There’s an art to making the perfect espresso, and it starts with the coffee beans you choose to use.
No matter what kind of coffee machine you have, and how much you paid for it, your coffee beans are the most important element to ensure you get delicious coffee every time.
Should you grind your coffee beans?
To get the most flavor in your espresso, it’s recommended that you grind your own coffee beans.
Sure, it might take a bit more time, but it will totally change the quality of the coffee you can make at home. With that in mind, let’s explore the best coffee beans for espresso to buy right now.
We’ll also look at some important things to know about coffee beans so you can get the tastiest results from them.
Best Coffee Beans For Espresso
Peet's Coffee Espresso Forte
This pack comes in whole bean or ground coffee varieties. Let’s see why it makes the number-one spot on our list.
Featured Specs
| Volume | 2 lbs |
| Roast level | Dark |
| Flavor | Espresso Forte |
- These espresso beans have a hazelnut flavor that’s bright. If you love dark coffee roasts, this one is essential to buy.
- The beans offer a smooth crema, which will not only look good in your cup but contribute to the coffee’s overall flavor. In fact, these are the best coffee beans for espresso crema.
- The company sources the best coffee beans in the world and then hand-roasts them in small batches to ensure a commitment to achieving quality coffee.
- Since using the freshest coffee beans is important to ensure delicious coffee every time, you’ll love that these bags of beans have their roast date on them.
- These beans are 100 percent Arabica coffee. This type of coffee is so renowned because of how it has more sugar and this results in less bitterness, more flavor, and a cleaner mouthfeel.
- These best coffee beans for espresso machine are certified Kosher, GMO-free, gluten-free, and they don’t have any artificial ingredients so you don’t have to worry about being exposed to chemicals.
- Some people who have bought these coffee beans have reported that they received coffee beans that had already expired or were close to expiring.
- Others have reported issues with how they received their deliveries, with some stating that better attention should be paid to the packaging.
Lavazza Espresso Italiano Whole Bean Coffee Blend
These tasty coffee beans have been blended and roasted in Italy. Let’s see what they have to offer.
Featured Specs
| Volume | 2.2 lbs |
| Roast level | Medium |
| Flavor | Espresso Italiano |
- If you love rich-bodied, medium-roast coffee, then these beans are a good choice for you. They also have strong aromatic notes.
- They’ve been long-roasted to give them their bold Italian espresso taste.
- The coffee beans don’t contain any GMOs and they’re 100 percent Arabica coffee.
- What’s great about them is that they are versatile. While they’re ideal for making espressos, you can also use them in any coffee maker.
- These best coffee beans for espresso machines are great for making cappuccinos and lattes because of how they have a chocolatey flavor.
- People who have bought these coffee beans have reported that they have a smooth taste which doesn’t leave bitterness behind.
- Some people who have purchased these coffee beans have reported that they don’t deliver a strong enough flavor. While this is obviously down to one’s personal preferences, if you want bolder and more intense flavors, then you’ll have to choose a different type of coffee bean.
- Others have noted that the coffee is quite expensive.
SF Bay Coffee DECAF Espresso Whole Bean
If you want to enjoy espresso but without the caffeine, such as because you hate the jitteriness that goes along with it, these beans will give you a great tasting cup.
Featured Specs
| Volume | 2 lbs |
| Roast level | Medium |
| Flavor | Decaf Espresso Roast WB |
- These espresso beans are full-bodied and a medium-dark roast. You can expect delicious flavors from them like vanilla bean and dark chocolate.
- Not only are these beans ideal for making espresso but you can also use them to make tasty lattes, cappuccinos, and mochas.
- The coffee beans are decaffeinated during a Natural Water Process which makes use of water and filters. There are no chemicals used during the process.
- These beans are 100 percent Arabica coffee and are certified Kosher.
- To ensure the coffee reaches you in excellent condition, the company scrutinizes every shipment of their coffee twice – first, before it leaves the country of origin and then again when it arrives at their California facility.
- People who have purchased this coffee have said that it works well in a variety of ways, such as in cone filters, espresso machines, K-cups, and French presses. This means you can be quite creative with how you like your coffee and always get great results.
- Some people who have bought these coffee beans have reported that they tasted over-roasted.
- Others have said that the coffee beans they received in the pack were very oily. This means they’re not the best coffee beans for automatic espresso machines, and if you do go ahead and use them in such a machine you’ll have to ensure that you clean it regularly to keep it in good condition.
Cafe Don Pablo Gourmet Coffee Classic Italian Espresso
These espresso beans hail from Colombia. If you love earthy and chocolate notes in your coffee, these are some of the best beans to buy. Here’s what you should know about them.
Featured Specs
| Volume | 2 lbs |
| Roast level | Medium |
| Flavor | Espresso |
- These beans are a blend of smooth Colombian Supremo, which is considered to be the highest grade of Colombian coffee, with Sumatra Mandheling, which promises smooth, exotic flavors.
The result? A complex and rich flavor that’s smooth without high amounts of acidity. - These Arabica coffee beans have been grown in volcanic soil that’s packed with nutrients and minerals to enhance the taste of the coffee. They have flavor notes of earthy and dark chocolate tones.
- They undergo full caramelization of natural sugars, which is why the beans have an intense roastiness that you’ll love.
- People who have purchased these coffee beans have reported that they are much more affordable than other beans on the market, so you get quality coffee without breaking the bank.
- These beans are GMO free.
- Some people have said that these coffee beans aren’t as robust as they would have liked.
- Others have reported unusual tastes, such as sourness.
Verena Street 2 Pound Espresso Beans
These espresso beans have a rich body with creamy and sweet complexity, as well as crema. Here are their pros and cons.
Featured Specs
| Volume | 2 lbs |
| Roast level | Dark |
| Flavor | Shot Tower espresso |
- These coffee beans are smooth but offer a full roast. You can therefore use them for fine-grind espresso or drip coffee.
- These beans are good for the environment because they’ve been sourced sustainably from the Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. This not only protects the environment but also farmers.
- They are Kosher certified by the Orthodox Union.
- They’re 100 percent Arabica coffee beans.
- They’ve been freshly roasted in small batches with great attention paid to their roast profile.
- These coffee beans blend together many single-origin beans that are roasted to their ideal level so that they release rich flavors and delicious aromas in your cup.
- Some people who have purchased these coffee beans and used them to make espresso reported a bitter taste.
- Others have said the coffee beans are a bit too oily.
Coffee Beans For Espresso FAQ
If you love espresso coffee and you know what beans to go ahead and buy, read our FAQ section for a bit more information about how to make the perfect espresso.
Can I use any coffee beans for espresso?
While you might think that you can only use a certain kind of coffee bean to make espresso, this is not necessarily true. You can use any type of coffee to make espresso at home.
When coffee is marked “espresso beans” or “espresso blend,” this means that the beans or blends have been made specifically for espresso coffee.
Do you need to buy these products or can you go ahead and use any type of coffee? This really depends on the type of coffee you want.
If you want espresso that is full of flavor and aroma, you’ll want to get your hands on coffee beans that are made specifically for espresso (although some can be used for more than one type of coffee). This is because there are some differences when it comes to regular coffee beans and espresso beans.
One of the main differences is that beans used for espresso coffee instead of other types of coffee are ground finer to dissolve in hot water faster. This ensures that all the coffee flavor will be released from the beans so it can get into your cup.
So, while you can get away with using regular coffee beans to make an espresso at home, you might want to ensure you use beans designed for espresso coffees if you want the perfect, most delicious cup.
What roast is best for espresso?
While you can use any coffee beans you like to make espresso, you should focus on beans that are a darker roast. This is because they will give your coffee a delicious and strong flavor.
Dark-roasted coffee beans are roasted for longer periods of time than lighter roasts and this releases more flavor. You can expect to enjoy nutty and chocolatey flavors with these roasts, and sometimes even smoky flavors. These help to make the espresso taste rich and a bit bitter – that’s what you want to achieve with an espresso!
So, while you can use any type of beans in your espresso, you should note that the best coffee beans for espresso are those that are dark roasted. This is also important because of how espresso coffee beans brew in a really short amount of time – you’re looking at 20 to 30 seconds!
Therefore, you want to use coffee beans that will ensure their flavors are released into the water in a shorter amount of time, and that’s what you’ll get from dark-roasted coffee beans.
Have you ever drank an espresso and found that it left a heavy, more satisfying feeling in the mouth? This is also as a result of how espresso beans undergo a longer roasting time. This produces less acidity, more oiliness, and a deeper flavor, all of which contribute to that fuller feeling in the mouth.
How do I make my espresso creamier?
If you want to have a creamy espresso, you’re basically saying you want more crema. What is crema, exactly?
Espresso crema is a golden froth that appears on top of the espresso. It boosts the flavor and aroma of your coffee, while also looking good, so if you want to achieve it you have to follow some important tips.
These include using the freshest coffee beans you can get your hands on. Arabica beans are known for making the best espresso roasts, and all the coffee beans we’ve featured in our reviews are of the Arabica variety. It also helps to choose coffee beans that have been processed naturally because the presence of their oils will help to produce good crema.
Crema also gives you good insight into the quality of your espresso and it can tell you a lot about what needs to be changed. For example, if you’re getting thin crema, your espresso could have been under-extracted.
This tends to be caused by coffee grounds that are too coarse, not fresh enough, or by making coffee with water that’s too cold. By adjusting those elements of the coffee-brewing process, you’ll be able to enjoy a better tasting cup of coffee and have a creamier result.
On the other hand, if you’ve over-extracted your coffee, this will also show up in the quality of your crema. It will be uneven, bubbly, or too dark. You might be over-extracting your coffee if you’ve ground the coffee too much, have used too much coffee, or used water that’s too hot.
The above tips will help you to ensure you always get gorgeous golden crema on top of your espresso and a punch of flavor in your coffee.
What is the best grind size for espresso?
Coffee grind size is important to consider and it will vary depending on the type of coffee you’re making. When it comes to espresso coffee, you need coffee that has a fine grind size.
This is important because it increases the surface area of the coffee, which allows more of the coffee’s flavors to be released into the hot water. How fine is fine, you might be asking. Well, you should aim for the coffee grounds to be the size of finely-ground table salt. Yup, that fine!
While you might hold the view that it’s more convenient for you to buy pre-ground coffee instead of whole beans that you’ll have to grind at home, it’s not the best idea. This is because whole beans have a longer lifespan and shelf life.
When coffee beans are ground, more of their surface area becomes exposed to oxygen so that the beans will lose more flavor at a faster rate. If you still want to go ahead and purchase ground coffee, make sure you do so in small batches as it will only last for a few days.
Conclusion
If you love drinking espresso on a regular basis, you might want to start making your own coffee at home.
For that, you need quality coffee beans! These are non-negotiable to ensure high-quality coffee.
In this guide, we’ve featured some of the best coffee beans for espresso coffee that you should purchase and why they’ll ensure you get the tastiest cup of coffee every time. Some can also be used to make other types of coffee on days when you want to try something different.
We’ve also provided you with information you need to get the best-tasting espresso, what grind is ideal for this type of coffee, and how to ensure you achieve delicious and good-looking crema on top.
Sources:
Last Updated on November 2, 2021 by nihar
