10 Best Espresso Coffee Beans in Canada: 2024 Reviews & Top Picks

If you are a seasoned espresso drinker or have only newly acquired a taste for it, you already know that to make a cup of your favorite drink, you need the equipment: espresso maker, the cups, and most crucially, the beans. If you’re on the lookout for new beans so you can pull your own shot at home, you’re probably aware that there are so many to choose from.

There’s a certain art form that comes from creating and drinking espresso, so to start you off on the right path, we investigated and created reviews of the best espresso beans available to Canadians. We hope that the outcome for you is a tasty espresso shot!

A Quick Comparison of Our Favourites (Updated in 2024)

	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		Lavazza Super Crema Medium Espresso Roast	Produced in a nut-free facility Beans make a perfect mild and balanced espresso Mild and creamy with notes of hazelnut and brown sugar	CHECK PRICE
Best Value		Kicking Horse Cliff Hanger Espresso	Canadian coffee roasters Medium roast with berry and cocoa notes Kosher, organic, fair trade, and shade grown	CHECK PRICE
Premium Choice		Kimbo Extra Cream Espresso Beans	Bold flavour tastes of southern Italy Beans from Brazil, Colombia, and India Sweet with notes of licorice and pepper	CHECK PRICE
		Ethical Bean Sweet Espresso	Roasted in Canada Certified organic and fair trade Rich and velvety with chocolate and toffee notes	CHECK PRICE
		Starbucks Espresso Roast Whole Bean	Bold and rich roast Tasting notes of caramel and molasses Dark roast with Arabica beans from Latin America	CHECK PRICE

The 10 Best Espresso Coffee Beans in Canada

1. Lavazza Super Crema Medium Espresso Roast — Best Overall

The best overall espresso beans for Canadians are Lavazza’s Super Crema Medium Espresso Roast. Lavazza is a renowned family from Italy that has been coffee roasters since 1895 and are currently the fourth generation. These espresso beans are a medium roast, so it’s a mild and creamy shot with brown sugar and hazelnut tasting notes. The beans are made in a nut-free facility, and they are perfect espresso beans if you’re looking for a mild and balanced shot.

The main issue with these espresso beans is that you sometimes receive the product with a roast date that is older than it should be, particularly if you want it fresh.

2. Kicking Horse Cliff Hanger Espresso — Best Value

The best espresso beans in Canada for the money are the Kicking Horse Cliff Hanger Espresso beans. Kicking Horse was created by coffee roasters based in Invermere, BC, and is fair trade, organic, shade grown, and kosher. The beans are grown sustainably and environmentally and socially responsibly in Indonesia, Africa, and South and Central America. This medium roast is also 100% certified and has wild berry syrup and cocoa tasting notes.

The cons with these beans are that they can be a bit oily, and some might find them bitter.

3. Kimbo Extra Cream Espresso Beans — Premium Choice

Kimbo’s Extra Cream Espresso Beans is our premium choice pick. Kimbo is a coffee roaster based out of Naples, Italy, and provides espresso beans with notes of licorice and pepper. It makes a medium roast with a thick and sweet crema. The beans are from Brazil, Colombia, and India. If you’re looking for an espresso that has a bold flavour and tastes just like you’re drinking espresso in Southern Italy, these are the beans for you.

However, being a premium-choice pick means they are expensive, and given that the beans are from Italy, they aren’t always the freshest.

4. Ethical Bean Sweet Espresso

Ethical Bean’s Sweet Espresso is certified organic and fair trade. It makes a rich and velvety espresso with dark chocolate and toffee tasting notes. The company sources its beans from South and Central America, and they are roasted in Vancouver, BC. One of the coolest things about these coffee roasters is that you can trace where your beans came from. You simply scan the QR code on your bag of beans, and you will receive information on where your beans were grown, when they were roasted, and how they score for acidity, sweetness, and body.

The issue with these beans is that some might find them not quite as robust as they’d prefer.

5. Starbucks Espresso Roast Whole Bean Coffee

Starbucks Espresso Roast Whole Bean Coffee is a dark roast made with Arabica beans from Latin America (Mexico, Colombia, Puerto Rico, and Costa Rico). These beans make a bold and rich espresso with notes of molasses and caramel. Plus, this coffee is quite well priced.

On the downside, the beans are oilier than some other brands, and the best-before date tends to be expired or too close to the current date by the time that you receive it.

6. Lavazza Espresso Italiano

Lavazza’s Espresso Italiano is a smooth medium roast with flower and fruit tasting notes. The beans are 100% Arabica from South and Central America and have that traditional Italian espresso taste and aroma.

However, the issue with these beans is that they are imported, as the beans aren’t necessarily at their freshest.

7. West End Coffee Roasters, Signature Espresso

The West End Coffee Roasters, Signature Espresso is roasted in Canada, with Arabica beans from Central and South America. It’s a sweet medium roast with citrus and milk chocolate tasting notes. The beans are roasted in small batches and are packaged immediately after roasting. West End Coffee Roasters carries a few other espresso beans, including organic ones.

But there isn’t a roasting date on the packaging, and the beans are sometimes too dry.

8. Borbone Italian Espresso

The Borbone Italian Espresso is roasted in Naples, Italy, and features 50% Arabica and 50% Robusta beans. The beans are a medium roast but give you an intense flavour with a sweetness at the end. It produces a good crema and is full-bodied but low in acidity.

The problems are that the beans are imported from Italy, so they might not be fresh, and that some people have found the espresso too bitter.

9. 49^th Parallel Coffee Roasters — Old School Espresso Beans

The 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters’ Old School Espresso Beans come from Burnaby, BC, and are a medium to dark roast. The beans provide a low-acidity and full-body espresso with complex notes of caramel, nuts, and dark chocolate. The company has direct trade with the farmers, which means it has equal partnerships through investing in their businesses. It also roasts its beans in small batches.

The issues are that it doesn’t put the date that the beans are roasted on the packaging, just a best-before date, and that sometimes, the beans arrive stale.

10. Bean Around the World Organic Espresso Beans

The Bean Around the World Organic Espresso Beans is a BC coffee roaster. The beans are a medium roast with caramel and chocolate tasting notes. The company uses the funds from purchases to provide schools for the children of the farmers in Guatemala. The espresso has low acidity, and the beans are roasted in small batches. The beans come in recyclable packaging and are fair trade and certified organic.

However, some people find the beans to be bitter, and it doesn’t produce much crema. The beans also tend to be too dry.

Buyer’s Guide: Selecting the Best Espresso Coffee Beans in Canada

Before purchasing espresso beans, check out this buyer’s guide, as it might influence your decision.

Arabica and Robusta Beans

These are the two most popular varieties of espresso beans. Arabica beans are grown primarily in Latin America, with Brazil being the biggest producer, at high elevations, giving them a milder and sweeter flavour. Robusta beans are grown in the eastern part of the world, with Vietnam producing the most. The beans tend to be less acidic and have more of a robust profile.

Some brands use a combination of the two or just one or the other. Some people prefer 100% Arabica beans because they tend to be less bitter and contain less caffeine. You should try different brands with different combinations of these beans to figure out what you prefer. But many espresso aficionados prefer 100% Arabica.

Roast

Medium and dark roasts are the most favoured for brewing espresso due to their low acidity and full-bodied flavours.

For dark roasts, the beans should be almost black and usually have an oily appearance. These darker beans tend to have more natural oils, which is what leads to the formation of the crema.

Medium roasts tend to be less oily and have more of a middle ground kind of range in acidity. Medium roast beans are a great way to go if you’re a beginner in the espresso world. Some espresso machines can also become clogged with the oilier dark-roast beans, so a medium roast is a great alternative.

Light roasts have the driest beans and the mildest flavour profile. They are not that suitable for a true espresso experience.

Roast Date

Unfortunately, not all coffee roasters put the roasting date on the product’s container. The best time to use the beans is typically 1 to 4 weeks after they have been roasted. It’s usually best to purchase your beans directly from the roaster, so you’re guaranteed a fresher product.

Conclusion

Lavazza’s Super Crema Medium Espresso Roast is our favourite for its mild, smooth, and balanced flavours. Kicking Horse Cliff Hanger Espresso beans are roasted in Canada, are fair trade, organic, shade grown, and kosher, and are quite affordable. Finally, Kimbo’s Extra Cream Espresso Beans are our premium choice pick. If you’re looking for an espresso shot with a bold flavour that reminds you of Southern Italy, these are the beans for you.

We hope that these reviews have helped you pick out great espresso beans that will give you perhaps one of the best shots that you’ve ever had!

Featured Image Credit: Marian Weyo, Shutterstock