10 Best Ground Coffees for a Superior Cup (2021 Reviews)

Ready to step up from instant or store-bought coffee but not looking to invest in a grinder? Cool beans. Then the best ground coffees are the caffeinated upgrade you’re after!

To prevent you from picking a random product that doesn’t suit your coffee maker or taste buds, we’ve tried many different types of ground coffees and reviewed those that stood out.

Let’s get grinding!

Ground Coffee Buying Guide: How to Find the Most Cool-Beans Grounds for You

Throwing a bunch of jargon in each review? Not helpful. Let’s understand together which type of ground coffee is right for you.

Type of coffee beans

Depending on the species of the same Rubiaceae plant family, you have two types of beans:

• Arabica, grown in very specific conditions, is superior in taste. That’s why, if a brand is using 100% Arabica beans… oh, they’ll definitely tell you! Smoother, with chocolatey and sugary notes and hints of berries and fruits, they’re a better choice if you prefer relatively sweeter, more nuanced flavors.
  
  
• Robusta beans are cheaper and easier to grow, but what they lack in flavor they make up in caffeine. They can be a good compromise if you’re after a stronger fix and don’t mind a more bitter taste, perhaps because you take your coffee with milk and sugar.

Not sure? You can always opt for ground coffee that mixes both.

Type of roast

• Light roasts preserve the beans’ unique characteristics: fruity and vibrant thanks to their high acidity, they present a thinner body. Perfect for those who take their coffee black and love tasting its nuances.
  
  
• Medium roasts retain some of the beans’ characteristics but start tapping into those of darker roasts. Because they result in a well-rounded profile with a fuller body, we recommend them to those who’re after a balanced result.
  
  
• What darker roasts lose in beans’ characteristics they compensate for in body: a popular choice among coffee lovers who prefer robust, deeper flavors with sweeter caramel or chocolaty tones.

Single-origin beans or blends?

Single-origin beans are grown in the same place, which could be as big as a country or as specific as a farm. They’re the go-to choice for most coffee experts because they allow you to indulge in the original, unaltered flavor of each batch, especially when you brew with manual pour overs and take your coffee black (1).

“They’re all about a deeper understanding of your coffee’s profile and how that profile is affected by what goes on at origin.” T. Shrock, Perfect Daily Grind 

Blends are formed with different beans that either complement each other or create a pleasant contrasting effect: a more suitable choice if you usually add milk and sugar. They got a bad reputation because some larger roasteries used them as an excuse to chuck in cheaper lower-quality beans but, if you go for respected or smaller passionate roasters (like the ones we’ve included), you’ve got nothing to worry about.

Brewing method

Because their grind size influences extraction, it’s important to use the best ground coffees for your brewing equipment:

• Most ground coffees are sold as medium/medium-fine, which works with both  automatic and manual drippers;
• If you brew with an espresso machine, you’ll need fine coffee grounds;
• French press or cold brew? Stick to coarse.

Best Ground Coffees of 2020 to Upgrade Your Morning Brew [Top 10 Reviews]

Here’s a little overview of the very best coffee grounds:

Now that you know exactly what to look for, let’s take you one step closer to your new favorite coffee grounds.

Despite the fact that it’s kinder to the environment and prevents sunlight from affecting the beans’ flavor, only 2% of all coffee is shade-grown (2).

“By purchasing shade-grown and organic coffee, you can make a difference by voting with your dollars to increase more responsible agriculture practices.” Biology professor Shalene Jha (3)

Not only is Lifeboost Coffee part of that elite: it’s a non-GMO, high-elevation grown single-origin coffee that, unlike most mass-produced options, has no mycotoxins (mold).

Just choose the right type of roast for your palate!

Lifeboost Coffee is also fair-trade and part of the Rainforest Trust. Discover more about them in our Lifeboost Coffee review.

From Ethiopia’s Yirgacheffe region, this organic coffee is cultivated on volcanic soil above 3000 feet.

It translates into a medium-bodied cup with lemon, blueberry and blackberry notes.

Thanks to the different grind sizes, you can use it with pretty much any brewing method. If you're using your Keurig to brew, use a reusable K-cup and choose fine grind for this bean.

In case you missed its name and the skull, let us warn you: this coffee is NOT for the faint-hearted!

With double the strength of your average cup of joe, they’re currently the world’s strongest coffee. They’re so sure about it that they’ll even give you a refund should you find a stronger one (if you do, we’d love to know. For “research purposes”, obviously).

What we appreciate the most about Death Wish Coffee is the fact that this extra kick doesn’t come at the cost of flavor. 

Every cup of these fair-trade organic coffee grounds is a smooth and well-balanced experience with a cherry and chocolate profile. Read more about it in our Death Wish Coffee review.

With over a hundred years of experience in coffee roasting, the New England Coffee company is a guarantee in itself. Their Arabica beans are sourced from different regions, but always roasted locally and in small batches.

While we love this delicate hazelnut variant, there are lots of different ones you can choose from, from pumpkin spice to blueberry cobbler.

A homage to the Latin American verandas where family and friends catch up over a cup of café, these Starbucks coffee grounds are heaven on earth for anyone who prefers light roasts.

They result in a mellow and soft cup of coffee with a distinctive vibrant flavor (but not too bold).

If you use a French press or indulge in cold brew coffee, you’ve probably realized that it’s quite hard to find the right grounds. Well, Bizzy has thought of you!

Ground at the right coarseness, their Dark & Bold Roast guarantees a rich, full-flavored cup with a strong finish and cocoa notes. 

Want a more mellow and vibrant coffee with citrus and floral notes? Check out their Light & Bright roast.

PRO TIP: don’t use coarse grounds with your automatic dripper or you’ll get a weak, under-extracted coffee.

References:

1. Schrock, T. (2015, September 14). Everything You Need to Know About Single Origin Coffees. Retrieved from https://perfectdailygrind.com/2015/09/everything-you-need-to-know-about-single-origin-coffee/
2. Tory, S. (2014, March 26). Sunburnt Beans: Where Has All the Shade-Grown Coffee Gone?. Retrieved from https://civileats.com/2014/05/26/sunburnt-beans-where-has-all-the-shade-grown-coffee-gone/
3. Berger-Texas, K. (2015, April 30). 5 Reasons to Drink Shade-Grown Coffee Retrieved from https://www.futurity.org/shade-grown-coffee-911482/ 
4. (n.d.). (2011, April 29). 50 of America's Best. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/forbes-life-magazine/2001/0430/058.html#60f1a721224e 
5. (n.d.). Lion Coffee Voted as Hawaii’s Best Coffee 2020. Retrieved from https://www.lioncoffee.com/lion-coffee-voted-as-hawaiis-best-coffee-2020/ 
6. Steward, P. (n.d.). Brewing Prosperity. Retrieved from https://www.technoserve.org/our-work/agriculture/coffee/