A Guide To Ground Coffee For Espresso Machines
So, whether you’ve landed here because can’t bear to taste that pre-ground commercial grade coffee you’ve been picking up from Aldi or you’re on the hunt for something new and delicious, you’ve come to the right place.
Espresso ground coffee can be a little tricky to find. But once you have one that suits your tastes you can pretty much roll with this blend forever.
I’ve had the pleasure of tasting loaaaads of coffee over the last few years.
Here are some of my favourites - alongside an intro into some of our own.
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What Is The Best Ground Coffee For An Espresso Machine?
Espresso beans are typically dark roasted beans, with fuller body and a lower level of acidity.
They are rich in the coffee’s natural oils, which can give the beans a slightly oilier appearance.
Those at home who want to skip the grinding process and want to go straight for the pre-ground stuff can find pre-ground espresso which is specially tailored for the machine.
Espresso beans tend to be slightly cheaper as they tend to be a mixed blend of different origins.
Having a lightly roasted single origin Arabica bean will go to waste as the distinct flavours won’t necessarily pull through in the same way they would on pour over, or other slow brew methods.
So typically you are after balanced profile highlighting the richer flavours in coffee.
8 Best Ground Coffees for Espresso Machines UK
Here at Batch coffee we pride ourselves on showcasing some the some of the best independent coffee roasters and their seasonal single origin coffees from around the world.
We are a team of coffee professionals that have worked in the industry all around the world.
Our reviews are all our own words and we only recommend products or coffees that we love.
Check out our favourite ground coffee for espresso machines below.
1. Batch Coffee
Stock up…
Espresso Coffee - Seasonal Espresso
Volume - 200g or 1kg.
Packaging - Paper, Recyclable.
Shipping - UK
Value - ★★★★★★★★★☆
Batch Coffee is all about showcasing some of the best coffee in the world.
From the talented coffee roasters through to pioneering coffee growers.
After speaking to some of our amazing coffee subscription customers we found that some people wanted a consistently great espresso blend delivered fresh every few weeks.
That is why our team of industry professionals created the Batch seasonal espresso blend.
Our espresso blend consists of three origins.
Colombia
Brazil
Guatemala
The medium roast ensures that the espresso is smooth and balanced.
It can be enjoyed as an espresso but equally has the body and depth to cut through milk based espresso drinks such as flat whites or lattes.
The blend of the three coffees has been expertly crafted resulting in a smooth milk chocolate taste profile with notes of dates and an undertone of blackberries.
Learn more about Batch coffee subscriptions and espresso blends.
If you’re in for some Batch Espresso there’s a discount code hidden at the bottom of the page. Shhh
2. Grind Coffee
Espresso Coffee - House, Light, Decaf
Volume - 227g tin or 1kg.
Packaging - Tin, Plastic, recyclable.
Shipping - Worldwide
Value - ★★★★★★★★★☆
Grind was founded in 2011 when David Abrahamovitch took over his father’s Shoreditch mobile phone shop and decided to turn it into a café-bar.
In the decade since, Grind has grown to become a cult east London coffee brand.
It now comprises of eleven locations, including espresso bars, cocktail bars, restaurants, an international-grade recording studio, and a state-of-the-art coffee roastery.
Grind are still based in Shoreditch and now employ around two-hundred people with most of their investors over the years becoming Grind regulars and friends across the world.
Grind at Home lets you bring Grind coffee home - all the way from their state-of-the-art London coffee roastery and now serving in the UK’s very first completely compostable coffee pods.
Read more in our profile of Grind Coffee.
Fancy some Grind coffee for your bean to cup espresso machine? Check out Coffee and more at Grind.co.uk
3. Volcano Coffee Works
Espresso Coffee - 5 Blends, 1 Decaf
Volume - 200g or 1kg.
Packaging - Plastic, recyclable.
Shipping - Worldwide
Value - ★★★★★★★★☆☆
Volcano showcase some of the best coffee for cafetiere’s in the UK.
Their seasonal menu will entice newbie coffee drinkers through to seasoned coffee slurpers.
Kurt grew up in coffee-mad New Zealand and created Volcano to bring the great tasting coffee he had grown up with to the UK.
He did this while supporting the livelihoods of the communities who grow and produce it.
Volcano started life as a coffee cart that graced the streets of West Norwood but has now grown to a team of 30 passionate coffee people that operate out of their state of the art coffee roastery in Brixton.
The first batch of the day is always roasted by Kurt who is still the beating heart of the coffee business.
Volcano consistently produce some of the best coffee available in the UK at such a high volume.
Volcano Coffee Works believes in complete Supply Transparency, which means they insist on knowing where their coffee is from and visiting many of their farmers annually.
Read the full review here - Volcano Coffee Works Review
4. Origin Coffee Roasters
Coffee Menu - 4 Blends, 9 Single Origins, 1 Decaf
Volume - 250g or 1kg.
Grind Size - Cafetière, Filter or Espresso
Shipping - Worldwide
Rating - ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
Origin coffee was founded over 15 years ago by Tom Sobey and roast their coffee in Cornwall.
Having worked closely with his fathers coffee business growing up, he has always been involved in the industry.
After a trip to Australia in the early 2000’s where coffee culture reigns, Origin was born.
Since then Origin coffee has evolved into a full team of industry professionals, a world class coffee program, 6 coffee shops and an ever evolving product range.
Read the full Origin Coffee Review.
5. Gold Box
Espresso Coffee - 2 Blends, 1 Decaf
Volume - 250g
Packaging - Plastic, recyclable.
Shipping - Worldwide
Value - ★★★★★★★★☆☆
Gold Box is the Newcastle’s first and only commercial roastery/coffee bar.
It’s specialty coffee, but not as you know it.
The gentle whir of the Probat roaster behind the glass in the coffee lab, and the smell of dark chocolate, hazelnut and sweet aromatics in the air.
With Brewer’s Cup championship baristas and licensed Q-graders - with impeccable taste buds and over 20 years experience in the industry, Gold Box is undoubtedly one of the UK's finest specialty coffee roasters.
Read the full review here - Goldbox Review
Need some pre ground coffee for your espresso machine? Visit Goldbox’s Online Shop.
6. Balance
Espresso Coffee - 3 Blends, 1 Decaf
Volume - 250g or 1kg.
Packaging - Plastic, recyclable.
Shipping - UK and Ireland
Value - ★★★★★★★★☆☆
The name Balance lends itself perfectly to the fantastic cafetière coffee that these guys produce.
Balance Coffee a vibrant roastery based in London.
Founder James has worked in the coffee industry for 8 years and wanted to create a coffee brand with a mission to inspire people to drink better quality coffee at home.
The coffee that they roast is focused on selling to people who are looking at becoming more of a home barista and create that local speciality coffee shop experience in their own home.
With really clean and slick branding their eye-catching watercolour design is a clue about the style of coffee that they offer. They are not afraid to showcase an unusual origin and may provide that unique bag of speciality coffee you are looking for.
As is now demanded as the norm in the speciality coffee world, Balance wants to ensure they create a positive impact by supporting the livelihoods of coffee farmers at origin which in turn, helps create a sustainable supply of coffee for the future.
All of their green beans are ethically sourced from some of the highest quality coffee farmers from around the world.
Check out our Balance Coffee Review for more info.
7. Assembly Coffee Roasters
Espresso Coffee - 2 Blends, 1 Decaf
Volume - 200g or 1kg.
Packaging - Rice paper, recyclable.
Shipping - Worldwide
Value - ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
Assembly are the quality and customer focused coffee roaster based in Brixton, London.
They are one of the few coffee roasters in the UK that are pushing the boundaries of each aspect of their business.
The Assembly roastery is housed in a 19th century fire station in the heart of London.
The Loring roaster alongside a state of the art coffee sensory lab and a couple of event spaces to hold cuppings is a testament to how serious these guys take specialty coffee.
Launched in 2015 during the annual London coffee festival, Assembly are now showcasing their coffee on a global scale.
The biggest difference in how Assembly operates for me is their collaborations. When talking to their business manager, Ed, he explained how the team is in constant conversation with their customers, whether it’s a retail customer purchasing a 250g bag every other week or a wholesale cafe that orders dozens of kilos per week.
This conversation enables Assembly not only to build strong long lasting relationships and understand their customers wants and needs but also keeps their finger on the pulse of the specialty coffee industry.
These guys ship whole beans as standard but will grind the coffee for you if you specify in the comments box at checkout.
If you fancy a bag of espresso ground coffee from these guys; Visit Assembly’s Online Shop.
Also check out the full Batch coffee review of Assembly Roasters.
8. Foundation Coffee Roasters
Espresso Coffee - 3 Blends, 1 Decaf
Volume - 250g or 1kg.
Packaging - Paper, recyclable.
Shipping - Worldwide
Value - ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
World class coffee roasting crossed with laid back surf vibes. Waka waka.
Foundation coffee roasters are an independent roastery and equipment supplier based in St Ives, Cornwall.
They began their coffee journey with a mission to create quality and high-grade speciality coffee while at the same time using the best possible ethical practices that have a minimal impact on the environment.
This transcends from the sustainable relationships they build at source all the way through to the Omni-degradable and home compostable coffee bags that they showcase their coffee.
Read our Foundation Coffee Review in full.
Or head over to Foundations Online Shop.
9. Carnval Coffee Roasters
Coffee Menu - 15 Single Origins, 1 Decaf
Volume - 230g, 500g or 1kg.
Packaging - Plastic, recyclable.
Shipping - UK wide
Value - ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
Carnival Coffee Roasters, are an eco-friendly, speciality coffee roaster based in the heart of Penge, South East London.
Their love for life resonates through their bright and bold branding that always brings a smile on our faces each time they pop up on our Instagram feed.
Carnival are an inspirational team. Their focus on providing an eco-friendly product is a great example for future roasters to follow.
Their ethics transcend all the way from Colombia where they support sustainable coffee projects all the way to South East London where they offer local delivery on a bicycle.
Their story started in Medellin, Colombia where they grow and produce coffee on their family farm. The farm has been in the family for generations ever since Juan’s Grandfather won a mountainside on the outskirts of the city in a very lucky game of cards.
Even more luckily the conditions were ideal for growing coffee.
Read our latest Carnival coffee Review here.
Shop their delicious coffee via the Carnival Online Shop
How To Use Espresso Ground Coffee?
Brewing espresso involves using hot water forced through very finely ground coffee under high pressure.
The end-product is a shot of highly concentrated coffee with a caramelly richness and a crema on its surface.
This shot can be the basis of cappuccinos, flat whites, mochas and lattes, or just enjoyed on its own as an almost instantaneous dose of pep.
To obtain this shot though, you typically need an espresso machine which utilizes heat and finely tuned mechanical parts.
Many cafes lease their machines as this heat and the mechanical operations involved leave the machines requiring regular maintenance.
For this reason, the coffee grinders that sit side-by-side with the espresso machine need to be checked and calibrated on a daily basis (dialling in the coffee) to ensure the coffee beans are ground to the right level of fineness.
Although espresso machines are becoming more common in the home, for those looking for long term savings, some people still make use of the rather rustic Italian-style stovetop espresso pots.
Using a Moka pot is fairly simple – you fill the bottom with cold water and the filter with ground espresso, then place it on a hot stove hob to boil.
As it heats and bubbles, the water is forced through the filter and the ground espresso within it, into the empty pot above.
The pressure in a Moka pot isn’t enough to provide the same thick creamy top layer of emulsion you see on machine-made espressos, which is another reason why some opt for the
Grinding the beans so finely mean that certain beans will provide a better flavour.
Can You Buy Ground Espresso?
Whilst ground coffee beans will always be fresher than pre-ground powder, yes, you can buy ground espresso powder.
Even major supermarkets now stock espresso ground coffee, which they’ll have in bags or tins sitting beside instant coffee, dark roast or unground beans.
Is Ground Espresso The Same As Ground Coffee?
There are some differences between ground espresso and ground coffee, but the most major difference revolves around the preparation of the coffee, as opposed to the beans themselves.
The first major difference is that espresso is ground much finer than cafetiere, filter or pour-over coffee.
Whilst it is possible to use regular ground coffee in an espresso, the course grind doesn’t do your machine many favours and your shot may taste much more sour, as a result of an increase in acidity levels.
Regrinding the medium-ground powder so that is finer may cause your grinder to get clogged up. You can even make espresso with instant coffee, but it isn’t likely to taste enjoyable.
As for the beans themselves, the second major difference is that some coffee can often be designed to provide the light and more complex flavours that shine through filter or pour-over coffee brew.
Lightly roasted, single origin beans work better in these longer-brew methods, but may taste overly sour in espressos, or render that beautiful crema that the oils expressed in dark roasts provide.
Espresso arguably provides you with a lot more of the benefits coffee has to offer than other methods.
Filters often strip many of the natural minerals which give your cup great benefits. Even with its high-pressure heat system, espresso allows all of these minerals , along with the oils into your beverage.
This is obviously before you add milk, sugars, or sweeteners. If you want a longer black coffee, you can always make a shot, or double-shot espresso and add hot water for an Americano.
Many distributors, or growers will prepare blends of coffee beans, ground specifically for the home barista.
These speciality coffees tend to have incredible flavours and often work alongside sustainable supply chains, so that the farmers and the environment which they grow in are looked after.
How Long Does Ground Espresso Coffee Last?
Provided your ground espresso is nice and fresh when you first get it, you should consume it within one or two weeks of opening the bag it comes in.
It can often taste more bitter, or lose its freshness if it is consumed after this point.
How To Store Ground Espresso Coffee?
Just like storing regular ground coffee, avoiding excess heat, air, or light is the best way to go. An opaque, air-tight container kept at room temperature will keep your grounds usable for a week or two.
Freezing the grounds in a freezer-proof container can make them last somewhere between one and five months.
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