Coffee beans for espresso machines: which bean suits your espresso
A soft hiss as you open the bag, then the aroma rises: chocolate, roasted nuts or ripe peach. A few minutes later, your espresso runs dense and dark into the cup. The bean is the part of your coffee corner you get to choose again and again, a little luxury that can taste different every week. So the nicest question to start with is: how should your espresso taste?
In short: For an espresso machine, coffees roasted for espresso are the right fit. Chocolatey-nutty roasts give a full, sweet espresso and taste wonderful in a cappuccino. Light omniroasts show fruit and freshness, as espresso and as filter. Instead of a roast date in days, we work with resting times. We roast our house coffees ourselves in our roastery in Zurich. That is how we advise at Coffee Coaching Club.
Which flavour suits you?
In an espresso, everything the bean holds reaches the cup in concentrated form. Three flavour worlds help you choose.
Chocolatey and nutty: full, sweet, wonderful with milk
These coffees give a dense, sweet espresso with plenty of body and crema, just as lovely on its own as in a cappuccino. Cozy Chocolate, a natural from Brazil, tastes of cocoa and dark chocolate. Nutty Delight brings Brazil and India together in hazelnut and a creamy body. Cozy Nut is the espresso of the Italian bar, chocolatey and nutty at once. Chestnut Delight and Creamy Chestnut are reminiscent of roasted chestnuts and come into their own beautifully in milk drinks. And if you are looking for maximum fullness with no acidity at all, reach for Very Nutty, a powerful Robusta from South India.
Fruity and lively: light omniroasts
An omniroast is roasted to taste good both as espresso and as filter. A light roast keeps the fruit, freshness and sweetness of the bean. Wild Peach from Ethiopia shows ripe peach and a hint of berries, Bright Cassis blackcurrant and a sparkling freshness. Choco Rouge, a microlot from India, brings berries and dark chocolate together in one cup.
Elegant and mild
Jungle Flower, a washed single origin from Peru, is creamy and mild, with a floral elegance and a delicate hint of jasmine. A coffee for calm, beautiful moments.
At a glance
| Coffee | Flavour | Origin | Right for you if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cozy Chocolate | cocoa, dark chocolate, velvety body | Brazil, natural | you like it round and chocolatey, on its own or with milk |
| Nutty Delight | hazelnut, creamy body, dense crema | blend from Brazil and India | you like it strong and nutty |
| Cozy Nut | chocolate, hazelnut, dense crema | blend from Brazil and India | you love the espresso of the Italian bar |
| Chestnut Delight | roasted chestnuts, cocoa, dark chocolate | blend from Brazil and Vietnam | you want your cappuccino to taste warm and nutty |
| Creamy Chestnut | roasted chestnuts, strong, creamy body | Vietnam, Robusta | you love milk drinks with plenty of body |
| Very Nutty | tree nut, syrupy body, thick crema | South India, Robusta | you are looking for maximum fullness with no acidity at all |
| Jungle Flower | creamy, floral, a hint of jasmine | Peru, washed | you like it elegant and mild |
| Wild Peach | ripe peach, berries, freshness | Ethiopia, light roast | you enjoy discovering something new |
| Bright Cassis | blackcurrant, sparkling, clear | Ethiopia, light roast | you are looking for liveliness in the cup |
| Choco Rouge | berries and dark chocolate | India, microlot | you want fruit and chocolate in one cup |
You will find all our coffees under coffee beans. Jackson, our AI advisor, helps you find your bean around the clock.
How the roast level tastes
Darker roasts bring body, chocolate and roasted aromas to the fore, lighter roasts fruit, freshness and sweetness. Both are wonderful; it depends on your moment: the strong espresso in the morning, the fruity one in the afternoon. You can see how roast level and resting time work together in our roast level and freshness simulator.
Resting time instead of a roast date
After roasting, the bean still releases carbon dioxide. This gas gives the beautiful crema, and espresso tastes roundest when the bean has been allowed to rest a little first. That is why we work with resting times instead of a roast date in days. We explain why in why we don't give a roast date in days.
To keep the beans lovely for a long time, just as they were when you opened them, store them whole, airtight and in the dark, for example in a canister from Airscape. Grind shortly before brewing, and every cup smells fresh.
Bean, grinder and machine
The bean unfolds with what the machine gives it. Brewed hotter, more body comes through; a little cooler, the picture becomes more layered, and you can taste temperature differences from just half a degree. Our experience: the light, fruity roasts show what they hold particularly beautifully on a saturated or hybrid group. The E61, known for its full body, goes wonderfully with the chocolatey-nutty coffees. More on brew groups in brew groups compared.
We brew espresso by weight: ground coffee and espresso go on the scale. With a single-dose grinder you switch from bean to bean, because nothing stays in the grinder; more in coffee grinder for beginners. You can see which machine suits you in espresso machine for beginners.
Roasted in Zurich
We roast our house coffees in our own roastery in Zurich Oerlikon. The roast profiles are developed by Yalcin Akpinar, qualified food chemist and coffee roaster, with controlled temperature curves, so that each bean unfolds exactly the aromas we chose it for.
You order online, and we deliver throughout Switzerland and to Liechtenstein. On the 1 kg bags of most house coffees, you automatically get a volume discount from three bags, in any combination.
You can also find us in person
In the café in Bern at Gerberngasse 44 and in Zurich Oerlikon at Hagenholzstrasse 50b, our coffee runs through the machines all day long. Drop by for an espresso and get to know our coffees in the cup.
Frequently asked questions
Which coffee beans are right for espresso machines?
Coffees roasted for espresso. Chocolatey-nutty roasts such as Cozy Chocolate or Nutty Delight give a full, sweet espresso, and light omniroasts such as Wild Peach show fruit and freshness. Your taste decides which one suits you.
Which beans suit cappuccino and milk drinks?
Chocolatey-nutty coffees with plenty of body. Cozy Chocolate, Nutty Delight and Cozy Nut carry the milk wonderfully, and Chestnut Delight and Creamy Chestnut bring a warm chestnut note to the cappuccino.
What is an omniroast?
An omniroast is roasted to taste good both as espresso and as filter coffee. Our omniroasts are light roasts, so that the fruit, freshness and sweetness of the bean are kept, for example Wild Peach and Bright Cassis.
Why don't you give a roast date in days?
Because freshness is a process. After roasting, the bean still releases carbon dioxide, and espresso tastes roundest when it has been allowed to rest a little first. That is why we work with resting times instead of a roast date in days.
Arabica or Robusta – what is the difference?
Arabica brings sweetness and a great variety of aromas, Robusta plenty of body, a dense crema and a nutty warmth. In blends such as Cozy Nut or Chestnut Delight, the two complement each other. Very Nutty and Creamy Chestnut are pure Robustas.
What is the best way to store coffee beans?
Whole, airtight and in the dark, without constant changes in temperature, for example in an Airscape canister. Grind only shortly before brewing, and every cup smells fresh.
Is there a volume discount on coffee beans?
Yes. On the 1 kg bags of most house coffees, you automatically get a volume discount from three bags, in any combination and without a code. You will find all the details on our volume discounts page.
Written by Yalcin Akpinar, qualified food chemist and coffee roaster at Coffee Coaching Club. Updated: October 2026.
