A strong swallow of liquid black gold – that’s how a coffee connoisseur would describe an espresso shot. Espresso coffee beans are ground fine and brewed hot and fast under an ideal pressure of 9 bars to yield a highly concentrated and flavourful cup. A good cuppa of espresso is distinguished by its foamy crema and a host of various flavor notes depending on the quality of coffee used. A favorite among coffee lovers around the world, the espresso is often consumed as it is, but more popularly with steamed or frothed milk (cappuccinos/flat whites/lattes) and often also mixed with chocolate.
A spectrum of flavours and a combination of variables including brewing ratio, time and temperature come together to give you a good shot of espresso. Acidity, aroma, crema, body, aftertaste, and flavour notes are the factors that determine the overall quality of your cup.
An over-extracted cup results in intense bitterness and lingering bitter aftertaste while an under-extracted cup is noted for its heightened unpleasant acidity and often accompanying sourness. To achieve the perfect shot, you will need to experiment with the type of coffee used, brewing time, coffee-to-water ratio (dose and size of your espresso shot) and grind size. Varying these factors will help you achieve different results. Keep experimenting till you find what works best for you!
Making exceptionally good espresso can be extremely challenging. Espresso enthusiasts know that to make the perfect liquid gold, you will need to begin with the best espresso coffee beans.
At Naivo Café, we bring you tailored espresso roasts using coffees produced at various origins. We also offer signature blends curated for espresso with distinct flavour profiles approved by the experts who test our blends. Our craft coffees are roasted in small batches and are profiled to shine the spotlight on various cup characteristics that set the quality of our products apart from mass produced coffees in the market. Below are some of our popular espresso roasts that are sure to delight you:
Ambedo: A caramelly-nutty blend with notes of grapefruit, blackberries, and dried dates.
Attikan White Mist: A medium dark roast that yields a bold coffee expressing a lovely plethora of dark chocolate notes harmoniously dancing with nutty aromas and a rounded cedar finish.
Finca San Ramon (Nicaragua): Delivers a sweet and subtly tangy cup with notes of cinnamon, caramel, and tamarind. This lot also exhibits a balanced but pleasant acidity.
Gowri Anaerobic Naturals (India): Espresso geeks will love our anaerobic fermented coffee offering with distinguishable notes of mango, guava, and cashew.
Moganad Black Honey (India): A rich, complex cup of coffee with notes of apricot, black currant, and maple syrup.
The first step on your journey to espresso perfection is buying coffee beans from a brand that curates and tailors specific coffees for espresso. At Naivo, our focus is on perfecting each coffee for the brewing method it is intended to be used for. Whether you are a seasoned espresso connoisseur or a future one beginning your voyage to espresso perfection, we have a wide variety of beans to choose from that will help you pull that perfect shot!
No, espresso and filter roast coffee beans are not the same. Both types of beans are roasted to create their signature flavour profiles and the roasting process is different. Typically, espresso roast beans undergo longer roasting at higher temperatures than filter roast beans, resulting in beans that have more solubility and body which is well-suited for espresso brewing. Filter roast beans are lighter roasts and are curated to highlight characteristics of sweetness and acidity in the coffee.
Espresso is a highly concentrated and intense coffee beverage. To make the perfect espresso shot, the grind size of the espresso beans can make a big difference. The ideal grind size for espresso is medium-fine or fine. You should be able to feel some texture when you rub the coffee between your fingers, but it should not be coarse like granulated sugar. Our carefully selected, high-quality Arabica and Robusta beans produce an incredibly rich and full-bodied flavour. However, without the right grind size, the desired results will be difficult to achieve. We offer a standard espresso grind size at checkout for all our customers. However, we recommend purchasing an espresso grinder if you are looking to dive deep into the wide world of espresso and up your coffee game.
The answer is yes and no. The type of coffee beans you use for espresso will affect the flavour, body, and acidity of your drink. Espresso is best brewed using a high-quality Arabica coffee or a blend of good quality Arabica and Robusta beans. Arabica beans provide sweetness, complexity, and balanced flavour while Robusta beans add intensity and richness to the drink. The beans should be freshly roasted, and ground right before brewing for the best tasting espresso.
Ideally yes. Espresso roast beans are roasted in a way that they have good body and high solubility. This allows your espresso machine to extract all the good stuff from the coffee at ease. Good roasters will always find the sweet spot between solubility, body and flavour in their roast profile to ensure you brew an espresso that always tastes sweet and memorable. However, with the evolution of specialty coffee, there are now no borders in the world of espresso, and you can achieve all kinds of funky flavours in your espresso. You can even try filter roast coffee beans in your espresso machine if you have a grinder and understand the dialing in process in detail.
Reaching for a manual coffee grinder among all the fancy automatic ones seems a little rebellious, no buttons, no rush, just you and your trusty burr as it works its way through a fresh roast.
The whiff of freshly brewed coffee drifting onto the street is often what draws you into a café. Whether it fuels the quiet determination of your morning run or sets the mood for a romantic date, the right brew becomes the perfect companion.
Here’s a perspective that often surprises coffee lovers: while Arabica accounts for roughly 60–65% of global coffee production and Robusta makes up most of the rest, only a tiny fraction of the world’s coffee drinkers have ever tasted truly rare coffee varieties. According to industry estimates and Specialty Coffee Association insights, limited-production varietals and microlots represent well under 1% of global coffee output.
