★★★★★ 5
The Best Coffee Beans in the World for the Price
Flavor Name: Espresso, Size: 35.2 Ounce (Pack of 1)
First of all, my headline is an opinion. I understand that coffee is beloved by most of humanity and that it engenders strong opinions, so don't be offended if you disagree. Let me state my case and build some background and context:
1. I drink coffee black. If folks are putting cream and sugar into their coffee, or making espresso drinks with milk like lattes or Cappuccinos, I feel as though they don't have to worry quite as much about things like acidity/bitterness in coffee because milk changes the taste a lot. If you also drink coffee black, this review is perfect for you.
2.. This review is meant for people who intend to brew these coffee beans with a classic Drip Coffee Maker or a French Press. This is because these are the only methods I've used to brew the coffee. While these beans from Lavazza are called "Espresso Roast Coffee", that does not mean they can only be used for Espresso. If a coffee roaster labels something an "Espresso Roast", it simply means that roaster believes the beans would do well when prepared as an Espresso. That does not mean it can't also be used via other preparation methods. There is a little picture/symbol on the front of the package that indicates this is also good when prepared as Drip Coffee or via French Press.
2. While this particular "Espresso Roast" is not the only type of coffee beans from Lavazza that can be used for drip coffee, I would recommend sticking to varieties that are labeled "100% arabica." There are two types of coffee beans: Arabica and Robusta. Like anything else, you could Google this and find 2 full pages of info to read regarding the differences between these two bean types. But the easiest breakdown seems to be that Robusta beans are more intense (or robust, guess it's in the name) but often more bitter. The bitterness especially becomes present when the coffee is slowly brewed as drip coffee. This is why Lavazza has lots of varieties so you would need to use their website to determine the full list of products they sell that are 100% arabica. You will see that they only have the icon indicating the coffee is good to be prepared as drip coffee for their 100% arabica blends, going along with what I'm saying.
3. Going back to point 2, this is what makes Lavazza Whole Bean Espresso Roast so amazing. There is simply no bitterness regardless of how strong you make it. When you look at Lavazza's description of tasting notes for this blend, they mention Floral and fruity notes. This is where I always feel dumb as I don't personally get those notes. For me it's extremely rich, full bodied, and I get those nice chocolatey, roasty notes. I don't mean like dark chocolate or deeply roasted notes like I would get from a dark roast, because you can clearly tell it's a medium roast. More of a milk chocolate type of flavor profile. I definitely don't get the fruity/floral notes Lavazza mentions, which for me is good as those are not my preferred flavors. I'm not saying that those listed flavor notes are purely just subjective or matter of opinion, but I taste what I taste.
At the end of the day, in my mind what makes the coffee quality is that even when you brew it much stronger than what you might say is average, there's simply no acidity or bitterness. If you purchase the 2.2 pound bag and drink this coffee for a month straight (or however long the bag lasts) and then go back to major American brands, like ones with initials like SB or DD, the acidity and bitterness will become obvious immediately.
4. Regarding point 3, am I saying there are no American Coffee Brands or American Coffee Roasters that make good coffee that isn't bitter and acidic? No I'm not. What I'm saying is that those will be boutique coffee roasters or smaller brands that will be much more expensive than this Lavazza Coffee. Are there any big American Coffee Brands that make coffee like Lavazza? I'm saying NO. Flat out, unequivocally, no. Lavazza is a billion dollar Italian brand. I love to support local companies when possible, but they are not going to be price competitive with Lavazza. So as your everyday coffee, if price is important to you like it is to most, then obviously it's all about finding the best for the cheapest. Queue this coffee.
5. This coffee should run you no more than $18 full price for 2.2 pounds as of December 2024. You may occasionally see it priced higher, this means it's sold out through Lavazza directly and a third party seller has jacked up the price. I would not purchase the coffee from any other seller than Lavazza so watch out for that. Just as importantly, YOU DO NOT have to pay $18 every time if you watch for sales. There are frequent sales of anywhere from $2-$5. So you can get this for as cheap as $13 which is an absolute steal for 2.2 pounds of this glorious coffee. It's still a great deal at $18 for the quality, but at $13 or $14 it's the ultimate no brainer. Maybe order 2 bags when it's on sale.
6. You don't get to control how fresh the beans are when you receive them which sucks. But to Lavazza's credit, they often arrive within 6 weeks of the packaging date. This is also to their credit: They have the date the beans were packaged on the side, not just the expiration date. The key thing to know is that there is indeed a big difference if you are drinking 4-6 week old beans (never got them fresher than that) vs 3 or 4 month old beans. The difference in freshness is pronounced both in the taste and even more so the smell. This is just the reality of ordering this coffee at this amazing price, have to trust you will get it relatively fresh. For my experience, I have for the most part.
Bottom Line: If you are an American like me mostly making and drinking drip coffee, and maybe not as sophisticated as an Espresso drinker, drinking this Lavazza coffee will make you realize that other brands you have been consuming are acidic and bitter when brewed as drip coffee. You will probably either place this on Autoship if that's your kind of thing, or at the very least you will order it again. But I guess you will have to take the chance on it to find out. I don't think $18 (at most) is that big a risk.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2024
