What Kind of Coffee Should You Have with Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner?

Curious as to what coffee to have with or after a certain meal? We too! Since the type of coffee you choose to drink should fit best with the time of the day, and the meal type can impact how you would enjoy each meal.

What coffee is good to have with or after breakfast? What coffee tastes best with or after lunch? And of course, what coffee should you drink with or after dinner?

Let’s explore the list of coffee drink you should have with and after meals.

The coffee to drink with or after dinner should match the dinner you are having. I my experience, and likely the same experience for other coffee drinkers, is that coffee does not go well with spicy foods. The hot coffee, regardless of the brew type, tends to make the spice hotter, and masks the overall taste of the coffee. Ice coffee, with a sugar or sugar substitute is a better choice to have with spicy meals like Chicken Madras – a very spicy Indian dish. A coffee is best to have with the after dinner dessert since the dessert is usually sweet. A dark roast coffee, or an espresso, is a recommended choice to have with a rich and sweet dessert like pumpkin pie or dark chocolate cake. Really, any cake fits with a dark roast black coffee. The bold coffee taste mixes well with the rich and sweet dessert. Choose decaf coffee if you are sensitive to caffeine at night. If you are new to drinking decaf, or tend to avoid decaf all together, you may want to read our article on reasons to switch to decaf at night.

What type of coffee should you drink after lunch?

A light roast goes best with a traditional light lunch like a salad or most sandwiches and subs. Even an Italian meatball sub can go with a good light roast coffee like the Starbucks Blonde roast. The caffeine in the light roast is also good for a boost of energy after a lunch meal. The bold roasts of coffee like the Maxwell House french roast, will taste a little too harsh for an afternoon coffee. The light roast offers a balanced flavor profile that does not have you craving a sweet lunch dessert.

One common coffee you can choose as a perfect after lunch drink is the latte. The latte will give you a great caffeine boost without excessive heavy coffee taste – the milk adds a creamy mild texture to the coffee. A cappuccino also fits as a good choice of coffee to have with or after lunch.

What type of coffee should you serve with breakfast?

If you are having a light or fruit-based breakfast or an omelet with ham and cheese, a medium roast coffee is the perfect choice. With something like pancakes or syrup laden waffles the balanced flavors of a medium roasted coffee takes the edge off of the the sweet and syrupy flavors of pancakes and waffles in the morning. Getting a good dose of morning caffeine is the choice of most coffee drinkers regardless of the breakfast meal. Huevos Rancheros, usually a mildly spicy breakfast choice, the better choice is a latte or cappuccino. Iced coffee, with milk and a sweetener or flavored syrup will tame down the spice of the breakfast. For most coffee drinkers though, any hot coffee will do as long as it has that much needed caffeine with an early morning breakfast.

If your breakfast choice is something like eggs and bacon, a dark roast coffee is a better choice. The strong taste of a dark roast coffee can balance out the salty flavors of bacon and sausage. Choose a French roast coffee just seems to compliment the heavier breakfast meats, especially the maple flavored sausages.

If you are having a bowl of fresh fruit or a breakfast style smoothie or vegetables and fruit juice the French Roast, or any other dark roast, goes well with the sweet breakfast choice. A milky coffee choice would not go well with the sweeter breakfast. If you are not sure, try having a latte with the fresh fruit and you’ll quickly understand why the light milky coffee doesn’t taste as good with the fruit breakfasts. If your idea of a breakfast is a cold pop-tart then go for the straight black coffee, any roast style.

Stick with a traditional perk or auto drip coffee for breakfast since you most likely just want that quick caffeine in the morning. Save the fancier coffee choice for lunch or dinner.

For those who are sensitive to caffeine, decaf coffee is always an option. There are many decaf options available, ranging from decaf versions of classic roasts to more unique flavors like decaf hazelnut or vanilla. Decaf coffee is a great choice for those who want to enjoy the taste of coffee without the jolt of caffeine.

For those going on a coffee date, there are a few coffee drinks to choose from that will pair well with a conversational date.

The flat white is a popular choice, a mild coffee drink that is great for drinking slowly during your coffee date. As with most casual dates, the conversation takes precedent over the coffee choice. Keep it mild.