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Best Ground Coffees 2022 (Elevating Your Daily Grind)

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Scott

October 10, 2023

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We all love coffee and if you’re not a fan of the stuff then I’m afraid this article is probably not for you. Nothing beats a hot, rich cup of java first thing in the morning or a lovely, creamy, Starbucks concoction on your way to the office.

If you’re trying to save the pennies or just enjoy brewing coffee from the comfort of your own home then you’re probably wondering which is the best ground coffee to choose. There are literally thousands of options out there and it can be thoroughly overwhelming browsing the coffee aisle at the grocery store.

To help narrow down the vast array of choices, I’ve come up with this list of the best ground coffee options for you to brew at home, any way you like. We have options for light roast and dark roast fans alike. There’s a perfect choice for those who prefer their beans single-origin and an option for those who enjoy a coffee blend.

Have a browse through and if you like the looks of any of these options click on the ‘Price and Reviews’ button to check current prices. Now let’s get stuck right in and look at the top choice for the overall, best ground coffee.

Best Ground Coffee

• Top Choice – Lifeboost Coffee
• Second Place – Caribou Coffee
• Third, Runner Up – BLK & Bold | Rise & GRND Coffee Blend
• Best Single Origin – Thank the Goat Award Winning Ground Coffee
• Best Coffee Blend – Kicking Horse Coffee, Three Sisters
• Best For Espresso – Illy Classico Espresso Ground Coffee
• Best For French Press – Primos Coffee Co
• Best For Drip Coffee – Peet’s Coffee Major Dickason’s Blend
• Best Medium Roast – Folgers Classic Roast
• Best Light Roast – Lifeboost Coffee
• Best Dark Roast – Death Wish Coffee

1. Top Choice – Lifeboost Coffee

Our top choice today has to be Lifeboost as their coffee upholds a huge amount of values that are not only important for the coffee drinker but also for the farmers who grow the beans and the whole environment.

Their coffee is selected to be low in acid so is perfect for those who suffer digestive issues. It’s 100% organic so no nasty pesticides or mycotoxins can be found in these delicious beans. The beans are delicately hand-selected and then hand washed so only the ripest, most delicious ones make their way into your cup of java.

It’s shade-grown, single-origin, 100% arabica coffee that is all fair trade so you know the hard-working coffee farmers are getting their fair share of the profits for every bag you buy. This coffee has passed rigorous third-party testing for heavy metals, mycotoxins, and pesticides and has come out 100% clean.

Their medium roast is the perfect balance of rich and bold flavors with a wonderful, delicate aroma and it’s the perfect choice for every coffee lover, no matter if you prefer dark or light roast beans. Do yourself a favor and try these beans today, you won’t be disappointed!

2. Second Place – Caribou Coffee

Coming in as a really close second it has to be Caribou coffee with this medium roast ground coffee. It’s rich, full-bodied, and makes a fully satisfying cup of coffee. It’s extremely smooth in taste and also low in acidity so really gentle on your stomach.

The coffee beans are responsibly sourced and rainforest alliance certified to help protect the environment. The beans are roasted in small batches to give optimal flavor and the coffee is packed full of sweet, berry notes as well as rich woody and spicy undertones.

The real benefit of the Caribou blend is they strike the perfect balance between all the flavor notes of a light roast coffee yet the intensity of a dark roast. They are perfect to use for drip machines or pour-over. This is a quality coffee that’s packed with flavor and the best ground coffee for every coffee lover out there.

3. Third, Runner Up – BLK & Bold | Rise & GRND Coffee Blend

Next up, we love BLK & Bold for many reasons. They are a black-owned coffee business that puts the community first. 5% of all profits from the coffee sales go towards helping eradicate youth homelessness and enhancing workforce development for these underprivileged young people.

If that’s not enough to spark interest then the next point is the coffee itself which tastes pretty fantastic. The roast is a lovely balanced medium that brings out citrus and creamy sweet toffee flavors from the beans. The coffee is all sourced 100% fair trade and is expertly blended to give a smooth and balanced flavor profile in every bag.

To sum it up, this is a delicious tasting coffee that customers are raving about. It’s responsibly sourced, expertly blended, and roasted and helps support an amazing cause. What more could you ask for?

4. Best Single Origin – Thank the Goat Award Winning Ground Coffee

If you’re looking for the distinctive taste of high-quality,single-origin ground beans then Thank the Goat. This company has developed an award-winning dark roast coffee and it all starts with the 100% premium arabica beans. The whole beans are grown at high altitude, certified by the Colombian coffee growers federation, and roasted to perfection.

The full-body, intense flavor and lovely aftertaste all contribute to the recognition of this coffee brand as legendary. The darker roast is perfect for drip coffee, pour-over, and french press.

This is a really flavorful coffee that boasts all the premium qualities of a single origin bean. It suits most brewing methods and will not leave you lacking at all.

5. Best Coffee Blend – Kicking Horse Coffee, Three Sisters

The three sisters are a trio of peaks in the Canadian Rockies that stand proud on the skyline. This blend of coffee pays tribute to the roasters which sit in the shadows of these impressive mountains.

The beans are sourced from all over the world and only the highest quality, arabica beans are selected. They are all fair-trade, kosher, and organic coffee beans so kind to the planet and farmers that grow them.

The coffee has a rich, sweet flavor with cocoa hints and is perfect for drip coffee machines, pour-over, and cold brew. It’s a low acidity coffee that’s perfect as a breakfast blend as it doesn’t upset your stomach. Its sustainably grown so good for the earth as well as good for you.

How To Make The Best Tasting Cup of Joe

Fresh Beans

Coffee beans start to lose their flavors and aromas the longer they sit after roasting, especially pre-ground coffee. To get the best out of your beans try to source coffee that’s been roasted 1-2 weeks before you intend to brew with it. Once opened, store your coffee in an airtight container, out of direct sunlight. Ideally use a glass or stainless steel canister as these don’t impart flavors or odors onto the coffee.

Correct Grind

The grind size is a really important consideration when it comes to the brewing method you prefer. The longer the beans stew in water the more bitter flavors they can end up passing on if the grind is not coarse enough. For quicker brew methods (like espresso) you need a fine grind otherwise the coffee tastes weak and thin.

Filtered Water

An age-old trick that baristas and coffee shops adopt is simply using filtered water to make their coffee. The filtering removes impurities and hard minerals that can adversely affect the coffee flavor. To get the best tasting coffee, use filtered water to make your next cup of joe and you’ll never look back.

Water Temperature

There is an optimal temperature range that brews the most flavor into your morning cup of java. If the water is too cold the coffee tastes weak and under-extracted and if the water is too hot, the coffee tastes burnt and bitter.

Aim to brew your coffee with water that’s between 195-205F for best results. You can test this using a coffee thermometer or boil the kettle and let it sit for a minute or two as this allows the water to cool to around this range.

Ratio

The coffee to water ratio is a key thing to understand to get the most consistent and best tasting cup of coffee again and again. These values are not set in stone and you can adjust them to suit your individual taste preferences.

A coffee-to-water ratio of 1:15 is a great place to start, although everyone’s preference is different. Try tweaking the ratio and see what you prefer.

Want it stronger? Try 1:12.

Want it weaker? Try 1:17.

F.A.Q.s

Which coffee brand is best for espresso?

Illy and their Classico coffee is our best choice for espresso. It’s beautifully balanced and full of rich flavor notes of chocolate and caramel.

What is meant by espresso coffee?

Espresso coffee is typically a medium-dark roast as the increase in coffee oils released in the longer roasting process helps produce the thick crema that characterizes espresso. The other key feature of espresso coffee is the fine grind which allows optimal flavor for the short brew process.

What is the strongest coffee you can buy?

Death Wish Coffee is a rich and dark roast coffee that’s packed full of flavor but not bitter. It’s claimed to contain twice the caffeine of regular coffee so is not for the caffeine-sensitive among us.

What is the cleanest coffee?

Lifeboost coffee is third-party tested for heavy metals, mycotoxins, and pesticides. It’s organically grown and free from any mold and toxins making it a very clean cup of joe.

Which country produces the most coffee in the world?

Brazil is the world’s biggest producer of coffee with 40% of the global coffee supply coming from here.

More Ground Coffee Reviewed

6. Best For Espresso – Illy Classico Espresso Ground Coffee

The perfect coffee to use in your espresso machine should be an even, fine grind with a rich aroma and flavor profile. Illy achieves this by packaging the coffee beans in air-free, pressurized packaging that seals in all those delicious flavors right up until you’re ready to enjoy them.

The Illy Classico is a balanced medium blend that’s full of sweet, bold flavors with hints of chocolate and caramel. Illy has chosen beans from all over the world and has spent eight decades refining this signature blend to create a coffee that’s packed with all the tastes that make a perfect cup of coffee.

The coffee is grown sustainably and Illy was named as one of the world’s most ethical companies by Ethispehere in 2019 so is a company that holds a high moral standard. This is one of the best pre-ground coffee options for espresso thanks to the delicious blend as well as the airtight container that keeps the coffee so fresh.

7. Best For French Press – Primos Coffee Co

If you’re a fan of the french press coffee maker then you’ll know that the best coffee beans for this brew method tend to fall in the medium-dark roast category. Primos Coffee Co has produced this intense, medium roast coffee that’s coarse ground and perfect for brewing in a french press.

The beans are low acidity thanks to the careful farming and processing they undergo. They originated on a fourth-generation coffee farm in the mountains of Nicaragua and are shade-grown and gently ripened over eight months. They are handpicked and fully washed before being drum roasted in small batches to preserve all the delicious flavors.

All this care and attention that goes into the coffee production means the beans taste amazing and all the health-promoting antioxidants remain intact, ready to nourish you. The coffee has a medium body and is smooth and sweet with citrus notes and a touch of caramel.

8. Best For Drip Coffee – Major Dickason’s Blend

Peet’s Coffee is a company that prioritizes freshness and expert blending to bring you a house blend like no other. They source their beans from all over the world and choose only the finest 100% arabica beans. The taste is unique so difficult to describe but has a richness and full-bodied taste that’s perfect for filter coffee.

The roasting date is marked on the bag so you know exactly how fresh your coffee is. It has a rich aroma that satisfies most coffee drinkers. It’s a dark roast so full of single-note flavors but never any bitterness.

This coffee is a perfect balance of flavor and satisfies all coffee lovers, no matter how you take it. As an added bonus, it is also certified kosher.

9. Best Light Roast – Lifeboost Coffee

A light roast coffee typically displays several key characteristics. The quicker roasting process means more of the acids in the coffee are retained, giving a brightness to the coffee and more complex flavor notes. The coffee has a slightly higher caffeine content than a dark roast so will get you up and awake in no time.

Lifeboost has developed this light roast coffee that retains all these wonderful characteristics but is also low in acid so perfect for sensitive stomachs. The coffee is non-GMO, ethically sourced and USDA certified organic.

It’s shade-grown at a high altitude in the mountains of Nicaragua on bird-friendly farms. It’s also been third-party tested for mycotoxins, heavy metals, and pesticides and all results came back clear.

This is a coffee that prioritizes health and wellbeing as well as eco-awareness. It’s sweet and delicious with notes of hazelnut, milk chocolate, and caramel.

10. Best Medium Roast – Folgers Classic Roast

If you’re more of an instant coffee kind but are looking to make the transition to pre-ground or whole bean coffee then a balanced medium roast is a good place to start. Folgers like to keep things simple with their coffee blend.

Expect and rich and smooth cup of joe with a lovely aroma. Folgers has been around since 1850 and have used this time wisely to perfect their coffee blend. Their coffee is found commonplace in most grocery stores and the consistent taste is what makes it stand out.

This is a non-nonsense, easy-drinking cup of coffee that will get you alert and buzzing for the day ahead. Amazon even has a subscribe and save option so you can get this coffee delivered as frequently as you need and you’ll never wake to an empty tub again.

11. Best Dark Roast – Death Wish Coffee

If you’re in the market for the world’s strongest coffee then look no further than Death Wish Coffee. They choose a premium blend of fair trade, organic beans. Arabica beans are chosen for flavor and robusta beans are blended in for their high caffeine content. I should mention, this coffee is ridiculously high in caffeine and is not for the faint of heart!

The beans are small-batch roasted to give a rich and full flavor with sweet cherry and chocolate notes. There is no bitterness, only bold and intense flavors.

This is a coffee that’s like no other in terms of flavor and caffeine content. It’s intense and delicious and it’s also risk-free to give it a try. If you decide, for any reason, that this coffee is not for you then the company will give you your money back!

Final Thoughts

If you don’t own a coffee grinder or you just prefer to keep the coffee making quick and simple then pre-ground coffee is a great option. There are so many brands to choose from it can get quite overwhelming to know where to begin. I hope this review has been helpful in highlighting which options suit your different needs. If you know of any other amazing, pre-ground coffee options, let us know in the comments below!