Loved this cheeky little article by Mashed.com, we should say that not ALL coffee shops do this, the good ones don't (like the ones we supply!)

Full article is HERE

"If you find yourself skipping plain coffee and ordering lattes or blended coffee drinks at your favorite coffee shop, You're probably making a wise decision — but not for the reason you think.

Many coffee chains use over-roasted coffee beans (sometimes called burned coffee beans) because it makes it impossible to taste the quality of the bean itself. You see, the coffee roasting process turns green coffee into a flavorful, aromatic cup of joe by cooking the beans at high temperatures. After the roasting process, the coffee falls into a variety of categories — light, medium, and dark roast — depending on how long the beans are roasted. According to Pine Brook Roasters, light roasts retain more flavor from the original bean. Darker roasts, however, all just taste kind of burned.

Dark Roasted Beans 

And that's dark roast coffee's biggest benefit: If you can't taste the original bean, you've succeeded at covering up defects in the original coffee. The chain doesn't have to invest in high-quality coffee beans, and you'll still get your caffeine buzz. 

Dissuading you from ordering a bitter, burnt cup of coffee isn't bad for the chains, either. Drip coffee isn't the greatest money maker when compared to more expensive menu items, like lattes or cappuccinos. They can't charge as much, many chains allow free refills, and it has to be dumped out and rebrewed every couple hours." Article 177959 Mashed.com

Beautifully Medium Roasted Beans