This Black-Owned Coffee Brand Is the Best Part of My Morning Ritual

Like most people, my coffee consumption changed dramatically once I started working from home these last few years. It was previously something I grabbed on my way to work at a local shop, but when I went remote, my morning coffee quickly became an apartment-only ritual. I started drinking whatever I found at the grocery store to keep me caffeinated, but after a while, I started looking for something more special to give me that same satisfaction as I’d get from a cup at my usual coffee shop.

And so I did what I always do and turned to the internet. My late-night research led me to BLK & Bold Coffee, a small Black-owned business with delicious blends, an affordable price tag, and an empowering mission to boot.

Now, I love coffee but I personally find a lot of third wave coffee too acidic, bitter, burnt, or just odd tasting. I want something that is, as my dad refers to as “coffee-flavored coffee,” but with a little nuance. BLK & Bold’s dark roast does just that, providing a smooth but full-bodied flavor from 100 percent arabica beans. It’s roasted in small batches, and has subtle notes of citrus and bell pepper for a clean and bright taste. I buy a pack of whole beans and grind them myself for maximum freshness, and then make a cup in my single-serving drip coffee maker. If you’re so inclined, try making espresso or a cup of French press — the brand recommends the dark roast for lattes, so get ready to channel your inner barista.

I wasn’t looking for something more than a tasty cup, but I quickly realized that BLK & Bold is so much more than just good coffee. The company is Fair Trade certified, which means it follows strict environmental, economic, and social standards, and in 2020, it became a Certified B Corporation. Plus, the Black-owned business donates five percent of its profits to initiatives focused on at-risk youths, and its list of pledge partners continues to grow both locally and nationally. There’s something about a company making a difference that wakes me up more than just the caffeine. 

I was tempted to use Amazon’s Subscribe & Save function to make sure I didn’t run out of the dark roast, and for a slight discount on each bag, too. But I’m excited to try BLK & Bold’s other blends before I commit, like the single-origin light roasts from Honduras and Ethiopia as well the a medium roast called Rise & GRND. If you don’t have a coffee grinder, BLK & Bold sells ground versions with the same small-batch focus for optimal flavor. 

If the other beans are as good as this dark roast, which I suspect they are, I might have some trouble choosing what I drink next. Thankfully, even though BLK & Bold’s coffee is a premium product, the price tag isn’t. A 12-ounce bag of whole beans produces about 24 cups, so that’s only about 62 cents per cup — I could stock up on a couple of bags and still not break the bank.

And even if you disregard all the good the company hopes to accomplish, it literally boils down to this: BLK & Bold makes some darn good, affordable coffee that’s available with just one click. But coffee that does good while it tastes good? Well, that’s just an added perk.

Buy: BLK & Bold Dark Roast Coffee, $11.58