12 Best Coffee Beans For Espresso of 2023

You can’t deny the allure of a well-made espresso shot, its heady scent, stinging astringency, full-bodied flavor, and lingering aftertaste. Having a cup of coffee isn’t the only reason to come here. It can be the greatest cup of coffee you’ve ever had if done correctly.

However, despite how simple it may appear, there are several considerations you should keep in mind when buying the best coffee beans for espresso.

Here, I’ll guide you through the process of becoming a professional barista at home.

Top 12 Picks of Coffee Beans For Espresso

1. Death Wish Coffee for Espresso

Highlights

• 16 ounces of Ground Coffee in a Dark Roast.
• The World’s Strongest Organic
• Fair Trade Certified Coffee
• Arabica
• Robusta (1-Pack)

Product Description

First and foremost, these are the beans for you if you’re searching for something that will give you a real kick in the backside. This dark roast has twice as much caffeine as ordinary beans, so you’ll be able to get through the toughest of mornings and all-nighters.

Because Death Wish Coffee is both organic and fair trade-certified, we often include it in our rankings. However, taste also plays a role in its success.

Despite the brew’s intensity, there isn’t a lot of bitterness in it. Although it was grown in Peru, the cherries and chocolate flavors remain.

On the other hand, this brew may be too strong for casual drinkers, and those who aren’t familiar with black roasts may find it too scorched. Also, these beans are some of the most expensive ones on this list.

2. Kicking Horse Coffee Cliff Hanger Espresso

Highlights

• Filter Coffee Powder
• Roast and Ground Strong, 250g
• Colombian Brew Coffee Arabica Espresso
• Beans Roasted at a Medium degree
• Aroma: Blackcurrant, Milk chocolate, Brown sugar

Product Description

All of Kicking Horse Coffee’s Arabica beans are sourced from sustainable, organic, and shade-grown farms. Beans from throughout the world are used in this dish.

With hints of chocolate and wild berry notes, the Kicking Horse Cliff Hanger Espresso Beans have a captivating flavor profile that will leave you wanting more.

This Fair Trade-certified medium-roasted beans pack is also recommended for use with a French press, pour-over, or cold brew.

If you’re in the market for a medium-dark roasted coffee, you’ll find a wide variety of compositions and flavors to choose from them.

3. Coffee Bean Direct Italian Roast Espresso

Highlights

• Roast: (Darker than French)
• Aroma: Toasted Honey
• Whole or Ground: Real Bean Coffee
• South American, Indian

Product Description

A strong cup of espresso from Coffee Bean Direct Italian Roast Espresso has a honeyed scent with overtones of cocoa and molasses in the cup, making it a popular choice for espresso lovers.

Italian espresso beans have a softer flavor than other espresso roasts, according to some tasters. If you drink a lot of coffee per day, you may want to stock up on a huge amount of beans, which are vacuum-sealed and frozen.

4. Coffee Bros Espresso Roast

Highlights

• Espresso Roast Whole Bean
• 100 percent Arabica
• 1 Bag (12oz)
• Colombia and Ethiopia
• Gourmet and Specialty

Product Description

This medium espresso roast coffee has strawberry, sugarcane, and vanilla flavors, as well as a round body, making it ideal for a cup of coffee.

Coffee Bros roasts their seeds in small quantities by hand and uses only the best beans. The delicate nature of light and medium roasts necessitates that they are handled with care and packed the same day to maintain freshness.

Owners are as cool and professional as you would anticipate from a New York City-based corporation. Every bag of Coffee Bros beans is meticulously crafted to reflect the city’s rich coffee history.

In contrast to the dark and caramel-forward flavor that many people associate with espresso, this 100% Arabica mix has a medium roast. With no bitterness or fruitiness, it’s a lighter and more sophisticated cup of coffee.

5. Lavazza Super Crema

Highlights

• Whole Bean Coffee Blend with Extra Crema
• 2 Pounds of Espresso Roasted (Pack of 1)
• Authentic Italian Cuisine
• Blended and roasted in Italy
• Made in a Nut-Free Facility

Product Description

Espresso is best made with a barista-style espresso machine, but not everyone has one. The scent intensity of whole bean coffee is four on the scale, and it is medium roasted. Aromas of dried fruit, honey, and almonds are prevalent throughout.

It’s a 60-40 mix of Arabica and Robusta beans from around the world, including Brazil, Colombia, India, and Vietnam in the Arabica portion. The barista-style semi-automatic espresso machines perform quite well with the robust mix.

Generally, the crema is superb. For more than a century, Italian-born Lavazza has been at the forefront of the coffee industry. This is evident in the way they combine their ingredients.

6. Koffee Kult Dark Roast Coffee Beans for Espresso

Highlights

• A blend of Espresso Beans: Eye Cracker Espresso Beans
• Bold Medium Roast
• Citrus Twist Coffee (12 Ounce)

Product Description

Despite its deep and complex flavor, the dark roast from Koffee Kult tastes silky and pure. Because it lacks bitterness and kicks yet is still powerful, it’s ideal for espresso.

Koffee Kult places a high value on freshness, and as a result, they bag their beans immediately after roasting.

Their packaging is as clean as their beans, with a clean, modern design. After sipping on a Koffee Kult espresso, you can also feel good. The brand supports over 650 small coffee producers and various charitable organizations.

7. Intelligentsia Black Cat Analog Espresso

Highlights

• Whole Bean Coffee
• 12 Oz Bag
• Direct Trade Coffee
• Black Cat Classic Espresso

Product Description

Black Cat Analog from Intelligentsia can be a good choice for someone who gets bored easily but does not want the jitters that come from drinking one of the high-intensity beams.

This mix is on a mission to change people’s perceptions of espresso, and it succeeds admirably. It’s also a blend, which means that the flavor changes gradually from season to season.

Unlike most espresso blends, this one has a syrupy consistency and is sweeter than the average. There are also hints of chocolate in the beans, which lends them a sense of familiarity and comfort.

8. Stumptown Hair Bender Coffee Beans for Espresso

Highlights

• Whole Bean Coffee
• Coffee Roasters
• 12-ounce bag
• Citrus and Dark Chocolate Notes in the Flavor Profile

Product Description

Stumptown’s Hair Bender beans are a top contender and have one of the most varied flavor profiles on this list, making them an excellent alternative.

This sweet, well-balanced combination comes from Indonesia, Latin America, and Africa and has a mellow, rounded flavor. A dash of cherry accentuates toffee and fudge flavors.

It’s a great choice for breakfast and dessert because of its unique flavor characteristics. This dark roast is a suitable option for machines with built-in grinders because of its low oil content (which is unusual for a dark roast).

9. Don Pablo Classic Italian Espresso

Highlights

• Whole Bean Coffee 2 lb.
• Italian Espresso
• Medium-Dark Roast

Product Description

Despite its simplicity, dark-roasted espresso is difficult to make without bitterness or burned beans.

Using Sumatran and smooth Colombian beans, Don Pablo achieves espresso perfection (as long as you’re a fan of the rich and dark).

It’s impossible to disagree that this espresso blend is missing in flavor, but it still keeps going down easily.

However, Don Pablo’s blends are very reasonably priced for artisanal coffee roasters like themselves. The advertising and packaging may reveal the budget, but does it matter? It’s a good solution!

10. Equator Coffee & Teas Jaguar Espresso

Highlights

• 12 Oz. Espresso
• Fine Ground Coffee
• Fair Trade and Organic

Product Description

If you’ve got a name like that, you’ve got to deliver! As it turns out, the Equator has it fairly well.

This organic, fair-trade combination of beans from Latin America, Sumatra, and Ethiopia can be ground for espresso, drip, or whole beans.

A wide range of flavors emerges towards the milder end of a dark roast. The coffee has hints of apricot, hazelnut, and dark chocolate flavored with cloves.

Since then, the Equator, founded in 1995, has been dedicated to social justice and environmental sustainability. However, they have a long history of success to back it up!

11. Verena Street Shot Tower Espresso

Highlights

• 2 pounds of Espresso Beans
• Shot Tower Espresso Whole Bean
• Rainforest Alliance Certified Arabica Coffee

Product Description

It is a dark-roasting espresso blend, Shot Tower, that is full-bodied and full of nutty flavor. Verena Street is a small Midwest-based coffee company. They claim to offer high-quality coffee at a reasonable price.

Although a value brand, they promote farms and the environment by promoting fair trade and sustainable practices.

Sweet and creamy, no matter how it’s made, Shot Tower is a delectable treat. Espresso is the best way to enjoy this full-bodied coffee, but it also works well in a French press.

12. Jo Espresso Coffee for Espresso

Highlights

• USDA-Certified Organic Espresso
• 12 ounces, Medium-dark Roast
• Whole Bean Arabica
• Gluten-free
• Non-GMO
• Fair Trade Certified Jo Coffee’s Gourmet Espresso Beans

Product Description

This is an artisanal espresso mix at a low price point. Even manual espresso machines will be able to generate a nice crema with Jo Espresso.

For those who want their coffee a little darker, this is the one. In particular, the coffee has a dark-chocolate aroma and flavor profile, finishing with a delicate sweetness.

All of Jo Coffee’s beans are fair trade and USDA certified organic. The Specialty Coffee Association and the Rainforest Alliance are also members of the company.

Despite its lack of complexity, this espresso blend is rich, black, and of the highest quality at an incredible value.

What are Espresso Beans?

It’s critical to choose the proper beans for the type of coffee you’re brewing and to be aware of your personal preferences when it comes to coffee. Espresso beans are generally medium to dark roasted, with dark being the more typical option.

Choosing a coffee that has some sour or bitter tastes, to begin with will ensure that your final product is more balanced because of the extraction process.

Then there’s the subject of origin, ethics, and simply what you’re looking for in a coffee supplier. Whether you’re looking for a long-standing legacy or a brand-new company with big, caffeinated goals, you’ll have to decide.

In addition, as always, you must consider the cost.

What is Unique About Espresso Beans?

‘Why don’t you just use regular coffee beans?’ you might wonder.

There are various reasons why most cafés employ a special espresso mix rather than plain filter coffee for espresso. There’s a lot to say about it, but here are the primary reasons:

Tradition

Since its inception, espresso has been roasted a shade darker than other coffees. Regular beans can’t deliver the flavor of espresso that people have come to anticipate.

Better with Milk

If you want to utilize espresso in a milk-based beverage like a latte or cappuccino, you’ll need a dark roast to “cut” through the milk’s smoothness.

It’s Cheaper

Coffee from a single origin is more expensive. Espresso blends are ideal for busy cafes because of this. Brazil and Indonesian beans are typically used as the backbone for a combination. Perhaps as much as 20% of the blend is Robusta.

Also Read: 11 Best Cheap Coffee of 2022

Espresso Brewing Tips

Grind size

When it comes to espresso, grind size is crucial, according to experienced espresso drinkers. It’s not everything, but it’s the most vital thing you need to do right.

In the past, we have heard customers complain about particular espresso beans being “too sour,” but this is nearly always a brewing issue that begins with the grind.

A slightly elevated burr grinder is essential when making espresso since you have to start fine and work your way up. A regular blade grinder will not be able to produce superb espresso.

It takes a lot of trial and error. A little coffee squandering is part and parcel of the learning process.

As a general rule of thumb, if your coffee is excessively bitter, your grind is likely too fine. It’s not fine enough if it’s sour and runny. Other factors, such as the length of your pull, may also have an impact.

Tamping

Before brewing, compact and flatten the bed of coffee grounds in the portafilter; it’s so vital that it’s got its device, the tamper. Apply 30 pounds of tamper pressure. Use a kitchen scale to have a feel for the weight.

Make sure your bed is flat so your espresso machine’s water flows evenly. Water follows the least resistance.

Unless your coffee is looser than the rest, the water will follow. In this case, your coffee would have been over in one area while under-extracted in others. You’ll have bitter and sour flavors!

Pre-infusion

To guarantee a uniform extraction rate, pre-infusion is another step. In most espresso machines, the portafilter can be soaked in water before the pressure is applied, which helps ensure a uniform flow of water during the brew.

The water is far less inclined to search for its channels in this environment.

Wrapping Up

As the last point, here we are. If you’re looking for a cup of coffee that packs a lot of caffeine, or if you want something a little lighter and more complex, this list should have something for you.

Buying whole beans and grinding them yourself is the best way to get the most out of your favorite bean. Take into account your roasting equipment, the type of bean you’re looking for, and the origin of your product to locate the perfect bean for your needs.

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