Best Coffee For Cappuccino: Our Top 7 Picks

In a rush? Our best coffee for cappuccino is Verena Street Shot Tower Espresso Beans.

Brewing a cappuccino at home?

Make sure you have the right beans!

While technically you can use any, not all coffee will give you the same results.

But don’t worry. You don’t have to spend hours researching your options.

I got your back.

In this article, I’ll share with you the best coffee for cappuccino, so that you know what to get.

Let’s dive straight in.

Best Coffee for Cappuccino: Top 7 Beans You Must Try

• Verena Street Shot Tower Espresso Beans (Best Overall)
• Lavazza Super Crema Whole Bean Coffee Blend (Best For Bulk Buying)
• Death Wish Coffee Dark Roast Grounds (Most Caffeinated Coffee)
• Kahwa Cuban Coffee Beans (Budget Pick)
• Starbucks Dark Roast Ground Coffee (Best For People With Digestive Issues)
• Mt. Comfort Coffee Espresso Roast (Best For Plant-Based Milk)
• Illy Intenso Whole Bean Coffee (Premium Pick)

Verena Street Shot Tower Espresso Beans 

What makes Shot Tower Espresso so great for cappuccino is its sweet yet complex flavor profile. It’s that kind of profile you can only get by combining different beans from across the world.

And in this case, the blend is made of Arabica coffee beans grown in Central America, South America, and Indonesia.

The smooth body of this coffee bean can’t go unnoticed. Even if you go heavy on milk, you’ll still have the creamy mouthfeel. And even though it’s a dark roast, the bold notes are well-rounded.

It’s the kind of coffee you can only make with high-quality beans, and that’s exactly what Verena Street sells. It’s a family-owned roastery that only does small batches, so you can rest assured freshness is always at the highest level.

And not just that, but coffee is sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. This means they promote sustainability in production, for both humans and the environment.

Pros

• The sweet and complex flavor perfectly pairs with steamed milk, without being overwhelmed
• Comes in packaging from 11 ounces to 2 pounds
• It’s Rainforest Alliance certified, meaning it is sustainably grown and produced
• Sold as whole beans, so you can grind them any size you want

Cons

• The aroma can be a bit overpowering

Lavazza Super Crema Whole Bean Coffee Blend 

Lavazza is one of the top Italian brands on the market for more than a hundred years. With that in mind, it’s no surprise that its product made it to this list.

Lavazza is known, among other things, for boldly adding a good percentage of Robusta beans into their blends. That’s unheard of in Northern Italy, where the brand comes from.

But that’s exactly what makes this blend so special. Arabica varieties from Brazil, Colombia, and India are to be thanked for their full body and bright intensity.

But it’s Robusta beans from Indonesia and Vietnam that are responsible for the beautiful crema and just a hint of bitterness in your coffee.

Super Crema has a rich flavor profile, with prominent notes of roasted hazelnut and brown sugar. As for the aroma, it’s flowery and even slightly fruity. When combined together, what you get is an intense yet well-balanced cup of coffee.

Pros

• Since it contains a high percentage of Robusta, this coffee is high in caffeine
• The bright flavor makes this coffee suitable as a morning drink
• Produced in a nut-free facility, this coffee is safe for those with allergies
• The flavor profile makes it suitable for pairing with plant-based milk

Cons

• Only sold in large packaging of 2.2 pounds

Death Wish Coffee Dark Roast Grounds 

The name and packaging of this coffee alone can pretty much tell you how strong this coffee is. Now, I don’t know if it’s the most robust coffee in the world, but I’m sure it’s high on the list.

To make this perfect wake-me-up blend, Death Wish combines both Arabica and Robusta coffee beans from India and Peru. The coffee it makes is very deep and full-bodied but without the slightest bitterness.

What you do get from this coffee are notes of chocolate and cherry – subtle but still distinguishable.

But while this coffee has a really pleasant mouthfeel, don’t go overboard and fill your 12-ounce travel mug with it. That much coffee would have twice the daily recommended amount of caffeine.

What’s great about this coffee is that it’s made in small batches, so you can rest assured it’s always fresh. What’s more, the slow roasting process causes the coffee to be very low in acidity.

Pros

• The very high caffeine content will keep you energized for hours
• Made in small batches means it’s always fresh when bought
• Low acidity makes this coffee suitable for those with digestive issues
• It complies with rigorous standards that protect both workers and the environment

Cons

• Sold as coffee grounds, so it goes stale fast once opened

Kahwa Cuban Coffee Beans

In case you haven’t heard about Café Cubano, it’s an espresso shot sweetened with brown sugar. Well, there’s no sugar added to this blend.

But the brand carefully combines different varieties of Arabica beans. That way, the brand succeeded in creating a blend resembling Cuban’s popular drink.

This blend is roasted as dark as possible. But even so, it gives your coffee a delightfully sweet finish. The flavor is bold, with slight chocolate and nutty notes. It pairs well with all kinds of milk, be it dairy or plant-based.

This coffee is packaged in 1-pound bags with a one-way valve, which allows the beans to degas without oxygen getting inside. This assures you can keep an unopened bag stored for a few months without losing its freshness.

Now, I know the packaging states this is an espresso coffee blend. But the robust and well-rounded flavors make it great for other brewing methods as well. And since it’s sold as beans, you can grind them any size you like at home.

Pros

• The natural sweetness makes this blend suitable for those who drink coffee with sugar
• Very affordable, so it’s great for those who drink a lot of coffee
• The one-way valve allows the beans to degas naturally without oxidizing, making them last longer unopened
• Suitable for different brewing methods as well, for example, drip coffee

Cons

• The flavor profile is somewhat mellow, so it can easily be overwhelmed with frothed milk

Starbucks Dark Roast Ground Coffee

To be honest, I didn’t expect this blend to work that well for making cappuccinos. But I was proven wrong.

Made from Arabica beans grown in Latin America and Asia-Pacific, this dark roast by Starbucks has a pretty robust flavor.

It’s intense, smoky, and with subtle notes of dark chocolate. But when you add steamed milk into a combination, these notes become even more prominent, although mellowed down.

This coffee comes pre-ground, which makes it great for those that don’t own a grinder at home.

I only have one issue with this Starbucks blend. There’s only one packaging size, which is 20 ounces.

If you drink coffee religiously, you’ll go through it in a matter of days. But if you don’t, your coffee might go stale before you reach the end of the bag.

Pros

• Full-bodied and robust in flavor, this coffee is great for those that prefer something stronger in the morning
• Low in acidity, so it’s suitable for those with acid reflux
• It’s pre-ground, making it suitable for those who don’t own a grinder at home
• Sold in different-sized packs, so you can stock up on coffee

Cons

• Only comes in 20-ounce packaging

Mt. Comfort Coffee Espresso Roast

If you like caramel, you’ll surely love this espresso bean blend by Mt. Comfort.

It combines coffee beans from Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Ethiopia. That way, the brand created a beautiful dark roast blend that’s perfect for a cappuccino. In fact, it definitely works well with all milk-based espresso drinks, such as a latte or flat white.

The most prominent note is, you guessed it, caramel. But with the first sip, you can also pick up hints of chocolate as well.

This blend has that smoky bitterness to it, but not in a bad way. All those notes combined together, create a well-rounded and strong cup of coffee.

When you add milk into the picture, caramel and chocolate flavors are really brought up to the surface.

I like that this coffee is packed in small packaging of 12 ounces because it assures the beans stay fresh for a long time.

Plus, you can grind it at home any way you like. While created with espresso in mind, you can definitely use these beans for regular coffee as well.

Pros

• The flavor profile pairs exceptionally well with plant-based milk types
• It’s shipped immediately after roasting, so it’s fresh when you buy it
• Very affordable, which makes it suitable for those who drink tons of coffee
• Suitable for other brewing methods as well

Cons

• Some find the aroma oddly pungent

Illy Intenso Whole Bean Coffee 

Illy is like a Mercedes-Benz of coffee. Sure, it costs a lot, but the price is well deserved.

The brand uses 100% Arabica varieties in its blends, creating a very delicate yet complex flavor profile. In the case of Intenso, what you get is a robust cup of coffee with prominent notes of cocoa and dried fruit.

With Illy, you know that you’re drinking good coffee. There are tons of coffee-related certifications of quality, and this brand is pretty much collecting them like Pokemon.

I have to give props to Illy for their packaging. The coffee comes in a pressurized can filled with nitrogen. Unlike oxygen, nitrogen doesn’t react with coffee. So by filling the can with this gas, coffee stays fresh for much longer.

In fact, it can last up to 2 years unopened! So if you want to stock up on Illy, that’s surely an option.

Oh, and did I mention the cans are recyclable?

Pros

• Comes in small 8.8-ounce cans, so you’ll go through it before it goes stale
• With about 80 milligrams of caffeine in a shot, this coffee will give you quite an energy kick
• Pressurized cans filled with nitrogen keep the beans fresh for up to 2 years unopened
• Cans are recyclable, so you’re saving the environment

Cons

• Quite expensive compared to other picks

How to Find Best Coffee Beans for a Cappuccino?

There are tons of different coffee beans out there designated for making espresso. But not all of them will work just as well for a cappuccino.

In this section, we’ll cover several things you need to pay attention to when choosing the right coffee.

Roast

For a long time, the dark roast was seen as the perfect option for a cappuccino. That’s especially true for Italy, the home country of this magnificent espresso-based coffee drink.

The reason behind that was kind of logical. Dark-roasted coffee ground is more porous, so the flavor gets fully extracted within that 25-second pull.

But nowadays, you can see different roasts used for making a cappuccino.

And really, there’s no wrong answer here. Both light and dark roast will work. It all depends on your personal preference.

But, there are a few things to keep in mind when choosing the right roast for you.

Light Roast is More Acidic

Coffee beans naturally contain acids, but the majority of them break down during the roasting process. For that reason, a light roast is more acidic than a dark roast.

But because their flavor profile is more subtle, you might think that a light roast is easier on your stomach.

What I’m saying is – don’t make the mistake of relying solely on your palate if you have digestive issues.

Light Roast is More Caffeinated

A light roast is also higher in caffeine than its darker counterpart. That’s because the roasting process destroys caffeine.

So the time coffee beans reach their dark brown color, the caffeine inside them is much lower than it used to be.

Dark Roast is Oilier

Oils are located deeply inside the coffee beans. The roasting process makes beans more porous, allowing oils to come to the surface.

Those oils found in dark roast create a very rich espresso drink and even better accentuate the flavors of cappuccino.

Dark Roast has a Deeper Flavor

Dark roast usually has deep notes, such as chocolate, hazelnut, and even spices. These work extremely well in cappuccino, as they’re able to cut through the milk foam and create a well-rounded mouthfeel.

Origin

You can buy coffee beans as single-origin or blend.

Single-origin coffee beans are harvested from the same crop. Because of that, it will have a distinct flavor and aroma of that variety. Those specific notes will be rather prominent, but the overall flavor profile won’t be very complex.

For instance, coffee from Brasil is bittersweet with a hint of chocolate. Tanzanian coffee, on the other hand, is bright with flowery notes. Colombian coffee will have full body and intensity.

A blend, as the name suggests, is a combination of beans grown in different parts of the world. The mixture is carefully “designed” to create a specific flavor profile.

For example, by combining coffee from Brasil and Guatemala, you get a blend that’s smooth with honey and chocolate notes.

While both single-origin and coffee blends will work for a cappuccino, choosing the latter is a slightly better option.

Since blends usually have a more intense flavor profile, they’ll still be prominent after adding milk and milk froth.

Flavor

There are many different coffee profiles, from nutty and smokey to herby and fruity. Some are naturally sweet, others might be bitter.

A cappuccino is supposed to be bold, with a hint of sweetness from the milk. Therefore, you want your espresso to be bold enough to punch through the milk. But at the same time, it shouldn’t overpower the creaminess and sweetness.

Choose coffee with nutty, chocolatey, and earthy notes. These are intense enough to not be overwhelmed by foamed milk.

But in the end, it depends on what you like.

Final Thoughts

For a nice cup of cappuccino, you want coffee with a bold and well-rounded flavor profile.

And that’s exactly what you get with Verena Street Shot Tower Espresso Beans.

This coffee has a sweet and complex flavor that cuts through the hot milk – like a true cappuccino.

And since it’s made in small batches, it’s always fresh.