Best Coffee Beans in the UK

Review & Comparison, Last Update January 14, 2024
If you are rather an on-the-go coffee drinker, choosing the right coffee beans for home brewing might appear a daunting task, given ...Read more
PROS

Packed into an air-free, pressurized can, the coffee retains its authentic flavour and unique aroma, while a 250 g pack size minimises the risk of taste loss after longtime storage of an opened can.

CONS

It's not the best choice for string coffee lovers. 

OUR VERDICT

The Illy Classico coffee beans ranked by many reputed coffee nerds as one of the best morning refreshers and energy boosters. Ideal for long cappuccinos and lattes, this coffee has a flawlessly consistent, well-balanced, mild and smooth taste and remains fresh for a long time.

detailed parameters
Package

250 g can

Coffee Blend

100% Arabica coffee, sourced worldwide

Roast Level

Medium 

Recommended Brew Methods

French press (coarse grind)

Drip Machine (medium grind)

Espresso Machine (medium-fine grind

)Pour Over (medium-fine grind)

PROS

The roasting process is precisely controlled at all stages to save maximum original coffee taste from one batch to another. Even if you haven't been drinking this very variety for a certain period, you'll be able to tell the branded flavour from many others.

CONS

The beans are noticeably small. 

OUR VERDICT

Lavazza is well-known for their experiments in mixing Arabica and Robusta from different regions. And the Qualita Rossa is a vivid example of it. This variety stands out for a balanced delicate taste with slight hints of dried fruit and chocolate and boasts a thick golden crema and warm drink colour.

detailed parameters
Package

1 kg bag

Coffee Blend

40% Arabica and 60% Robusta coffee from Brazil and Africa

Roast Level

Medium 

Recommended Brew Methods

French press (coarse grind)

Drip Machine (medium grind)

Espresso Machine (medium-fine grind)

Pour Over (medium-fine grind)

PROS

The beans in this blend are from UTZ certified growers who are a part of a programme, maintaining better farming practices. Such collaboration allows the manufacturer to get premium coffee beans from the best estates.

CONS

Some batches might contain damaged beans. 

OUR VERDICT

What you'll get with the Amazon Brand Solimo blend is an optimal quality to price ratio. For 1kg price, you'll have as many as 2 kgs of freshly roasted and airtight packed coffee beans. Featuring a mild taste profile, this blend will be appreciated by many coffee lovers and make a perfect choice for big families of coffee addicts as well as for offices, receptions, and coffee bars in private hotels. 

detailed parameters
Package

 2 x 1 kg bags

Coffee Blend

100% Arabica coffee from Colombia

Roast Level

Medium

Recommended Brew Methods

French press (coarse grind)

Drip Machine (medium grind)

Espresso Machine (medium-fine grind)

Pour Over (medium-fine grind)

PROS

All beans included in this variety are roasted and blended in Italy, which is the homeland of traditional espresso and ristretto. Moreover, during mixing, all damaged or cracked beans are separated to avoid any side flavours in the final drink.

CONS

It is not recommended for pour-over brewing. 

OUR VERDICT

The Lavazza whole bean coffee blend will become an all-time fav of all espresso lovers. Great for espresso machines, this variety is distinguished by a meticulously selected combination of Arabica and Robusta beans from different estates in Brazil, America, and Indonesia, allowing achieving thick and silky crema.

detailed parameters
Package

1 kg bag

Coffee Blend

60% Arabica coffee from Brazil, Colombia, and India, 40% Robusta coffee from Indonesia and Vietnam

Roast Level

Medium

Recommended Brew Methods

Espresso Machine (medium-fine grind)

PROS

Made of mildly roasted 100% Arabica beans, this blend works best for drip or espresso coffee machines extracting the most of coffee flavour, and is a perfect basis for iced coffee drinks.

CONS

Once opened, it's hard to close the pack airtight. 

OUR VERDICT

Though a mild roast is rather rare, it is a peculiar characteristic of the Crema Leggero coffee beans from Cafe Royal. Its soft, smooth, and delicate taste with a sublime touch of fruity acidity ideally combines with milk. It will definitely become one love for those who prefer a cup of Joe with some dessert. 

detailed parameters
Package

1 kg bag

Coffee Blend

100% Arabica coffee from Indonesia and South America

Roast Level

Mild

Recommended Brew Methods

Drip Machine (medium grind)

Espresso Machine (medium-fine grind)

Pour Over (medium-fine grind)

Enjoy the Genuine Coffee Taste and Freshness

Freshly roasted beans exude an amazingly distinct coffee aroma that is prone to vanishing pretty quickly when beans are exposed to air. Therefore, roasted beans are usually packed into airtight foil bags to preserve their authentic flavour. The problem is, once the packaging's opened, it's hard to close it tightly enough to trap that exquisite flavour profile. That is where the Illy Classic beans, which come in a smaller pack, will be able to meet the most demanding coffee drinkers’ tastes.

Top-rated by numerous coffee connoisseurs worldwide for many decades, Illy brand is synonymous to premium quality. All their blends are mixed from 100% Arabica grown in various regions of Brazil, Ethiopia, Colombia, Guatemala, Costa Rica and India and boast consistent unique flavours. The Illy Classic is one of the most popular signature blends comprising the best coffee beans from nine different regions. Distinguished by a rich yet mild taste, this coffee will feel velvety on your palate and lend delicate sweetness with its lingering accents of chocolate, caramel, jasmine, and almond, with no signs of bitterness.

To let the beans retain that authentic taste profile and sophisticated aroma for longer, the beans come packed into an air-free pressurized tin with a tight-closing lid. Besides, a smaller can size of 250 g will minimise the risk of beans losing their taster due to prolonged storage of the open pack. And this amount will suffice to enjoy freshly brewed coffee for more than a week.

In a word, the Illy Classic is for those who like the smooth and refined coffee taste and are more into a long coffee than espresso. It will retain its genuine freshness and flavour cup after cup.

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price £6.50
Stock In stock
ASIN B000VOCQPW

A Perfectly Balanced Blend

On coffee packs, they often state 100% Arabica or Robusta (which is a more rare occasion). Despite that though, you'll still get the blend consisting of several varietals from different growing regions. This is a common thing, which allows creating a fuller taste profile. Besides that, manufacturers often mix different coffee beans to achieve a rich multi-fold aroma and add some distinct savour notes. In Lavazza, they definitely succeeded in that, and their Qualita Rossa blend, which stands out for its perfectly balanced full-bodied taste, serves as proof of it.

Lavazza's roasters are real blending wizards, and the Qualita Rossa is a pinnacle of their mixing and roasting art. Skillfully selected and medium roasted, it contains 60% of quality African Robusta and 40% of premium Arabica from Brazil. Due to lower in sugars Robusta prevailing in the blend, the drink will have a more bitter and robust taste, while a lower oil ratio will provide a warmer drink colour and give that luxury thick froth that defines a perfect Espresso shot. In addition, Robusta contains more caffeine, so, it offers a more energizing effect. High in oils and sugars Arabica, on the other hand, diversifies the flavour palette and delivers distinctive chocolate notes that interweave with light fruity scents.

Notably, the blend works great for all brewing methods. So, no matter whether you use a professional-grade espresso machine, a habitual drip coffee maker, or an ordinary French press, the coffee taste will be flawless and always recognizable.

To put it in a nutshell, the Lavazza Qualita Rossa is a choice for those who need a strong caffeine boost in the morning and enjoy an expressly bitter coffee taste.

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price £10.00
Stock May be out of stock
ASIN B002PM23YC

Get More for Less

When it comes to premium coffee brands, normally, they offer up-to-par quality and unique blends. The downside is they are rarely not expensive. That being said, you don't need to compromise the coffee quality and drink taste. With the Solimo coffee beans, you'll be able to get both.

First and foremost, at an average price of a 1kg pack of more expensive coffee, you’ll get as many as 2 kgs of coffee beans, coming in two single-kilo bags. It’s a long-term coffee stock for a family of avid coffee drinkers as well as a great deal for offices, receptions, mini-hotels, small cafes, bistros, and snack bars. The bags are made of high-quality material and diligently closed to ensure an air-free protective atmosphere for maintaining coffee freshness and keeping its original taste.

Speaking of which, the coffee taste and flavour don’t trail behind those of top-rated blends, though the mix is not made from artisan beans. Mostly, that’s thanks to the manufacturer's collaboration with UTZ certified growers, who are a part of the programme, maintaining better farming practices. It means coffee beans were grown in compliance with sustainable agriculture principles and under the programme, the manufacturer can get the best beans from the best estates. Consisting of 100% Arabica beans and medium roasted, the blend has a soft and mellow taste profile. In a drink, it opens up with a very mild and creamy aroma that has strong notes of dark chocolate, nuts, and some vague smokiness.

Shortly, the Salimo coffee beans stand out for the best price to quality ratio and offer a nicely balanced taste for a flavourful everyday cup of Joe.

Last updated price £17.26
Stock In stock
ASIN B07CGXZMT3

For Premium Quality Espresso

In Italy, they are really big on coffee and it’s no wonder that Italian coffee brands are among top-sellers. What is surprising though is that despite their love, you'll hardly find an Italian drinking cappuccino or latte. Why? Because they don't drink them. Instead, they have espresso and ristretto, which are served in the cup sizes that better reveal the original coffee taste and flavour profile. So, if you are an espresso fan, the Lavazza Super Crema coffee beans are for you.

The Super Crema is yet another blend of Arabica and Robusta beans from Lavazza. It’s made of 60% Arabica coffee from Brazil, Colombia, and India and 40% Robusta from Indonesia and Vietnam. As such, the mixture provides an ideal balance of sweetness and strength with delicate tones of sugar and berries and slight hints of peanut. Arabica lends excellent acidity with a typical winey aftertaste any good espresso shot should have. Meanwhile, Robusta ensures a full-bodied taste and gives an ideally thick and creamy foam top.

It should be noted that this Lavazza variety was specifically created for espresso machines. Of course, you can grind it and use some other brewing method; however, getting the best of the taste and aroma the mix has to offer can only be done with an espresso machine.

To resume, the Super Crema coffee beans will become an all-time love for all espresso addicts who love coffee and would like to get into Italian coffee brewing traditions.

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price £12.70
Stock May be out of stock
ASIN B000SDKDM4

Savour One-of-a-kind Mildness

The beans roast level is what helps accentuate specific coffee varietal taste notes and flavours. The darker the roast, the more oils are released onto the bean surface, and the stronger the coffee taste. Whereas medium roasts are the most popular and dark roasts are appreciated by strong coffee fans, light or mild roasts are pretty rare. With that, they are distinguished by a good body and intense aromas and feature a high caffeine content. If this sounds just like the type of coffee you prefer, the Crema Leggero from Cafe Royal will get you covered.

This blend is made of 100% Arabica beans from Indonesia and South Africa and is mildly roasted in Switzerland. Coffee varieties grown in Indonesia offer soft earthy flavours combined with a hint of spiciness and sublime bitterness. Meanwhile, South African beans lend fruity notes with delicate wine undertones and slight sweetness. All those accents flawlessly mix into a balanced fragrant bouquet with pleasant lively acidity.

On the pack, the manufacturer specifies that medium ground Crema Leggero coffee beans will work best for coffee Lungo (110ml). To extract the most out of coffee flavours, you can brew it in a drip coffee maker or an espresso machine. As such, the coffee will perfectly combine with milk and become an ideal match for bakery and desserts. Besides, you can use ground coffee for pour-over brewing to make refreshing and flavourful iced coffee drinks.

Summing up, the Royal Cafe coffee beans will be highly appreciated by those coffee drinkers who seek pure coffee aroma with a very mild, smooth taste and prefer creamy coffee drinks.

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price $0.00
Stock May be out of stock
ASIN B06XXQ662Q

What Are Coffee Beans?

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks loved by millions of people worldwide and for a good reason. Aroma-packed, refreshing, and energizing, it pampers your taste buds with a whole multitude of flavours, ranging from vigorous bitterness to mild chocolate and vanilla aftertastes. So, even with the right coffee machine and coffee grinder at hand, the savour of the coffee drink still largely depends on the quality and the blend of the coffee beans you choose. Yet, if you are a coffee lover eager to become a coffee brewer, selecting the right coffee beans can turn out to be a real challenge because you can't actually smell or taste it. That being said, all is possible if you're well familiar with your own preferences.

Broadly speaking, coffee beans fall into two categories including Robusta and Arabica. Harvested in high-altitude areas, Arabica has a mild acidic taste while Robusta from low-altitude areas has a stronger flavour with strong bitter notes. If you prefer one blend over the other, then it's essential to check out the content of coffee in order to get the general idea of the drink taste.

The next thing to consider is the coffee roast. The roast levels range from light through medium to dark. Notably, lighter roasts offer higher caffeine intake as compared to darker ones while dark roasted coffee has a more distinct flavour profile. If you are an Espresso fan, choose between light and medium roasts.
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