Coffee beans · Black coffee
Best coffee beans for long blacks
Short answer: a medium-roast single origin. With no milk to hide behind, the coffee is the whole drink, so buy for character: Colombia Supremo or Peru Cusco for smooth, sweet, chocolate-and-caramel long blacks, Ethiopia Yirgacheffe for a bright, floral one. Avoid dark roasts – the long dilution turns their bitterness harsh – and avoid stale beans, which taste flat with nothing to cover them. Then make it properly: water first, two short shots on top.
- A long black is espresso poured over hot water; an Americano is water poured over espresso. Water first keeps the crema.
- Dilution of about 1:3 exposes every flaw – bitterness from dark roasts, sourness from stale or under-extracted beans – and every virtue.
- Medium roasts are the sweet spot: enough body to stand up to the water, enough origin character to be interesting.
- Two short shots make a better long black than one long-volume shot on any machine.
Why black coffee needs different beans from milk coffee
Milk adds sweetness and fat and hides a lot. Water adds nothing. In a long black you taste exactly what the bean and the roast give you, diluted enough that bitterness reads as harshness and acidity reads as brightness. That is why the medium-dark blends built for flat whites can taste ashy as a long black, and why the bright single origins that vanish under milk are so good in one. Choose black-coffee beans for balance and character, not for body.
The best types for long blacks
| Bean | Character in a long black | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Colombia Supremo | Balanced, caramel sweetness, gentle red fruit, clean finish | The everyday long black |
| Peru Cusco | Smooth, mild, chocolate and caramel, low acidity | Best for people who find coffee too sharp |
| Ethiopia Yirgacheffe | Floral, citrus, tea-like, bright | The interesting one; can taste sour if the shot is short |
| Brazil São Silvestre | Nutty, heavy, low acidity | Good, a little plain black; better in milk |
| Espresso blend, medium-dark | Rich, chocolatey, some roast character | Fine for a strong long black; can go bitter |
| Dark roast | Bitter, smoky, harsh when diluted | Avoid |
How to make a long black on an automatic
- Fill the cup a third to a half with hot water from the machine’s hot-water function.
- Make two short espressos on top, or a double shot if the machine has one. Strength on medium-high, grind one notch finer than you would for milk.
- Do not use the machine’s long-coffee or café-crème setting for a proper long black – it pushes more water through the same grounds, which over-extracts and thins the cup.
On a Jura, the pulsed extraction makes a particularly good short shot for this; on a DeLonghi, go a notch or two finer and set strength high. Beans must be dry either way – best beans for Jura, best beans for DeLonghi.
How to make a long black on a Breville
Hot water first from the wand or hot-water outlet, then a double shot – 18g in, about 36g out in 25–32 seconds – poured over it. Because the dose is larger than an automatic’s, you can use brighter beans and still get body. This is where an Ethiopian shines.
Roast level for black coffee
Medium. Light roasts can work on a Breville or through a plunger but often read as sour through an automatic’s short shot. Medium-dark works for people who want a strong, chocolatey cup and does not mind a little roast character. Dark is the mistake: the bitterness that milk hides is all you taste. See light, medium or dark roast.
Freshness is everything in a black coffee
Stale beans in a flat white taste a bit flat. Stale beans in a long black taste like nothing at all, then bitter. Buy 250g at a time if you drink one a day, keep the bag sealed, and use it within a few weeks – how long do coffee beans last?
Our picks for black coffee
Colombia Supremo first, Peru Cusco for a softer cup, Ethiopia Yirgacheffe when you want something bright. All roasted in Melbourne to a medium roast, whole bean or ground to order, free shipping on orders over $60 and 15% off through the Roasters Club.
Single origins roasted for black coffee
Colombia Supremo, Peru Cusco and Ethiopia Yirgacheffe, roasted in Melbourne. Free shipping on orders over $60.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best beans for a long black?
Medium-roast single origins: Colombian or Peruvian for smooth and sweet, Ethiopian for bright and floral. Avoid dark roasts, which turn harsh when diluted.
Is dark roast good for black coffee?
No. The bitterness that milk hides is all you taste in a long black. Medium roasts are the sweet spot.
Long black or Americano – what is the difference?
A long black is espresso poured onto hot water, keeping the crema; an Americano is water poured onto espresso. Long black is the Australian standard.
What is the best Jura setting for a long black?
Hot water first, then two short espressos on strength medium-high with the grind one notch finer. Avoid the long-coffee preset.
Which beans for black coffee in a plunger?
The same single origins, ground coarse: Ethiopia Yirgacheffe and Peru Cusco are especially good in a plunger.