Best Coffee for Espresso Machines

The best coffee for an espresso machine must meet several important criteria related to its origin, roasting process, and even the grinding method. In an espresso machine, you can brew both freshly ground coffee and pre-ground coffee. The taste will be influenced primarily by the coffee's origin, variety, and roasting level.

Contents:
Does the product differ depending on the brewing method?
Which beans should you use?
How to choose a product for pressure brewing?
Variety
Bean Freshness

Does the best coffee for espresso machines differ from coffee for drip coffee makers?

Choosing the best coffee for a specific type of espresso machine requires understanding the unique characteristics of the two popular brewing methods: pressure and drip. Properly matching the roast and grind size of the beans to the specific equipment you are using is key to achieving the optimal flavor and aroma of the drink. Pressure espresso machines, including automatic, manual, and capsule machines, brew coffee under high pressure, effectively extracting the hidden flavors and aromas in the beans in a short amount of time. This method makes the coffee much more intense in flavor and is perceived as “strong” by most people. However, this "strength" only reflects the flavor, as the short extraction time in pressure brewing results in a lower caffeine content. For such machines, it’s best to use medium and dark roasted beans, which offer a balanced flavor profile, highlighting both sweet and acidic notes. Drip coffee makers, on the other hand, work by slowly filtering hot water through ground coffee, allowing for a more thorough extraction of flavor and caffeine from the beans. For this method, it’s important to select beans with a light roast profile, which best showcase the flavors and aromas during the longer extraction process, ensuring depth and intensity of flavor with a significantly higher caffeine content.

Which beans should you use?

When we talk about the best beans for espresso machines, we often refer to pressure brewing. Whether you have a manual or automatic espresso machine, it’s best to brew dark roasted and finely ground coffee. This way, the brew will be intense, rich in flavor and aroma. For coffee brewed in a drip machine, choose light roasted beans, ground slightly coarser to allow the liquid to flow freely through the filter—too fine a grind may clog it.

How to choose the best 100% Arabica whole bean coffee for a manual or automatic espresso machine?

The best coffee for both manual and automatic espresso machines is 100% Arabica whole bean coffee, ground just before brewing. However, this doesn’t mean that if you can’t grind the beans yourself at home, you’re stuck with lower-quality coffee. Buying pre-ground coffee also has its advantages. Professionally ground coffee is tailored to the intended brewing method. At JAVA Coffee, you can choose from five grind levels, suited to your needs. You don’t need to buy an espresso machine with a grinder or a separate device to enjoy an aromatic drink. Our coffee is ground just before shipping and packed in specially designed bags to retain its aroma for as long as possible. However, the form of coffee for espresso machines is not the only factor determining its flavor and aroma. As mentioned, the roasting level is also crucial. For pressure methods, which involve quick brewing, dark roasted coffee is used, as light roasted beans wouldn’t have enough time to release their flavors and aromas, resulting in a “weak” espresso rather than the characteristic intense brew. It’s also worth noting that the darker the roast, the more chocolatey notes and bitterness you can taste in the brew. If you prefer milder, more fruity coffee, you might consider switching to a different brewing method, like drip. What else is important when choosing high-quality coffee?

Coffee Variety

In our range, you’ll find coffee with various flavor profiles, intended for different purposes and roasted to different levels. We have beans from countries like Ethiopia, Brazil, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Colombia. Every product in our store is 100% Arabica beans. Why? Currently, specialty-grade coffee (which best meets the high evaluation criteria of coffee experts) consists exclusively of Arabica beans, prized for their complex and delicate flavor. Its main competitor, Robusta, is known for its more bitter taste and higher caffeine content. Hence, some people choose to buy blends of these two varieties, balanced in terms of flavor and strength.

Freshness

If you want to brew the best coffee in your espresso machine, order beans or pre-ground coffee directly from the roastery. This guarantees a verified origin and freshness of the product. Our coffees are roasted no later than 7 days before shipping. You can try them as part of a test set, and after choosing the best option, you can subscribe to our coffee subscription for regular home delivery.

The best quality coffee for espresso machines is certainly freshly roasted specialty coffee. Our offer includes a wide range of espresso-roasted beans—from medium-roasted, which offers balanced acidity and a richness of flavor notes, to dark-roasted for lovers of Italian flavors. If you can’t grind the coffee yourself before brewing, choose the finely ground option, which we specially recommend for espresso.