Are you an espresso lover and want to know what kinds of beans you can use to make espresso? Or maybe you’re new to this concentrated brew, and you just want to learn more? Either way, let’s pull a shot, sit down, and explore what makes this particular brew so unique.
We’ll also bust the myth of “espresso beans”, looking at what kinds of beans you can use, which are the easiest, and why.
What Is Espresso?
While people often assume espresso is a particular type of coffee, it’s actually a brewing method. It makes highly concentrated shots of coffee brewed by forcing hot water under about 9 atmospheres of pressure through very finely and evenly ground coffee for about 20 to 30 seconds.
The result? A remarkably rich cup with a thick, velvety texture, deep aroma, concentrated flavors, and that signature crown of a thick, dark golden layer of crema on top.
Crema is unique to espresso. It forms when trapped carbon dioxide (CO₂) is released as intense water pressure emulsifies the natural oils from the ground coffee with the hot water, trapping micro-bubbles of CO₂ gas in the process and creating that amazing, frothy mouthfeel.
At this point, you can either drink it as a concentrated shot of coffee or use that flavorful shot to make milk-based drinks like cappuccinos and lattes.
What Makes Espresso Different?
What makes espresso different from standard drip or pour-over coffee is how it’s brewed. First, it uses a very fine grind size that's almost a powder-like consistency. This helps ensure a consistent extraction under pressure, which extracts the most flavor.
Then, instead of relying on gravity to slowly pull the water down over a few minutes like most coffee brewing methods use, it’s brewed using high pressure to force hot water through the ground coffee in under 30 seconds. This rapidly extracts the flavors and oils from the coffee, producing a shot with deep flavor, aromas, and crema you just don’t get from regular coffee.
Can Any Coffee Bean Be Used for Espresso?
Yes, you can literally use any roasted coffee to make espresso. There’s no rulebook or special bean; it's simply a brewing method used to make concentrated shots of coffee.
This is what makes espresso fun: exploring how different beans, origins, and roasts reveal unique flavors under pressure that you might not get in a regular brew. You can also experiment with different temperatures, pressures, and brewing times, as small changes can lead to surprisingly different shots.
Why Some Coffee Beans Work Better for Espresso
While making great coffee comes down to choosing good beans, using clean equipment, and your growing barista skills, some beans are naturally more forgiving to work with than others.
Roast Style
Dark roasts tend to extract the easiest, which is perfect for new baristas or dialing in a new machine. The longer roasting time coaxes the natural oils to the surface, which makes it more velvety and helps generate a thick, luxurious crema.
Darker roasts produce those bolder classic espresso flavor profiles: think bittersweet chocolate, toasted nuts, and a smoky finish. They also blend beautifully with dairy or plant-based milks for making milk-based drinks.
Light roasts are physically denser and don’t give up their flavors as easily under pressure, requiring more precision to bring out the bright fruity, floral, or earthy flavors they’re known for. These are best tried once you get experience with grind precision, water temperature, and patience. Their delicate flavors can also be more difficult to appreciate in milk-based drinks.
Medium roasts are a great middle ground for home brewers. They provide a balanced sweetness of deep caramel sweetness with a hint of natural acidity in a clean, crisp shot that’s more approachable for home baristas.
And if you really want to see firsthand how roast level impacts the flavor, try home roasting our certified organic, Fair Trade Green Espresso — Ultra sourced through long-term partnerships with farmer cooperatives, ensuring you get quality beans grown with care.
Bean Origin
Every origin, from Ethiopia to Guatemala, Mexico to East Timor, produces a different flavor profile. Some of those flavors will become more concentrated when brewed under pressure, which may be fantastic, or less appealing, depending on the flavor and your personal preferences. To find out which you prefer, look at the flavor profiles from different origins, and start experimenting!
Bean Freshness
When it comes to strong aromas and flavors and that thick, rich crema, freshly roasted beans are crucial.
For the most vibrant flavors and the best crema, we recommend using beans within 6 months of their roasting date, as long as they’re unopened and stored at stable temperatures. Once opened, they’re best used within one month.
And to really ensure freshness, grind your beans right before brewing to maximize the flavors and aromas.
What Are “Espresso Beans”?
Espresso is a brewing method. Therefore, there really isn’t such a thing as “espresso beans.” People often assume there are because you can buy espresso blends, which some people mistakenly think are a specific type of coffee.
In reality, these blends are designed for balance, with the goal of handling high-pressure extraction without becoming sour or bitter.
Espresso blends tend to be dark roasts, like our certified organic, Fair Trade shade-grown Italian Espresso Roast Blend made with dark-roasted Arabica and a touch of Robusta to give it a richer crema. Like all our coffees, it’s created from long-term partnerships with farmer cooperatives, ensuring you get a quality, flavorful cup.
Espresso Beans vs Regular Coffee Beans
Here’s a quick summary so we’re all clear:
Espresso Beans
Espresso beans are any bean used to brew concentrated coffee. They tend to be dark roasts but can be any roast or origin. They are ground very fine, almost to a powder, to ensure rapid, even extraction under pressure.
Regular Coffee Beans
Regular coffee beans can also come from any origin or roast. These are ground from coarse to fine (but not to a powdery consistency), depending on the bean, brewing method, and personal preferences.
Can Single-Origin Coffee Be Used for Espresso?
Absolutely! Making single-origin espressos is becoming increasingly popular in specialty coffee circles. They often produce very unique shots, as each origin has a distinct flavor profile that reflects the climates, elevations, soils, and farming traditions where they’re grown and processed.
For example, exploring the complex flavors of Guatemalan coffees, like we get from our farmer partners at the ASOBAGRI (Asociación Barillense de Agricultores) cooperative, yields beautiful shots with notes of cocoa, baking spice, and citrus, balanced by a bright, clean acidity.
Or if your tastes lean more towards dark chocolate, earthy, and savory flavors, pull a shot using single-origin beans from our partners at the Koperasi Gayo Lauser Antara (KGLA) cooperative in Sumatra.
Of course, experimenting is part of the fun, so try them all and see which origins are your favorites!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do You Need Special Beans for Espresso?
No, you can use any bean to make espresso since it’s a brewing method rather than a type of bean. Dark roasts are popular, but you can try other roast levels, blends, or single-origin beans. The key is grinding very finely and brewing under pressure using an espresso machine.
Can Light Roast Coffee Be Used for Espresso?
Yes, you can use light roasts for espresso. However, they may be more challenging to extract well to highlight their more subtle flavors. So new baristas often start with dark or medium roasts before experimenting with light.
Find the Coffee That Works Best for Your Espresso
Since there really are no such things as “espresso beans," which coffee works best ultimately depends on your personal preferences and, to some degree, your skills with your machine.
If you’re new or using a new machine, a carefully crafted blend is a fantastic way to begin. Our certified organic, Fair Trade Italian Espresso Roast Blend is designed to make cafe-quality shots with ease.
Then, get creative and experiment with different origins or roasts. Any of our certified organic, Fair Trade coffees can be used in your espresso machine, and we'd love to know which one is your favorite!
