Whether you’re pulling your first shot or refining your techniques, espresso lovers often wonder, what beans make the best espresso? While taste is subjective, there are definitely some characteristics that make some beans easier than others to make excellent espresso shots.
We’re going to explore what makes certain beans better, including roast levels, blends, and origins and the Arabica vs. Robusta debate. Then we’ll finish it off with some tips for choosing the best beans to make the most flavorful, rich, and aromatic brews with that delicious crema on top.
Mmmm, who's craving espresso? Let’s pull ourselves a shot and start sippin’!
What Makes Certain Coffee Beans Good for Espresso?
Espresso is a brewing method, so you can use any roasted bean to make it, light, medium, or dark roasts, decaf, blends, and single origins; there are no limits!
Still, certain beans are more forgiving than others with this particular brewing method. For instance, dark roasts tend to extract the easiest and produce those bolder, classic espresso flavor profiles that many coffee lovers are looking for, which also makes it particularly well-suited for those still learning their machines.
Arabica vs Robusta: Which Beans Are Better for Espresso?
Generally speaking, Arabica is preferred since it’s typically considered a higher-quality bean with a wider range of flavor characteristics and complex aromas, though of course that also depends on the origin.
However, Robusta produces a thicker crema compared to Arabica.
Therefore, the best beans are often both types. Espresso blends frequently combine Arabica beans with a touch of Robusta to create a perfect shot.
How Roast Level Affects Espresso Flavor
Roast level has a profound impact on the flavor of coffee, no matter the brewing method, so it’s no surprise that it also affects the flavor of your shots.
Light Roast Espresso
Light roasts make unique espresso drinks because they retain more of the subtle flavor characteristics from the origin where they are grown, influenced by the elevation, soils, sun, water, farming, and processing methods. They are typically less bitter without being overly sweet and often have subtle fruity, floral, or earthy notes and a pleasant, lively acidity that is usually best served without milk.
However, these can be a little trickier to extract those subtle flavors really well, so it’s typically recommended to try them after you gain some experience using darker roasts in your machine.
Dark Roast Espresso
Dark roasts are the traditional roast used in espresso, producing those rich, bold shots with flavor notes of bittersweet chocolate and toasted nuts with a slightly smoky finish. The higher temperatures and longer roasting times make the beans more porous and their compounds more soluble. This process also makes them more forgiving, perfect for beginner baristas. You can drink it straight, dilute it, sweeten it, or use it to make milk-based drinks like lattes and cappuccinos.
Curious About Roast Levels? Try Roasting Your Own
If you’re a home roaster and really want to see how roast level affects the flavors and aromas in your cup, try our certified organic, Fair Trade Green Espresso Smooth or Green Espresso Ultra. These are unroasted green coffee beans that you can enjoy roasting at home.
You can try roasting the same beans at a light, a medium, and a dark roast and see how they compare firsthand.
However, while freshly roasted is best, too fresh can be tricky in espresso because there’s more carbon dioxide in the beans. That can create bubbles and channeling and may produce inconsistent flavors. So, we recommend letting freshly roasted beans rest (in a sealed container) for a week before using them and then using them within one month.
Some of the Best Coffee Origins for Espresso
While you can use any origin in your espresso machine, we’ve compiled a short list of some of our shade grown, certified organic, Fair Trade coffees from origins that we think you might especially enjoy as espresso:
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Colombian coffees from our partners at the Cooperativa del Sur del Cauca (CoSurCa) produce a well-rounded shot with delicious chocolate, caramel, and fruity notes, a smooth body, and a clean finish.
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East Timor coffees from our partners at the Cooperativa Café Timor (CCT) are deep and complex, popular for their full body and low acidity, producing shots with notes of cocoa, spice, and dried fruit.
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Papua New Guinea is popular for its full-bodied and low-acidity coffees. Our partners at the Timuza Organic Coffee Cooperative grow these beans with care in remote and rugged terrains, and they produce tasty shots with notes of warm baking spices, rich cocoa, and a touch of earthiness.
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Honduran coffees from our partners at the Café Orgánico Marcala Sociedad Anónima (COMSA) are sweet and balanced, with gentle acidity and notes of caramel, stone fruit, and chocolate.
Single-Origin Espresso vs Espresso Blends
Single-origin vs. espresso blends is another debate coffee enthusiasts live to debate.
So, which is best?
As with all things coffee, what’s best is what tastes best to you! Really. If you’re not sure which you enjoy the most, try them all and taste for yourself.
In a nutshell though, similar to light roasts, single origins highlight the different flavor notes characteristic of that origin. This allows you to explore different fruity, citrus, floral, earthy, and other flavor notes, but they may require a bit more precision and experience to extract well.
Blends, on the other hand, combine multiple flavor profiles that you can't get from single origins. Espresso blends also often combine Arabica beans with a bit of Robusta for a crema boost that espresso lovers enjoy. For instance, our certified organic, Fair Trade Italian Espresso Roast is a carefully crafted blend that produces excellent classic espresso shots with ease.
4 Tips for Choosing the Best Espresso Beans
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Choose certified organic, Fair Trade, shade-grown beans sourced through long-term partnerships with farming cooperatives. The care that goes into growing the beans will be reflected in your cup.
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Choose whole beans and grind fresh at home just before brewing for the best aromas and flavors.
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Check the roast date. Avoid buying coffee that is more than a few months old since coffees taste best when freshly roasted instead of sitting on a shelf in a warehouse for a year. At Dean’s Beans we always roast to order so your beans are as fresh as possible.
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While freshly roasted is best, if you’re a home roaster, keep in mind that espresso beans work best about one week after roasting, rather than brewing them the same day.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Beans Are Best for Espresso?
Carefully crafted espresso blends or a dark roast will be the best and easiest beans to extract well and produce a satisfying shot. Still, once you get some experience, try light and medium roasts and single origins, since you can use them all to make excellent espresso.
Are Darker Roasts Better for Espresso?
Many people prefer darker roasts for espresso because they’re easier to extract and they produce that rich, bold flavor many espresso drinkers are looking for. However, many people also enjoy light and medium roasts, so experiment and see which you like best.
Bring Out the Best in Your Espresso
Espresso is a brewing method that lets you get creative, experimenting to see what you like best.
If you’re new to this method or just new to your machine, start with a reliably delicious blend like our certified organic, Fair Trade Italian Espresso Roast that pulls consistently satisfying shots every time.
Or maybe you have some experience or just love to experiment; if so, try different roasts, single-origins, and blends to see what you like best. We hope you’ll discover a new favorite among our certified organic, Fair Trade coffees!
