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Buying espresso beans is actually more complicated than it used to be with the advent of things like single-origin and omni-roasting. Here you’ll get the full explanation of what you need to know.
Asser Christensen
| Espresso Beans | Roast Type | Beans Origin | Flavors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee Bros Espresso Roast Medium | Medium | Ethiopia and Colombia | Strawberry, sugar cane, vanilla |
| Illy Classico Espresso Ground | Medium | Not specified | Caramel, orange blossom, jasmine |
| Intelligentsia Black Cat Espresso Blend | Dark | Brazil, Colombia | Chocolate, molasses |
| Lavazza Espresso Italiano | Medium | Central and South America | Hazelnut, chocolate |
| Lavazza Qualita Rossa | Medium-dark | Brazil and Africa | Cacao nibs |
| Trade Coffee Subscription | Various | Various | Various |
The first question you may ask is, ‘why not just use regular coffee beans?’
There are several reasons that most cafés use a special blend for espresso and not just regular filter coffee. A lot can be said about the subject but here are the main reasons:
We already touched upon it, but yes, espresso should be at least a bit darker than regular beans. That is the tradition, and it’s also what most people prefer.
That being said there are many shades of dark.
I know it may sound vague, but my suggestion is to go for something that’s somewhere in the middle of the dark spectrum. This way you will get good results when drinking both lattes and flat whites, as well as single shot espresso. Beans can also be too dark and taste bitter and ashy.
How do you know if a given coffee is a dark roast? If the oil migrates to the outside of the bean, it means that it’s quite dark. If the beans have an almost shining surface, it’s considered a French or Italian style roast (aka really, really dark).
If the bean is still dark but dry in its appearance, we’d call it a ‘full city’ roast. That’s a bit darker than medium, but still quite suitable for espresso.
The arabica vs robusta debate can be quite heated and complicated.
Due to its bad publicity, I used to think that robusta was inferior to arabica no matter what but in recent years I have changed my opinion. It is possible to find quite a delicious robusta, however, it’s still a rarity.
Unless you happen to know a green coffee buyer personally, you’re not likely to encounter this kind of coffee. For sure, you’ll never find it in your local supermarket.
From nature’s side, Robusta is less sweet and less acidic compared to arabica. It tastes different and somehow cruder (but it also has more caffeine and creates more crema, so that will be a positive for some folks).
However, when it comes to espresso beans you can break some of the normal coffee rules. The beverage is so concentrated that you don’t need much acidity. For that reason, a properly grown robusta can actually taste delicious as a single-origin espresso.
Also, the species naturally has a higher content of caffeine and produces more crema than arabica, which might be attractive to some.
However, the main appeal of the robusta that you’ll see in commercial blends is that it’s cheap.
Some Italian espresso blends contain some Robusta. It’s worth trying to see if you like the flavor or not.
While I’m not usually a fan of the term “bro,” in the case of Coffee Bros, it actually fits since it’s a roastery run by two brothers.
I recently had the opportunity to try their Signature Blend, and I must say, I was thoroughly impressed.
This blend is a crowd-pleaser, and it works great both as a straight shot and as the base in a milk drink.
The coffee was medium-roasted to bring out all of the natural sweetness, making it ideal to recommend to both seasoned home baristas and people new to espresso.
The blend is made from 100% Arabica beans and not roasted too dark, which gives it a cleaner finish than many other popular espresso blends that contain robusta.
On the package, the brand mentions flavor notes such as strawberry, sugar cane, and vanilla. Out of those, I’d say the berries pop out the most. The blend is made up of Ethiopian and Colombian beans, and my guess is that the berry flavors come from a high percentage of dry processed Sidamo or Yirgacheffe.
I also liked that the coffee was roasted as soon as the order was made, so the bag I received was still at peak freshness.
This is a classic in the espresso community. Illy is a traditional Italian company that for many years was almost synonymous with espresso.
In spite of being a big and somewhat industrial enterprise, there’s no doubt that Illy puts a lot of care into selecting the right beans for their blends. That means sweet cherries with only a few defects.
This is the same kind of coffee that the world barista champions used only 16 years ago. They are medium roast and will suit almost any brewing style.
Illy is not going to win any competitions in the highly snobby and advanced coffee world we have today, but it also won’t disappoint in the cup no matter how you brew it.
This one is preground, so you don’t need a grinder. If you have a proper setup with your own grinder, then make sure to go for the whole-beans option.
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This is another legendary company in the American specialty coffee scene. Intelligentsia makes direct trade and has relationships with all the farms they buy from. They pay a reasonable cost and receive incredible quality consequently. This isn’t just marketing BS like it is with some of the big multinationals.
This particular coffee is dark, mysterious, and rounded. It has flavors of chocolate, caramel, and molasses.
This coffee is also low in acidity which means that it’s good for milk-based drinks or for those folks with sensitive stomachs.
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This is a medium roast coffee from Lavazza. It’s a subtle, balanced coffee with notes of hazelnut and chocolate.
This is truly an all-around coffee. You can use it in milk drinks or enjoy it as a straight shot.
I’m not sure why Lavazza calls it “Espresso Italiano” since that might confuse some people who’d think Italian espresso impled super dark and strong – this is NOT dark at all. If you’re looking for that then go for the next coffee on this list, Qualita Rossa.
Espresso Italiano is a more affordable alternative to Illy’s famous medium roast and I think it’s on par quality-wise. However, usually, it’s more affordable.
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This is another of the classic Italian espresso blends. Lavazza is kind of the evil twin to Illy and just as widespread in the motherland of espresso.
The Rossa version is one of company’s most famous blends. There is a bunch of robusta in here, so expect a strong coffee that doesn’t really offer that much regarding acidity or subtle flavors. This one is more about the crema, texture, and mouthfeel.
This is a very traditional espresso!
However, many people actually still like that. So if you’re reading this, and you’re not a hardcore espresso snob who’s deep into the rabbit hole of extraction theory, then you should give it a go.
It’s a potent shot of espresso with no acidity at all and subtle notes of cacao nibs.
What’s interesting is that it’s still a medium-dark roast. It’s not as oily as Starbucks for instance.
If you are looking for some beans to fill that superautomatic espresso machine, this would be an excellent choice.
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I’m a big fan of coffee clubs, and Trade Coffee is one of the best out there.
Most coffee subscriptions are difficult to recommend because they tend to focus on a specific style of roasting.
Trade Coffee is unique because they are hooked up with a bunch of different top-notch roasters.
You get special coffee recommendations based on your brewing method and coffee preference.
So if you like it dark and intense, you can get that. And if you like it fruity, you can select that option.
The algorithm that Trade uses to select the coffee is super precise.
So if you want to receive freshly roasted, awesome espresso beans curated specifically for your needs, then check out this club.
There’s even a generous discount when you sign up.
In this section, I’ll explain all the geeky stuff. Technically, you won’t have to know so much stuff, however, on the off chance that you view yourself as a genuine espresso sweetheart, why not grow your insight more?
As I already mentioned, single-origin has become the de facto standard among hardcore coffee snobs. Single-origin means that coffee comes from a single estate or, at least, a specified geographical location. This is the case in places like Ethiopia, where most farmers are smallholders, and coffee from different farmers will be mixed at the processing station.
Single-origin tastes more interesting because it lets you encounter the origin and terroir of a particular place. Imagine that you have a blend with four different coffees. It’s kinda hard to know what beans contribute to what flavor, right?
For precisely this reason, some roasters have started to offer single-origin espresso roasts. This means that the coffee has NOT been blended.
Typically, this kind of coffee will be roasted darker than the filter version of the same bean. However, it would usually not be considered a dark roast.
That means you will get plenty of acidity and notes of fruits and flowers in the cup. This also means that this kind of espresso bean is best enjoyed straight or diluted with hot water. Often this won’t work well with milk.
Omni roast is another one to look out for when you’re shopping for coffee. Some roasters, primarily the more fancy specialty roasters, have taken a new approach to coffee where they will talk about ‘Omni’ roasts.
Omni means ‘every’ in Latin, and this is precisely what these roasters are trying to achieve – some kind of one-size-fits-all roast that can be used for both espresso, pour over, and French press.
While this makes life a lot easier for the roaster, you should probably avoid this kind of roast if you like a traditional espresso experience or want to make lattes and cortados.
Inevitably, this kind of roast ends up being relatively light since it also has to work for pour over.
If you want to go for a blend, I suggest that you first think about whether you’re mainly going to drink straight espresso or you will be making milk-based drinks.
If the blend is for a straight espresso shot, I would definitely avoid anything with robusta. Go for a brand that is 100% arabica, preferably with some East African or Central American high-altitude coffees thrown into the mix. This assures that you’ll experience some fruity top notes. I like blends that are not too dark-roasted. The beans shouldn’t be shiny from oil on the outside.
If the beans are going to be used with milk, you can consider darker blends or even a blend containing robusta. Some people like a more “roasty” note that can be tasted through the milk.
How do you know if your basket/portafilter is pressurized? Most cheap espresso machines under a few hundred bucks come with the pressurized version. Sometimes, it can be a bit hard to see right away, so you have to pop out the metal basket inside the portafilter. If the basket is perforated with hundreds of small holes, it’s authentic. If it only has one exit hole in the middle of the basket, it’s pressurized. M
Well, it’s the same as regular espresso beans. Expresso is just a common spelling mistake. With an ‘S’; not an ‘X’.
It’s should be easy (not easy).
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