How to Buy Espresso Coffee

One of the biggest challenges in home espresso making is deciding in what form to buy the coffee. Many chances for experimentation present themselves, as the choices of coffees for espresso have increased over the years. Espresso coffee comes in three forms:

espresso pre-ground in a can,
espresso pods, and
whole beans.

Espresso Coffee in a Can

Most pre-ground coffees sold in supermarkets come in cans and are almost always blends. For espresso brewing, the coffee should always be dark roast. Even if you find a dark-roasted canned coffee, however, most of these coffees are ground too coarsely for home espresso brewing.

For a true espresso coffee in a can, it should have words displayed on it like “perfect for espresso,” “finely ground for espresso,” or something of that nature. These kinds of canned coffees are meant especially for espresso and come from a variety of locales.

Canned espresso coffee, however, has some drawbacks. The first is that canned coffees are never as fresh as whole beans that are ground before brewing. Secondly, there is not a wide variety of canned espresso coffees for those who seek it.

Coffee Pods for Espresso

Coffee pods are the latest trend in coffee-brewing technology. Coffee pods are similar to tea bags and have special machines made just for them. Some espresso makers are designed for espresso pods and some have attachments that will allow you to use one.

The advantage to buying coffee pods for espresso is the fact that the pod system is easy to use. Coffee pods give you the right amount of ground coffee for espresso, and beginners don’t have to worry getting it right. Just put the pod into the machine and turn it on. The process is simple.

The drawbacks to coffee pods are twofold. The first is that they are expensive. Compared to canned coffee and whole-bean coffee, you pay a lot more for coffee pods. You get off cheaper by buying whole bean or pre-ground coffee.

Secondly, coffee pods offer little in the way of variety. Some pods are made especially for some machines, so if you don’t own a particular machine then you cannot use their coffee pods. Whereas coffee pods offer more choices than canned coffee, they do offer less variety than whole beans.

Coffee pods are good for beginners. Most beginners, however, will move on to regular coffee as soon as they realize that

brewing espresso is not that difficult and
they pay more for espresso coffee pods just to get a cup of not-so-fresh espresso.

Whole Beans

The best method by far for brewing espresso is by grinding whole beans finely right before brewing. This ensures the highest quality and freshness.

Whole beans are sold in two different forms:

fresh in bulk bins and
in valve bags.

The cardinal rule of coffee is that air is the enemy of coffee. When buying espresso beans, it is imperative that the beans be as fresh as possible. The advantage to buying beans in valve bags is that they protect the beans from air. Once you open the bag, you will get fresh coffee beans.

Bins, on the other hand, are a different story. Beans sold in bins might have been roasted fresh that day, but then again they may not have. Specialty stores are a bit more reliable in this area than grocery stores.

Beans can be bought in grocery stores or specialty stores. Look for dark roasts and don’t be afraid to experiment until you have found the best bean for your espresso flavor.