So don’t feel you have to search out the perfect espresso coffee bean if you want to start making your own espresso. Good quality coffee beans are all you need.

Now, how those coffee beans are roasted is another matter. Nobody drinks espresso because they like a mild drink. It’s supposed to be bold and richly flavoured, so you really wouldn’t want to make espresso with lightly roasted beans. A good dark roast can go by several different names, including French, Italian or simply an espresso roast. A “Full City” roast is a little lighter but will also work well for brewing espresso.

When you are buying your espresso coffee beans, make sure you don’t buy more than you can use in a short time. If you buy ground coffee, you’ll only have a few days before it starts to go stale. Buying whole roasted beans will make it last longer, more like 2 weeks. You just have to grind them yourself. Your espresso will be that much better anyway with coffee ground immediately before brewing. If this is the route you choose to go, there are espresso machine models with built-in grinders that will make the process go smoothly.

For either steam or pump powered espresso machines, you should always have your beans ground finely. Not quite down to a powder, but more like the grains in white sugar. It’s not a necessity though. Any coffee ground to a medium coarseness for a drip coffee maker will work fine in an espresso machine as well.

Related posts:

1. Espresso Beans
2. Tips to Make Espresso
3. Imported Espresso