Superautomatic espresso coffee machines are a one-stop device for your favorite drinks. They combine a grinder with the coffee maker so coffee drinkers can make espresso in a snap. They’re low maintenance and easy to clean, so if you love espresso-based drinks, it’s a must-have.
At a Glance: Our Top 5 Picks for Best Coffee Beans For Superautomatic Espresso Machines
After investing in the perfect espresso machine, you want to make sure you’re using the perfect coffee beans for the machine. Since superautomatic espresso machines have internal grinders that are nearly impossible to clean, it’s best to get great-tasting beans that aren’t so oily they gum up the works.
However, you also want to make sure you’re getting espresso that tastes great. We checked out countless brands of freshly roasted coffee beans for superautomatic espresso machines. The following list contains some of the best options we found. Read on to find out what we liked and why.
Quick Summary: Best Coffee Beans for Superautomatic Espresso Machines
 | Our Top Choice SIGHTGLASS ORGANIC CROWN POINT |
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 | Irving Farm Blackstrap Espresso |
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 | Joe Coffee Benchmark Medium Roast |
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 | Huckleberry Blue Orchid Blend |
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 | Dogwood Coffee Neon Espresso |
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 | LAVAZZA SUPER CREMA MEDIUM ROAST |
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 | KOFFEE KULT THUNDER BOLT |
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 | DON PABLO SIGNATURE BLEND MEDIUM-DARK ROAST |
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 | ILLY CLASSICO ROAST COFFEE |
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 | TWO VOLCANOES ESPRESSO BLEND |
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 | WILD JO DARK FRENCH ROAST ORGANIC COFFEE |
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The Best Coffee Beans for Superautomatic Espresso Machines
For non-oily and tasty beans that work perfectly with your superautomatic espresso machine, look no further than this handy and scrumptious list of coffee beans.
Sightglass Organic Crown Point
Sightglass Organic Crown Point
No fair-weather fans here. Although this espresso rotates seasonally, it’s consistently a crowd-pleaser—especially when paired with milk.
When looking at Trade Coffee, you’ll find plenty of great options for espresso, such as Sightglass’ Organic Crown Point blend. This bag of beans from San Francisco, CA is described as being comforting and rich. The medium dark roast has tasting notes of milk chocolate, ripe fruit, and roastiness.
While this one in particular is rotated seasonally, the washed processed coffee is definitely a popular choice. It’s noted that this espresso pairs beautifully with milk, perfect for whipping up a yummy latte or cappuccino!
Irving Farm Blackstrap Espresso
Irving Farm Blackstrap Espresso
Born as a classic espresso, but also great as drip coffee. Full-bodied & balanced with plenty of sweetness means it pairs perfectly with milk.
The Irving Farm Blackstrap Espresso blend from Trade Coffee is more of a sweet and smooth option, roasted in New York, NY. This is a classic espresso that’s reportedly full-bodied and balanced. The sweetness of this medium roast means that it works great with milk-based drinks. Tasting notes include milk chocolate, nut, and ripe fruit.
Blackstrap Espresso is washed and natural/dry processed and comes from an elevation of 1,200. The many layers of flavors in this espresso make it a perfect pick-me-up to make in your superautomatic machine.
Joe Coffee Benchmark Medium Roast
Joe Coffee Benchmark Medium Roast
This made-for-milk blend is pure magic – Roasted darker for a deep, rich cup but still completely smooth, balanced and full of classic coffee flavors.
Another Trade Coffee choice, the Benchmark Medium Roast from Joe Coffee is one that’s syrupy and smooth. Coming from New York, NY, this espresso is roasted darker to allow for a more rich cup of coffee. Even so, with this medium roast, you’ll get coffee that’s smooth, balanced, and full of flavor.
Tasting notes include milk chocolate, spice, molasses, toasted almonds, and berry fruit. The Benchmark blend is washed processed and comes from the sub-region of Cajamarca at an elevation of 1,200.
Huckleberry Blue Orchid Blend
Huckleberry Blue Orchid Blend
Like the name that inspired it, this is a gorgeous coffee that’s impressively sturdy. With or without milk, it stays sweet and full, every season.
Continuing the syrupy and smooth coffee choices, Huckleberry’s Blue Orchid Blend is not one to pass up when it comes to beans for your superautomatic espresso machine. Roasted in Denver, CO, this is an espresso that’s actually a light-medium roast. Tasting notes include sweet vanilla, milk chocolate, caramel, and nut.
The Blue Orchid Blend is washed and natural/dry processed comes from the sub-region Mogiana, Huila at an elevation of 1,000, and is actually Huckleberry’s house espresso blend.
Dogwood Coffee Neon Espresso
Dogwood Coffee Neon Espresso
Glow on: Try an espresso blend whose brightness you can’t miss. What stands out? Huge citrus acidity and a syrupy sweet finish. It just shines.
The last choice we have from Trade Coffee is Dogwood Coffee’s Neon Espresso. This is a balanced and fruity blend from Minneapolis, MN. Another light-medium roast option, the tasting notes include citrus, florals, and ripe fruit.
Neon Espresso is washed processed, comes from the sub-regions of Tarrazu and Guji at an elevation of 1,800, and is produced by Luis Ureña and 385 smallholders. The blend is bright, sweet, syrupy, and complex; definitely worth a try!
Lavazza Super Crema Medium Roast
The Lavazza Super Crema Whole Bean Coffee Blend Medium Roast is perfect for espresso machines. It’s a delicious blend of Robusta and Arabica beans, which keeps the coffee at an affordable price. This coffee has notes of hazelnut and brown sugar hiding in the mellow, earthy flavor.
The beans aren’t oily, so they’ll work fine in your espresso machine. The medium roast might seem like it’s not strong enough to produce quality traditional espresso, but it’s much darker tasting than the roast label would have you believe.
Koffee Kult Thunder Bolt
Koffee Kult’s Thunder Bolt is a French roast blend of multi-origin coffee beans organically sourced from Brazil, Colombia, Sumatra, and Guatemala. These beans work well together to create a unique blend that you’re sure to love.
Though it’s a dark roast coffee, these beans aren’t oily, so they’re fine to use in your espresso machine. It has a robust flavor with an underlying cinnamon note. This coffee has the highest caffeine content of all the options on our list, which can be good or bad, depending on your tolerance level.
Don Pablo Signature Blend Medium-Dark Roast
Don Pablo’s Signature Blend is a medium-dark roast made of 100% Arabica beans sourced from Brazil, Guatemala, and Colombia. This coffee is roasted in small batches to prevent oiliness from developing. It’s a classic espresso roast because it has a rich body with low, balanced acidity.
If you want to make straight espresso shots and coffee beverages, this is the most balanced coffee you can find. It has a natural flavor that will let your drink shine without any added sweetness or aftertaste.
Illy Classico Roast Coffee
Illy is a solid coffee brand, and they deliver with their 100% Arabica beans. These are medium roast premium beans, so they’re not too oily for superautomatic espresso machines. Illy Classico whole bean coffee has a balanced taste profile with hints of caramel, giving it a rich flavor profile.
This coffee is excellent for espresso shots, but it also makes a great cup of drip coffee. If you choose this brand, it will come in a reusable storage canister and you’ll be able to make various coffee drinks in your kitchen while your taste buds enjoy the coffee-shop quality taste.
Two Volcanoes Espresso Blend
This bold blend of Robusta and Arabica beans with a strong espresso flavor from Two Volcanoes was such a great deal that we had to snatch it up and give it a try. It’s roasted in small batches so they can pull the beans before they develop an oily surface coating.
The beans come from Guatemala in Central America and grow in the shade of the Tajumulco and Tajana volcanoes. This location adds to the beans’ flavor; the soil there is rich in minerals, and the beans are rich in flavor with a hint of dark chocolate.
Wild Jo Dark French Roast Organic Coffee
Jo Coffee is a coffee company that produces fair-trade, organic, kosher, and gluten-free coffee. They source Arabica beans and have a team of cupping experts test each small batch.
Wild Jo French Roast is a rich blend with a solid espresso flavor. The undertones are brown sugar and dark cocoa, which is the perfect balance of strong and sweet. The coffee is pre-ground, so your grinder will be safe. The grounds aren’t oily, so they won’t gunk up the machine.
Education
Now that you have a list of great options for tasty beans that won’t clog your superautomatic espresso machine with oil, there are a few things you should know before you start using them to brew coffee at home.
Things to Consider
Your number one concern with a superautomatic espresso machine should be the oiliness of the beans. You don’t want to damage your machine in an attempt to get a perfect espresso shot. But beyond oiliness, there are other things you should consider before buying beans.
Taste
Most people choose espresso coffee beans based on taste alone. When using a superautomatic machine, you also have to select beans that won’t be too oily for the grinder. But that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice excellent taste and bold flavor.
Oily dark roasts will clog your grinder, but you should also avoid flavored beans. Roasters use concentrated syrups to add a flavored coating to the outside of the bean. While the beans will absorb most of the flavor, some of the oil will remain outside.
Because darker roasts have more oil, it’s better to choose a medium or medium-dark roast to use in your superautomatic espresso machine.
Freshness
If at all possible, buy coffee beans that have a roasting date on the package. Any manufacturer that wants to deliver the best beans will stamp the roasting date on the bag.
Any bag you find within three to seven days of roasting is an excellent choice for espresso. Once you get the bag home, use the beans within a month to get the freshest flavor.
Single-Origin vs Blend
The coffees we reviewed above are a mix of single-origin and blends of coffee beans because there’s no correct answer to this question. It all depends on your taste. Blends are more affordable and still taste great.
Single-origin coffees come from one geographical region, so they’ll have a stronger taste. If you like rich, black coffee, you’ll prefer single-origin.
Price
High-quality coffee beans can be expensive. You get what you pay for. The good thing is, with superautomatic espresso machines, you don’t need to use too much coffee to get a good shot.
Sometimes it’s worth splurging on pricey espresso beans because you’ll make a great morning cup of coffee. Because you won’t use up the beans as quickly as you might with a drip coffee maker, it might be worth paying a little more. Regardless, there are still some budget-friendly items on the list above.
Best Types of Coffee Beans for Espresso
Espresso has a signature bold taste, so you need dark beans to get that full, smooth flavor. Medium-dark to dark roasts will produce this richness.
When coffee beans roast, the natural sugars, and oils coat the bean. This coating gives the bean unique flavors, like smokey, caramel, chocolate, bitter, or fruity flavors depending on the particular bean’s origin.
Because these dark-roasted beans have so much flavor caramelized on the outside, they give a rich taste to the espresso shots once they’re brewed.
What Coffee Beans Are Non-Oily?
Lighter roasted beans aren’t as oily as a dark roast. However, these light roasts have different tastes when you use them to make espresso. It’s possible to get medium and medium-dark roasts that don’t have much oil on the beans.
Buying beans roasted in small batches within hours of roasting is the best way to ensure you’re getting high-quality beans. The roasters keep a close eye on the beans and can stop the roasting process before oil forms.
How to Make the Most Out of Your Beans
Buying the right beans is only the first hurdle to overcome when making a perfect espresso shot. Make sure you have the right grind–a very fine powder–so the water slowly works its way through and gives you the most flavor.
Always make sure you store the beans properly after you open the container by keeping them away from air, light, heat, and moisture.
Even if you buy the non-oily brands on this list, you’ll still want to clean your espresso machine after each use. Don’t use soap, which will only bind to any oil residue on your machine. Instead, use vinegar and baking soda to keep it clean.
Frequently Asked Questions
You know what specific coffee beans we like for superautomatic espresso machines, but you might still have questions. The following are some of the most frequently asked questions about espresso beans and machines.
How Can You Tell If Coffee Beans Are Oily?
The roasting process causes natural oils and sugars to coat the outside of the coffee beans, so you’ll be able to see that the beans are oily. They’ll look shiny and feel slick between your fingers.
You won’t know how oily the beans are until you see them. Bags of coffee labeled espresso roast might be dark roast, and therefore oily, beans. On the other hand, a manufacturer who doesn’t understand which beans are good for espresso could mislabel them.
Different types of beans have different oil content. The roasting process brings these oils to the surface, but not all of them will have enough oil to leave residue on your machine.
How to Properly Store the Purchased Best Coffee Beans For the Superautomatic Espresso Machines?
Store the beans properly after you open the container. They’ll stay freshest if you keep them away from air, light, heat, and moisture. Opaque, air-tight canisters are best at keeping out light and air. Keep it in a cool room or cabinet, and you’ll enjoy the freshness until you use the last bean.
You might have heard about keeping coffee beans in your freezer. If you also protect them with an air-tight container, you can store them this way. You still want to be careful that they don’t get freezer burn, negatively affecting the fresh taste.
Are Oily Beans Bad for Espresso Machines?
We focused on how bad oily coffee beans are for superautomatic espresso machines based on the grinder alone. Since the grinder is internal, it’s not possible to clean it manually. But that’s not the only component on an espresso machine that you can damage with an oily residue.
Oil will make the bean hopper sticky, preventing the coffee beans from shifting into the grinder. The grinder’s blades will get coated in oily residue. The ground coffee beans will stick to the blades and clump together.
The oil can even stick to the screens and filters, clogging them, making the machine unable to push out the brewed espresso.
Over time, the oil residue on the machine will give your coffee a burnt or bitter taste. You won’t taste the flavor from the beans because you’re only getting the oil buildup.
What Can You Do If You’ve Previously Used Oily Coffee Beans?
You don’t have to throw out your espresso machine or coffee maker and start over fresh, but you will have to do a major cleaning. It’s best to send the device to a service center for a thorough cleaning.
Once you get the machine back, it will be as good as new. Then you’ll be able to start brewing more espresso using the beans we’ve recommended on this list.
Wrap Up
Every coffee on this list not only produces delicious espresso shots, but they are also all great options for your superautomatic espresso machine. From non-oily, to organic, to great tasting, all the beans on this list are sure to allow you to get the most out of your machine.
No matter which brand you choose from this round-up, make sure you take care of your superautomatic espresso machine by keeping it clean, treating it right, and using high-quality beans. Through this, you can also prevent oily residue from impacting the amazing taste of your espresso.
Happy Caffeinating!
