Best coffee beans to buy in 2025, tried and tested by experts
Looking for top of the range coffee beans to grind? We've gathered the best coffee beans from our favourite producers to help you pick
Whether you favour an espresso or bean-to-cup machine for your morning brew, or opt for a manual method like using a cafetiere or moka pot, your choice of coffee bean has a huge impact on flavour.
Buying whole beans and grinding them yourself is the best way to ensure freshness, and it's important to look at the date they were roasted. For the best results, look for beans that have been roasted in the last 30 days.
Read on for tried and tested recommendations on the best coffee beans to buy from our coffee expert Celeste Wong.
Looking for top-of-the-range coffee beans to grind? Great coffee starts with great coffee beans. If your beans are good, then half the battle is won already. Get expert advice from olive's coffee expert, Celeste Wong. She has tried and tested all the below coffee beans to bring your her top picks. Make sure you use the best coffee grinder for your beans and find the right machine to brew the best cup with the biggest coffee machine deals available right now.
Jump to section:
- Best coffee beans at a glance
- The best coffee beans to buy 2025
- Why buy whole coffee beans?
- What type of coffee beans should I buy?
- What does coffee roast mean?
Best coffee beans to buy at a glance
- Best for variety of coffee beans: Rave Coffee Roasters, from £11.59
- Best for a large selection of coffee beans: Pact Coffee, from £9.95
- Best no-frills coffee beans: Grind, from £8.95
- Best high-quality coffee beans: Assembly Coffee, from £10
- Best carbon negative coffee beans: Kiss The Hippo, from £11.50
- Best balanced coffee: Redemption Coffee Roasters, from £8.90
- Most versatile coffee beans: Origin Coffee, from £8.50
- Best coffee beans for long-time quality: Climpson & Sons, from £11
- Best coffee beans for filter coffee: PLOT roasting, from £9
- Best coffee beans for community spirit: Dear Green, from £10.70
- Best coffee beans for playful blends: Perky Blenders, from £8.90
- Best for café-quality brunch vibes at home: Ozone Coffee Roasters, from £10
- Best for Colombian coffee: Hermanos, from £13.50
- Best coffee beans for reliable espresso: Code 194, from £11
- Best coffee beans with sweet notes: Volcano Coffee Works, from £7.50
The best coffee beans to buy 2025
Rave Coffee Roasters
- Available from Rave (from £6.98), Amazon (from £11.59)

Best for variety of coffee beans
Based in the Cotswolds, Rave has built a loyal following since 2011 and continues to offer one of the most varied selections around. I’ve been drinking their coffee for years – especially their single origins, which now number over 20. There’s also a tidy little rare coffee range for those feeling curious, plus decaf options that use the Swiss-Water method - a natural, chemical-free way of decaffeinating while keeping its flavour (I’ve used it in a few coffee cocktails recently and it’s great). I like that they keep things accessible while championing sustainability: they support Fair Trade pricing, World Coffee Research and are part of 1% for the Planet.
One standout detail? They also sell small quantities of green beans, which I don’t see often. It’s handy if you're experimenting with roasting at home which I suspect might become more of a trend in the future. Quick delivery, a wide range of blends and gifts, and solid value make Rave one of my reliable go-tos. At the moment, I’m drinking their Colombian el Carmen no 50 as espresso, and their Guatemala Bosques de San Francisco no 52 as my filter.
Available from:
Rave (from £6.98)
Amazon (from £11.59)
Pact Coffee
- Available from Pact Coffee (from £7.96)
Best for a large selection
Pact Coffee has always placed an importance on working closely with suppliers and pioneering direct trade early on. While still being specialty, many of the coffees I've had in the past have employed a darker roast style than some of the other specialty coffees on the market.
This was my first time trying the 'coffee select' range, which offers 13 different rotating coffees, from multiple different origins and at five different grind levels. I was pleasantly surprised by the Bourbon Cream Espresso, a Brazilian and El Salvadorean blend with (unsurprisingly!) notes of bourbon cream biscuits. I also tried the Brazilian Zaroca. This was roasted similarly to the Bourbon coffee, and easily drinkable. It had a thinner mouth feel and less body, with an apple-like acidity so I would drink this as a filter coffee. Both had a good amount of sweetness, low bitterness and mild acidity.
Available from:
Pact Coffee (from £7.96)
Grind
- Available from Grind (£8 for 227g)

Best no-frills coffee beans
In 2011, Grind first opened shop in the heart of Shoreditch. Now with multiple sites across London, and supplying a range of coffee shops, it boasts its own roastery and a successful online subscription service.
Its house coffee blend is affordable (£8 per 227g bag) and neatly packaged in long, skinny postable shapes in its recognisable pink colour. Unfortunately, it doesn't disclose the origin of the coffee beans. This isn't easy to find on the site, either. But, it does disclose that the beans are specialty grade (which means they must score 80-100 points, set by SCA cupping standards) and ethically sourced. So, this coffee is more for the drinker who wants a nice standard coffee at home, and isn't too bothered about having much more information.
You can choose from the house blend, light, dark and decaf roasts, plus its ‘edition’ beans from Peru (which I assume changes, depending on seasons and buying). Grind's eco-footprint has improved over the years, using compostable packaging and products like coffee tins to refill your supply, minimising packaging waste.
I found the house blend pleasant and enjoyed drinking it as a flat white with oat milk. The decaf is nice, too. Both coffees aren’t over-roasted or too dark, which is a good thing when using specialty coffee. The coffee is bold enough for milk to cut through, but it’s not overpowering and has some level of depth.
Available from:
Grind (£8 for 227g)
Assembly Coffee
- Available from Assembly Coffee (from £10)
Best high-quality coffee beans
Assembly Coffee, roasted in Brixton, is known for its high-quality coffee and artistically painted designs that represent the flavours and characteristics of the coffee. Everything about Assembly is chic and well thought out, like much of its coffee.
First I tried the House Espresso, a washed Colombian bean. I found this rich, clean, sweet and balanced with or without milk. Next I tried the Villamaria from Columbia, a naturally processed bean. I got a strawberries and cream hit at the beginning for an enjoyable bright and fresh cup, with a highly perfumed aroma.
Roaster's toasting notes:
Villamaria: hazelnut, strawberry, complex
House Espresso: plum, brown sugar, refreshing
Available from:
Assembly Coffee (from £10)
Kiss The Hippo
- Available from Kiss The Hippo (from £10.50), Amazon (from £12.50)
Best carbon negative coffee beans
Kiss The Hippo stands out for being carbon negative – going beyond carbon neutral. The brand calculated its carbon emissions and planned out ways in which it could reduce them, then made a plan with reforestation charity On A Mission to offset its remaining emissions with verified or certified sustainable reforestation projects.
I tested out the Los Vascos Colombian coffee. This drop is lightly roasted and has a lovely light body to it. I found it had sweetness and a bright acidity like that of green apple.
Roaster's tasting notes: caramel, honey, green apple
Available from:
Kiss The Hippo (from £10.50)
Amazon (from £12.50)
Redemption Coffee Roasters
- Available from Redemption Roasters (from £8.90)
Best balanced coffee
Redemption Coffee Roasters is the world's first prison-based coffee company, on a mission to reduce reoffending rates through coffee. It runs barista training academies in several prisons across the UK and on release, helps graduates find work in its own coffee shops or within its network.
The Aylesbury Blend espresso is its all-rounder espresso, and I've been really enjoying it as a long black and a flat white. It is really balanced, with low bitterness and low acidity. The Mount Blend, a coffee from Colombia and Ethiopia, had berry and floral notes. The next coffee I tried was the filter coffee, El Meridiano from Colombia. This is a bright and aromatic coffee. I really enjoyed this. The acidity is higher in this which I liked, and the pineapple flavour notes came through well.
Roaster's tasting notes:
Aylesbury Blend: marzipan, dried apricot, biscuit
The Mount Blend: raspberry, blackcurrant, tea rose
El Meridiano: pineapple, lime, green apple
Available from:
Redemption Roasters (from £8.90)
Origin Coffee
- Available from Origin Coffee (from £8.50)

Most versatile coffee beans
Origin Coffee is a very successful and reputable roastery that started 15 years ago, based in Cornwall.
Origin’s San Fermin beans have been a trusty staple for many cafes around the UK, as it is omni-roasted. This means it is developed enough for espressos and yet still light enough to brew as a filter coffee, making it highly versatile. This coffee goes well in a flat white and makes a satisfying morning brew as a filter.
Roaster's notes: orange sherbet, caramel, berries
Available from:
Origin Coffee (from £8.50)
Climpson & Sons
- Available from Climpson & Sons (from £11)

Best coffee beans for long-time quality
Climpson & Sons has been part of the East London coffee scene since the early 2000s – first as a market stall, and now as a roastery, café and brand known for its consistent quality and creativity. They’re B Corp certified, and their focus on sustainability, quality and community has been part of their DNA from the beginning. I love that they keep a strong core range of blends and dependable single origins while offering more boutique-style options, like their Midnight Oil coffee liqueur and concentrates for easy cocktails – great for espresso martinis.
Climpson is one of those roasters that have stayed true to their ethos while growing thoughtfully. I’ve followed their journey closely over the years, and their coffee continues to deliver every time. You might also be interested in the charitable cycling and ocean conservation initiatives they run. At the moment I’m drinking The Baron as espresso, a Brazilian pulped natural with dark chocolate, hazelnut and marzipan notes and their Sirinya single origin from Thailand. I haven’t had much coffee from Thailand, and this is a lovely naturally processed coffee, perfect for filter, with raspberry, mango and vanilla notes. Their coffee info cards are really effective and help guide you on which brew method to use, depending on what you prefer or have at home. Their decaf is lovely too, for both espresso and filter methods.
Available from:
Climpson & Sons (from £11)
Plot Roasting
- Available from PLOT roasting (from £9)

Best coffee beans for filter coffee
Plot burst onto the scene a few years ago and has been the name on every barista’s lips since. At recent London Coffee Festivals, where I host MC Coffee Masters, their stand is always my first stop for a morning cup. They specialise in unusual, experimental processing – think an 84-hour yeast-anoxic natural or a honey-processed Geisha, which makes each brew a real talking point.
For the past year I’ve subscribed to their ICON Series: 100-150g of a genuinely rare coffee delivered monthly for £20. It’s a brilliant, affordable way to taste beans that are normally impossible to source in small amounts; a few cups is often all you need to appreciate something extraordinary before returning to your daily blend. Whether you’re an experienced coffee nerd or just want to dip a toe outside your usual filter, Plot is the place. And if rarity isn’t your thing, they still offer everyday crowd-pleasers.
Available from:
PLOT roasting (from £9)
Dear Green
- Available from Dear Green (from £10.70)

Best coffee beans for community spirit
I’ve been a fan of this Glasgow-based roaster for years. Founded in 2011 by Lisa Lawson, an inspiring figure in the industry and long-time champion of women in coffee (myself included) – Dear Green is a values-led B Corp with an impressively high recertification score of 117.6, and a pledge to reach net-zero by 2030.
Transparency runs deep: sourcing is traceable, with organic, decaf, espresso and filter options, plus a dedicated ‘women producer’ range and showcase coffees for something extra special. I’m currently sipping the “Dear Green City Blend” - a Peru-Colombia mix with chocolate, caramel and bright cherry notes. Great as espresso, or as a summer cold brew. £1 from each bag goes to Greenheart Growers and Wash House Garden.
From travelling barista to founder of the Glasgow Coffee Festival, Lisa’s passion shows in every cup. With barista training, community projects, and fair-living wages baked into the business, Dear Green is more than a roastery, it’s a movement. No surprise they were named Micro Roaster of the Year by Roast Magazine.
Available from:
Dear Green (from £10.70)
Perky Blenders
- Available from Perky Blenders (from £8.90)

Best coffee beans for playful blends
I first came across Perky Blenders thanks to my semi-pro cyclist friends, who swore by their deliveries to fuel long rides. Based in East London (with a new café just opened), they roast sustainably with compostable packaging and a focus on traceability.
The bright branding and coffee names make things feel playful and accessible. “I’m So Curious” is their coffee-of-the-month pick, while “I’m So Nutty” (Forest Blend) is rich and chocolatey, and “I’m So Jammy” brings fruity funk with notes of blackberry, pineapple and coconut.
Their selection boxes are great for gifting or discovering your favourites, and their personalised bags for birthdays and holidays add a thoughtful twist. Right now I’m sipping their Burundi Rugembe Hill and Jazzy Max – both tropical and vibrant. I’m even tempted to blend a shot into a smoothie for a little extra zing.
Available from:
Perky Blenders (from £8.90)
Ozone Coffee Roasters
- Available from Ozone Coffee (from £10)

Best for café-quality brunch vibes at home
Since landing in London in 2012, Ozone has earned a stellar reputation for top-tier coffee paired with that unmistakable Antipodean flair for food, helping to shape the UK’s brunch culture as we know it. Founded in New Zealand, their B Corp status reflects a strong company ethos rooted in sustainability, quality, and community. They now have several café locations across London, so you can enjoy their brews (and brilliant brunches) in person too.
Their home coffee range covers origins like Bolivia, Colombia and Guatemala, thanks to long-standing relationships with producers. I also love that they offer a “half caff” option – perfect if you’re caffeine-sensitive but still want a little buzz. You can shop by flavour notes like citrus, floral, nutty or cocoa, which makes picking your perfect brew feel intuitive and fun.
Packaging is beautifully designed and fully recyclable, and deliveries are quick and well-packed. Their reserve tasting packs are a great way to explore higher-end lots, and I rate their special edition “Pride” coffee from Fazenda Inglaterra, which supports the LGBTQ+ youth charity akt. I’d recommend trying one of their Bolivians or Kenyans for something vibrant and delicious.
Available from:
Ozone Coffee (from £10)
Hermanos
- Available from Hermanos (from £13.50)

Best for Colombian coffee
Hermanos works with Colombian coffee farmers and has had some unique coffees recently that I’ve really enjoyed.
The La Aldea is the latest. I’ve been drinking this as an espresso with milk, where the assam tea and dark chocolate flavour notes come in to balance out the milk. I’ve also been drinking it as a black filter coffee, and the plum and apricot sweetness shines through. At a slightly higher price point, this is maybe one to splash out on.
Roaster's notes: black plum, assam tea, dark chocolate
Available from:
Hermanos (from £13.50)
Santiago and Victor Gamboa, founders of Colombian coffee roasters Hermanos, share their favourite food and drinks from their homeland.
Code 194
- Available from Code 194 (from £11)

Best coffee beans for reliable espresso
This new roastery may be the new kid on the block, but its roaster is not! With many years of experience in roasting for top roasteries in England over many years, this new south London roastery offers a solid range of delicious and reliable coffees that you can purchase online.
Having tried many of the specialty coffees from its range, I'd recommend the espresso blend, which changes seasonally but keeps to a similar flavour profile. As an espresso, it's bold enough for the milk to cut through, which is important if you drink coffee with milk. The Papua New Guinea coffee has fruity and milk chocolate flavour notes. Both are very reasonably priced, and come in bags of 250g.
Roaster's notes: cocoa, candied citrus
Available from:
Code 194 (from £11)
Volcano Coffee Works
- Available from Volcano Coffee Works (from £7.50)
Best coffee beans with sweet notes
Volcano Coffee Works is one of London’s early artisan coffee roasters, founded by Kurt Stewart, an experienced New Zealand roaster. It made its mark supplying top-notch restaurants and today still does, as well as specialty cafés.
I tested out the espresso roast – the Mount Blend, from El Salvador and Brazil. I found this coffee nice and sweet but bold, with good body and medium acidity. A nice drop with milk.
Roaster's tasting notes: Caramel, red grapes, milk chocolate.
Available from:
Volcano Coffee Works (from £7.50)
Why buy whole coffee beans?
Beans stay fresher for longer, and so your coffee should taste better, too. As soon as green coffee beans are roasted, they start to release CO2, which affects the taste. They will oxidise and slowly start to go 'stale' and have a flat taste after a while. When coffee is ground, there is a higher surface area which is exposed to oxygen and that will cause them to lose their freshness faster, so it's best to keep coffee beans whole as close to brewing as possible. Treat your coffee beans similarly to potatoes: store them in a dark, dry place. It's best they are kept in a container or the bag they come in to stop oxygen and moisture getting in.
What type of coffee beans should I buy?
There are generally two types of beans: robusta and arabica.
Arabica: Produced by the specialty coffee industry, this is harder to grow. Arabica beans have less caffeine than robusta, but more varied complex characteristics in taste and acidity levels because it is usually grown at higher altitudes, and better quality, nutrient-rich soil.
Robusta: Robusta beans are hardy and usually used for commodity products such as cheaper instant coffee.
What does coffee roast mean?
Coffee roasts are generally described as light, medium and dark. Dark roasts can be described as more bold and strong tasting. Espresso can usually be roasted a little darker, as the coffee is extracted through machines with high pressure and temperature, so the flavour still comes through. However, medium to lighter roasts keep a lot of the bean's flavour characteristics. When you roast a bean, think of it like taking the moisture out of it: the equivalent to slow or quick cooking a cut of meat. There is also an art to roasting coffee beans, in the fact that different beans from different origins hold different moisture content and density, and therefore need to be roasted appropriately to optimise flavour and quality.
Want to learn more about becoming an expert at-home barista? Read our guides here:
Celeste Wong's guide to becoming an overnight coffee expert
Celeste Wong's guide on how to make iced coffee
Celeste Wong's guide on sustainable coffee
Celeste Wong's best moka pots
Celeste Wong's best coffee grinders
Celeste Wong's best decaf coffee to try
Celeste Wong's best reusable and compostable espresso pods
Celeste Wong's best gooseneck kettles to try
More reviews
Best coffee subscriptions to try
Best Sage coffee machines
Best coffee pod machines
Best bean-to-cup coffee machines
Best espresso machines
Best matcha tea
Best greens powders to buy
Authors
Comments, questions and tips
By entering your details, you are agreeing to olive magazine terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.