate flavors very well, especially at the crema. This may help me to sample the coffee’s flavors better.
French Press
I turned to my trusty Bodum Caffettiera French press to make my brew. My brewing style is based on the recommendations by Illy Coffee.
I added 15 grams of coffee and 180ml of hot water at around 185°F (about 85°C). After stirring the coffee ground, I let the concoction brew for 4 minutes before pouring.
My coffee looks a bit dark in color with some slight transparency, much like regular coffee. The aroma has a bit of earthiness with a peanut-like aroma.
The coffee has a bit of smoke and has some character. This is a full-bodied coffee, but not to the point of smashing your palate.
I picked up notes and hints of peanuts and a little bit of dark chocolate. After I swallowed the coffee, the finish was decent, with hints of sweetness. I think it is honey, although I can also say it could be molasses.
I also note that Community Coffee Breakfast Blend made me want to bite into something savory to chase the flavor. I am thinking of something like a nice ham sandwich or a big fry-up breakfast. Maybe this is why it’s called a Breakfast Blend.
Pour Over With Filter Paper
My pour-over brewing method is based on steps from Starbucks. I kept to a 1:18 ratio and used hot, off-boiling water for my pourings.
As for the setup, mine is a bit more complex, using these:
As expected, the pour-over version tastes lighter and less intense than the French press brew. The filter paper and the mesh in the pour-over set have done their job, removing some coffee oils and particles.
This cuts into the smoke and earthiness of the coffee, making it less intense. If you find the French press coffee too strong, this is an option for you to try.
The peanut note remains strong, with the cocoa not a little more evident here. The coffee’s finish also becomes shorter, with the sweetness a little more prominent.
Espresso
The coffee ground in the bag is too coarse for espresso, so I first ground them into a finer consistency with a grinder. Then, I used my Wacaco Minipresso GR to pull an espresso shot.
This is a pleasant cup of espresso. It is not strong and not smoky, which means it will not punch you hard on the palate. If you are expecting a traditional espresso taste, this is not the roast for you.
However, the Community Coffee Breakfast Blend has a pleasant crema, smooth, creamy, and not acidic at all. Instead, the espresso is light, with nutty notes and a soft sweetness. I think this is the honey sweetness mentioned on the packaging.
With Sugar
I brewed a cup of French press cup of Community Coffee Breakfast Blend before adding a brown, coarse sugar stick to my cup.
Appearance-wise, sugar added some sheen to the coffee and also helped to add a bit of texture. I kind of enjoy swishing the coffee in my mouth and letting the sweetness soak into my palate.
As for taste, the sugar accentuated both chocolate and peanut notes, making the coffee very nice to drink. The sweetness also does not seem to interfere with the coffee’s smoke, making the whole package smooth to sip on.
With Sweetener
With sweetener, I turn to probably the most popular artificial sweeteners out there – Equal.
The active sweetener inside equal is Aspartame, which has different properties to sugar. As a result, the sweetness I get from Equal is different from sugar.
When I sip my cup of Community Coffee Breakfast Blend, the sweetness seems to come a bit later. I’ll first get the smoke and earthy note before the sweetness comes in.
The sweetness also lingers longer, staying on my palate long after I have swallowed the coffee. The whole experience is less natural, and I prefer the sugared version.
With Milk
I prepared a bit of whole, UHT, fresh cow’s milk for this review. I added a single shot (about 30 ml or 1 oz) into my cup of coffee.
Milk softens the whole cup of coffee. It adds creaminess, which helps to take out some of the smoke of the coffee. The coffee also developed a bit of texture, probably taking in the viscosity of milk.
The creamy note seems to accentuate both the cocoa and peanut notes, making this an indulgent cup of coffee. There is also some subtle sweetness, thanks to the lactose in the milk.
With Creamer
Next up, I added two teaspoons of Coffee Mate non-dairy creamer to my coffee. I stirred to dissolve everything evenly and went in for my sip.
The creamer did about the same thing to my cup of Community Coffee Breakfast Blend as milk. It mellows the coffee further and brings out the chocolate and peanut notes of the coffee more.
There is also a slight increase in sweetness at the finish. The creaminess is also there, making the coffee quite indulgent.
My only issue is that the creamer somehow does not enrich the coffee as well as milk. I mean, the creaminess is there, but it tastes a bit ‘hollow’ compared to milk.
Community Coffee Breakfast Blend vs. Popular Breakfast Blends
I have a couple of breakfast coffee blends in my stash, so I thought I’d compare them all with the Community Coffee Breakfast Blend.
I brought these coffee roasts out, brewed them, and sipped them side by side with the Community Coffee Breakfast Blend:
From trying out these coffees, I would say that Community Coffee Breakfast Blend is one of the best. The peanut and chocolate combination is very nice and has a M&M sort of flavor vibe.
However, I don’t think it dethrones McCafe’s Breakfast Blend. In my opinion, McCafe’s Breakfast Blend gives me more satisfaction when drinking, and it complements my egg sandwich much better than the Community Coffee Breakfast Blend.
Community Coffee Breakfast Blend vs. Popular Medium Blends
Since the Community Coffee Breakfast Blend is a medium roast, it makes sense to compare it head-on with popular medium blends. I brewed all the coffee below and drank them side by side with the Community Coffee Breakfast Blend:
- Peet’s Coffee’s Big Bang Roast
- Tim Hortons Original Blend
- Gevalia House Blend
- Dunkin Original Blend
- Starbucks House Blend
- Folgers House Blend
I think the Community Coffee Breakfast Blend sits somewhere in the middle of the pack here. It may have some unique flavor, but it does not seem to give me that satisfying coffee taste as well as Dunkin’s, Peet’s, and Tim Hortons’.
These coffees also seem to pair much better with food, with some such as the coffee from Tim Hortons and Dunkin working great with both sweet and savory food.
Community Coffee Breakfast Blend vs. Regular Coffee
For this comparison, I picked up a cup of regular Americano from the most regular of places, a 7-Eleven.
I want to compare the Community Coffee Breakfast Blend with a regular cup of joe, especially those $1 coffees you can get from gas stations or convenience stores.
The difference is stark, and the Community Coffee Breakfast Blend wins hands down here. My Community Coffee tastes better, with better flavor depth and a more pleasant finish. It gives me more satisfying sips, too.
In reverse, the regular coffee tastes a bit flat, with not much depth in flavor. I also noticed a bit of a watery taste, which could indicate under-brewing or the wrong water-to-coffee ratio.
Is Community Coffee Breakfast Blend For You?
After sampling, I think the Community Coffee Breakfast Blend fits the name. It is a Breakfast Blend because it is a cup of coffee I would love to start my day with.
It also makes me salivate and want to eat something savory for breakfast, like an egg and cheese sandwich. If I’m on a weekend morning, I’ll probably fry some bacon, beans, eggs, and toast and wash them down with the Community Coffee Breakfast Blend.
The peanut and chocolate note is pleasant and may even remind you of snacks such as M&Ms or Nips. This is also a cup of coffee you can enjoy all day. Its less edgy taste also makes it an excellent coffee to serve to guests at your home.Finally, it is also not an expensive coffee. In fact, it is quite affordable and wallet-friendly. Pick up your bag of Community Coffee Breakfast Blend, available in ground, whole bean, or K-cup format.