Most of us cannot function without our morning cup of coffee. I personally don’t start to wake up and become energized until the second cup, and I keep myself caffeinated throughout the day! How else are we meant to cope with those long working hours?!
Coffee has become a crucial part of our modern day lives and culture. There’s a Starbucks or coffeehouse on every single corner! Not that I’m complaining…but you can understand why we love our cups of joe so much.
In America, it is estimated that we drink about 146 billion cups of coffee per year, and on average, the normal person drinks about 3 cups of coffee per day! So, coffee has become one of our pastimes, and a highly enjoyable everyday beverage.
So, how do you make sure that you get to enjoy a delicious cup of velvety, smooth, flavorful coffee everyday? You have a latte! Now, you don’t have to spend all of your hard earned cash on take-away coffees everyday, as you can brew lattes at home. Simply add a shot of espresso to some steamed milk and you’re away to go!
All you need to know is which coffee beans to buy for lattes. Luckily, this is where my area of expertise comes in handy. Being something of a coffee aficionado myself, I have tried my fair share of coffee beans, and created the ultimate guide of the 7 best coffee beans for lattes, so you can have that perfect brew!
Our Best Bean
When it comes to that morning coffee, you will want only the best to start your day. For the first latte when you wake up, you need the Lavazza Super Crema Whole Beans. These beans are the perfect choice for making lattes as they are medium roasted, mild and oh so creamy.
With hints of hazelnuts and notes of brown sugar for a light yet rich flavor, these beans create the most beautiful latte you will ever have. The Super Crema beans are deliciously rich, with a full body and all of the taste you would expect from authentic Italian espresso.
These beans create both flowery and fruity notes, with a soft texture and a compact crema for a rich, aromatic bean that you will never forget.
Best Coffee Beans For Latte
Lavazza Super Crema Whole Bean
If you want a delicious, mild and creamy latte, then the Lavazza Super Crema Whole Beans will be perfect for you. These beans are medium to light roasted for a beautiful, balanced and velvety coffee.
The beans themselves have notes of hazelnuts and brown sugar for a light, soft and aromatic taste profile. With flowery and fruity notes, a soft texture and a compact crema, these coffee beans provide rich, aromatic intensity that you will love.
PROS:
- Medium-light roasted
- Composed of 60% Arabic and 40% Robusta
- Tastes of brown sugar and roasted hazelnut
- Has a rich crema
- Flowery and fruity notes
- Italian-made and roasted coffee
CONS:
- Not 100% Arabica
Starbucks Medium Roast Whole Bean Coffee
As the latte is intended as a breakfast coffee, then why not try the Starbucks Breakfast Blend Coffee Beans? This coffee is 100% Arabica coffee beans, which are medium roasted for the ultimate flavor.
With these beans, you can enjoy the Starbucks coffee you usually love, without having to leave the comfort of your home! This blend is bright, tangy and has a beautiful taste and aroma that you will love. The medium roast is balanced, smooth and full of rich flavors that will take your latte to the next level!
PROS:
- Made from 100% Arabica coffee beans
- Breakfast blend of coffee perfect for lattes
- Has a bright, vibrant and crisp flavor
- Tangy taste
- Same flavor as Starbucks in-house coffee
- Medium roasted beans
CONS:
- Have to be stored properly or will quickly lose flavor
Peet’s Coffee Big Bang Medium Roast
If you want pure, 100% Arabica coffee beans that are freshly roasted for a more flavorful cup, then try Peet’s Medium Roast Coffee beans. The Big Bang blend is a celebratory blend featuring exotic fruitiness from Peet’s Ethiopian beans.
As they are medium roasted, these beans have the perfect flavor profile for making lattes, offering a signature rich flavor with a vibrant blast of tropical fruits for a unique, interesting and mind-blowing taste.
PROS:
- Medium roast
- Has exotic, fruity flavor
- Smooth profile and tropical taste
- Freshly roasted
- 100% Arabica coffee
CONS:
- Best bought as whole bean, and not ground
Koffee Kult Coffee beans Roasted Whole Bean
If you want a more robust, strong flavor, then you have to try the Koffee Kult Dark Roast. These coffee beans are roasted, packaged immediately and shipped straight away to conserve the flavor, for the best tasting coffee!
The taste is strong and bold, but so smooth and enjoyable. It is never bitter, and always rich, full-bodied and aromatic. Koffee Kult uses a range of coffee beans, including Sumatra, Guatemala and Colombia for a beautiful blend of beans.
The beans themselves have a very full, caramel or chocolatey flavor, with hints of cinnamon. These coffee beans are great for pairing with milk in your lattes, as the immense coffee flavor is balanced perfectly by the milk.
PROS:
- Mixed origin 100% Arabica beans
- Beautiful aroma
- Strong, rich taste
- Caramel and chocolate flavor
- Dark roast coffee beans
CONS:
- Can be rather strong for some people
Kauai Whole Bean Coffee Medium Roast
For a cup of coffee that transports you to the islands of paradise, try the Kauai whole bean coffee. These coffee beans are medium roasted for a smooth, delicious flavor and amazing aroma. Made from 100% Arabica beans, this is a premium coffee, but with a light, floral taste that pairs perfectly with a latte.
What’s even better about these beans is that they are sustainably made with environmentally sound practices, and that Kauai Coffee Company is the largest coffee grower in the US!
PROS:
- 100% Arabica Premium Beans
- Light, floral notes
- Medium roast
- Eco friendly and sustainable
- From Hawaii’s largest coffee grower, Kauai
CONS:
- Not 100% Hawaiian coffee beans as suggested
Three Sisters Kicking Horse Coffee Medium Roast
The Three Sisters Kicking Horse coffee is roasted in the Rocky Mountains, for a deep, dark and delicious flavor. This medium roast coffee offers smooth, savory and secutive tastes that will really add something to your morning latte.
The tasting notes of this coffee are well rounded, balanced and complex with hints of sweet tobacco, cocoa and stone fruit.
PROS:
- Medium roasted
- Smooth and seductive taste
- Well rounded coffee beans
- Indonesian, Central and South American origin
- Grown in environmentally responsible way
- Arabica coffee
CONS:
- Not resealable, can go stale quickly
Olde Brooklyn Coffee
The Olde Brooklyn coffee beans have such a rich taste, mesmerizing aroma and distinct flavor that will make each latte unforgettable. These beans have a smoky-sweet flavor, yet a strong tang that really complements the milk in your lattes as it is freshly roasted, and shipped in airtight bags to give you the best blend in each pack.
With exquisite beans from Columbia, Brazil and Guatemala, these coffee beans will become one of your firm favorites!
PROS:
- Breakfast Blend
- Medium roasted beans
- Shipped in airtight, sealed bags for freshness
- Blended from Columbian, Brazilian and Guatemalan beans
- Has a rich taste and distinct flavor
CONS:
- Bit lighter rather than medium roasted
Buyer’s Guide
Things to consider when purchasing coffee beans for lattes
There are a few things you should think about when purchasing the best coffee beans for lattes. Whilst this guide is here to help you, it is important to note that everyone is different. Whereas most people like medium roasts for lattes, perhaps you prefer light roasts for your coffee beans.
The ‘best beans’ are highly subjective as everyone has different tastes and flavors that they enjoy.That being said, we have tried to gather some of the most popular and widely used coffee beans for your perusal.
When choosing coffee beans, you have to consider the origin of the beans, and the type of beans. For instance, some of the highest quality coffee beans are Arabica coffee beans. These are considered the best of the best, and are the most popular.
Over 60% of the world’s coffee beans are the Arabica variety. These beans are grown at high altitudes in areas with plenty of shade and steady rainfall for the best flavor profile and aroma.
On the other hand, there are Robusta beans, which are the second most popular coffee beans produced around the world. These are cheaper than Arabica, and require a hot climate with lots of rainfall. These types of beans have more caffeine in them, and have a harsher, more bitter flavor. However, they are very rich and have a sort of chocolatey aroma to them.
You also have to think about the roast of the coffee beans, as this will affect the flavor. As coffee roasts get darker, they tend to lose the original flavor of the beans, and are infused with the burned flavor of the roasting process. However, lighter roasts will have more acidity than darker roasts, and the caffeine level decreases as the roast gets darker.
However, ultimately, it will come down to your favorite flavor, and what taste, roast and aroma you prefer when it comes to your coffee. Some coffee beans are known for a sweeter, more fruity flavor, whereas others are more delicate, or have a rich, chocolatey flavor. It depends on what you like out of your coffee!
In addition to all of this, how you store your coffee beans is paramount to how they taste overall. You can spend hours picking the right coffee beans for your coffee, but if you do not store them properly, they can lose all of their flavor before you even start the coffee bean grinder!
For instance, supermarket coffee beans may have been left on the shelf for weeks, and will not brew well, so you are better off purchasing coffee beans from an online source, or from a coffee house fresh, for the best results.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a latte?
The latte originated in Italy, where all of the biggest coffee connoisseurs are! It was typically a breakfast coffee, and has been traced back to the 17th century, but has become more common since the increased popularity of the espresso machine in the 1950s.
The espresso machine was first invented in 1884, but did not become popular until the 40s and 50s, where they were installed in coffee houses more and more as America’s love of coffee swelled. Today, the latte is still one of the most popular coffees in the world, with millions of lattes being bought every day.
The latte, or the caffe latte, as it is known in Italy, is a very smooth, milky and silky coffee drink. It has a very delicate flavor, as the milk masks the strong or bitter coffee taste. As such, this beverage is the most popular around the globe, and can be found in every coffeehouse imaginable.
The latte is made up of a shot of espresso, and a lot of steamed milk. It is then finished with a miniscule layer of frothed milk just to give it its velvety texture that we all love.
With a latte, the typical ratio for coffee to steamed milk is about 1-2, which means that it has a delicate coffee flavor, and is not particularly bitter or strong. By using rich espresso for a latte, you can create the perfect balance of highly flavored coffee beans with smooth milk.
What is the difference between a latte and a cappuccino?
The Latte and the Cappuccino are two of the most popular coffee drinks in the entire world, so it comes as no surprise that the two often get confused for one another. However, they are actually different, as they have varying textures, tastes and are made differently.
The main difference between a latte and a cappuccino is that the cappuccino is a much more balanced coffee drink than the latte. The latte is made up of ⅓ espresso shot, and ⅔ steamed milk, with a very small, thin layer of frothed milk on the top. On the other hand, the cappuccino is much more evenly distributed, with ⅓ espresso shots, ⅓ steamed milk and ⅓ foamed milk.
As a result, the cappuccino is more distinctly layered, whereas the latte often blends into one milky coffee drink.
How do you make a latte?
A latte is generally made by brewing a single shot, or in some cases a double shot of espresso, which makes up ⅓ of the drink. Then, a jug of milk is steamed, with a very thin layer of frothed milk at the top of the latter to give a delicious texture to the drink. The milk is then combined with the espresso, and makes up the other ⅔ of the beverage.
Lattes are some of the most popular hot drinks in the world, and are highly customizable. Some people like flavored syrups in their lattes such as Caramel or Vanilla syrup to give it a hint of sweetness. During different times of the year and holiday periods, coffee houses will make special latte drinks such as the Pumpkin Spice Latte, Gingerbread Latte or Toffee Lattes.
What coffee beans are best to make a latte?
Most coffee connoisseurs believe that the best beans for lattes are medium dark roasts. This is because medium dark roasts are often very flavorful, bursting with hints of nut, toffee and caramel for a delicious taste that goes well with the milky latte.
As the latte is mostly milk, it can sometimes be overwhelmingly milky, which can bland down the flavor of the coffee beans, so you will want something stronger so that you can really taste the coffee rather than just the milk!
What coffee beans does Starbucks use for lattes?
Starbucks is one of the world’s biggest coffee chains. The international coffee conglomerate is known across the globe for its chain of coffeehouses and refined, roasted coffee beans that make their beverages taste so good.
Starbucks only uses 100% pure Arabica coffee beans in their espresso shots. Arabica coffee beans are widely considered the highest quality, gourmet coffee beans, with a delicious flavor. Arabica coffee beans are cultivated at high altitudes for the best flavor, whereas the lower cost Robusta beans grow at much lower elevations for a less refined flavor and bitter taste.
Whilst some people find the coffee used in Starbucks’ lattes a little on the bitter side, this is probably due to the fact that the beans are roasted at a higher temperature in order to produce large quantities quickly. This does not mean that Starbucks uses cheaper Robusta beans, as they state that they only use the finest quality Arabica beans in their coffeehouses.
