What Kind of Coffee Is Best for Espresso Brewing? A Complete Guide and How to Choose

There are few things more rewarding than brewing delicious espresso at home, and part of that is finding the best kind of coffee for espresso brewing. With the proper equipment, technique, and of course, coffee, you can pull rich, flavorful shots on par with your local café.

While having a high-quality espresso machine is important, you also need to consider the coffee you use. The roast profile and grind size can have a significant impact on the final flavor of your espresso. In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to select the ideal coffee to pull the perfect shot and make some personal roast recommendations that I’ve found to be really spot on in an espresso machine.

Can You Use Any Coffee in an Espresso Machine?

Yes! You can use any kind of coffee in an espresso machine, although you do need to make sure it’s ground for espresso brewing.

When using espresso machines, the roast profile is purely a personal preference. You can use any roast from light to dark based on the flavor notes you enjoy. The key factors are grinding the coffee properly for optimal extraction and using freshly roasted beans for maximum flavor. These two things are far more important than the roast for delicious espresso.

With espresso, there is often an assumption that you need a dark roast. However, light, medium, and dark roasts can all produce delicious espresso when brewed correctly. And remember that there’s no difference between coffee beans and espresso beans, so feel free to experiment and see what you like the most. The high pressure and rapid extraction of an espresso machine will accentuate certain flavors while muting others.

So by understanding how different roasts influence flavor, you can select the ideal coffee to match your tastes.

Light Roast Coffee in Espresso Machines

Light roasts, sometimes labeled as City, City+, or New England roasts, are roasted for a shorter period of time. This brings out more flavors associated with the coffee’s origin, rather than the roasting process itself.

Why? Roasting causes chemical changes in the beans, breaking down complex sugars into simpler sugars and caramelizing them. The shorter the roast, the less this occurs, which means light roasts don’t have the same levels of compounds in them as medium or dark roasts because the beans aren’t exposed to heat for as long.

During roasting, the sugars and acids partly responsible for fruitiness degrade as the roasting time increases. So, light roasts retain much of the bean’s inherent bright, fruity notes. Acids like malic, citric, and phosphoric acid lend tart apple, lemon, and berry flavors. Meanwhile, amino acids impart a floral, tea-like quality.

In espresso, the high pressure extraction tends to accentuate the roast character rather than the coffee’s origin characteristics. So while light roasts will be less fruity than when brewed in a pour over, for example, you’ll still get lovely acidity, sweetness, and floral flavors coming through.

Light roasts are ideal if you enjoy some fruitiness but find medium or dark roasts to be too overpowering. The acidity adds vibrance, while the roast contributes some body and balance.

Some delicious light roast coffees to try for espresso:

Ethiopia Agaro: Peach, apricot, jasmine
Colombia Finca El Ocaso: Apple, milk chocolate, hazelnut
Rwanda Karongi: Blackberry, lemon, silky body

Medium Roast Coffee in Espresso Machines

Medium roasts like Full City or Vienna are roasted longer than light roasts, allowing more sugars to caramelize and the flavors of the roast itself to develop fully. But the roasting time isn’t so extensive that the coffee’s origin characteristics are overwhelmed, as they would be in a dark roast. You get a harmonious balance of fruitiness, acidity, and roasted flavor.

During roasting, sugars take on a brown hue and degrade into the rich, roasted notes we associate with coffee. Compounds like pyrazines impart nutty, toasty notes, while phenylacetic acids lend a honey-like sweetness. Meanwhile, Strecker degradation during the extended roasting time results in malty, chocolatey flavors.

In espresso, medium roasts truly excel. The natural sweetness that comes out from the high pressure and fast brew time balances the inherent bitterness, while some fruitiness remains. You’ll also experience more body and viscosity compared to a light roast. Medium roasts offer broad appeal—sweetness, complexity, and robust flavor.

Some tasty medium roast selections for espresso:

Guatemala Huehuetenango: Milk chocolate, cherry, almond
Sumatra Mandheling: Brown sugar, cedar, rich mouthfeel
Mexico Chiapas: Caramel apple, vanilla, cinnamon

Dark Roast Coffee in Espresso Machines

Dark roasts like French, Italian, and “espresso” or Italian roasts are defined by their very dark brown color and oil sheen on the surface of the beans. These coffees are roasted considerably longer, caramelizing more sugars and muting most of the inherent acidity and fruitiness. What remains is profound, roasted flavor.

During extended roasting times, nearly all the sugars break down. This removes the compounds responsible for fruitiness, resulting in a smooth, heavy bodied coffee. Oils migrate to the surface of the bean, imparting a thick, velvety mouthfeel and that oh-so-delicious crema everyone looks for at the top of their espresso shots.

Meanwhile, peptide chains and amino acids degrade into melanoidins, imparting bittersweet chocolate and roasted flavors. At the darkest levels, you may even detect notes of char, smoke, and burnt sugar. You’ll also get some bitterness from the cell walls of the coffee bean, which break down as you continue to roast the coffee.

In espresso, dark roasts feel right at home. The inherent sweetness balances the bitterness. And since fruity acids are subdued, you get a smooth, richly flavored shot. Dark roasts also pair nicely with steamed milk. Try a dark roast if you enjoy deep chocolate and roasted nut flavors and want something on the bolder, darker end.

Some excellent dark roast selections for espresso:

Sulawesi Toarco: Dark chocolate, pipe tobacco, sweet spice
Ethiopia Harrar: Blueberry, molasses, creamy
India Monsooned Malabar: Cocoa, marshmallow, smooth

Grind Size Matters, Especially for Espresso Brewing

While a consistent grind is crucial for any brew method, it’s absolutely vital for espresso. Because of the high pressure and rapid extraction, even tiny changes to coffee particle size can dramatically influence flavor.

Finer grinds have more surface area exposed to the hot water, allowing compounds like acids, sugars, and oils to extract more efficiently. But if the grind is too fine, the grounds compact into a dense “puck” that impedes water flow. This leads to over extraction of bitter coffee compounds because the water interacts with the grounds for longer.

Meanwhile, coarser grinds have less surface area and facilitate freer water movement. However, particles that are too large will underextract, missing out on sweetness and body.

To make delicious espresso, you need an extremely fine, consistent grind, similar to superfine powdered sugar, with minimal “boulders,” but you also want to avoid overly small particles that will overextract. This enables even, thorough extraction and proper brew times. High end grinders minimize particle size irregularities so you can achieve that perfect balance.

For espresso, a grind between 250-400 microns is recommended, although some people prefer a bit finer or a bit coarser. Using a high quality burr grinder designed specifically for espresso is a must, in my opinion. Grinders that “do it all” won’t provide the same precision and consistency grinding larger for French press, for example, and for espresso.

Dialing in your grind size while pulling test shots allows you to hone in on the right brew time and flavor equilibrium. From there, taking good care of your grinder ensures repeatable outcomes every time.

Finding Your Favorite Espresso Roast

Espresso brewing highlights and intensifies some flavors, while muting others. Generally speaking, espresso highlights the flavors in your grounds associated with the roasting process more so than the bean’s origin. However, light roasts with minimal roasting character can still make for delicious and complex espresso.

By understanding how light, medium, and dark roasts differ, you can choose coffees tailored to your preferences. I suggest sampling various roasts to experience the range. Look for quality, fresh coffee properly ground for espresso preparation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What roast profile is best for beginners to use in their espresso machine?

For beginners, a medium roast is a safe bet to start with in an espresso machine, as it will include some bright and fruity notes for complexity but also the darker, chocolatey notes that most people adore in espresso. The complexity will help new users experience the range of flavors espresso can offer, and the natural sweetness helps counterbalance bitterness from improper preparation as beginners practice their technique.

Is freshly roasted coffee necessary for good espresso?

Freshly roasted coffee, ideally roasted within the past 1 to 2 weeks, is highly recommended for espresso. Freshness preserves the aromatic compounds that give coffee its nuanced flavors and aromas. After coffee is ground, it rapidly stales, losing its vibrancy. With espresso, freshness is particularly important since the short since so much of the ground coffee will be exposed to damaging oxygen that rob your coffee of its full flavor.

How often should I clean my espresso machine?

You should aim to clean your espresso machine on a weekly basis. This involves backflushing the group head with plain water or espresso machine cleaner to rinse out leftover coffee oils and residue. Additionally, descaling every 2 to 3 months removes mineral buildup from the water that can clog shower screens and affect flavor over time if left unattended.

What is the ideal espresso brew time?

Aim for an espresso brew time between 20 and 30 seconds, with 25 to 30 seconds being preferable. This timing depends on the fineness of the grind and how the coffee is packed into the portafilter, both of which have an impact on how quickly water can travel through the puck under pressure—and, as a result, how long your espresso extracs. Tweak these factors to hit the target brew time for optimal extraction and flavor balance. Brewing longer than 30 seconds risks overextraction, and under 20 seconds will yield a sour shot.