The Best Coffee Beans for Espresso in Dubai (and How to Choose Yours)

Oct 10

2 min read

Espresso is the most demanding way to brew coffee: nine bars of pressure, around 25 seconds, and nowhere for a dull bean to hide. The right beans make the difference between a flat, bitter shot and a sweet, syrupy one.

What makes a bean good for espresso

Body: a full, heavy body gives a thick shot and stands up to milk.
Sweetness: chocolate, caramel and nutty notes taste balanced under pressure.
Roast: medium to dark roasts are easier to dial in at home than very light ones.
Freshness: fresh beans give more crema. Grind just before you pull the shot.

Our picks for espresso

Crave Dark Roast: the fan favourite. Dark chocolate and caramel with a creamy, full body. Excellent in flat whites and lattes.
Unreal Dark Roast: deep dark chocolate and a long, smooth finish, and great value for 1kg.
Split & Soul: a 50/50 Arabica and Robusta blend. The Robusta adds body and crema; almond, cocoa and apricot on the finish.
Tuned: 60% Peru Arabica, 40% Uganda Robusta, with nutty notes, fig and a choco-chip finish.
Player 1 (Brazil): a natural-process single origin from the Cerrado Mineiro with chocolate, caramel and almond.

Arabica, Robusta, or both?

100% Arabica gives a sweeter, more nuanced shot. A little Robusta adds body, crema and caffeine, which is why many espresso blends use both. If you drink your coffee with milk, a blend like Split & Soul or Tuned is a great place to start.

Dialling in at home: a simple starting recipe

18g of ground coffee in, about 36g of espresso out, in 25 to 30 seconds.
Shot running too fast and sour? Grind finer. Too slow and bitter? Grind coarser.
Weigh it. Our guide on how to use a coffee scale shows you how.