For Espresso
What is espresso coffee?
A concentrated form of coffee served in small, strong shots; Espresso is the base of the majority of coffee drinks. This form of brewing is thicker, more intense and has a higher concentration of caffeine than other brewing methods. Although, because espresso is served in smaller helpings than coffee, per serving it has less caffeine. However, we always recommend double shots to form the basis of your espresso-based drinks. Espresso coffee is made by forcing pressured hot water through finely-ground coffee beans using an espresso machine.
Here at Iron & Fire, we have carefully hand-selected the perfect coffee beans for the espresso brewing method. See our suggestions below for the best coffee beans for espresso.
Showing 1–12 of 15 results
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Colombian Jazz Speciality Coffee
£5.20 – £21.50 — or subscribe and save 10%Our most popular award winning coffee. Ethically sourced Colombian coffee beans with rich chocolate and caramel notes and a pleasant cherry acidity.
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Indian Monsooned Malabar AA Single Origin Coffee
£5.80 – £23.90 — or subscribe and save 10%A uniquely special humidity exposed matured bean with an immense flavour profile – rich and complex with spiced, smoked barrel notes and a unique taste.
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Low Caffeine Award Winning Coffee
£6.00 – £25.00 — or subscribe and save 10%With 50% decaf beans, this is a perfect ‘go to’ late afternoon coffee. Enjoy a full bodied mouth feel with smooth, sweet undertones and a bright finish.
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Roaster’s Choice Speciality Coffee
£3.20 – £24.90 — or subscribe and save 10%A surprise delivery consisting of the very best of what is roasted this week. Subscribe to enjoy a range of speciality coffees, a different one each time.
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Nicaraguan Jinotega Organic Coffee
£6.20 – £25.00 — or subscribe and save 10%A beautiful medium bodied organic & Fair Trade coffee with a sweet honey finish. Carefully roasted to bring out the delicious apricot notes throughout.
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Costa Rican Tres Nubes Speciality Coffee
£6.70 – £27.80 — or subscribe and save 10%These beautiful Costa Rican coffee beans are very versatile. A rich chocolatey coffee with mandarin notes, it works well with all espresso based drinks.
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On The Rocks Coffee
£6.89 – £28.80 — or subscribe and save 10%Whiskey infused coffee beans! Our On The Rocks Coffee takes a single origin bean and a single malt oak barrel aged whiskey and brings them together in perfect harmony.
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House Blend Speciality Coffee
£6.00 – £25.00 — or subscribe and save 10%A beautiful bespoke blend consisting of the very best of South American single origin coffee beans. Rich and sweet, with nutty notes. A proven favourite!
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Honduran Guara Roja Speciality Coffee
£5.90 – £24.30 — or subscribe and save 10%Honduran Guara Roja is a red honey processed coffee. A delicious mix of sweet & bright acidity with a juicy flavor that stands out with a complex aftertaste.Guara Roja is a red honey process Speciality co
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Peruvian Lima Coffee
£6.90 – £28.70 — or subscribe and save 10%This beautiful Fair Trade and Organic Peruvian coffee is brought to us by Rony Lavan of award winning Lima coffees. A clean, sweet milk chocolate coffee with toffee and lemon flavours. Recommended!
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Indonesian Old Brown Java Coffee
£6.40 – £26.70 — or subscribe and save 10%A red honey processed coffee that comes with a kick. A delicious combination of sweetness balanced acidity, and dark chocolate notes with hints of almond.
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Brazilian Santos Coffee
£5.30 – £21.50 — or subscribe and save 10%A very popular coffee with a superb nutty flavour profile. Smooth and versatile, these beans have been roasted to bring out their sweetness in the cup.
Choosing the Perfect Coffee Beans for Espresso
There is a general rule of thumb that the best beans for making espresso are typically medium to dark roasts because they are more soluble and extract more quickly. They showcase a coffee’s natural characteristics without being too acidic. They are rich in oils, which help produce a richer crema. They also give your espresso that great consistency, body, and flavour you want in your shot. There are exceptions to this as you can have dark filter coffee, espresso that’s light, and vice versa. In some cases, Iron and Fire roast the same coffee that may perform best for filter or espresso but the roast profile is drastically different, based on what we want to convey in the coffee, knowing how it’ll be brewed.
The Ideal Grind Size for Espresso
The perfect coffee bean grind size for espresso is between 0.88mm and 1.32mm, which is a very fine grind. While this grind size is precise, it may fluctuate in size depending on the different coffee beans. However, with espresso it is crucial to get the right grind as it can impact the taste of the espresso. Here at Iron & Fire, we can grind the whole coffee beans for you, ensuring you have the perfect grind size.
History of Espresso
The first espresso machine was first invented in the early 20th century in Venice, Italy. It was created by a businessman Luigi Bezzera, as he wanted to experiment with how to make his coffee in a quicker time. He was frustrated with how long it took him to make a coffee. After some investigating, he found that adding pressurised steam to the machine cut the amount of time it took to make the coffee and it also created a much stronger taste. He named this machine ‘Espresso Machine’ which translates to a ‘fast coffee machine’ in English.
