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October has a way of announcing itself. The light softens, the heating clicks on for the first time, and every high-street menu rediscovers pumpkin spice. It's worth knowing that the spice blend itself contains no pumpkin at all. It's cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and clove, usually served in a sweet syrup that does a fair job of hiding whatever coffee is underneath.
We've nothing against a treat. But the change of season offers something more interesting than a flavour shot. As the weather cools, three things change: what we want from a cup, how our coffee behaves in a colder kitchen, and the shape of the day itself. A few considered tweaks to the bean, the brew and the timing will do more for your autumn coffee than any syrup.
Let the bean bring the warmth
Summer drinking favours brightness. We want crisp acidity, citrus, and clean finishes that hold up over ice. Come autumn, most of us start reaching for body and depth instead: a cup with some weight to it, and flavours that sit lower and warmer on the palate. The good news is that the spice and orchard-fruit notes people chase in seasonal drinks already exist in coffee, with nothing added.
Indonesia Balige is the obvious place to start. It's grown near Lake Toba in Sumatra and processed using the traditional Giling Basah (wet-hulled) method. The cup is full-bodied and earthy, with notes of warm spice and tobacco. It is an autumn coffee in every sense, excellent as a double espresso and just as good from a French press.
For something with more lift, Ethiopia Limu carries tart pear and a lingering finish of clove. Those are two of the season's defining flavours, and they come entirely from the bean. If you'd like a deeper fruit note, Kenya Nyeri AA brings blackcurrant, vanilla and cocoa. It's a structured, rich cup that comes into its own as the evenings draw in.
If you take your coffee dark, Usiku Blend is the one to reach for. It brings together beans from Ethiopia, India and Indonesia in a deep, even dark roast, with notes of nougat, molasses and dark chocolate. It holds its character through milk, so it makes a properly substantial flat white on a cold morning. Its name is Swahili for "night", which suits a season of darker mornings and earlier evenings.
Brew for a colder kitchen
Here's a change few people think about: your kitchen is colder now, and your coffee notices. A cold mug, brewer or carafe draws heat from the water while the coffee brews. Lower brewing temperatures extract less, which can leave a cup tasting thinner or sharper than the same coffee did in August.
Preheat everything. Before you start, rinse your mug, cafetière or pour-over cone with hot water and tip it away. It takes thirty seconds and makes a noticeable difference in a cool room.
Use water just off the boil. Give the kettle about thirty seconds to settle, but don't leave it standing while you hunt for the grinder. Roughly 92–96°C is the range to aim for.
Make the most of full immersion. The fuller-bodied coffees above suit a French press particularly well. Steep for four minutes and press gently, and the coffee's oils and texture come through intact. If you don't have one yet, our Bodum French Press Bundle pairs the press with a bag of beans, and both Usiku Blend and Indonesia Balige are among the options.
Mind the radiator. Once the heating is on, the cupboard above the boiler or beside the radiator is no longer a sensible home for your beans. Keep them sealed somewhere cool and dark, away from the warmth that makes the rest of the house comfortable.
If you want spice, add it properly
Spiced coffee has a long and respectable history that has nothing to do with syrup. Across the Middle East, coffee has been brewed with cardamom for centuries, and the spice will be familiar to anyone who grew up with a pot of masala chai on the stove. The pairing works because the spice goes in with the coffee rather than on top of it.
The method is simple: add the spice to the grounds, not the cup. Try one lightly crushed cardamom pod in a cafetière, a small pinch of cinnamon in a pour-over, or a single thin strip of orange peel steeped alongside the coffee. Keep it restrained. The aim is a hint of warmth that sits behind the coffee rather than in front of it. Spiced this way, a good coffee still tastes like coffee.
Match the cup to the season's baking
Autumn is the best time of year for coffee and cake, and a little thought goes a long way. Ethiopia Limu's pear and clove are a natural match for an apple or pear crumble. Kenya Nyeri AA's blackcurrant sits well alongside anything made with blackberries. With Bonfire Night falling on Thursday 5 November, sticky ginger parkin with a cup of Indonesia Balige is about as seasonal as it gets, with the spice in the cake meeting the spice in the cup.
When the clocks go back
On Sunday 25 October, the clocks go back an hour and British Summer Time comes to an end. Mornings get lighter for a while, but the afternoons darken quickly. That's when the urge for a 4pm pick-me-up tends to creep in.
Caffeine stays with most of us for several hours, so a late cup can quietly cost you sleep just as the nights get longer. This is where a good decaf earns its place. Our Mexico Chiapas Decaf has a nutty, comforting character that suits a dark afternoon, and it won't keep you awake long after the cup is finished. Make it your after-lunch default, and save the full-strength coffee for the morning, when the extra light makes it count.
None of this requires a new machine or a cupboard full of syrups. A heavier bean, a warmed mug, a pinch of the right spice and a better-timed afternoon cup are small adjustments. Make them once and they'll carry you comfortably through to winter. Pumpkin spice can have its moment. We'll be by the kettle with something better.
