Do I need special espresso beans?

No. Any coffee can be brewed as espresso. 'Espresso roast' usually indicates a darker roast chosen because it is forgiving under pressure, but it is a style, not a technical requirement.

Can I use pre-ground coffee?

In a machine with pressurized dual-wall baskets, yes, and it will produce crema. You give up the ability to dial the shot in, which is most of what a good machine is for.

Are oily beans bad for a machine?

For anything with a hopper or an internal chute, yes. Oil accumulates, goes rancid and eventually blocks the path. In a portafilter machine with a separate grinder it matters much less.

How long do beans last once opened?

Two to four weeks in an airtight container at room temperature. Do not refrigerate: condensation is worse than air.

What Coffee to Use With an Espresso Machine

Updated July 28, 2026

Use whole beans, ground fresh, roasted within the last two to four weeks. Any roast level works — 'espresso roast' is a marketing term, not a requirement — but avoid very oily dark roasts in machines with built-in grinders, because the oil clogs chutes and hoppers. The freshness and the grind matter far more than the blend.

Whole beans, always

Espresso needs a very fine, very specific grind, and it needs to be adjustable: the correct fineness changes with the bean, the roast date, the humidity and the machine. Pre-ground coffee is fixed at one grind size chosen for somebody else's equipment, which is why a machine fed pre-ground coffee can never be dialled in.

Ground coffee also stales in hours rather than weeks, because grinding multiplies the surface area exposed to air. A bag of pre-ground espresso is usually past its useful life before it is opened.

Roast date beats roast level

Look for a roast date on the bag, not a best-before date. Espresso is generally best between about five days and four weeks after roasting: fresher than that and the coffee degasses so vigorously that shots gush, older than that and the aromatics have gone flat.

Roast level is a taste preference. Lighter roasts are denser and need a finer grind and often a higher brew temperature; darker roasts dissolve more readily and are more forgiving, which is why traditional espresso blends lean dark.

What to avoid

Visibly oily beans in a machine with a built-in grinder or a bean hopper. The oil coats the chute and the burrs, goes rancid, and eventually blocks the path — this is the most common self-inflicted fault on bean-to-cup machines.

Flavoured coffees in any machine with an internal grinder, for the same reason plus the residue they leave behind.

Very old beans in an attempt to save money. The cost of coffee is trivial next to the cost of the machine; stale beans waste both.

Dose and ratio

Match the dose to the basket. A basket rated at 18 g is designed for 18 g, and forcing 22 g into it leaves no headroom, causing the puck to touch the shower screen and channel.

A standard starting ratio is 1:2 — 18 g in, 36 g out, in 25 to 30 seconds. Adjust grind to hit the time, not the other way round.

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Frequently asked

Do I need special espresso beans?: No. Any coffee can be brewed as espresso. 'Espresso roast' usually indicates a darker roast chosen because it is forgiving under pressure, but it is a style, not a technical requirement.
Can I use pre-ground coffee?: In a machine with pressurized dual-wall baskets, yes, and it will produce crema. You give up the ability to dial the shot in, which is most of what a good machine is for.
Are oily beans bad for a machine?: For anything with a hopper or an internal chute, yes. Oil accumulates, goes rancid and eventually blocks the path. In a portafilter machine with a separate grinder it matters much less.
How long do beans last once opened?: Two to four weeks in an airtight container at room temperature. Do not refrigerate: condensation is worse than air.