Best Ground Coffee: 9 Great Tasting Brands to Try

You may have been told that buying whole coffee beans to grind right before brewing will yield the most delicious coffee, and that advice is not wrong.

But if you lack a high-end grinder at home, buying pre-ground beans can be an excellent option. Here are nine of our top picks for the best ground coffee this year.

The 9 Best Ground Coffee Brands in 2023

Our picks for the 8 best ground coffees feature something for everyone. Whether you’re a casual drinker, a caffeine addict, or an espresso enthusiast, we’ve got a great ground coffee suggestion for you.

IMAGE	PRODUCT	DETAILS
BEST FLAVOR BEST FLAVOR	Koa Private Reserve Medium Reserve	100% Kona (rare) Hand Picked, Extra-Fancy Beans Voted “best in America” by Forbes	CLICK FOR BEST PRICE
BEST ORGANIC BEST ORGANIC	Lifeboost Coffee Medium Roast	Single Origin From Nicaragua Shade grown Smooth, balanced	CLICK FOR BEST PRICE
BEST SINGLE ORIGIN BEST SINGLE ORIGIN	Atlas Coffee Subscription	Single origin coffee subscription Delivered Monthly Our favorite subscription	CLICK FOR BEST PRICE
Flavored option Flavored option	Lifeboost Flavored Range	Fair Trade, Organic, GMO free A huge range of flavors Natural flavor additives only	CLICK FOR BEST PRICE
Fruity/floral notes Fruity/floral notes	Kauai Coffee	Fruity floral notes Sustainably grown Kosher, GMO free	view latest price
Dark roast Dark roast	Seattle’s Best Coffee 6th Avenue Bistro	Fair trade, Organic, Kosher 100% Arabica blend from Latin America Dark Roast	view latest price
Budget brand pick Budget brand pick	Eight O’Clock Coffee, The Original	Americas best whole selling bean 100% Arabica Blend Sweet and fruity notes	view latest price
Best for Espresso Best for Espresso	Lavazza Crema E Gusto	Intense and balanced Suited for espresso brewing Finely ground for espresso	view latest price
For Milk Based Coffee For Milk Based Coffee	Illy Classico Roast Espresso Preparation	Fine espresso grind Blend of 9 different Arabica beans A little more expensive	view latest price

1. Koa Coffee – Best Overall

• Roast: Medium

• Certifications: Kosher
• Ground coffee size: Medium
• Good for: Filter coffee

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Founded in 1997, award-winning Koa Coffee is one of the best purveyors of premium Kona coffee. Grown in the rich volcanic soils on the slopes of Hawaii’s Mauna Loa volcano, Kona coffee is world renowned. 

While many coffees advertised as Kona are actually sub-par blends featuring as little as 10% true Kona beans, this is not the case with Koa Coffee’s top-of-the-line beans. Their Private Reserve Kona Coffee is a proprietary blend of 100% Kona beans. And this is the best ground coffee you can find, because Kona is among the best beans in the world.

Expect flavors of brown sugar, milk chocolate, honey, and a hint of fruit, accompanied by a smooth syrupy body and a crisp and clean acidity. The medium roast perfectly accentuates the sweet flavor notes without any bitter aftertaste. The result is a coffee that was named “Best in America” by Forbes Magazine (4).

2. Lifeboost Coffee Medium Roast – Best Medium Roast Ground Coffee

• Roast: Medium

• Certifications: Kosher, Fairly traded, Organic, GMO-free
• Ground coffee size: Medium
• Good for: Filter coffee

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Founded by nutrition expert Dr. Charles Livingston, Lifeboost coffee is known for their commitment to sourcing only the best quality beans, and the result is evident in the cup. Only 0.5% of beans grown worldwide meet their stringent standards, which include not just the quality of the beans but also fair treatment and pay for workers and environmental preservation.

This medium roast is made up of single origin specialty beans from a small plantation in Nicaragua located at 5,700 feet on the slopes of Mt. Kilambe. The beans are grown in the shade of guava trees without the use of any pesticides. The farmers then hand picked, sun dried, and washed them in spring water. The purity of the coffee is preserved throughout this process.

This is not only the best ground coffee with medium roast, but also best for coffee lovers who want the healthy option. The result is an extremely low-acidity coffee, suitable even for those with acid sensitivity.  The beans are also certified free from mycotoxins (5), a toxin present in low quantities in most coffee beans, particular lower quality ones. Expect a smooth, balanced flavor, with notes of nuts and chocolate accompanied by a subtle strawberry sweetness.

3. Atlas Coffee Subscription – Best Single Origin

• Roast: Variety

• Certifications: Kosher, fairly traded
• Ground coffee size: Medium
• Good for: Filter coffee

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Atlas is a high-end coffee subscription service, and you can think of them as your personal coffee tour guides. Their coffee of the month club offers some of the best single origin beans from around the world, often from small producers that you wouldn’t hear of otherwise. 

Atlas employees travel the world looking for the latest and greatest coffee beans, which they then buy at well above market price, ensuring ethically sustainable farming practices and the highest quality coffee. Once they source the best beans, they work tirelessly to determine the optimal roast profile to showcase each single origin’s unique and complex flavor.

Each subscription box arrives with a curated collection of the finest single origin beans, along with an informative postcard from every country represented. Accompanying documents offer tasting notes and ideas for the best brewing method for each bean.

One of Atlas’s guiding principles is getting beans from their roaster to your doorstep as quickly as possible, so you can rest assured that you will enjoy a fresh coffee experience, even when opting for pre-ground beans.

4. Lifeboost Flavored Range – Best Flavored Coffees

• Roast: Medium

• Certifications: Fairly traded, Organic, GMO-free
• Ground coffee size: Medium
• Good for: Filter coffee

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Many companies use flavored coffees as a way to mask low quality or inexpensive beans, but Lifeboost still uses their impeccably sourced single origin beans as a foundation for their flavored range, which features natural flavors and no added sugars or calories.

Each of Lifeboost’s flavored coffees starts with specialty grade organic and GMO-free coffee beans that are shade-grown at high altitude in the mountains of Nicaragua. The beans are also third-party certified to be free of mycotoxins, which can negatively affect both your health and the coffee’s taste.

Their flavored coffee range includes many enticing options. There is a creamy toasted hazelnut and a caramel macchiato, which pairs sweet caramel with just a hint of vanilla. The French vanilla is a bright, cheery coffee that will bring to mind the fresh vanilla pods of Zanzibar. 

The ever-popular pumpkin spice, with its notes of pumpkin pie and cinnamon, is a perennial fall favorite, while the unusual Highlander Grogg combines rich butter, sweet caramel, subtle vanilla, and rum flavors.

The smoky butterscotch uses butter flavor extracted from the highest quality Irish cream butters and pairs it with notes of brown sugar and the natural smokiness of the medium roast.

Finally, the unique blueberry cinnamon crumble is like a coffee and pastry wrapped into one, with tones of cinnamon and juicy blueberry. If you’re into flavored coffee, here’s where we rated some great tasting brands.

5. Kauai Coffee Medium Roast – Best For Filter Coffee

• Roast: Medium

• Certifications: Kosher, GMO-Free
• Ground coffee size: Medium
• Good for: Filter coffee

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If you’re looking for the best ground coffee for filter method, Kauai Coffee’s signature medium roast is the deal. It is one of our favorites thanks to an unbeatable combination of taste, value, and sustainable farming practices. These single-origin, 100% arabica beans feature a bright aroma and smooth finish with light floral notes. Beans are cupped at three different stages to ensure high quality and are small-batch roasted for optimal freshness.

Kauai Coffee is grown on Hawaii’s Kauai Island in one of the largest coffee farms in the U.S., where the warm Pacific sun and rich volcanic soils ensure productive, high-quality crops. The estate has a rigorous sustainability program, including being one of the largest drip irrigation coffee farms in the world and using cover crops and composting programs to create healthier soils.

Because the beans are grown in America, they don’t feature a Fair Trade certification, but the company offers workers wages and benefits well above industry standards.

6. Seattle’s Best Coffee 6th Avenue Bistro – Best Value

• Roast: Dark

• Certifications: Fair Trade, Organic, Kosher
• Ground coffee size: Medium
• Good for: Filter coffee

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It’s rare to find a brand of coffee that balances low cost, great taste, and social responsibility, but Seattle’s Best has managed to pull it off. Stewart Brothers Coffee started in the ‘70s using a 12-pound peanut roaster to roast the beans. When they entered and won a competition in search of Seattle’s best cup of coffee, they changed their name and grew their company. 

The popular and widely-available 6th Avenue Bistro Dark Roast, which is certified Fair Trade and organic, uses a blend of 100% arabica beans sourced from Latin America. It has a bold and roasty flavor, with notes of bittersweet chocolate. It’s low acidity and velvety smoothness make it widely popular.

7. Eight O’Clock Coffee, The Original – Budget Pick

• Roast: Medium

• Certifications: Kosher, Rainforest Alliance
• Ground coffee size: Medium
• Good for: Filter coffee

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Eight O’Clock is a budget brand that hasn’t sacrificed flavor to cut costs. They hold the distinction of being America’s best selling whole bean coffee, thanks to affordable prices, wide availability, and crowd-pleasing flavors. 

Their original roast is their oldest and most iconic, made up of a globally sourced blend of 100% arabica beans. It offers sweet and fruity notes with a well-balanced finish.

Eight O’Clock was founded in 1859 as the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. but changed their name in 1919 when a survey revealed that 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. were the most popular times to drink coffee. That they’re still around 150 years later is a testament to their quality products. 

8. Lavazza Crema E Gusto – Best For Espresso

• Roast: Dark

• Certifications: Kosher, Rainforest Alliance
• Ground coffee size: Fine
• Good for: Espresso machine, Moka Pot

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When looking for a great espresso roast, it only makes sense to turn to Italians. Lavazza, founded in 1895, is known as Italy’s favorite coffee. Its founder, Luigi Lavazza, invented the art of sourcing coffee from different regions to combine in blends, and the company has spent 125 years perfecting it. No wonder they’re among best ground coffees on everyone’s lists.

Our pick for the best ground espresso is the popular Crema e Gusto blend. It’s full-bodied, with a fragrant chocolate flavor and rich, spiced aftertaste. It’s a bold flavor but well balanced, combining Brazilian arabicas with robustas from Africa and Indonesia.

Lavazza is also focused on sustainability, both environmental and economic. They work directly with projects that support local communities in Central and South America, Africa and Asia, helping small coffee producers to improve community life. Read our Lavazza review to learn more.

9. Illy Classico Roast Espresso Preparation – Best for Milky Coffees

• Roast: Medium

• Certifications: Kosher
• Ground coffee size: Fine
• Good for: Espresso machine, Moka Pot

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Another Italian company you can rely on for great espresso is Illy. Founded in 1933 and still family-run, Illy now has a global reach, with products and cafes spread around the world.

Their Classico medium roast coffee, available in a fine espresso grind, is a blend of nine different Arabica beans, giving a rich and balanced drink with notes of chocolate and caramel. It’s shipped in a unique air-free pressurized can, which ensures that even finely ground beans will be fresh when they reach you. Though a bit more expensive than some, they are a far cry from the world’s most expensive coffee, and the tin is reusable.

As a global corporation, Illy is committed to sustainability initiatives and was recently named to Ethisphere’s list of the world’s most ethical companies for the seventh consecutive year, one of few in the beverage industry (6).

How to Choose the Best Ground Coffee (that doesn’t suck)

Which type of coffee is right for you is a subjective choice that only you can make. There are some important discerning characteristics, however, that make objective differences between the different types of coffee that are available. Let’s go through these now:

Ground Coffee or Whole Beans

Ask any coffee geek and they will be quick to tell you why fresh ground coffee is better. They’re not wrong, but there are times when buying ground coffee is the right choice.

When you grind coffee, it’s surface area is increased, allowing for better extraction. But once the beans are ground, they start to degass, releasing their characteristic flavors and aromas. The larger surface area also makes the grounds more susceptible to degradation from moisture in the air, and the finer the grind, the faster it will go stale.

In the words of the 2018 winner of the U.S. Cup Tasters Competition(1):

So why buy ground coffee? It comes down to the grinder. Most roasters have access to top-of-the-line burr grinders, as opposed to the cheap blade grinders many home brewers use.

If you buy ground coffee, follow a few rules to keep it as fresh as possible. Store coffee in an airtight container in a dark, dry cupboard, and don’t keep it in the fridge or freezer. Buy smaller quantities at a time, and look for roasters that grind fresh to order.

If you do have a burr grinder and would prefer to buy whole beans, check out our list of the best coffee beans.

Arabica or Robusta

There are two commercially grown coffee varietals. It’s Arabica and Robusta, each with unique characteristics (2).

Long regarded as the higher-end bean, Arabicas make up about three-quarters of current commercial crops. They tend to have a more pronounced acidity and a sweeter, softer taste, with tones of sugar, fruit, and berries.

Robusta beans have a harsher, grain-like taste, with a nutty finish and contain twice as much caffeine. They are much easier to grow because they can thrive at lower elevations and are more resistant to pests and weather fluctuations. 

Most coffee for sale today is Arabica, but some Robustas are beginning to find favor.

Some ground coffees feature robusta-arabica blends, like Cafe Bustelo‘s ground coffee line. Some other ground coffee blends have fruity and acidic arabicas balanced by the rich and dark robustas.

Grind Size

Look for a grind size to match the brewer you plan to use. Our handy chart has everything you need.

If the ground coffee is too coarse, you won’t get enough extraction, and the coffee will be pale and taste weak and watery. If ground coffee is too fine, you’ll end up with over-extracted coffee or grounds in your finished drink.

If you’re planning to use your ground coffee in an espresso machine, it’s important to look for ones specifically ground for espresso. Standard medium grounds, prepared for use in a drip coffee maker, will be too coarse and leave you with weak, flavorless espresso. 

Roast and Taste Profile

Lighter roasts typically have fragrant floral and fruity notes with a mild body and higher caffeine content. They’re great for exploring the subtleties of single-origin coffee beans.

Medium roast ground coffee is the most popular, offering a bit more sweetness due to the caramelization of sugars during the roasting process. It has a lower acidity than light roasts and a slightly bitter undertone.

A good dark roast ground coffee has a bittersweet taste profile and a bold and rich body. A visibly oily exterior is accompanied by a toasted taste or hints of chocolate flavor.

Speaking of roasting, if you ever decide to try roasting your own beans, watch our video on home roasting first:

The Verdict

Despite what the coffee snobs might insist, there are both good reasons to buy ground coffee and great ground coffees to buy: nine of which can be found in this list. 

Our top pick for ground coffee is the Koa Coffee Private Reserve Medium Roast. Cultivated in Hawaii’s rich volcanic soils, this 100% premium Kona coffee blend is sure to satisfy. With smooth flavors of brown sugar, milk chocolate, honey, and hints of fruit, it’s no surprise that it has been named America’s best coffee.