Best Espresso Beans: Reviews and Buyer’s Guide

Best Espresso Beans: Our Rankings

What's the best espresso beans? Let’s jump to find whole bean espresso roasts for each taste, including 100% arabica, single origin, flavored, italian roasts etc. Without further ado, here are the best coffee for espresso:

1. Lifeboost Coffee - Best Espresso Bean Top Pick

These are the best coffee beans in the world from Nicaragua, cultivated without the use of pesticides, so the beans are low acid. They're perfect for people with digestion problems or tooth decay.

Growing the beans in shade preserves the natural ecosystem and gives the coffee a rich aroma and complex taste with light notes of caramel and fruit. Shade also slows the maturation process of the coffee fruit, so the coffee matures more dimensionally and absorbs all the necessary nutrients.

In addition, the trees contribute to air purification, strengthen the soil against erosion, and increase the bird population. Lifeboost's hand-selected beans are the most environmentally friendly product on the coffee market.

But to get the best coffee beans for espresso, you need to prepare them properly. Lifeboost uses special technology to collect, dry, and rest the beans. All beans are picked by hand to get the highest-quality espresso mixture.

The beans are then medium-roasted. You will get a drink with a smooth and delicious taste and notes of chocolate, caramel, and fruit.

2. Spirit Animal Coffee — Specialty-Grade Espresso Beans

Many people believe that the best espresso comes from dark-roasted coffees. But this is not always the case. A perfect shot can be brewed from medium-roasted beans or even light-roasted beans.

For those who like to experiment we've added an interesting offer from Spirit Animal Coffee to the list. The company uses only specialty Arabica beans, which have a score of 88 to 90.5 on the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) scale.

This is the highest quality coffee you can buy. Beans with a score of 90 points or more are not usually sold on the mass market and instead are used for championships and special roasts.

The company has a lucrative offer right now. You can order a set of 3 bags of coffee with a 50% discount. This is enough for 100-120 espresso shots, so it's a great opportunity to enjoy an espresso with notes of mango, peach, and sugarcane or jasmine, rose tea, and juicy tropical fruits.

3. Koa Coffee - Best Dark Roast Espresso Beans

KOA Coffee produces premium Hawaiian Kona coffee beans that has a pronounced taste and citrus-like acidity.

This medium-dark roast espresso blend is characterized by a rich, soft taste with hints of cream with coconut. Long-lasting aftertaste are also present. The delicate, sweetish aroma of the drink vaguely resembles cocoa with milk.

This particular premium grade of Kona coffee is a worthy leader among the best Hawaiian coffees. It is grown by small farms on the Big Island of Hawaii, mainly on the slopes of the Mauna Loa volcano in the Kona region. This region has an ideal climate for growing coffee. Fertile volcanic soils allow farmers to grow flawless coffee without any kind of fertilizer.

If you are just starting your journey to explore the world of premium coffee, Kona coffee is a great place to begin.

4. Volcanica - Best Light Roast Espresso Beans

Feel free to experiment. This light-medium roast coffee will perfectly reveal the acidity of citrus fruits and wild berries in an espresso.

Yirgacheffe coffee has a unique taste that is considered the best in Ethiopia. This coffee is used by many coffee shops around the world, including big brands like Starbucks and Coffee Beanery. It is mainly used for preparing milk-based drinks, although it is also pleasant to drink as an espresso.

Yirgacheffe's unique taste is a result of peculiarities in soil and moisture where it's grown. Pure espresso brewed with these espresso coffee beans has a bright floral aroma and good body with a slight acidity.

This coffee blends perfectly with milk, and in a cappuccino it tastes like berry yogurt with chocolate notes.

A good starting point for brewing this coffee in a home espresso machine is a 1:2 double-yield ratio (for every gram of ground coffee, two grams of finished brew are produced) in 25 seconds at 199.5°F (93°C).

5. Lion Coffee - Best French Roast Espresso Beans

This intense French dark roast coffee has a rich taste with hints of dark chocolate, spices, and roasted nuts. It has practically no acidity, and the body of the espresso is full with a delicious cocoa aftertaste.

The coffee is roasted by Lion Coffee from the best Arabica beans according to strict standards.

Coffee enthusiasts prefer to brew espresso using this coffee. The result is a dense, thick, strong drink. In addition, this coffee goes well with dairy products. Lattes and cappuccinos are especially tasty—their aftertaste is simply amazing.

Lion Coffee French Roast does not have the specific bitterness of a typical French roast, so it's great for drinking every day. We highly recommend it to anyone who likes dark roasts and strong coffee.

6. Coffee Bros. - Best Espresso Beans on Amazon

These are the finest espresso-roasted 100% Arabica beans. An espresso brewed with these beans reveals juicy berry and nutty-caramel notes, and always-fresh supplies will let you fully enjoy the aroma.

The taste profile of this coffee is exactly as described by Coffee Bros.—very balanced with a light, fruity, sweet flavor notes.

Coffee Bros. pays great attention to the roasting process, and for espresso, this is one of the main factors affecting taste. Coffee Bros. roasts the beans perfectly so you can taste strawberries, sugar cane, and vanilla.

The taste is also influenced by country of origin. This sophisticated blend uses 100% Arabica beans from Colombia and Ethiopia.

Colombia is the largest producer of washed Arabica in the world. Columbia coffee has an acidic potential which is transformed into softness when roasted. Meanwhile, Ethiopia grows an extraordinary genetic diversity of coffee plants. Ethiopian coffee is sweeter and more fruity and floral than Colombian coffee.

Coffee Bros. has combined these two varieties and created an excellent blend that gives a balanced and smooth taste in your cup of espresso.

7. Lavazza Super Crema - Best for Crema Espresso Beans

Lavazza is good at creating Arabica-Robusta blends and puts all its products through many stages of selection and sorting.

This blend will surprise you with its soft, velvety taste, hints of chocolate, and long-lasting aftertaste of roasted nuts. It's a medium roast, so the beans are suitable for most drinks.

Lavazza harvests its Arabica beans from India, Colombia, and Brazil and its Robusta beans from Vietnam and India. The result is a blend that has become a fan favorite due to its soft character and notes of hazelnuts, and honey.

Thanks to the addition of robusta, Lavazza Super Crema can be considered the best budget espresso beans.

Lavazza has been producing the best coffee for espresso for more than 120 years. The tradition of making an espresso is passed down from generation to generation.

However, there is also a drawback - unlike local coffee roasters, in large companies it is more difficult to monitor the freshness of coffee, and sometimes the quality of raw materials. This is rare for Lavazza, but sometimes they can be wrong too.

What Information Will Be Helpful When Choosing Coffee Beans for Espresso?

For those who want more information on choosing espresso coffee, we've prepared this buying guide.

What to Look For in an Espresso Bean Blend

Espresso blends can be divided into two types: blends of Arabica varieties, and Arabica-Robust blends.

For espresso connoisseurs who want a high caffeine content and more bitterness, we recommend buying Arabica-Robusta blends. Typically, these blends have 70% Arabica and 30% Robusta, but this ratio can vary.

Several varieties of Arabica can be blended to create new flavors. Some people want acidic coffee; others want more bitter coffee. Combining several varieties of Arabica allows roasters to create unique aromas and tastes in each blend.

The taste and aroma of coffee beans are influenced by the climatic conditions in which the beans are grown. Therefore, beans from different countries and plantations are used for blends. Let's talk about the taste of coffee based on country of origin.

Country of Origin

The environment and characteristics of the area in which beans are grown affect espresso’s taste. In other words, the taste of coffee depends on the soil, humidity, terrain, nearby forests or bodies of water, average temperature, elevation, etc. These factors are unique to specific regions in specific countries.

Brazil — This country is the biggest coffee bean producer in the world. Coffee beans from Brazil are appreciated for their even, balanced taste—most varieties can be safely recommended to those who are just starting their journey as a coffee connoisseur. Depending on the beans' region of origin, nutty, floral, and chocolate notes can be found in the espresso's aroma.

Colombia — For the coffee lover, Columbia is primarily about fine coffees. The subtle aroma and taste of Colombian coffee have made it the benchmark for aesthetes. Compliance with coffee-growing technologies is strictly controlled by the National Federation of Coffee Growers. Also, Colombia has abandoned the cultivation of Robusta and for centuries has been engaged in the production of Arabica.

Costa Rica — Harmonious tastes and pleasant aromas with light vanilla or fruity notes have made Costa Rican coffee famous all over the world. This Central American country specializes in Arabica—the cultivation of Robusta is actually prohibited.

Nicaragua — Nicaraguan coffee is another outstanding example of coffee production. The country's coffee has become famous for its mild-yet-rich taste. The aroma of Arabica from Nicaragua is so distinctive that some connoisseurs recognize the country of origin from aroma alone. And Nicaraguan coffee has a unique taste due to how it's grown—local farmers cultivate shade-grown coffee under tall trees.

Ethiopia — In the homeland of coffee, there are varieties with amazing aromas that cannot be confused with anything else. Sometimes you can clearly distinguish notes of spiced herbs. According to connoisseurs, fruity and floral notes are also found in the taste of Ethiopian coffee. And the best varieties stand out from other good coffees because of Ethiopian coffee's distinctive wine shades.

Indonesia — Coffee is grown in many Asian countries, but Indonesia is the undisputed leader in the production of fine varieties. This country cultivates expensive high-quality Arabica with a bright aroma and spiced notes. The best varieties of Indonesian coffee are from Sumatra.

Grind Size

If you choose pre-ground coffee for espresso, make sure to buy finely ground coffee. It should be like fine table salt.

Whether you get a good espresso shot depends heavily on grind size.

If the grind is too fine, over-extraction will occur and the espresso will taste too bitter. Conversely, if the grind is too coarse, under-extraction will occur and the espresso will be sour and weak.

Conclusion

We've covered the best espresso beans in our reviews.

Whether you choose single-origin coffee or an espresso blend is entirely up to your personal preference.

But if you are just starting to learn the art of making espresso, we recommend that you choose a dark-roast coffee. It will give a richer flavor and aroma.

Our top choice is Lifeboost Coffee. This certified-organic low-acid coffee will become your guide for the best espresso shot.

FAQ

Sources:

1. How to Make Espresso at Home: A Starter Guide - New York Times
2. 7 Tips For Picking The Best Coffee Beans For Espresso - Coffee Bros.