If you want to discover the 20 best coffees beans in 2023 broken down by Light Roast, Medium Roast, Dark Roast, and Espresso Roast, you are in the right spot!

Like all specialty coffee lovers, you have many options, from light roast coffees to dark roast, but you might not know where to start when picking the best coffee beans. We wanted to shed some light on our favorite coffees across every roast type.

Before we kick off our favorite coffees beans of 2023, we would love to introduce ourselves. We are Coffee Bros., a specialty coffee roaster based out of NYC founded in 2019. We pride ourselves on what we deem as the four pillars of running a coffee company: sustainability, quality, consistency, and freshness. You can read more about our company and mission here.

As coffee roasters, we are constantly sampling coffees for our business and trying everything on the market. As roasters, we sample and cup thousands of coffees a year between what is sent to us from our partners and through the quality control of our own coffee. We also love to see what else is on the market and explore what amazing things other coffee companies are up to.

The list below showcases some of our personal favorite espresso-roasted coffee and a few tips on how to brew it best.

Our most popular selling coffee, our Espresso Roast, is also one of our personal favorites from our lineup.

From the very beginning in early 2018, before launching our Coffee Bros. brand, we decided to craft a roast that would be the ideal coffee for espresso and espresso-based drinks. Our goal was to create an espresso that was different from others on the market yet still aligned with our personal preferences, bold and smooth, with hints of red fruit and a coffee that can easily cut through milk.

We chose two of our favorite origins to craft this espresso, Ethiopia and Colombia. We also decided early on that just because we are blending coffees doesn’t mean we should hold back on quality. You often find roasters using lower-quality coffee in their blends, but we planned to do the exact opposite. We have been sourcing 87 – 88pt+ coffees for our Espresso Blend, which is unheard of across most of the industry. Though expensive, the exceptionally high quality of coffee allows us to craft the perfect espresso, one free of any imperfections when brewed, and results in a sweet and smooth espresso.

Don’t just take our word for it; read the countless reviews of customers who love brewing with this coffee!

“So I purchased the Espresso roast a few months back to try it out on my new espresso machine. When I received the package, the first thing I noticed was how the aroma of strawberries was literally bursting through the bag. I loved that part. The bag itself was tightly sealed and its quality seemed superior than most coffee brands. The flavor profile was spot on with the coffees taste. If you like strawberry/vanilla then you must give this a try. Not bitter at all (unlike most). I also want make special note that this is a small company run by two brothers and customer service is seriously on point! I've sent them a couple of emails and they respond the same day. That shows someone who cares about the product they are selling as well as their customers satisfaction. I cannot say enough good things about this company. Give them a try and see for yourself.”

– Gloria (Customer)

Our most versatile coffee, our Medium Roast, is perfect for many brewing methods, from pour-over to espresso.

We wanted to create a Medium Roast that blended the classic taste notes, like nutty and rich, with a sprinkling of unanticipated flavors, like red fruit and a slight winey acidity.

To do this, we combined a classic Brazilian coffee with notes of brown sugar and chocolate, with low acidity and heavy body, with a fruit-forward Ethiopian coffee. What we are left with is a coffee that starts off as your classic Medium Roast but finishes off smooth and sweet with notes of red fruit like strawberry.

Our Medium Roast is everything we were looking for that we didn’t find much of in the market. It was a coffee that was classic but fun and adventurous that could carry across any brewing method. We love this coffee as much as a pour-over as we do as an Espresso Roast, and many of our customers feel the same!

Don’t just take our word for it; read the countless reviews of customers who love brewing with this coffee!

“I don’t know how these guys do it. I order a bag of the Medium Roast almost every week and consistently good and consistently fresh. I like it more than the stuff my local coffee shops are pumping out. Thanks, Coffee Bros.!”

Named Roaster of the Year by Roast Magazine in 2009 and among the leading roasters reviewed by Coffee Review, PT’s Coffee commitment to delivering an excellent cup of coffee to all coffee lovers stems from their love and commitment to sourcing, roasting, and drinking the best coffees in the world. For almost 30 years, PT’s Coffee has been roasting dozens of unique single-origin specialty coffees and signature blends out of Topeka, Kansas and their coffees can be found nationwide.  

One of their signature blends consisting of a medium and dark roast combination, John Brown brings a delightful profile of Baker's chocolate, black cherry, and sweet pipe tobacco. Featuring a deep chocolate aroma with a velvety body complemented by juicy acidity and syrupy black sweetness.

The signature story behind the blend is that the famed abolitionist John Brown who took direct action to free enslaved people in the States was arrested for treason and sentenced to death. Ralph Waldo Emerson said Brown's death would "make the gallows as glorious as the cross." Today he is depicted in a massive mural in Topeka's State Capitol

Offering coffee bars, training labs, and Roasting Works in hometown of Chicago and Los Angles, Intelligentsia’s widening footprint now includes locations in Austin, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City. Their rotating selection of single-origins and blends can be found in restaurants, hotels, and cafés.

This balanced honey-processed coffee, harvested in July 2021, hails from Carmo de Minas in Brazil from producer Luiz Paulo Dias Pereira Filho. It is an easy-to-enjoy smooth coffee with a flavor profile of golden raisin, raw sugar, and molasses. The recommended brew method for this medium blend roast is either a pour-over or an automatic dripper accompanied by a grind size 5 or 6. If you are grinding at home, mimic the size of Morton Coarse Kosher Salt.

“Flavor, I've tried single origin, blends, and multiple variants of the world-class Black Cat espresso. BTW I always get the whole bean. I have no reservations saying each was excellent. While certain single origins, a tart Ethiopian for example, weren't my personal preference. Each bag has had layers of flavor… Bottoms up!”

– J. Owen (Customer)

2021 Roaster of the Year by Roast Magazine and named Best Coffee in Texas in 2019 by Food & Wine Magazine, Greater Goods offers a selection of specialty coffees from Colombia to Kenya that are thoughtfully sourced concerning social and environmental responsibility. They partner with producers that provide fair wages and utilize sustainable practices to protect the environment and make it a point to give back to their community through supporting one of four local Texas nonprofits.

Make this your morning go-to-Pick-Me-Up! This medium-roast coffee is a house blend of natural and washed beans sustainably sourced from Ethiopia and Colombia (fairtrade organic). Highlighting a pleasant taste profile of chocolate-covered-berries, and honey, with a velvety body.

The purchase of this coffee supports the Central Texas Food Bank.

Since the early 2000s, Blue Bottle prides itself on its specialty-grade coffee standards—only purchasing coffees that register 84 or above on a 100-point scale. With the majority of their beans traceable and certified organic, they also often source from producers that they’ve had a working relationship for an average of five years or more. With every team member on their sourcing team a certified Q grader, quality and freshness are standard.

This delicate counterpoint to Blue Bottle’s heftier blends is glassy and floral touting an impressive profile of candied orange, milk chocolate, and white peach. Beta Blend was originally intended to only be sold in the Bay Area, roasted, tasted, and tweaked in their Oakland roastery. Quickly becoming a fan favorite, this bright blend can now be experienced across state borders and beyond.

“Tasty coffee. Very well balanced with some richness but also nice brightness.”

– R. Holsey (Customer)

Say hello to the Coffee Bros. Light Roast coffee and yes, this is us!

When you first started roasting coffee back in 2019, Light Roasted coffee was not much of a focus as both Nick and I were big enthusiasts of bold and rich naturally processed coffees. While we still love our medium roasted coffees, light roasted coffee has become an important cornerstone to our coffee program for several reasons.

First, to showcase a coffees true flavor profile or "terrior" one must roast the coffee light. When purchasing award-winning coffees through auction like the Cup of Excellence, we prefer to roast those coffees light to highlight its full and true flavor potential.

We carry this same principal when sourcing and roasting for our Light Roast coffee blend. Our Light Roast is an extremely sweet and delicate blend of washed Ethiopian and Colombian coffees sourced sourced specifially to hit on citrusy and floral notes.

“I recently purchased the light roast and this coffee is amazing! I'm not normally a person who can drink my coffee black and usually have to add a creamer to have tasteful coffee. With Coffee Bros I can drink my coffee black as the flavor is smooth and delicious with out any cream, milk, or sugar.”

– Alex L (Customer)

Born out of Topeka, Kansas, nearly 30 years ago, a simple question has guided their judgments on creating and delivering an excellent cup of coffee: "Is our coffee the best it can be?" As true coffee lovers committed to sourcing, roasting, and drinking the best coffees in the world, they roast dozens of single-origin specialty coffees and signature blends that can be found in fine cafes, restaurants, and select grocery stores nationwide.

Some accolades include being named Roaster of the Year by Roast Magazine in 2009 and being among the leading roasters reviewed by premier industry resource Coffee Review, with 40 scores of 94 and above and multiple finishes in the Top 30 Coffees of the year.

Flor del Sol is their lightest blend featuring sweet and high-toned acidity, bringing out a citrusy chocolate aroma with a silky body and taste notes of raisin and caramel. With each cup, savor the pleasant finish of caramel, chocolate, and warm Midwestern hospitality.

A woman, Latinx-owned roastery in Oakland, California, concentrates on paying better-than-fair prices to coffee producers that are making a financial difference in the lives of the farmers and workers in producing countries while also creating a sustainable and profitable community. With every feel-good cup of Mother Tongue Coffee, you can be sure that that cup not only tastes great but was also ethically sourced and expertly roasted by Jen Apodaca, founder of #shestheroaster.

Mugshots, their signature light roast coffee, is a blend of Ethiopian & Central American coffees that highlights taste notes such as jasmine, peach, and drinking chocolate. This roast tastes especially incredibly as a pour-over, auto-drip, or espresso.

Paying homage to Franz George Kolshitsky’s heroics, Blue Bottle Coffee came to fruition in Oakland, California, in the early 2000s. Though Blue Bottle Coffee has grown to a network of cafes across the U.S., Japan, and Korea, they are still united by the sole purpose of getting a great cup of coffee in your hands or to your doorstep. They work directly with farmers worldwide to source the most delicious and sustainable coffees and have gotten even more specific about freshness and peak flavor.

Certified Organic by CCOF, Three Africas, their brightest coffee, is a blend of coffees from Ethiopia, one washed and one natural, with the balance and authority of a washed coffee from Uganda. The unique taste notes for this blend include Golden raisin, winey blueberry, and lemon zest.

– Ashley (Customer)

Chicago-based Intelligentsia has a unique and growing presence in five American cities—Austin, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York. Driven by curiosity, contribution, and the never-ending quest for the most extraordinary coffee in the world, Intelligentsia offers coffee bars, training labs, and Roasting Works in Chicago and Los Angeles. With coffee subscriptions and national grocery distribution, Intelligentsia’s rotating selection of single-origin coffees and blends can be found in the world’s finest restaurants, hotels, and cafés.

This blend of Colombian and Ethiopian beans is elegant and juicy, with a flavor profile of caramel and stone fruit--the embodiment of the extraordinary beauty that can be found in a cup. This blend is best brewed as a pour-over or an automatic drip home machine.

"Another excellent Intelligentsia coffee.

I like most of the Intelligentsia coffees that I have tried; I find them to be reliably excellent for most of the coffee I drink: coffees, espresso shots, Americanos, Lattes, and Cappuccinos. This particular blend is on the light side, but still full-bodied, and smooth."

– Craig M. (Customer)

What can we say, we love our Dark Roast Coffee! Like all of our dark-roasted and medium-roasted coffees, we tend to roast a bit lighter than others. Our intentions are to preserve all of the coffee’s natural taste notes by not over-roasting or charring our coffee. We can still achieve a big-bodied and bold coffee by carefully sourcing a coffee that hits our intended flavor profile naturally. Further, retaining the coffee’s natural composition lets you as a consumer know exactly what the coffee tastes like where charring and over-roasting are sometimes used to hide imperfections in the sourced green.

Don’t take it from us, here is what our customers have to say:

"Ordered this after having the light roast. Extremely impressed and love the notes of chocolate, caramel, and maple. THIS IS A MUST FOR COFFEE LOVERS!!!!"

"This dark roast is incredibly smooth and flavorful! It will definitely become a regular in this household. Easily one of the best dark roasts I have tried out of many"

Our Bark At The Moon blend is the perfect choice for those who crave bold, rich flavors and an adventurous spirit. This dark roast coffee offers notes of dark chocolate and sweet tobacco, finishing with a delicious caramel-like aftertaste. Whether you're enjoying a cup around a campfire or sipping it at home, this blend will keep you going until the moon rises.

Looking for a classic taste with a deep, chocolatey flavor profile? Our blend of two beans, carefully selected for their enhancement by darker roasts, creates a perfect balance of sweetness and complexity. The dark and rich cup is full of complexity and offers notes of spice and chocolate, making it a unique and delicious alternative to traditional, heavily charred French Roasts.

This blend is perfect for those who enjoy solitude and contemplation. Roasted to a deep, dark level, it embodies the essence of the Pacific Northwest's signature "dark as a moonless night" style. It is ideal for brooding, scheming, and other activities best done in private.

The Big City French Roast offers a bold and satisfying cup with notes of caramel, chocolate, and roasted nuts. Carefully crafted for a balance of flavor and sweetness, this blend is perfect for any coffee lover looking for a full-bodied taste experience. Sourced from the Veloso Coffee family farm in Brazil, this Rainforest Alliance certified coffee is part of our One City Collection.