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The Best Coffee Beans for Espresso
Table of Contents
- Top Rated Espresso Beans
- The Best Espresso Coffee Beans Reviews
- 1. Larry’s Coffee Organic Espresso
- 2. Nicoletti Coffee Espresso Roast Beans
- 3. Blackwelder Beans for Espresso
- 4. Mayorga Organics Café Cubano
- 5. Café Don Pablo Classic Italian Espresso
- 6. Café De Loja Dark Roast
- 7. Peet’s Coffee Espresso Forte
- 8. Stone Street Tanzania Coffee
- 9. Intelligentsia Black Cat Analog Espresso
- 10. Caffé Appassionato Organic Shade Grown Espresso Roast
- How to Select Coffee Beans for Espresso
- Roast Profile for Espresso Coffee
- Final Thoughts
Picking the best espresso beans is the first step to get a high-quality espresso shot and experience tantalizing flavors with a delicious consistency.
Based on our research, the espresso beans we recommend are the Mayorga Organics Café Cubano
Last update on 2023-05-31 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
If you want to search for more alternatives though, in this article, we have reviewed the 10 best espresso beans on the market.
Top Rated Espresso Beans
Last update on 2023-05-31 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Table could not be displayed.The Best Espresso Coffee Beans Reviews
1. Larry’s Coffee Organic Espresso
About the Product
Larry’s Coffee Organic espresso beans come in a large 2.2lb vacuum sealed bag to ensure freshness and protect the beans from contaminants. The beans are a dark roast; you can grind them down easily and place them in an espresso machine to make strong bold coffees.
If you prefer subtler taste profiles you can pour a shot of Larry’s coffee espresso into a Latte or Cappuccino.
The beans are grown in a shaded USDA organic environment. This means there were no pesticides or toxins used during the cultivation of the beans.
Flavor
Larry’s Coffee offers you a bold and smoky flavor profile with a rich & decadent crema. It has notes of dark chocolate with a complexity of boutique whiskey.
Type of Coffee Bean
These are whole dark roast Arabica beans sourced from fair trade farmers around the world and packaged in America.
Why we like it
- 100% organic
- Fair trade product
- Strong finish
2. Nicoletti Coffee Espresso Roast Beans
About the Product
Nicoletti roasted espresso beans are the perfect coffee for espresso machines at home and Moka Stovetops. These beans have been freshly roasted in small batches for an even blend. Nicoletti Coffee Espresso Roast Beans has a light roast for subtle flavor profiles and a smooth finish.
The Nicoletti Coffee Espresso Roast Beans come in a large 2.20lb bag with an expiration date stamped at the bottom to ensure you receive a fresh bag every time. Nicoletti packages these lightly roast espresso beans in a safe environment in Brooklyn, New York.
Flavor
The tasting profile for the Nicoletti Coffee roast espresso is light and smooth with no bitter or sour finish.
Type of Coffee Bean
The Nicoletti beans are a mixture of 75% Arabica beans and 25% Robusta beans that are well blended for a sweet & smoky-tasting profile.
Why we like it
- Silky smooth crema
- Good for espresso machine and Moka Stovetops
- Fresh light roasted beans
- Italian espresso beans
3. Blackwelder Beans for Espresso
About the Product
Blackwelder Beans come in a large vacuum sealed bag that keeps the product fresh. The Blackwelder is a medium roast espresso that doesn’t have an oily consistency which makes them the best beans for espresso coffee and milk-based brews.
Blackwelder source the beans from South America and Indonesia. This means you’re guaranteed a quality product because the temperature and soil in these regions produce the best espresso coffee beans. They are hand roasted in small batches to ensure the beans are evenly baked.
Flavor
You can enjoy a smooth and rich complexity with hints of sweet caramel with the beans from Blackwelder. It has no bitter aftertaste or acidity which gives it a silky finish.
Type of Coffee Bean
These are whole Arabica beans that are slightly brown in color.
Why we like it
- Even blend
- Smooth complexity
- Sweet notes
4. Mayorga Organics Café Cubano
About the Product
Mayorga coffee beans are roasted in small batches to ensure an even bake. The Mayorga team sources their beans from sustainable farms that use no pesticides or GMOs to cultivate the beans. You’ll be able to taste the rich flavor profile of Mayorga without chemical undertones.
The beans are packaged in a large thick paper bag to keep the product fresh. It’s a dark roasted signature blend which means the beans are sourced from East Africa, South America and central american farms.
Flavor 
These beans are roasted in small batches to ensure all the flavor profiles are drawn to the surface. So when you make your espresso you’ll be able to experience a blend of sweet vanilla and smoky notes. Mayorga’s dark roast blend has a bold and velvety finish with a rich crema.
Type of Coffee Bean
The Mayorga brand only uses the best 100% Arabica beans that are certified organic.
Why we like it
- Decadent flavor profile
- Perfectly roasted
- 100% organic
5. Café Don Pablo Classic Italian Espresso
About the Product
Experience the taste of Italian espresso with Café Don Pablo Classic. These beans are a medium-dark roast that gives you the sweet and bold blend of espresso coffee that authentic Italian coffee shops produce. 
Café Don Pablo sources their beans from South America which makes this a single-origin blend. The beans were cultivated in a sustainable environment which makes them 100% organic and USDA approved.
Flavor
These beans offer you a rich dark chocolate flavor profile which a velvet consistency and a rich crema. It’s low in acidity and full of body which results in a smooth finish.
Type of Coffee Bean
Café Don Pablo uses whole 100% Arabica beans that have been grown without the use of GMOs or pesticides.
Why we like it
- Best Italian espresso beans
- Organic blend
- Single-origin
6. Café De Loja Dark Roast
About the Product
Here’s another brand that produces Italian espresso that are of the highest quality. These beans are cultivated on mountains with high altitudes to produce the best moisture, flavonoids and notes.
The Café De Loja espresso coffee beans are expertly dark roasted so they are not undercooked or burnt. These are the best coffee beans for espresso machines, French presses and drip machines. You can make strong decadent espressos or milk-based lattes and cappuccinos with Café De Loja coffee.
Flavor
Café De Loja coffee has sweet and crisp fruity notes with a strong nutty aroma. These beans produce the right amount of acidity for a bold finish but without the bitter aftertaste.
Type of Coffee Bean
The beans are 100% whole Arabica sourced from sustainable farmers in Ecuador making it an organic and single-origin brand.
Why we like it
- Excellent coffee beans for espresso machines
- Arabica beans
- Strong complexity with a rich aroma
7. Peet’s Coffee Espresso Forte
About the Product
Peet’s Coffee Espresso Forte comes in a 12oz vacuum sealed bag so the beans stay fresher for longer. The beans are meticulously dark roasted in small batches to ensure an even bake which means the coffee won’t be undercooked or burnt.
The beans for Peet’s Coffee Espresso Forte are sourced from around the world and then roasted and packaged in the USA. It’s a quality brand of coffee that’s been compared to quality products such as Vitascope and Eight O’clock.
Flavor
On the packaging of Peet’s Coffee, it states that it has a bright tang with a smooth hazelnut flavor profile.
Type of Coffee Bean
This is a whole bean espresso coffee brand that is 100% Arabica.
Pros
- Smooth flavor with a velvety finish
- 100% Arabica blend
- Fresh beans
8. Stone Street Tanzania Coffee
About the Product
The Stone Street Coffee company produces single-origin coffee beans that have been cultivated in the mountains of Kilimanjaro. The beans were grown in rich volcanic soil to absorb nutrients into the plants.
Stone Street Tanzania Coffee uses Peaberry beans which are extremely rare. Only 10% of the beans are considered to be Peaberry. These beans are small and almost perfectly round with a cleft center and they produce the richest flavors.
These beans also have high caffeine content with no acidity or bitterness making it the perfect beans for espresso coffee lovers.
Flavor 
The Stone Street Tanzania Coffee provides a clean and crisp flavor with a full-bodied finish & rich crema. It’s smooth and decadent with hints of a hazelnut aroma.
Type of Coffee Bean
These are 100% organic Arabica beans sourced from Africa and packaged in Brooklyn, USA.
Why we like it
- High in nutrients
- Rich aroma
- Single-origin brand
9. Intelligentsia Black Cat Analog Espresso
About the Product
The Intelligentsia Black Cat Analog espresso is vacuum sealed in a foil bag to retain the freshness of the beans. The beans are expertly dark roasted to ensure an even bake.
Intelligentsia is also a single-origin espresso coffee brand to ensure you experience a quality shot of espresso coffee every time. The Intelligentsia coffee has a distinctive taste as the beans are sourced from a sustainable farm.
You’ll have the benefit of a well-made cup of Intelligentsia Black Cat Analog espresso without bitterness or chemical aftertaste that mass-produced coffee gives you.
Flavor 
The Intelligentsia Black Cat coffee has a creamy consistency that has a full-bodied complexity with hints of dark chocolate.
Type of Coffee Bean
These are 100% Arabica whole beans that you can grind yourself.
Why we like it
- Full body complexity
- Velvety crema
- Single-origin brand
10. Caffé Appassionato Organic Shade Grown Espresso Roast
About the Product
Caffé Appassionato is an organic single-origin coffee brand. The beans come in a large vacuum sealed foil bag to retain the freshness of the coffee. It’s an espresso roasted brand which means it is a dark blend with a strong body and a thick & creamy texture.
Flavor
The Caffé Appassionato coffee has a strong bold flavor with hints of nutty and smoky notes. It has a strong complexity with no acidity or bitter aftertaste.
Type of Coffee Bean
Caffé Appassionato uses whole Arabica beans for their coffee blend so you’ll experience hints of sweetness.
Why we like it
- Slow roasted for an even bake
- 100% organic
- Exceptionally fresh
How to Select Coffee Beans for Espresso
Espresso vs. Coffee Beans
Both standard coffee and espresso can be made from the same coffee beans. The only difference between espresso and standard beans is the preparation time. This is because beans for espresso are roasted longer than the beans for standard coffee.
The preparation time for roasting the beans will have a major impact on the flavor profiles of the brew. So the beans for espresso are roasted at precise temperatures for a certain amount of time to ensure they are cooked properly.
Beans for espresso are also ground to a finer consistency so all the flavor can be drawn out into a single shot glass.
But the flavor, aromas, crema and the complexity will all depend on the type of beans you buy. There are two types of beans namely Arabica and Robusta:
- Arabica Beans: This massively popular coffee bean strain. Arabica beans have various flavor profiles and they are less bitter with a subtle sweetness because it contains 60% more lipids and sugar than Robusta beans.
- Robusta Beans: These beans aren’t as popular as the Arabica strain because they tend to be bitter, oily and contain less sugar. Robusta beans have more caffeine in them than Arabica beans. This makes Robusta the best beans for espresso coffee. But if the beans are too oily you need to dry them.
- Arabica and Robusta Combination: The sweetness of the Arabica strain and the high caffeine content of the Robusta beans will make the ultimate blend of coffee. Some brands use a combination of the two beans to make a strong blend that has a creamy consistency with dark notes and a full bodied finish.
What is Single-Origin and Blend Coffee?
Sometimes coffee brands will source their beans from farmers all over the world, which can give you a mixture of flavors and notes. This is known as blended coffee as different types of strains are mixed together. Blended coffee is produced all year round and typically costs less.
Single-origin coffee comes from one farm from a specific geographical region that cultivates beans. These beans are difficult to source so they will cost more. Some people prefer to buy single-origin coffee as these beans are grown in a particular way that caters to the flavor of the coffee.
The single-origin beans are more likely to be organic because they’re cultivated in small quantities so the plant growth can be controlled without using pesticides.
Whole or Ground Beans?
You can get the best coffee beans for the espresso machine that is either whole or ground and the only difference between the two is freshness.
Pre-ground coffee doesn’t retain its freshness as well as whole beans. If you do buy pre-ground beans check the bag to see when the product was packaged to ensure you have a fresh batch.
The best advice we can give you is to purchase whole beans and a quality grinder so you can make your own coffee grounds according to your preference. This way you’ll get the most flavor out of the beans. Grind your beans in small batches so you always have grounds when you want an espresso.
Roast Profile for Espresso Coffee
As mentioned before the way the beans are roasted will determine what flavor, body, and complexity your espresso have. Take a look at the three different types of coffee bean roasts you can purchase.
Light Roast
Lightly roasted beans are exposed to low temperatures when cooking and they have high levels of caffeine. These beans are light in color and have subtle notes with no oil content. Lightly roasted beans tend to be more acidic and they have a woody aftertaste.
Beans that are lightly roasted are not suitable for espresso coffee because it lacks the boldness in flavor and richness in texture that is associated with espresso brews.
Medium Roast
Coffee beans roasted at temperatures of 420°F are considered medium roasted beans. The heat eradicates most of the caffeine content inside the beans making them less acidic.
Medium roasted beans have a slight brown tone to them and they’re typically dry because they contain no oils. The high heat draws all the flavor of the beans to the surface so they have more notes and stronger aromas.
Dark Roast
Dark roasted beans are roasted at high temperatures for a longer amount of time. These beans are dark in color and have many essential oils & flavor profiles.
High-temperature roasting cracks all the layers inside the beans so the oils and flavors are drawn out to the surface of the beans easily. Dark roasted beans have bold flavor profiles, a strong finish, and a rich crema. Darker roasts make the best espresso beans.
Can you Roast Coffee Beans?
You can purchase raw coffee beans and roast them in the comfort of your own home. It may take a few tries before you get the perfect roast for your espresso but practice makes perfect. You can roast your own beans with a pan, oven, skillet, or popcorn popper and of course coffee roasters.
There are coffee roasters you can buy that provide you with the correct temperature mechanisms and a timer for the best roasting results. If you’d like to know how to roast your own beans at home then watch this short YouTube tutorial.
Advantages of Beans for Espresso
Espresso coffee is more concentrated and contains higher levels of caffeine. People take a shot of espresso for a quick pick-me-up in the mornings or when they’re feeling lethargic. It’s a healthier alternative to energy drinks and it’s proven that espresso is high in antioxidants.
Generally, people don’t make as much espresso as they do standard coffee so the beans last longer. This makes espresso coffee highly economical because you won’t have to buy coffee beans regularly. You also don’t need to put milk or sugar in your espresso so you’ll save money on those products too.
You can roast the espresso coffee in a certain way using the best beans so this type of coffee has strong decadent flavors, with a smooth consistency and a rich crema. This makes espresso more enjoyable than regular coffee for many caffeine fiends.
Final Thoughts
Espresso coffee isn’t simply about the high caffeine content but it’s also about what complexity it possesses and the flavor profiles it boasts. That’s why you need the best of both worlds when you’re purchasing beans to make espresso coffee.
The product to offer you both tantalizing notes and a perfect roasted blend is Mayorga Café Cubano coffee. It’s the ultimate blend that will give you the kick start you need when you’re feeling sluggish.
Mayorga’s perfectly roasted beans draw out the flavor to the surface so you can enjoy a distinct taste of vanilla and smoky notes without acidy or bitterness.
Experience a healthy 100% organic coffee blend with sweet and dark notes & get yourself a bag of freshly packaged Mayorga Café Cubano. We can happily recommend these as the best beans for espresso to choose from at the moment we write this article.
