Last Updated: 22 October 2026
Quick Summary
Volcano Coffee Works suits drinkers who want bold, chocolatey coffee built for milk, while Allpress favours a smoother, medium roast that shines in filter. Choose Volcano Coffee Works for espresso and flat whites, and Allpress for black filter coffee with more clarity.
- Volcano Coffee Works roasts darker for chocolate, caramel and nutty notes that survive milk.
- Allpress keeps more acidity and fruit in the cup with its medium development.
- Coffee peaks roughly one to three weeks after roast, then fades.
- Kiboko bags are £10.99 each in 250g, 500g and 1kg, with £1 per kilo donated to Farm Africa.
- For filter, aim for a 1:16 ratio, water just off the boil and a medium grind.
Table of Contents
- Volcano Coffee Works vs Allpress: The Quick Verdict
- Roast Style and Flavour Profiles Compared
- Best Coffee Beans for Espresso from Each Roaster
- Best Coffee Beans for Filter Coffee and Pour-Over
- Coffee Bean Freshness and Roast Date: What to Expect
- Coffee Subscriptions Compared: Cost and Convenience
- Where Each Roaster Wins: Pros, Cons and Value
- Conclusion: Which Should You Choose?
- Frequently Asked Questions
Volcano Coffee Works vs Allpress: The Quick Verdict
Choosing between Volcano Coffee Works vs Allpress comes down to one question: do you want bold, roast-forward coffee built for milk, or a softer, more approachable cup? At Kiboko Coffee Co, we roast specialty beans for home brewers, so we have a clear view on where each roaster fits. Volcano Coffee Works leans darker and punchier. Allpress leans smoother and more restrained. That single difference decides most of this comparison.
Coffee is a fresh food, and the Food Standards Agency guidance on food labelling treats it accordingly, which is why roast dates matter. Below, we break down flavour, espresso and filter performance, freshness, and subscription costs, then name a winner for each type of drinker.
| Category | Volcano Coffee Works | Allpress | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roast style | Darker, bolder | Medium, smoother | Depends on taste |
| Best for espresso | Punchy, chocolatey shots | Balanced, sweet shots | Volcano for intensity |
| Best for filter | Rich, low-acidity cups | Clean, nuanced cups | Allpress |
| Freshness focus | Roast-date driven | Roast-date driven | Tie |
| Subscription convenience | Flexible plans | Flexible plans | Tie |
Roast Style and Flavour Profiles Compared
Volcano Coffee Works roasts on the darker side, aiming for chocolate, caramel and nutty notes that survive milk and sugar. Allpress favours a medium development that keeps more acidity and fruit in the cup. Neither approach is "correct"; they suit different palates.
If you drink flat whites and lattes, Volcano's fuller body is the safer bet. If you drink black coffee and want to taste origin character, Allpress gives you more of that. Most coffee sold as "espresso roast" is simply developed further to build body, a point the Specialty Coffee Association's roast guidance explains well. Our own approach at Kiboko sits between the two: we roast to demand and rest beans before packing.
Best Coffee Beans for Espresso from Each Roaster
For espresso, Volcano Coffee Works wins on punch. Its darker development produces thick crema, low acidity and a chocolate-forward shot that holds up in a cappuccino. Allpress pulls a sweeter, more balanced shot with brighter fruit, which some drinkers love and others find thin under milk.
Dialling in matters more than the bag. Grind finer in small steps, keep dose consistent, and taste before changing anything else. If you want a shortcut to that punchy profile without guessing, our Nyumba Blend is a medium roast with pecan, toffee and milk chocolate notes that builds a caramel crema, and Usiku Blend goes darker still with nougat and molasses. Both come in whole bean or four grind sizes, so you can match your machine.
Best Coffee Beans for Filter Coffee and Pour-Over
Allpress takes filter. Its medium roasts keep the acidity and clarity that pour-over rewards, giving clean, tea-like cups with visible fruit. Volcano's darker roasts can taste flat or ashy through a V60 unless you grind coarser and brew cooler.
For filter, aim for a 1:16 ratio, water just off the boil, and a medium grind. If you want sweetness rather than acidity, our Tamu Blend is built for filter and pour-over, with milk chocolate, raisin and vanilla notes and low acidity. Nyororo Blend is the smoother middle ground, with vanilla and blueberry.
Coffee Bean Freshness and Roast Date: What to Expect
Freshness decides more of your cup than brand loyalty. Coffee peaks roughly one to three weeks after roast, then fades. Both Volcano Coffee Works and Allpress print roast dates and roast to order, which is the right standard. Supermarket bags with a "best before" but no roast date are the ones to avoid.
Ask three questions before buying: is there a roast date, how fast does it ship, and is it ground to order? At Kiboko, every order is roasted to demand, rested before packing, and most orders arrive next working day, with same-day dispatch on orders before 12:00. That is the freshness benchmark we would hold any roaster to.
Coffee Subscriptions Compared: Cost and Convenience
Subscriptions are where convenience beats price. Both roasters offer recurring deliveries with flexible frequency, and both let you pause or cancel. The real difference is grind flexibility and how quickly beans reach you after roasting.
Our bags are £10.99 each in 250g, 500g and 1kg, in whole bean or four grind sizes, and every kilo sold donates £1 to Farm Africa. For a busy household, a recurring delivery of Shujaa Blend, a punchy dark roast with caramel and dark chocolate, keeps the morning routine simple. Check each roaster's current plan terms directly, since subscription pricing changes.
| Need | Best fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Milk drinks | Volcano Coffee Works | Fuller body, chocolate notes |
| Black filter coffee | Allpress | Cleaner acidity, origin clarity |
| Sweet, low-acidity filter | Kiboko Tamu Blend | Natural sweetness, smooth finish |
| Dark espresso | Kiboko Usiku or Shujaa | Bold, molasses and caramel depth |
| Grind convenience | Kiboko Coffee Co | Four grind sizes plus whole bean |
Where Each Roaster Wins: Pros, Cons and Value
Volcano Coffee Works wins for milk-based drinkers who want intensity and consistency. The trade-off is that its darker style can bury origin character, and filter drinkers may find it heavy. Allpress wins for black-coffee drinkers chasing clarity and balance. Its lighter style can taste thin under milk, and the premium positioning means you pay for the name.
Value depends on what you drink. If you want a reliable everyday espresso that works with milk, a medium roast like Nyumba at £10.99 delivers without guesswork. If you chase single-origin nuance in a V60, Allpress is the more natural fit. Neither is cheap, and neither should be.
Conclusion: Which Should You Choose?
Pick Volcano Coffee Works if you drink espresso and milk drinks and want a bold, chocolatey cup. Pick Allpress if you brew filter and want clarity and balance. If you want both worlds from one roaster, with fresh roasting, four grind options and a £1-per-kilo donation to Farm Africa, our blends cover espresso and filter without compromise. With 315+ customer reviews and a Judge.me Diamond Transparent Shop medal behind us, we're confident you'll taste the difference.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Volcano Coffee Works better than Allpress?
Neither is objectively better; they suit different drinkers. Volcano Coffee Works roasts in London and leans into bright, fruit-forward profiles that appeal to filter and light-espresso fans. Allpress is known for its smooth, chocolatey espresso blends built for milk drinks in cafes. If you drink flat whites daily, Allpress may feel more familiar; if you brew filter and want clarity, Volcano often fits better. Try a small bag of each before committing to a subscription.
What is the difference between Volcano Coffee Works and Allpress coffee?
The main differences are roast style and scale. Volcano Coffee Works is a smaller London roaster with a rotating single-origin range and a focus on lighter roasts. Allpress is a larger operation with a signature espresso blend and a darker, more consistent roast profile designed for commercial espresso machines. Volcano tends to publish more detail on origin and processing; Allpress focuses on consistency and cafe-style milk drinks. Both sell whole bean and ground options online.
Which Volcano Coffee Works or Allpress beans are best for espresso?
For espresso, look for a medium or dark roast with a chocolate or caramel base. Allpress's signature blend is built for this, pulling sweet, syrupy shots that hold up in milk. Volcano Coffee Works offers espresso-specific blends and single origins that work well as straight shots if you prefer brighter acidity. If you want a reliable everyday espresso, start with a blend rather than a single origin, and check the roast date before buying.
Are Volcano Coffee Works beans suitable for filter coffee?
Yes. Volcano Coffee Works roasts several single origins and lighter blends that suit filter, pour-over and Aeropress. Their fruitier, higher-acidity coffees tend to show best in filter, where the brew method lifts delicate notes. Allpress also sells filter roasts, though its range is smaller and leans toward balance rather than brightness. For filter, buy whole bean and grind just before brewing for the clearest flavour.
Do Volcano Coffee Works and Allpress offer coffee subscriptions?
Both offer subscriptions, but the details differ. Volcano Coffee Works runs a flexible subscription with rotating coffees and a choice of grind. Allpress offers a subscription on its core blends and some single origins, with set delivery intervals. Compare the cost per 250g, the delivery frequency and whether you can pause or skip. If you want variety, a rotating subscription suits; if you want the same blend every month, a fixed one is simpler.
The hardest part of switching roasters is trusting that the first bag will suit your setup. At Kiboko Coffee Co, we take the guesswork out: beans roasted to demand, rested before packing, and ground to your method in four sizes or left whole. Every kilo also sends £1 to Farm Africa, so your morning cup does some good. Browse the range and get started with Kiboko Coffee Co today.
