Top Picks for the Best Espresso Coffee Beans in 2025

#1 Choice – Koffee Kult Dark Roast Coffee Beans

Like I said, this is my go-to bean. It smells like rich, spicy, nutty, espresso bliss. You can tell just by looking at it and smelling it that Koffee Kult really takes care with roasting their beans.

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When you open the bag and pour it into your grinder, you notice a dark and glossy coating on the bean, almost like it is sweating. This should make you smile. This is exactly what you want to see. I have purchased some beans that look dry, brittle and simply not even close to the quality of these beans.

The Koffee Kult beans are 100% arabica, fair trade and organic. It is a blend from some of the best coffee producing regions in the world, Columbia, Guatemala and Sumatra.

While there is a big trend in single origin coffee right now, you just won’t get the same complexity of flavors as a traditional blend. Espresso beans are traditionally blended to extract the best from each region to make an extraordinary cup of espresso. The roaster at this artisan company has over 25 years of experience and it shows.

This may sound odd, but I walk through my kitchen multiple times a day and just sniff the bag. The fragrance is so spot on, it’s hard not to. This bean has over 800+ good reviews on Amazon for a reason. With that many rave reviews, you know it’s going to make you want to jump out of bed in the morning to whip up a cappuccino or latte.

Try a bag and let me know what you think. I’d be thrilled to hear if you enjoy it as much as I have been lately.

#2 Choice – Lavazza Super Crema, Whole Bean Coffee

Founded by Luigi Lavazza in 1895 in the city of Turin, Italy, Lavazza has been distributing the finest espresso coffee beans for more than a century, which gives them some serious street cred. Each Lavazza whole bean coffee bag is filled with some of the best espresso coffee beans on the market.

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Lavazza uses a mixture of 80% sweet arabicas and 20% robustas, the combination being luscious and full of flavor, with a thick, velvety crema, which holds up well for both lattes and cappuccinos.

The beans themselves are the perfect medium to dark brown shade and evenly roasted. The flavors are distinctly European in taste, less fruity than most, certainly chocolate based and more rich in flavor. Each sip is like enjoying a cup on the streets of Rome in Italy.

There are several bean options, but the “Super Crema” is just awesome for straight espresso shots, though all of the varieties Lavazza offers are top-quality and delicious.

These beans received a killer rating of 4.2 stars out of 5 on Amazon, where a 2.2 lb bag is currently available.

Lavazza Super Crema Hot Features:

• A blend of smooth Brazilian coffees, Central American milds, and delicate sweet Indonesian varieties.
• Supercrema delivers a velvety crema and a long-lasting taste.

#3 Choice – Kicking Horse Coffee, Whole Bean Cliffhanger Espresso

Kicking Horse coffee is currently Canada’s #1 organic fair trade coffee, which is pretty cool and pretty serious. In this industry, Fair Trade basically means a percentage of the sale on each bag is donated to coffee harvesters from third-world countries.

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This helps make the coffee industry more sustainable and improves the lives of small, micro growers. The organic seal of approval also ensures you are getting a quality, conscientiously-farmed product.

A coffee lover who knows good-tasting espresso from mediocre espresso will be surprised by the subtleties of flavor and richness of the Kicking Horse beans. They offer a range of different flavors: Cliffhanger Espresso Medium, Kick Ass Dark for regular coffee, and Three Sister’s Medium, also for regular coffee brewing.

The Kicking Horse Cliffhanger espresso beans received a rating of 4 and a half stars out of 5 on Amazon, where you can order a pouch.

This is my favorite for when I want to change up my rotation and really impress family and friends.

Kicking Horse Cliffhanger Hot Features:

• Canada’s #1 organic Fair Trade coffee
• Certified Organic
• Certified Fair Trade
• Certified Delicious

 #4 Choice – Coffee Bean Direct Espresso Whole Bean Coffee

Founded a decade ago in New Jersey, the Coffee Bean Direct company has a strong reputation for distributing finely crafted espresso coffee beans with especially nuanced flavor profiles.

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Not only does Coffee Bean Direct fill each bag with espresso coffee beans roasted according to the company’s uniquely popular roast guidelines, but the company also ensures that the espresso coffee beans stay fresh longer by roasting them immediately prior to packaging. The beans are also slow-roasted, which makes them even more flavorful and densely aromatic.

This bean received an exceptional rating of 4 stars out of 5 on Amazon with over 400 reviews (that’s a lot!), where a 5-pound bag is currently available for sale.

Coffee Bean Direct Espresso Hot Features:

• Coffee is roasted fresh immediately prior to packaging
• Coffee beans are slow-roasted to bring out a fuller, more even flavor
• Whole bean coffee stays fresher longer
• Coffee beans are packaged to ensure optimal freshness
• The most popular coffee roasted by Coffee Bean Direct

You may have the best espresso machine in the world, but if you use mediocre espresso coffee beans, you won’t be able to truly enjoy the capability of your machine. I hope our reviews of three of our favorite espresso beans will help you select a quality product for your morning espresso fix!