Best Ground Coffee in the UK: 9 Great Tasting Brands

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 coffee beans can be an excellent option. Here are nine of our top picks for the best-tasting ground coffee in the UK this year.

The 9 Best Ground Coffee Brands in 2023

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

IMAGE	PRODUCT	DETAILS
Best Overall Best Overall	Pact Coffee Sitio de Jaja	Dark roast Brazilian origin 4 grind sizes	CLICK TO CHECK PRICE
Budget Pick Budget Pick	Bird & Wild Medium Roast	Medium roast Various origins 1 grind size	CLICK TO CHECK PRICE
Best Blend Best Blend	Balance Coffee Stability Blend	Medium roast Mexican, Colombian origins 3 grind sizes	CLICK FOR BEST PRICE
Best For Milk Drinks Best For Milk Drinks	Volcanica Coffee Espresso Blend	Dark roast South and Central America 3 grind sizes	CLICK TO CHECK PRICE
Best Organic Best Organic	Exhale Organic Ground Coffee	Medium roast Mexico origin 1 grind sizes	SEE ON AMAZON
Best Coffee Subscription Best Coffee Subscription	Blue Coffee Box	Use code “HG50”	click to check price
Best Single Origin Best Single Origin	Pact Coffee San Jeronimo Guatemala	Light roast Guatemala origin 4 grind sizes	CLICK TO CHECK PRICE
Best Value For Money Best Value For Money	Balance Coffee San Lorenzo Colombia	Medium-light roast Colombian origin 3 grind sizes	CLICK TO CHECK PRICE
Best Decaf Best Decaf	Decadent Decaf Indonesia Sumatra	Roast not specified Indonesian origin 2 grind sizes	CLICK TO CHECK PRICE

1. Pact Coffee Sitio de Jaja – Best Overall

Specifications

• Roast level: Dark

• Origin: Brazil
• Grind sizes: 4
• Tasting notes: Dark chocolate, cocoa nibs

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The Pact Coffee brand was founded in 2012 with a mission to address the imbalances in the coffee industry. To do this, they’ve cut out the middle man, trading directly with farmers in order to pay them a better price, around 50% above Fair Trade prices. It also means a better deal for the end customer (you), as only the best-quality coffees are selected. 

The Brazil Sitio de Jaja is the result of a partnership with farmer Jaceline ‘Jaja’ Campos. She bought the coffee farm in 2015, fulfilling a lifelong dream to grow and process exceptional coffee. Her commitment to training and education is apparent as the crop improves in quality year over year.

This year’s lot of Acaua & Mundo Novo variety beans is dark roasted to deliver a bold and full-bodied coffee. It has rich notes of chocolate and cocoa nibs that are balanced by toffee sweetness and light apple acidity. The flavours make it a good fit with both espresso and cafetière, so it’s great to see that it’s available in four different grind sizes: fine, medium-fine, medium, and coarse. 

2. Bird & Wild Medium Roast – Budget Pick

Specifications

• Roast level: Medium

• Origin: various
• Grind sizes: 1
• Tasting notes: Chocolate

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Skimping on price doesn’t have to mean skimping on quality, or resorting to mass-produced coffee sourced with questionable ethics. Bird & Wild makes doing good things for the planet an affordable option for everyone. 

The name refers to the fact that all Bird & Wild coffees are certified Bird Friendly and Shade-Grown by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Centre. These certifications are only given to farms with a range of native shade trees that provide shelter for birds and other wildlife. They also donate 6% of sales to the RSPB Wildlife Charity. 

To ensure these high standards are maintained, the brand has just a few ground coffee beans on offer, including a dark roast, a decaf, and this Medium Roast Seasonal Blend. The origin and variety will depend on the time of year, but skilful sourcing means you can always expect a smooth, easy-drinking blend with chocolate notes and a floral aroma.

3. Balance Coffee Stability Blend –  Best Blend

Specifications

• Roast level: Medium

• Origin: Mexico, Colombia
• Grind sizes: 3
• Tasting notes: Milk chocolate, hazelnut, fig

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The Balance Coffee brand started out with the goal to provide an ethical coffee subscription service, but now thankfully offers its speciality coffee beans to a wider audience. The care behind the coffee remains the same, however – it’s all sustainably sourced and all high-grade. 

The best-selling Stability Blend brings together two single-origin Arabicas. 65% of the mix comes from Finca Guadalupe Zaju, a 100-year old farm in the hills of Chiapas, which produces entirely shade-grown coffee. The remaining 35% has been sourced from La Joyeria farm in Antioquia, Colombia. 

Both the coffees are given a medium roast before blending. The result is a smooth and creamy cup with tastes of milk chocolate and hazelnuts, made richer by the sweetness of figs. It works both black and with milk. The Stability Blend is available in grinds for espresso, filter, or cafetiere.

4. Volcanica Coffee Espresso Blend – Best for Milky Drinks

Specifications

• Roast level: Dark

• Origin: South and Central America
• Grind sizes: 3
• Tasting notes: Sweet caramel, light acidity, spice

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Coffee snobs might insist that good coffee should be enjoyed black, but the popularity of the cappuccino and flat white tells a different story. That said, not all coffees go well with the addition of milk. The subtle flavours of lighter roasts are lost, and any acidic notes tend to clash with the creaminess.

The Volcanica Dark Roast Espresso Blend has been sourced and prepared with the latte lover in mind. Using beans sourced from Central and South America, it has the intense flavours needed to stand up against an onslaught of creamy dairy. It is a bittersweet coffee with sweet caramel flavors, a light acidity, and a hint of spice. The heavy body and creamy mouthfeel of the brew will make your milk drinks taste extra luscious.

Importantly, Volcanica lets you choose between three grind sizes – drip, espresso, and French press – so you can order the appropriate fine espresso grind for your latte recipe.

5. Exhale Organic Ground Coffee – Best Organic

Specifications

• Roast level: Medium

• Origin: Mexico
• Grind sizes: 1
• Tasting notes: Orange, apricot, maple syrup, milk chocolate

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Whether you make Organic coffee a priority for your own health of that of the planet, you’ll find what you’re looking from from Exhale. It is the UK’s first coffee company sourcing and roasting with your health in mind. 

These organic beans are also certified free of mycotoxins, pesticides, and other contaminants. Thanks to a unique roasting process, they are exceptionally rich in antioxidants. In fact, lab testing shows a cup of Exhale coffee has the antioxidant content of 12 punnets of blueberries! Exhale is a member of 1% For the Planet and is certified B Corp – two designations that ensure they value sustainability and community as highly as profits.

How does it taste? Delicious, because roasting coffee for health starts with sourcing great coffee. The 100% Arabica beans from Chiapas, Mexico, are medium roasted to bring out flavours of sweet maple syrup and apricot, tart orange, and a lingering milk chocolate finish. Note that this coffee is only available in one grind size, so plan on brewing filter, drip, or Aeropress coffee for best results.

6. Blue Coffee Box – Best Coffee Subscription

Specifications

• Use code “HG50”

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If you’re still figuring out what kind of coffee flavours you enjoy, or just like the idea of shaking up your routine, a coffee subscription could be the best thing for you. 

You start by selecting your grind size from cafetière, AeroPress, filter or espresso. You can choose from light, medium or dark roast if you have a preference, or let the Coffee Concierge decide each time. The coffee itself will be a surprise, but Blue Coffee Box guarantees that all beans have scored at least 83 on the SCAA quality score – making them some of the best in the world. 

As well as delicious coffee, there are a lot of things to love about Blue Coffee Box. All beans have been ethically sourced using a direct trade model, and all packaging is compostable, making them the only certified plastic-free coffee subscription in the UK.

7. Pact Coffee San Jeronimo Guatemala – Best Single Origin

Specifications

• Roast level: Light

• Origin: Guatemala
• Grind sizes: 4
• Tasting notes: Honey, lemon

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It’s rare to describe a light roast as soothing, but this unusual brew from Pact Coffee is exactly that. It is a washed coffee of the Caturra varietal, featuring gentle flavours of honey and lemon, a syrupy mouthfeel, and a mild creamy acidity. It has the comforting character of a cup of tea paired with the caffeinated intensity of coffee.

The Pact San Jeronimo coffee is grown in the lush Patulul region of Guatemala, a nation well known for premium coffee thanks to its favourable climate and nutrient-rich volcanic soil. The Bressani family has been growing coffee for four generations. Not only are they well versed in all things coffee, but they provide jobs for 500 other local families.

8. Balance Coffee San Lorenzo Colombia – Best Value for Money

Specifications

• Roast level: Medium-light

• Origin: Colombia
• Grind sizes: 3
• Tasting notes: Dark chocolate, lychee, raisin

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The town of San Lorenzo is part of the Nariño growing district, one of the main coffee producing areas in Colombia. Farms here can be found at up to 2,000 metres in altitude, warmed by the heat rising from the valleys below.

These unique conditions have resulted in a versatile and crowd-pleasing coffee. It has earthy chocolate base notes, a delicate aroma, and the sticky sweetness of dried fruit. The San Lorenzo Colombia is an excellent choice for both espresso and filter brewing. You also have the choice of a cafetiere grind. 

Balance Coffees don’t just taste good, but they’re also good for you and good for the planet. Beans are regularly tested to ensure they’re free of pesticides, harmful moulds and mycotoxins, which can cause serious illness. The company donates 1% to Project Waterfall and plants trees every month to offset its carbon footprint.

9. Decadent Decaf Indonesia Sumatra – Best Decaf

Specifications

• Roast level: not specifie

• Origin: Indonesia
• Grind sizes: 2
• Tasting notes: Cocoa, brown sugar

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As the name suggests, Decadent Decaf is all about decaffeinated coffee. The founders wanted to up the game for decaf coffee everywhere, sourcing speciality coffees to go through the Swiss Water decaffeination process. They roast just a small range of single origins and blends, but the selection has something for everyone.

If you’re a fan of strong coffee, the Decadent Decaf Indonesian Sumatra is the one for you. Sumatran coffees are well-known for their unique wet-hulling process, which leaves a higher moisture content in the beans than other methods. This in turn impacts the flavour, which develops earthy, woody and even mushroomy notes.

These beans have something of the typical earthiness, found here in notes of cocoa powder. They’ve been roasted to develop some brown sugar sweetness and a rich, strong aroma. It’s a bold coffee that would be a good pick for brewing with a cafetiere.

How to Choose 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 coffee is ground, it’s surface area is increased, allowing for better extraction. But once the beans are ground, they start to degass, releasing their characteristic flavours 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 pre-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, 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 favour.

Some ground coffees feature robusta-arabica blends, with the 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 they’re too fine, you’ll end up with over-extracted coffee or grounds in your finished drink.

If you’re planning to use your pre-ground beans 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, flavourless 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 roasts are the most popular, offering a bit more sweetness due to the caramelization of sugars during the roasting process. They have a lower acidity than light roasts and a slightly bitter undertone.

A good dark roast 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 flavour.

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. 

The Home Grounds top pick is the Pact Coffee Sitio de Jaja. The deep chocolate-on-chocolate flavour profile retains its punch with pre-grinding to deliver you a rich cup of coffee. With a choice of four different grind sizes available, you can take your pick of brewing methods.