When exploring the types of Saudi coffee, you'll find variety that goes beyond the color of the cup: different roast levels, additions and serving customs vary between regions and families. With Microlot Roasters, you can also discover another side of coffee in the Kingdom: specialty coffees brewed as pour-over or espresso. It's important to distinguish between Saudi coffee as a traditional style of preparation and hospitality, and Ethiopian, Colombian and Brazilian beans sold in the Saudi market.
Whether you want coffee for the dallah with dates, a coffee for V60 or a box with different flavors, choosing starts with knowing what you want to drink. This guide helps you compare roasts, additions and brewing methods, then looks at 13 specific Microlot coffees and boxes, without confusing the beans' country of origin with the drink's identity.
What Is Saudi Coffee?
Saudi coffee is a drink closely tied to hospitality, and its recipes vary by roast level, additions and preparation method. The name doesn't necessarily mean all the beans are grown in the Kingdom; agricultural origin differs from brewing style.
Specialty coffee available in Saudi Arabia includes coffees from many countries, usually chosen by origin, processing, roast and tasting notes. So this guide covers the traditional style first, then specialty options you can buy in the Kingdom.
Types of Saudi Coffee by Roast and Region
Saudipedia notes that recipes differ between regions in roast and spices. Examples include a preference for golden color in central Saudi Arabia and darker roasts in the north, with different additions such as saffron, cloves and mastic. These are general traditional trends, not a mandatory recipe for every home.
- Golden roast: lighter beans; a relatively lighter drink.
- Medium roast: between light and dark; color and flavor shaped by the recipe.
- Dark roast: deeper bean color; a more pronounced roast character.
- Coffee with cardamom: cardamom added to the recipe; a distinctive aromatic scent.
- Coffee with saffron: saffron added to taste; changes aroma and color.
Don't rely on color alone; the amount of coffee, water and additions also affect the final appearance.
The Role of Cardamom
Cardamom is a well-known ingredient in Saudi coffee, but the amount and timing vary between recipes. Too much can let its aroma overpower the coffee, while less lets you taste the beans more clearly.
Start with an amount that suits your taste, and note it so you can repeat the recipe. When comparing two coffees, keep the cardamom, water and coffee fixed so you don't attribute differences in additions to differences in beans.
Saffron and Spices
Recipes may include saffron, cloves or mastic depending on customs and preferences, and the variety of additions is one reason Saudi coffee preparation differs between regions.
You don't need to combine every spice in one dallah. Try one addition in small amounts, then evaluate. When buying a ready blend, read the ingredients to see whether it contains both coffee and spices or is an addition used with separate coffee.
Traditional vs. Specialty Coffee
The main difference is preparation and serving, not quality alone. Traditional Saudi coffee is tied to the dallah, additions and hospitality, while many specialty recipes focus on showing a coffee's character without spices.
- Preparation: traditional uses a dallah or suitable pot; specialty pour-over passes water through coffee and a filter.
- Additions: traditional may include cardamom, saffron and more; specialty is usually enjoyed without spices.
- Serving: traditional uses small cups with hospitality; specialty uses a cup or server.
- Choosing beans: traditional focuses on matching the usual recipe; specialty focuses on flavor, body and acidity.
You can enjoy both; each has its own occasion and experience.
Reading Product Images
Bag photos help you recognize a product, but they don't reveal its taste or prove roast quality. Read the name, weight, origin, processing and brewing method alongside the photo. The products below are specialty coffees sold by Microlot, not regional types of traditional Saudi coffee.
How to Choose
Decide on the occasion first: traditional coffee for guests, a morning pour-over, or espresso with milk? Then read the roaster's recommendation, and don't assume any beans suit every recipe equally.
For pour-over, read our guide to the best coffee for V60. For a traditional dallah, ask specifically about the right roast and grind, since a V60 or espresso recommendation doesn't automatically mean a product is prepared for Saudi coffee.
13 Specialty Coffees and Boxes Available in Saudi Arabia
These are specialty coffees available through Microlot, not 13 traditional Saudi types. Check stock, sizes and box contents before ordering.
1. Brazil Mogiana
Brazil Mogiana offers notes of caramel, chocolate and pecan, a good comparison if you enjoy familiar flavors, and it's part of the roastery's Espresso Box.
2. Brazil Chocolate
The page describes Brazil Chocolate as full-bodied with notes of dark chocolate, milk chocolate and caramel. Suggested uses include espresso and pour-over; check availability before ordering.
3. Lot 3 Blend
The Lot 3 blend combines jasmine, mango, chocolate and peanut. It's a blend offering a different direction from a single origin, recommended for espresso.
4. Colombia Huila 1 kg
Colombia Huila offers chocolate, nuts and red berries. The large size suits those who've tried the coffee and know their consumption.
5. Colombia Sangria 250 g
Colombia Sangria shows vanilla, lemon, orange and red fruit. Its page lists high acidity and V60 use, for lovers of clear citrus cups.
6. Colombia Peach 250 g
Colombia Peach combines peach, caramel, coconut and jasmine, with a rich body per its description, great for exploring aromatic flavors with the right brewing method.
7. Colombia Grape 250 g
Colombia Grape offers grape, blackberry and apple, with pour-over and espresso among its uses. Each method needs a different grind and recipe.
8. Colombia Watermelon 250 g
The roastery describes Colombia Watermelon with watermelon, strawberry and florals, recommended for hot and iced V60, great for iced pour-over in warm weather.
9. Ethiopia Guji Kurume
Ethiopian Guji Kurume features blueberry, brown sugar, strawberry and grape, with medium acidity and a rich body, for espresso and V60. Its origin is Ethiopian, distinct from the traditional Saudi coffee style.
10. Espresso Box
The Espresso Box includes Huila, Mogiana and Lot 3, ideal for comparing machine-friendly options; it isn't described for preparing a traditional dallah.
11. Filter Coffee Box
The Filter Coffee Box includes pour-over coffees such as Hambela and El Puente, per its product description, useful for trying several origins with the same method.
12. Excellence Box
The Excellence Box brings together coffees from Colombia, Ethiopia and Costa Rica, letting you compare different flavor personalities while following each bag's instructions.
13. Office Box
The Office Box offers Hambela and El Puente in larger quantities with paper cups, per its description, for shared consumption when the coffees suit your team's taste.
Roast Level
Light or dark color alone doesn't define coffee quality. Roasting changes flavor and extractability, while dose, water and additions affect the final result. If you loved a traditional coffee at an event, ask about the roast, blend and grind rather than just ordering beans of a similar color. Read more in our roast levels guide.
The Right Grind
Don't use one grind size for every method. Ask the roaster for a grind specific to the dallah, V60 or espresso, and clearly state your brewer. If you own a grinder, note its setting for each recipe; when changing coffees, you may need small adjustments.
Preparing Coffee in a Dallah
Saudi coffee recipes usually involve heating water and adding coffee and spices, with different timing and amounts. Saudipedia describes one method that adds cardamom near the end of cooking, then lets the coffee rest before serving; it's one recipe, not the only way. Start with your family's or a trusted recipe, then change one variable at a time until you reach the balance you love.
Iced Coffee
Iced pour-over is a different option from the traditional dallah, even though both are popular in the Kingdom. Count the ice as part of the total water to avoid excess dilution, and don't confuse hot pour-over over ice with cold brew; each has its own recipe and result.
Hospitality
Saudi coffee's value also lies in how it's served and how guests are welcomed. Hospitality details differ between regions and families, with the dallah and small cups central to the traditional scene. Prepare an amount that suits your guests and keep serving tools clean. If you serve specialty coffee alongside traditional coffee, introduce each drink so guests can choose.
Comparing Prices
Compare price against weight and actual use, not bag size or box design. Starting small helps when trying a new flavor. Add shipping costs and check box contents before comparing with single products. A higher price doesn't guarantee a coffee is closest to your taste. See our specialty coffee prices guide.
Storing Coffee and Its Ingredients
Store coffee in an airtight container away from humidity, heat and strong odors, and keep spices in separate containers if you make your own blend. Don't leave coffee in a hot car, and grind only what you need when possible. Clean your dallah and pour-over tools regularly according to their materials and instructions.
Microlot Offers
Check Microlot's offers for current discounts. Confirm stock, weight, grind option and final price before paying. Choose offers with products you'll actually use, and don't assume the espresso or filter box is designed for the dallah unless the roaster says so.
Your Choice Starts with Understanding the Drink
First decide whether you want a traditional dallah, pour-over or espresso, then choose the right beans, roast and grind. Use photos to recognize products and specs to understand what you're buying.
This guide helps you separate hospitality traditions from the variety of specialty coffees. With Microlot's options, you can explore different flavors, order the right amount and build a coffee experience that suits your taste and occasions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Colombian or Ethiopian coffee Saudi coffee?
Those describe where the beans come from. Saudi coffee describes a traditional style of preparation and serving; selling a coffee in the Kingdom doesn't change its origin.
Is every light-roast coffee suitable for a dallah?
Not necessarily. Check the roaster's recommendation, roast and grind, then try a small amount.
Do fruit notes mean added flavors?
Tasting notes alone don't prove additions; check ingredients and the processing description when it matters to you.
Do product photos show the color of the drink?
No. Lighting, photography and packaging differ from the cup, and the drink's color changes with the recipe and additions.