Espresso Coffee

Espresso is a coffee brewing method that uses hot water under high pressure forced through a finely ground bed of coffee. It is characterised by its full body, smooth texture and is used as the base for popular drinks like the cappuccino and the flat white.

While we stock 250g bags of pre-ground espresso, our honest recommendation is to invest in a good grinder and opt for whole beans instead. Not only does this make a significant difference to freshness, but it also gives you the flexibility to dial in the perfect grind for your specific machine.

Absolutely. All of our coffee beans are roasted to work well across a range of brew methods. When we refer to espresso beans, we simply mean beans that we consider a great starting point for making espresso, but there is nothing stopping you from using them with a filter machine. It all comes down to personal taste, so we encourage you to experiment and find what works best for you.

Espresso is bold and intense, with a rich, complex flavour offering notes of dark chocolate, caramel, or subtle fruitiness. It should have a pleasant bitterness, bright acidity, and enough natural sweetness to keep everything in balance, with a thick, velvety body and a golden-brown crema on top.

Espresso works by forcing hot water through finely ground coffee at high pressure, typically around nine bars. This rapidly extracts the oils, sugars, and compounds from the grounds to produce a small, concentrated shot with a rich flavour and characteristic crema on top. For a full breakdown, take a look at our home espresso guide.

Yes, we do. Our award-winning Sparkling Water Decaf is perfect for espresso and, as the decaf of choice among our wholesale customers, it comes with plenty of coffee shop credibility.