THE 10 BEST ESPRESSO BEANS OF 2022
Hmm, a nice espresso can really make your day. You may have the best equipment available, if you don’t have the right beans, you won’t make that great espresso. Great output always starts with great input right? But remember, you’re not there yet!
We at Golden Sin have picked some of the best espresso beans for you. We give you a selection of the 10 best espresso beans on Amazon to start your espresso trip!
If you’re looking for more information about ground coffees, you can view it here.
Don’t want to read the whole article? We at Golden Sin Coffee have reviewed the best coffee on Amazon and think that you can start your journey with the espresso beans of Lavazza, Gran Espresso!. This one won’t fail on you. Click here for the link to Amazon!
THE 10 BEST WHOLE BEAN COFFEES OF 2022
You can click on subtitles to view the products on Amazon.
#1. Kicking Horse Coffee, Cliff Hanger Espresso, Medium Roast, Whole Bean
This coffee from Kicking Horse Coffee is called the Cliff Hanger Espresso. These whole beans are medium roasted and are certified organic, fairtrade, and Kosher.
This blend is smooth and has fruity and chocolate tastes. It’s complex and silky, you’ll taste a cocoa finish in the end. These beans are ideal for the following brew methods: French Press, Pour Over, Espresso (of course!), and cold brew.
The beans come from Africa, Indonesia, Central & South America. While it’s not single-origin, the beans are grown sustainably, so you know that farmers in these regions can rely on a sustainable business and have a good life.
This coffee is Organic, Fairtrade, Kosher. This means that this coffee is good and fair for everyone related (coffee drinkers, farmers, and the environment). It’s 100% certified.
It comes in bags of 2.2 pounds (1 kg).
#2. Starbucks Dark Roast Whole Bean Coffee
Starbucks comes with a special “espresso roast”, ideal for any “top 10” list for espresso beans. These whole beans are dark roasted and have tasting notes of molasses (syrup) and caramelized sugar.
These beans are perfect with steamed milk, because of the caramelly taste.
The beans are 100% Arabica.
Starbucks has quality assurance, stating that you’ll have high-quality and authentic products when these products are shipped and sold by Amazon.
It comes in 6 bags of 12 oz, meaning a total weight of 72 oz (2040 g).
#3. Intelligentsia Black Cat Classic Espresso
Intelligentsia is a brand that started in 1995 and was founded in Chicago. It’s born out of passion, that’s for sure. They arrive on our list with their famous “Black Cat” brand for espresso. The beans are medium roasted. They are directly traded, meaning they cut out unnecessary importers and exporters, investing in the relationship with the growers.
These beans contain notes of Dark Chocolate, Ripe Cherry, and Brown Sugar.
It’s made from 100% Arabica beans from Brazil and Colombia.
It comes in 12 oz (340 g) bags.
#4. Pilon Gourmet Espresso Whole Bean
PILON is a brand that originates from Cuba and goes back to the 19th century (1865).
They come with whole beans, suited for espresso. It’s a rich dark roast and made from 100% Arabica coffee.
This can be a nice change if you’ve never tasted Cuban coffee. It’s very popular but not suited for everyone and every brew method.
They come in 2 packs of 16 oz (454 g), totaling 32 oz (908 g).
#5. Lavazza Grand Espresso Whole Bean Coffee
Lavazza is a popular Italian coffee brand and goes way back (19th century, 1895).
They come with the “Gran Espresso”, meaning Grand Espresso. These whole beans are medium roasted and thus suited for espresso. It’s a balanced medium roast with a chocolatey and spicy aroma and rich flavor.
The beans are a mix (blend) of 40% Arabica beans from Brazil and Honduras, with 60% Robusta coffees from Uganda.
The coffee is blended and roasted in Italy, Europe. Espresso originates from Europe, Italy.
The blend is balanced and has tasting notes of cocoa, black pepper. It’s also suited for drip coffee makers, French Press, Moka pot.
It comes in 2.2 pounds bags (about 1 kg).
#6. Eight O’Clock Whole Bean Coffee, Dark Italian Espresso
Eight O’Clock is a brand that goes way back. It has about 160 years of experience in the coffee industry (since 1859). They come with a dark roast here, Dark Italian Espresso.
It’s made from 100% Arabica coffee and is certified as Kosher. Being darkly roasted, it has a strong aroma and subtle flavors of chocolate and caramel in a bold finish.
These beans are suited for espresso, drip, french press, cold brew.
It comes in a 2-pound pack (907 g).
#7. Supreme by Bustelo Whole Bean Espresso Coffee
Bustelo is founded in 1931 and has almost 100 years of experience in coffee land.
They come with the Supreme Bustelo, a premium blend. It’s a rich, dark coffee roasted for Cuban Coffee or Cappuccino. When opting for a cappuccino, top it with warm milk (not boiled) or whipped cream. You can sprinkle with cinnamon, cocoa, or another flavor of your choice for a great cappuccino.
The beans are made from 100% Arabica beans.
It comes in a 16 oz pack (454 g).
#8. Lavazza Super Crema Whole Bean Coffee Blend, Medium Espresso Roast
We all know Lavazza, it’s is a popular Italian coffee brand and goes way back to (19th century, 1895).
They come with a super crema blend. It’s a medium espresso roast. It’s called “Super Crema”, meaning super creamed. It has tasty notes of hazelnut and brown sugar.
The blend has flowery, fruity notes, a soft texture, and compact cream. It’s made from 60% Arabica coffee beans and 40% Robusta beans.
The coffee is blended and roasted in Italy, Europe. Espresso originates from Europe, Italy.
The blend is balanced and has tasting notes of roasted hazelnut and brown sugar. It’s also suited for drip coffee makers, French Press, Moka pot.
It comes in 2.2 pounds bags (about 1 kg).
#9. Café Britt® – Costa Rican Espresso Coffee
Café Britt is a Costa Rican brand. Costa Rica produces great coffee, before Café Britt, gourmet coffee was exported. This means that the Costa Ricans and visitors of the country had only access to the lesser beans. Café Britt saw an opportunity in this. This was about 30 years ago (founded in 1985).
This Whole Bean Coffee is a dark roast and has a bolder taste. It has tasting notes of apple, dark chocolate, and wildflowers.
The beans are 100% arabica and come from Costa Rica. It’s great when combined with crema and milk. This coffee is certified kosher and is gluten-free.
The beans are packaged in triple-layer bags to keep them fresh.
They come in 12 oz packs (about 340 g).
#10. Whole Coffee Bean Italian Espresso Medium Dark Roast
Filicori Zechhini is an Italian brand, that goes way back (1919) and is over 100 years old. They’re 2 families and still run the company in Bologna and they’re recognized as “Espresso Specialist”.
They come with the FORTE, it’s a medium-dark roast. It’s a blend of Arabica and Robusta beans. The beans are grown in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. They roast first and blend after that, other companies blend first and roast afterward.
They’ve various certifications: SCA (Specialty Coffee Association), Quality certification from the Italian Institute of Espresso.
This blend is perfect for Espresso, Cappuccino, Macchiato, Latte.
It comes in 2.2 lb bags (about 1 kg).
WHAT IS ESPRESSO?
Why are we writing a separate post about espresso beans? Why don’t you use regular coffee?
The quality of the beans matter, that’s a fact for sure, but they don’t decide the greatness of your cup of coffee.
Espresso has its origins in Europe, Italy. Espresso comes from the Italian word “esprimere” and is translated as: “to press out”.
An espresso is a small amount of very concentrated coffee. It’s made by putting water under (a lot of) pressure for a short time. The water is shot through a small amount of finely ground coffee. The coffee-to-water ratio is about 1: 2. For X coffee, you’ll need 2X water. To give an example, the ratio of a pour over is way higher, 1: 16.
The brew never gets as hot as in a pour over, it has less time also. Remember, we’re preparing a shot of coffee here ;). This means that, generally, there isn’t as much extraction and thus the taste will be more bitter, sour. That’s why they use darker roasts.
WHY USE ESPRESSO BEANS INSTEAD OF REGULARS?
There’s a reason for everything, this is also the case for espresso beans. We will discuss this in the following subtopics. It always starts from personal taste and preferences. That’s the most important question to start with. If you’ve answered what you like, you can review the following subtopics.
#1. Roast
We already know that the coffee-to-water ratio can be 8 to 9 times lower compared to brewing pour over. There’s less water, less time to breathe, less extraction, and thus a more bitter, sour taste. That’s why the preferred roasts are darker. The longer you roast, the smokier and bolder the taste is. In general, the darker the roast, the more suited it’s to pair it with milk and other sweeteners.
#2. Roast date
This might be one of the best available indicators of the freshness of your beans, aside from packaging. In general, coffee is the best within about 14 days after roasting. Don’t confuse it with the best by date on your pack. Mostly, there’s no roast date mentioned on the package.
#3. Single-origin beans or blend?
Relying on single-origin beans only is gambling in my book. As a homebrewer, you’d want to have that feeling of control. What is single-origin? It means that it comes from a single place or location in the world. A bean that’s growing in Africa might not taste the same as the one in Colombia or Costa Rica, even if it’s Arabica.
Will you choose one bean type or a blend? There are 2 very popular beans: the Arabica and the Robusta. Blends (a mix of various origins) can give you the chance to balance the flavor.
ARABICA
This is the most popular bean in the world. The Arabica is grown in high places, around 1.200 m in height. In general: the higher the location of the bean, the better the bean. The best types are located in Central, South America (e.g. Brasil) and African countries like Kenya and Tanzania. Arabica beans are more acidic and sweet when compared to Robusta.
ROBUSTA
The Robusta bean is not as popular as its Arabica counterparts, but getting there. It grows in places where the Arabica can’t grow and is more resistant. It contains more caffeine (2x – 3x). Robusta beans are cheaper and more used for instant coffee. In general, people say Robusta is inferior to Arabica, but that’s not true we think. For espresso, it can be a great solution.
BLEND
Blends are popular because of the mix with Robusta, they’re cheaper. Blends can be a solution for espresso, reduce the price, reduce the acidity in the coffee. Do you drink a lot of milk in your coffee? Blends with Robusta might satisfy you.
CONCLUSION
In general, it’s safe to use 100% Arabica blends instead of blends with Robusta. Again, it’s all about personal preferences. In general, Arabica will do the job, but there are great Arabica-Robusta blends out there that will give you great taste. Companies like Lavazza offer them. It’s all about trial and error. Go and taste for yourself! Don’t ever think of a coffee that has Robusta in it as low quality!
#4. Country of Origin
The same beans that grow in different places over the world, won’t taste the same. Yes, they might have undergone the same processes but you want to have that extra control and look for beans that are grown in the same region or country! Remember, control what you can control!
F.A.Q.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ESPRESSO BEANS AND REGULAR COFFEE BEANS?
It depends on how you look at it. In general, a bean is a bean. The difference in beans is the period of roasting. Espresso beans are nothing more than coffee beans labeled for espresso use. By branding it as an espresso bean, you market your product for espresso-lovers.
DO YOU NEED ESPRESSO BEANS TO MAKE ESPRESSO?
No, you can perfectly use regular coffee beans. It all starts with defining what you want and prefer. Espresso beans have that label for espresso use. You can perfectly use dark roasted beans for this. Espresso is a brewing method that requires darker roasts and a very fine grind size. You can buy a brand of espresso beans and have a bad experience and buy regular dark roasted beans and be happier about the result. The thing is, with beans you can decide the grind size with a good grinder. That’s the beauty of the coffee world, no exact solution, and more roads are leading to Walhalla!
WHAT ARE THE BEST BEANS FOR ESPRESSO?
You should pick medium-dark roasted beans for this brewing method. Generally, when making an espresso, the water-to-coffee ratio isn’t as high when using other brewing methods like the pour over. This means less water through the grounds, thus not as warm. This can lead to a more acidic, sour, bitter taste. Darker roasted beans will compensate for this. In general, the darker your roast, the more likely it’ll be a great combination with milk (cappuccino, latte…).
WHAT MAKES A COFFEE BEAN AN ESPRESSO BEAN?
An espresso bean is a coffee bean that’s roasted for a longer period but can be perfectly used for another brew method. As we’ve said before, there’s no real difference between these 2 beans. When you see a product that is labeled as an espresso bean, it’s because the roasters and companies think it’s more suited for brewing that espresso.
CONCLUSION
Homebrewing your espresso with whole beans and grinding them gives you an edge for a great cup of coffee. If you’re an espresso fan, you can buy a specific brand of espresso beans. Don’t think you’ll have everything for a great espresso after you’ve bought them, because there are a lot of other variables that matter when brewing that great cup. Start from your personal preferences and tastes and embark on that journey. Buying beans give you flexibility for multiple grind sizes and brew methods.
We at Golden Sin have reviewed the best coffees on Amazon and suggest you can start with the whole espresso beans of Lavazza, Gran Espresso. They’re a blend of 40% Arabica beans and 60% Robusta beans. They can be a nice start to brew that espresso.
Enjoy your coffee!