Bean to Cup Coffee
Bean-to-cup machines automatically grind and brew coffee via the espresso method. They are becoming more and more popular due to their ease of use and consistent results. Simply select 'Beans' from the grind options before adding your coffee to the basket, rather than selecting from our grind options. Coffee beans start to lose their flavour once ground, so using whole beans that are only ground moments before being used is the best way to use them.
There's no reason why any of our coffees can't be used in a bean-to-cup machine, as it's very much down to personal taste, however these are the varieties we particularly recommend.
Some bean-to-cup machines occasionally struggle with more oily varieties of coffee. In this case, we'd advise reading our guide on How to Prevent Oily Beans from Clogging Your Bean-to-Cup Machine, or going straight to our Low Oil Coffee Beans range.
- Monsoon Malabar CoffeeMonsoon Malabar, a wonderful variety from our Asian coffee range, is picked in the Malabar region of India, one of the wettest regions of southern India, undergoes an especially unique process to bring out the beans' fullest flavours. Straight after being harvested the Malabar beans are transported to open warehouses along the Malabar Coast, where they will be exposed to the harsh, moist winds of the area's monsoons for around three to four months. While they are stored in these open ...
From £14.99★★★★★1193 Review(s) - Golden Crema CoffeeThis is the crème de la crème of coffee blends, a robust, rich and bold coffee of the highest quality to spoil yourself with at any time of day. The strong blend makes an exquisite espresso that could be just the thing to give yourself a midday pick-me-up, but if you want to enjoy this treat to its fullest then use it as a base for all your favourite filter coffees: the luxurious texture is brought to the forefront when you add steamed milk, creating creamy, silky lattes and cappuccinos that ...
From £14.99★★★★★892 Review(s) - Italian CoffeeThe same blend as our Continental coffee, but roasted slightly lighter so that the same great flavour is produced without the oily characteristics, making it ideal for smooth and intense espressos. While our Italian is classed as a strong coffee and is best enjoyed as an espresso, you don't need to feel restricted to that single drink. Why not start the day with Italian coffee beans as a base for your favourite filter coffees, and enjoy a powerful, full-flavoured experience. The perfect ...
From £13.99★★★★★490 Review(s) - Dark Decaffeinated Colombian CoffeeIf you're looking for a quality decaf coffee that doesn't sacrifice on strength and intense flavours, then our Dark Decaffeinated Colombian is for you. Ideal for deep, aromatic espressos, these beans offer the rich and luxurious flavour of chocolate and produce wonderfully full-bodied coffees that won't be keeping you up all night. Our Dark Decaffeinated Colombian is roasted on order, so it will arrive to you as fresh as possible, bursting with intoxicating aromas and packed full of flavour, ...
From £14.99★★★★★408 Review(s) - Swiss Water Decaffeinated CoffeeDecaffeinated coffee is ideal for those who want to enjoy their favourite blends at any time of day, without the effects of caffeine, however the process of removing caffeine from a bean can also remove much of the bean's flavour. That's why the Swiss Water Process is a favourite method of decaffeinating coffee: it doesn't remove the flavour and strength of coffee beans in the act of removing the caffeine, and doesn't use any chemicals. In the method, coffee beans are first soaked in hot ...
From £19.99★★★★★518 Review(s) - Arabica Supremo CoffeeAn extraordinary, complex blend of 100% Arabica beans from five different coffee-growing locations across the world, puts Arabica Supremo high on the list of the finest blends to be created. Deep, rich and smooth, with an exotic, spicy aroma, the recipe for this ingenious mix of high quality, expertly roasted beans is a well-kept secret, but once tried, you’ll be left in no doubt as to how amazing it tastes. Arabica Supremo is roasted dark, with a strength level of 8/10, and flavour and ...
From £19.99★★★★★241 Review(s) - Director's CoffeeWith an intense, spicy taste and a wonderfully full body, this Sumatran-based blend is ideal for espressos, packing a strong punch that's not often encountered in blends, yet retaining a complexity of flavours that's not always easy to find in stronger coffees. The big, powerful flavours of Director's linger superbly on the tongue, but aren't so oppressive that you can't enjoy this blend filtered or prepared with a cafetiere. Our Director's blend is especially good for those who enjoy a bit ...
From £14.99★★★★★265 Review(s) - Old Brown Java CoffeeIdeal for espresso, our strong Old Brown Java beans are aged as green beans for at least two years before being roasted, giving the coffee a heavier body and a powerful flavour, but very little acidity. The process of ageing beans is popular among many Javanese coffee producers and can last for as long as three years, during which green beans may be 'monsooned' by being exposed to the warm, moist air of the rainy seasons. As the green beans age they often begin to turn to a light brown ...
From £14.99★★★★★355 Review(s) - Coffee of the MonthGet 50% off your first delivery. Enter code WELCOME50 at checkout! New customer subscriptions only. Cannot be used with any other discount codes or offers A Different Coffee Every Month Our expert roasters select a particular variety from our extensive range each month, and roast to order by hand giving you the freshest coffee available. Suitable for All Brewing Methods Every coffee selected is suitable for all brewing methods - from bean-to-cup, espresso machines, cafetieres and siphons, ...
From £14.99★★★★★54 Review(s) - Dark Colombian CoffeeOur Dark Colombian is a slightly stronger coffee than our Colombian Medium Roast, which makes it more versatile as it is suitable for cafetiere use, filter coffees and intense espressos. Again using Medellin Excelso, from Colombia's Cordillera Central in the Andes, this excellent coffee really does display some of the finer qualities of the renowned Colombian coffee bean: a rich aroma, luxurious depth and sweet flavours of fruit and chocolate. These Colombian beans benefit from being grown ...
From £14.99★★★★★184 Review(s) - Blue Sumatra CoffeeThis strong Indonesian coffee comes from Sumatra, the second largest of the Indonesian islands, and is considered among the finest examples from the region. Indonesia itself is the fourth largest coffee producer in the world, and the longitude and latitude of the country make for particularly well suited micro-climates in producing a diverse, flavoursome variety of beans. In fact, depending on the region, Indonesian coffees are known to be imbued with flavours of cocoa, smoke, cedar wood, ...
From £15.99★★★★★289 Review(s) - Barista Reserve CoffeeThis sweet and mellow blend is an excellent all-round coffee that is highly recommended for business meetings, professional events and other situations where you want a flexible coffee that will suit everyone's tastes. The blend offers subtle flavours that are delicious, yet unimposing, and without much bitterness or acidity, making a smooth, very enjoyable coffee. The medium strength beans mean that this blend is suitable for all filter coffees and can be enjoyed straight from the ...
From £14.99★★★★★286 Review(s) - Java Santos CoffeeThis blend of Indonesian Java and Brazilian Santos creates a wonderfully strong coffee that's full of flavour, but without any bitterness. Java, or Kopi Jawa as Indonesians refer to it, is typically a strong, slightly sweet coffee, and it works wonders here with the light body and low acidity of Santos. The balance of flavours creates an indulgent blend that's best enjoyed as an espresso, but can also be used in a cafetiere or as a base for your favourite filter coffees.
From £14.99★★★★★166 Review(s) - Continental CoffeeThis strong coffee is full of character and perfect for those who enjoy powerful, dark roasts that pack a punch. Our Continental is the darkest roasted coffee we offer and, while perhaps not for the faint hearted, offers a divine combination of heady aromas and rich, oily, well-balanced flavours. Given the strength of this wonderful coffee, we would recommend it mainly for intense espressos, although it can also be used to make rich filter coffees that will carry a very mild acidity and ...
From £13.99★★★★★224 Review(s) - Caffè Marcos CoffeeOur premier blend of expertly roasted coffees from the very finest plantations in Central and South America, mixed with complex tones from African and Indian speciality beans for a deep, rich and full-bodied coffee. A slight hint of acidity is balanced beautifully with a mellow flavour in what we consider to be one of our greatest ever blends. Perfectly suitable for an exquisite espresso, Caffè Marcos forms the ideal base for all manner of coffee drinks. With a strength level of 8/10, ...
From £19.99★★★★★106 Review(s) - Buckaroo CoffeeNot for the faint-hearted, our Buckaroo Blend is strong, darkly roasted and straight to the point, with a kick that's sure to get you moving first thing in the morning. While this blend is great in filter coffees, it really comes alive as an espresso, where the deep, rich aromas and powerful flavours are brought right to the forefront, giving your senses a wonderful wake-up call and lingering on the tongue long afterwards. Roasted to order, our Buckaroo blend will be delivered to you with ...
From £13.99★★★★★101 Review(s) - Guatemala Swiss Water Decaffeinated CoffeeGuatemala Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee offers the typical taste profile of a Guatemalan coffee, but without the caffeine, so it can be enjoyed at any time of the day or evening. It is produced using the ingenious Swiss Water Decaffeination Process, a method that removes caffeine from coffee without the use of chemicals, and without losing the wonderful flavours contained in quality Arabica beans. It is a medium bodied cup with good acidity, a rich aroma, and hints of citrus and caramel. ...
From £22.99★★★★★69 Review(s) - Dark Maragogype CoffeeThe coffee industry in Guatemala began to develop in the 1850s, with small plantations flourishing. Cultivation of coffee and the country's coffee industry was given a sizeable boost during the Liberal Revolution of 1871, when goals of modernisation and trade improvements caused the bean to become an especially important crop. To this day coffee remains one of Guatemala's main exports, along with sugar, textiles and bananas. The particular bean used in our medium and mellow Dark Maragogype ...
From £18.99★★★★★123 Review(s) - Papua New Guinea CoffeeCoffee in Papua New Guinea is mostly cultivated in the country's five highlands provinces; Western Highlands, Eastern Highlands, Simbu, Morobe and East Sepik. As a relatively small producer of coffee, Papua New Guinea generally sources its harvested beans from small land holdings, or 'coffee gardens', owned by farmers, which are located largely in isolated areas that do not require synthetic fertilisers or pesticides. Our Papua New Guinea coffee has a distinctive chocolate and nut flavour, ...
From £14.99★★★★★85 Review(s) - Smokey Joe's CoffeeThis gorgeous combination of monsoon washed and Ling Tong Sumatran beans hits you immediately with its velvety sweetness, rich fruit flavours and smokey spiciness. Leaving behind an earthly and complex taste that is fantastic for a more savoury coffee, our Smokey Joe's is best enjoyed in the evening or after a meal, and compliments a dessert especially well. The monsoon washed beans undergo the heavy winds and rains of Indonesia's monsoon season, during a process that removes much of their ...
From £14.99★★★★★87 Review(s)
Your Essential Guide to Bean-to-Cup Machine Coffee
Bringing ease, efficiency and speed to coffee preparation, a bean-to-cup machine takes care of each stage in the brewing process, from grinding the beans to the perfect coarseness, to brewing and pouring. Many machines will include a steam wand or pannarello for creating wonderful, velvety froth and steamed milk, ideal for lattes and cappuccinos, while the user settings in most bean-to-cup models allow for users to customise their perfect coffees, all with the simple touch of a button.
At Coffee-Direct, we stock a wide range of Gaggia bean-to-cup machines and Slimissimo bean-to-cup machines,
The Java Jargon Decoder
Here are a few terms that may come in handy as we explore coffee for bean-to-cup machines:
- Bean-to-cup - A bean-to-cup machine has a built-in grinder, so all you have to do is add the right amount of coffee beans and you’re good to go.
- Steam Wand and Pannarello - The tool fitted to a number of bean-to-cup machines that allows users to create froth and steamed milk. A pannarello attaches to a steam wand to make the process easier and improve results.
- Strength - A common mistake is to refer to coffee “strength” as an indication of caffeine levels in a bean. Strength instead refers to the ratio of water to ground coffee in the brewing of a drink.
- Extraction Time - The time taken for hot water to extract flavour, aromas and caffeine from ground coffee. Extraction times are greatly affected by the grind size or coarseness of a coffee bean; coarser grinds result in a shorter extraction time, while finer grinds cause a longer extraction time.
- Crema - One of the key features of espresso, Crema, Italian for cream, is the natural head of foam that forms on top of an espresso shot.
HOW TO USE A BEAN-TO-CUP MACHINE
Because a bean-to-cup machine takes care of so much in the coffee preparation process, they are particularly easy to use. However, there are some variables that can be manually selected by users and which will alter the flavours and aromas of the finished drink.
Many bean-to-cup machines offer settings for both coffee grind coarseness and water ratio or volume. By experimenting with the settings of your bean-to-cup machine, you can find the ideal combination of grind coarseness and water ratio to make perfect beverages every use.
HOW SHOULD COFFEE BE GROUND IN A BEAN-TO-CUP MACHINE?
In coffee extraction, the coarseness of a ground bean dictates the length of the extraction period of your espresso shot; the finer the ground coffee is, the more surface area is exposed and the longer the extraction time is, while coarser grinds allow less exposure, resulting in a shorter extraction time.
Ideally, you will want an espresso shot from a bean-to-cup machine to be thick with a good amount of crema. If your espresso shot is lacking in flavour and crema, it likely means that your grind setting is too coarse, and likewise if the shot is coming out very slowly and yielding little volume, the ground coffee is likely too fine.
HOW MUCH WATER SHOULD I USE WITH A BEAN-TO-CUP MACHINE?
Many bean-to-cup machines will allow you to adjust the settings for water ratio or volume, so that you can customise and create the perfect coffee time and time again, across any bean variety that you choose. When we talk about the “strength” of a coffee, we are not talking about the caffeine content of a particular bean. Rather we are referring to the ratio of coffee to water; a “stronger” coffee will have a higher percentage of dissolved ground coffee in the water, and vice versa for a “weaker” coffee.
It is therefore worth experimenting with different water and coffee ratios.
WHAT IS THE BEST BEAN-TO-CUP MACHINE?
A great bean-to-cup machine will offer you ease and quality in every cup of coffee. You will want a sturdy design that will last you for years, as well as quality features. Our range of bean-to-cup machines offer good water tank sizes, 100% ceramic adjustable grinders, sizable bean hopper capacities, stainless steel components and removable parts for easy cleaning, all of which contribute to make a great machine.
WHAT IS THE BEST COFFEE FOR A BEAN-TO-CUP MACHINE?
Using freshly roasted whole beans is an absolute must with bean-to-cup machines, so it’s imperative that you avoid stale beans. At Coffee-Direct, we roast our coffee beans to order, ensuring a freshness in every bag that will deliver delicious, full-flavoured and aromatic coffees. We even pack our beans in one-way valve, foil fresh bags and include the date of roasting on each bag.
FAQs
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BEAN-TO-CUP MACHINE AND AN ESPRESSO MAKER?
A bean-to-cup machine takes care of the entire coffee preparation process, so that all you need to do is fill the machine with your chosen coffee beans, keep the water tank filled with clean water, and keep the machine clean and well-maintained. The machine will grind and extract your espresso shot, and in some cases allow you to create milk froth with a steam wand. An espresso maker requires more manual work from the user and takes pre-ground coffee. The pre-ground coffee is placed into the portafilter and tamped, before the hot water is run through the grounds and the extraction occurs.
CAN YOU USE PRE-GROUND COFFEE IN A BEAN-TO-CUP MACHINE?
Many bean-to-cup machines can use pre-ground coffee as well as beans. This is useful if you want to use a different variety, such as a decaffeinated coffee, without emptying the main bean hopper.
WHAT IS THE BEST BEAN-TO-CUP MACHINE FOR BEGINNERS?
Depending on your needs, there will be a bean-to-cup coffee machine for you. At Coffee-Direct, we stock a wide range of Gaggia and Slimissimo bean-to-cup machines, featuring a variety of features such as built-in milk carafes, steam wants and pannarello, customisable user settings for more experienced at-home baristas, and pre-set functions for beginners.