Best Coffee Bean For Espresso : 12 Flavors We Really Like!

For those who like espresso, choosing the right bean can be a difficult process. We all have individual tastes, and different espresso roasts and flavor profiles will appeal to us in different ways. In this post, we would like to share our list of best coffee beans for espresso!

Best Coffee Beans For Espresso

Lavazza Medium Espresso Roast

Every cup of Lavazza coffee is infused with years of innovation and perfection since the company has been roasting coffee beans for well over 120 years. They specialize in blending coffee beans from various regions around the world to give you the best of each. Designed to produce a mild aroma and taste of honey, dried fruit and almonds, this Arabica and Robusta blend has been specially selected from Brazil, Indonesia, Columbia, Vietnam and India. With this blend, you will experience pure silky crema without any bitterness. Lavazza is often the go-to brand for large numbers of people who appreciate fine coffee because it tastes wonderful alone or as a base for milk-based drinks.

Nicoletti Coffee

Since 1972, Nicoletti has been roasting their coffee beans in Brooklyn. Bags are made to order and then directly shipped to the consumer within 24 hours after roasting. With both Arabica and Robusta coffee beans in 1 blend, this coffee has a rich cream as well as a smooth texture and there is no bitterness, other than just a hint of acidity. Other flavor notes include chocolate and roasted almonds, and it is perfect for any coffee drinks. For people living in eastern United States, you won’t find a fresher cup of coffee. And we all know that coffee is best when it’s freshly roasted.

Tu Cafe Gourmet

Since 1996, this Miami-based company has crafted Cuban style espressos. Their specialty is Cuban style espresso. So if that is what you’re looking for, this company will provide you with the shot you want. The blend has a natural sweetness, an appealing aroma, and a bold, smooth taste. Trying Cuban espresso is not to everyone’s taste, but if you’re interested in trying it, Tu Cafe should be the roaster you select. The beans are also roasted in the continental United States, so freshness is guaranteed.

Java Planet Organic Espresso Coffee Beans

This family-run roaster is located in Tampa, Florida, and was founded in 2009. The company is committed to providing customers with organic and fair trade coffee that can benefit the body and the planet. Rich and silky, with a gorgeous crema, this roast makes an excellent espresso shot. In addition to roasting in small batches, they also print the roasting date on each bag, so you get the freshest coffee beans. While Fair Trade and Organic may just seem like silly labels to some, they mean a great deal to the farmers who toil over your beans. It is companies like Java Planet that are paving the way for supply chain equality. Fair trade is undoubtedly important to consumers today, but before you can discover if it’s worthwhile, you have to brew a cup of coffee and experience it for yourself.

Peru Approcassi Cajamarca Shade Grown Dark Roast Espresso Beans

Using sustainable farming practices, this Fair Trade Peruvian coffee beans are grown in the shade. These organic beans are hand-picked from coffee farms that are less than 3 acres in size, and the coffee farmers work hard to produce the highest quality coffee. Roasting takes place in the morning and shipping happens in the afternoon, resulting in the freshest product. The blend provides a natural sweetness as well as a smooth taste with milk chocolate, almonds, and coconut flavors.

Klatch Coffee Belle Medium-Dark Roast Espresso Beans

In its beginnings, Klotch coffee was just a small retail outlet. Today, it is a global brand known for its products across 3 continents. To source the best espresso beans, their roast master travels around the globe shaking hands with farmers. Freshness is guaranteed with this coffee, which is roasted to order. In addition to having a flavor profile that includes chocolate, blackberry, and brandy, this particular coffee blend is excellent for milk-based coffee drinks.

Barbarossa Coffee Anchor

The coffee is roasted by their specialty shop in Houston Texas and is 100% Arabian coffee beans. Since this company was found by a Navy Veteran, it is not surprising that the company’s name is inspired by sea pirates. The smooth flavor contains chocolate notes, caramel notes, and a complex aroma. Their coffee is so pure and delicious that if you don’t love it, they will refund your money.

Amor Perfecto Cafe Colombian Espresso Beans

We particularly like these Colombian coffee beans. Southern Columbia produces flavors and aromas that are influenced by a wide variety of climatic conditions and soil types. This company sources their beans from the best coffee farms in this region. This specialty coffee brand has received many awards. Whether it’s the citrus and sweet flavor of this coffee, the fruity, chocolatey aroma, or the aftertaste of caramel chocolate, this creamy coffee has it all.

Peach Coffee Roasters

Located in North Atlanta, Georgia, they strive to serve coffee that represents the southern lifestyle. Owners are certified coffee graders, so they really know what is required to produce a good cup of coffee. Smooth and silky, this coffee blend contains both Colombian and Indonesian coffee beans that are fair trade and sustainable. Chocolate and hazelnut flavors combine to make this a classic espresso shot.

Dr. Mojo

It is a strong and fresh roasted coffee derived from the culture of coffee in New Zealand. This freshly roast coffee beans are then packaged in Chicago. This 100% Arabica coffee blend is a perfect choice for espressos because it has a low acidity while maintaining a bold flavor. With its toffee raisin aroma and chocolatey aftertaste, the drink is the perfect cure for morning cobwebs and a healthy start to the day.

Related: Best Low Acid Coffee Beans

Cafe Britt

Cafe Britt, founded in 1985, is amongst the first few gourmet roasters to roast in a coffee-producing country. Having selected and roasted the best beans from within their borders, this company is one of the favorite espresso blends within Costa Rican restaurants. The beans deliver a rich crema and a fruity and caramel aroma that is a perfect option for any coffe drink.

Fresh Roasted Coffee Italian Roast Espresso Beans

With a desire to lower carbon footprint, Fresh Roasted Coffee roasts its coffee beans in the United States using environmentally friendly methods. These beans are sourced sustainably. The blend is not only excellent for espresso, but can be used for any other coffee drinks as well. This is an Italian roast that delivers a dark, robust, and full-bodied coffee. It has a tangy flavor and taste of fruit. This is an engaging blend that has all the characteristics of a traditional dark and rich espresso.

Related: Best Dark Roast Coffee Beans

How to Choose the Right Coffee Bean for Espresso?

To us coffee lovers, coffee beans are worthless before they are roasted. As a matter of fact, the level of roast determines, not only how good the coffee is, but also how good it is as espresso. Roasting transforms those ‘cherries’ we pluck from the tree to the dark brown aromatic wonder that we serve in our morning routines. As a result of roasting the bean, it changes chemically and physically.

To create that lovely crema, espresso beans should be darker roasted and have a sheen to them, as this gives them a fuller body and reduces their acidity. While any coffee beans can be used in an espresso machine, for the best taste and barista quality, you need to choose the beans carefully and also to grind them very finely.

The ideal Arabica beans for an espresso are 100% single origin, medium to dark roast. But it is sometimes overwhelming with so many options. If you are just starting out with espresso making, you should look for espresso-specific beans, especially those that are roasted just for espresso.

Related:

How to Roast Coffee Beans At Home

Espresso Coffee Beans FAQs

Espresso: Exactly what is it?

This delicious coffee beverage is made from a high-pressure brewing method and is made with rapid brew times. A very finely ground, tightly packed coffee is passed through hot water in about 30 seconds, resulting in that smooth, dark brew with that golden crema floating on top. The method of brewing may create an espresso. However, what make the drink taste good are the coffee beans, its roast and grind size. An espresso shot has a large percentage of 12% of coffee solids dissolved compared to 2% for a regular cup of coffee. With the additional 10% of the bean in the cup, the quality of the bean becomes more important. The choice of beans plays a critical role in your enjoyment of the beverage, whether you drink it alone or use it as a base for another.

Why is the roast such a big deal?

It all comes down to how roasting alters the chemical and physical composition of the bean itself. The raw green coffee beans also contain the same proteins, sugars, acids, and caffeine as their roasted counterparts. However, they produce bland and flavorless coffee and thus cannot be used for brewing good coffee. A lighter roast preserves the aromas, flavors, and aromas that come from the altitude,weather, soil, and climate where the coffee beans are grown and processed. After the roasting process has been extended to darken the bean, the original flavors are overpowered by flavors that result from the change of the bean’s chemical makeup, caused by the roasting process. Dark roasting leaves very little of the bean’s origin flavors, but it highlights the roast’s flavors. Also, the level of acidity in the bean reduces as the roast progresses, with a lighter roast having a higher level than its darker counterpart.

Which is the best Espresso Coffee Bean?

The range of coffee beans available to the connoisseurs of fine espresso is as diverse as the countries from which the beans are sourced. Experimenting with different coffee blends and roasts to discover the perfect coffee bean is part of the pleasure of brewing your own espresso at home. We hope you have found your favourite in this list of best espresso coffee beans.