The Starbucks brand reaches far beyond the coffee shop and has been available in grocery stores and online for years now.
And if you’ve never ground your own Starbucks espresso beans at home, you’re missing out. The sheer freshness is enough to get you hooked.
Not sure where to start or what beans to pick up? Consider these five best Starbucks espresso beans you need to try first; they’re all fan favorites and sure to please.
5 Best Starbucks Espresso Beans You Need To Try
5. Starbucks Espresso Roast
The quintessential Starbucks espresso roast, the making of this whole-bean coffee hasn’t changed since its inception in 1975.
With notes of rich molasses and caramel, the beans for this roast have been sourced from the Asian-Pacific region and Latin America and are 100 percent Arabica.
It can be used in a coffee maker, a coffee press, using the pour-over method, and even the Moka pot, for the strongest brew.
One reviewer for the Starbucks Espresso Roast on Amazon states, “This roast is a staple for my daily espresso. I’ve tried dozens of different roasts, and this is one of the best.
“Rich notes, strong flavor and caffeine keep me ordering this weekly. One of my favorite dark roasts for espresso and drip coffee!”
4. Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast
For a lighter yet still complex flavor, there is the Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast, a whole-bean coffee that hails from Latin America.
Starbucks At Home describes it as “boldly mellow,” and says the bean blend “was carefully roasted to coax out sweet, vibrant notes.”
This lighter-bodied coffee pairs beautifully with milk, and is delicious served hot, but the sweetness really shines when cold brewed.
3. Starbucks Café Verona Dark Roast
Speaking from experience, this Starbucks Café Verona Dark Roast is the ideal bean for coffee drinkers who like mochas.
The dark roast was initially made specifically for a Seattle restaurant, and it was called Jake’s Blend.
When Starbucks coffee shops started selling it, it was known as 80/20 Blend, but it is finally known as Verona, named after the Italian city (and setting for Romeo and Juliet).
Its beans are sourced from both the Asian-Pacific and Latin America and are, like all of Starbucks’ beans, 100 percent Arabica.
The flavor is subtly sweet with significant cocoa notes; like I said, if you love your mochas (but don’t love all the calories), this coffee is a great replacement.
It’s full-bodied and robust and tastes great with a bit of sugar and creamer.
Reviewers on the Amazon product page agree; one says, “It doesn’t get any better! Love this coffee. It has an absolutely amazing flavor.
“My coffee is one of my greatest pleasures in my days…and I can’t recommend this enough.”
2. Starbucks Komodo Dragon
Named after the giant monitor lizards who hail from the same country as the beans which make up the Komodo Dragon coffee – Indonesia – this dark roast is strong and rich.
The beans are infused with an earthy, almost herbal aroma, with a “lingering spice”; in short, these coffee beans are complex, making them not for the faint of heart.
Stay Roasted says, “Komodo Dragon blend tastes interesting and has a rather fiery taste,” and “You might be able to detect notes of cedary spice and herbs.”
On the product page for Amazon one reviewer writes, “Love the full body rich flavor. A great cup of Joe to start my morning off.”
Another says, “My boyfriend and I have had a really difficult time in the past trying to find a coffee we both like black…
“…We have tasted a whole bunch of coffees and we love this coffee. It’s very nutty tasting. There is no acidic sourness at all. This coffee has definitely turned into our go-to…”
1. Starbucks Italian Roast
Take the Starbucks espresso roast and go a step darker – that was the skill and precision of Starbucks’ expert roasters in creating the Starbucks Italian Roast.
It’s full-bodied and bold, with beans hailing from the Asian-Pacific and Latin America and combined to create this roasty coffee.
Despite being darker than the Espresso coffee, it doesn’t have the smoky flavor of the French Roast, and there are notes of caramelized sugar within.
It’s a surprising sweetness from a coffee so dark, and its complemented beautifully when paired with milk or creamer and sugar.
To know more, you can also read our posts on Starbucks Sweet Cream, Starbucks Medicine Ball, and Starbucks Cold Foam.
Conclusion
Starbucks has long been people’s go-to for coffee when they’re out and about, but now you can bring the whole bean goodness home – all you need is a coffee grinder.
These five coffees represent the very best of Starbucks espresso beans, whether light and sweet or dark and toasty; there is sure to be a blend that will suit your tastes.
