The Best Italian Coffee Beans

It can be difficult to navigate the enchanting world of Italian coffee, and selecting the best Italian coffee beans can become a quest in itself. We have hand-picked a selection of ten extraordinary Italian coffee beans that will provide you with delicious moments of enjoyment. At MaxiCoffee, we put all our know-how into selecting the best coffees on the market. Our experts have selected their top 10 best Italian coffee beans for you, based on the following criteria:

• a selection of our bestsellers ;
• different compositions, from pure origin coffees to blends (100% robusta, 100% arabica or blends of arabica and robusta) ; 
• different roasting colours ;
• different aromatic groups ; 
• several roasting countries: France, Italy ;
• a variety of pack sizes to suit your needs: 250 g, 500 g, 1 kg ;
• organic coffees.

How To Choose Your Italian Coffee Beans ?

To choose the right Italian coffee to suit your taste, you need to pay attention to the following criteria.

The Roast Colour

You’ll often hear talk of the “intensity” of coffee. But intensity actually depends on the coffee varieties, and above all from the way it is roasted. There are 5 degrees of roast for your coffee beans.  The more the coffee is roasted, the fuller-bodied it will be. Dark roasts are typically more bitter, with richer and quite sweet aromas. On the other hand, the lower the roast, the lighter your coffee will be. Light roasts are usually more acidic, with floral and fruity aromas. For an Italian-style espresso, opt for the most advanced roasts (dark to very dark). You’ll find a selection of these below.

The Coffee Varieties and Blends

Are the beans 100% Arabica, 100% robusta or a blend? This is something you want to be looking at.  Arabica tends to have a smoother, sweeter taste, with flavour notes of chocolate and sugar. It has complex, delicate and tangy aromatic notes, with hints of fruits or berries. robusta, on the other hand, has a stronger, harsher, fuller-bodied and more bitter taste, with grainy or rubbery aromas. When it comes to which you should choose, it all depends on your tastes and the aromas you prefer. If you’re a little lost, MaxiCoffee recommends a coffee with an 80/20 or 70/30 arabica/robusta blend for an Italian-style espresso. The more you lean towards robusta beans, the more intense and slightly bitter it would be. So if you like a very dark roast for very intense coffees, look for a higher robusta percentage.  If you’re curious and you’d like to try other delicious coffees or other blends, we’ve included a special selection below.

The Aromatic Group

What sort of flavours are you looking for? Do you like fruity, flowery, nutty, smoky, chocolaty or earthy coffees?  Italian coffee beans are typically very flavoursome. To help you identify which coffees would best suit you, we have selected coffees with different aromas and undertones.

What Are The Different Flavours That You Can Find In Italian Coffee?

Perhaps you’re already very familiar with Italian coffee, perhaps not. If not, you need to know a few things about Italian coffee beans before you buy them.  Italian roast coffee is known for its bold and full-bodied flavours. However, some coffee beans offer a wider range of aromas, like red fruits and spices for example. Enough to satisfy even the most gourmet palates! 

Our Selection Of The 10 Best Italian Coffee Beans 

Our Customers’ Pick  Purissima – Perleo Espresso

The same recipe in new packaging for this French-roasted coffee, full of roundness and fruitiness. This 100% Arabica is roasted in Italy to produce a delicious combination of aromas. With its gourmet notes of chocolate, hazelnut and orange zest, it is ideal for making espresso at home, as well as hot milky drinks like cappuccino or latte macchiato.

The Bestseller  Gran Aroma n°3 – Pellini 

Pellini is an Italian coffee brand from Verona that focuses on quality and excellence. And Gran Aroma n°3 is no exception. This premium coffee has a distinct flavour, offering a dark roast for the perfect espresso with flavours of chocolate, honey and spices. It comes from the best plantations in Central and South America and is roasted in Italy, making it one of our bestsellers.

The People Pleaser : Gusto Classico – Miscela D’oro

If you love a strong cup of delicious coffee and would like to make a good espresso or ristretto then this traditional Italian blend of Arabica and Robusta is for you. It offers a full body and rich crema, with a lingering aftertaste. It can also be enjoyed with milk ! 

The Intensely Roasted Beans : Gran Aroma – Caffè Vergnano 

The Gran Aroma Italian coffee bean is a blend of arabica and robusta from different origins, slowly roasted to bring out the best in each bean. Each cup has an intense aroma, with a syrupy body and a powerful aftertaste, thanks to the high level of roasting. Its 500g pack format also ensures that it keeps well and preserves a maximum of flavour.

The 100% Pure Arabica Estrella Del Caribe Santo Domingo – Caffè Corsini 

This premium coffee, blended and roasted in Italy, is 100% Arabica with a subtle, gourmet flavour. With its intensely aromatic notes of honey, vanilla and dark chocolate, it is perfect for an espresso or a tall, richly flavoured coffee. 

The Experts’ Choice Linea Espresso – Zicaffè

Linea Espresso is the epitome of Italian coffee. With its generous aroma, medium roast, dense foam and lasting aftertaste, this is a perfectly balanced blend for espresso lovers.

The Fruity Option Centopercento – Caffe Mauro 

This 100% Arabica is a premium coffee with incomparable red fruit aromas. The fruit flavours add a gourmet touch to your espresso or ristretto, as well as an enjoyable hint of acidity. Caffè Mauro is a major name in the coffee world and promises true Italian flavours.  

The French Roasted Espresso Italian Blend – Cafés Lugat 

This specialty coffee has been carefully blended and roasted to produce a high quality espresso with spicy notes. Roasted by MaxiCoffee, you will appreciate the bean quality and the guaranteed freshness of your cup of coffee. 

The Budget Option  Forte – Perléo Espresso

The Forte blend is a blend of arabica and robusta with notes of toast and wild herbs. Packaged in 1 kg packs at a very affordable price, this dark roast blend will allow you to make quality and intense coffee at a very reasonable price. 

The Decaf Option Water Decaf – Le Piantagioni Del Caffè

These 100% arabica decaffeinated specialty coffee beans are from the famed Brazilian coffee-growing region of Cerrado Mineiro and come from the Italian company Le Piantagioni Del Caffè. This Italian coffee, which was decaffeinated using the Swiss Water process, is smooth and delicate without any disagreeable bitterness. These beans are perfect for a decaffeinated espresso.

Best Italian Coffee Beans For Cappuccino

Not all coffees are suitable for all types of drinks, and it’s important to know which beverage goes with which coffee if you want to choose the right coffee beans.  For a cappuccino or any other milk-based drink, we recommend an arabica/robusta blend and a medium to dark roast.

Cosmai Caffè The Honest Coffee Beans

Cosmai Caffè’s The Honest coffee beans are a high-quality blend of 70% Arabica and 30% robusta. These Italian-roasted beans that are perfect for a cappuccino, offer a strong coffee with gourmet notes of caramel as well as some woody notes.

Kimbo Espresso Napoletano Coffee Beans

Kimbo Espresso Napoletano is a blend of 80% arabica & 20% robusta. It offers a very dark roast, ideal for those that like their cappuccino with a hint of bitterness but also notes of red berries.

Passalacqua Cremador Coffee Beans

One of Passalacqua’s most popular coffees is Cremador coffee. This whole-bean coffee, which is a blend of 68% arabica and 32% robusta, stands out by its uniquely woody aroma and interesting spicy flavour. 

Best Italian Coffee Beans For Espresso

When it comes to espresso, we tend to recommend medium to dark roast coffees. If you’re a fan of full-bodied coffees, choose Italian blends with a high roast. This will give you the authentic taste of the coffee served in Italian bars. If, on the other hand, you prefer more balanced coffee, turn to medium-roast beans. 

Goppion Dolce Coffee Beans

90% arabica from Ethiopia, Brazil, Guatemala, and Honduras and 10% robusta from Indonesia make up the Goppion Dolce blend. The final product is a smooth, well-balanced coffee with a hint of acidity. All Goppion coffees are hand roasted in Italy. 

So, have you found your ideal Italian coffee? Our selection caters for all tastes and budgets. And if you’d like to explore the world of coffee beans a little further, we’ve got plenty of other references for you to choose from.