You’re standing in the grocery aisle and think you want to try some new ground coffee. You do some googling and find that to make the “best” cup of coffee, you need nearly $300 worth of equipment and beans harvested from a tropical climate you may or may not have heard of.
But you’re just trying to make it through the day. Maybe you’re trying to save a few dollars by opting for a homebrew ground coffee instead of spending over $50 every week at the coffee shop. The baby is keeping you up. You have a deadline to meet. And don’t forget to meditate.
I’m here to help. A coffee enthusiast with a standard, but still consider myself one with the people. I’ve gathered and reviewed five of the best ground coffees on the market today. Depending on your previous experience and expectation of how you’re getting your java fix, any one of these options will help elevate your homebrew game.
Top 5 Best Ground Coffees Reviews
- Pike Place Roast is well-rounded with subtle notes of cocoa and toasted nuts balancing the smooth mouthfeel
- While we've updated our look and how we describe our tasting notes, Starbucks Pike Place Roast is still the same smooth and balanced, great-tasting coffee you know and love
- Enjoy Starbucks at home. The coffee you love without leaving the house
- For finest taste, use cold, filtered water and store ground coffee in a cool, dark place
- Each pack includes one 20-ounce bag of ground Starbucks coffee
- Seattle's Best Coffee has a new look but the same premium beans, specially roasted for a smooth taste
- Our Toasted Hazelnut Flavored Coffee is sweetly aromatic with nutty notes of roasted hazelnut
- Our recommendation for a great cup of Seattle’s Best Coffee is 1 tbsp (5 gram) of ground coffee for every 6 fluid ounce (180 milliliter) of water
- For finest taste, use cold, filtered water and store ground coffee in a cool, dark place
- Each pack includes a 12-ounce bag of ground Seattle's Best Coffee
- Supreme Colombian Coffee: Enjoy our rich and full bodied Colombian Supreme medium roast coffee beans; Delightfully smooth with a bright finish
- Premium Quality Coffee: We select only premium coffees from the finest coffee producing regions in the world; Our high quality beans for this coffee are ground extra fine to release the coffee's full elegance; Kosher certified
- Number One Coffee Filter Brand in the World: Our cone, basket and single serve filters are all designed to brew rich, flavorful coffee; They are all compostable and made of high quality paper that won't tear for mess-free brewing
- Optimal Brewing: Our products are designed to provide optimal extraction resulting in a rich and flavoful cup of coffee which is never bitter
- Join the Pursuit for Better Coffee: Melitta is dedicated to providing the ultimate coffee experience with our premium coffee filters, coffee pods, pour-over brewers, coffee makers and premium coffees
- Balanced, full-bodied medium roast with a smooth finish
- One 32-ounce bag of ground coffee
- 100% Arabica coffee grown in Colombia
- Roasted and packed in the U.S.A.
- Shown as a serving suggestion
- An Amazon brand
Starbucks Medium Roast Ground Coffee - Pike Place Roast
In my day as a barista for the ever-popular green apron company, this is the standard, everyday morning joe of millions of folks every day. I was actually an employee — or the preferred term, “partner” — when this roast first launched and it has since sky-rocketed in its popularity.
Pike Place is the first coffee in the Starbucks line-up to earn the label of being 100% sustainably sourced, confirmed by CAFE Practices ethical sourcing guidelines. Pike Place is named as an homage to Starbucks’ first store in the historic Seattle’s Pike Place Market. It’s described as bold, smooth, and fresh.
There is a reason this is the most popular brew in over 30,000 Starbucks cafes around the world. You can find this coffee offered in the most convenient brewing method for you — instant single-serve coffee packs (marketed as Starbucks VIA Instant), K-Cup pods, or even bottled.
However, there is something deeply grounding (pun intended!) in using a normal, flat-bottom filter coffeemaker. No frills, no extra buttons, or fancy foaming functions. The one you’ve seen your parents use day after day, the reliable coffeemaker of diners everywhere.
Of course, each person’s brewing preference is as unique as their fingerprint. This medium roast will allow you the flexibility to make your coffee as strong or as delicate as you prefer. Upon the first smell, you’ll come upon the familiar scents of your favorite coffee shop.
Nothing is too strong or overwhelming, but there is a distinct, comforting taste. Subtle flavors of cocoa and toasted nuts will dance on your palate, but won’t compete with your preference of sweetener or cream. It’s everyone’s favorite t-shirt, there to help you feel familiar and cozy.
If your order is, “Just a regular cup of coffee, please,” this brew is for you. Predictable. Consistent. Fitting for any morning ritual.
Maybe you’re trying to expand your horizons and want to shake things up just a little bit. Maybe you ask for a few pumps of hazelnut in your daily coffee or latte. You don’t like things too sugary, but you want just a touch of flavor for an extra special pep in your step. You can never go wrong with a touch of toasted hazelnut in this ground coffee.
With over 10,000 reviews and ratings on Amazon, Seattle’s Best Toasted Hazelnut receives consistent five-star ratings from its happy sippers. And if that’s not enough to convince you this coffee belongs on this Five Best Ground Coffees list, all you need is one deep inhale to let the warm nutty aroma of toasted hazelnuts make you smile. You’ll be ready for any challenge the day may bring because you have a little extra fun flavor shot this morning.
It’s balanced and smooth, ideal for an everyday brew. You won’t be overwhelmed with a bitter roast, but instead a nice creamy texture of well-roasted premium coffee beans with delicious toasted hazelnut as best supporting actor.
You still have room to add more cream or sugar if that’s part of your morning ritual. But, if you are trying to cut back on sugar intake, this brew is perfect for providing a hint of sweetness without additional sweetener.
This is available in 10 oz. K-cup pods or 12 oz. ground coffee bag. Convenient for the coffee delivery method of your choice. Like that favorite go-to scarf or bracelet that you put on to just zhush up an ordinary outfit, you’ll appreciate this special blend for that extra bit of magic in the mornings. Seattle’s Best Coffee with toasted hazelnut. Name a better duo, I’ll wait.
Melitta Colombian Supreme Coffee, Medium Roast
You are not afraid of a full-bodied red wine or extra hoppy IPA. You are adventurous when it comes to taste. If English Stilton blue cheese or funky Italian Taleggio is on the charcuterie board, your friends know that you aren’t afraid of bold flavors. And this fearlessness translates into how you begin your mornings.
Promising “The Flavor of Europe in Every Cup,” the Melitta Colombian Supreme Coffee is not for the faint of heart. The bold, robust flavor is meant for the veteran coffee drinker, the person unafraid to wake up every taste bud in the mornings. If you enjoy dark chocolate, this coffee is the perfect pairing.
It’s not as popular as the previous two coffees, which is why it has just shy of 2,000 reviews on Amazon. But the fans are devoted and loyal. This coffee isn’t trying to be popular. It’s reserved for the individual, the one unafraid to be different. The one who enjoys the full potent spectrum of coffee’s flavorings.
Of course, you are always able to customize your morning java with cream or sweetener. I personally think this is a great candidate for cafe au lait. The aromatic, deep cocoa notes will still come through some velvety steamed milk.
If you like your coffee bold but also enjoy the occasional cafe au lait, this is the brew for you. Versatile but never wavering at its root of delivering full-bodied, complete expression of the coffee bean.
AmazonFresh Colombia Ground Coffee, Medium Roast
“Hey Alexa, order more coffee.” You are a self-proclaimed techie. You’re always on the go and depend on your virtual assistants to help make your life easier. You’re unassuming, unpretentious. You’re just a regular person, trying to make the best of each day.
And there’s something to be said for that. You don’t need the fancy label of Starbucks, and you don’t want extra frills or contraptions that clutter up your space. Utilitarian by nature, the AmazonFresh Colombia Ground Coffee is the everyday coffee for you.
It’s smooth and balanced. A welcoming blank canvas of coffee for you to customize to your liking. Compared to many other coffees, this is the most economical per oz. But it does not skimp on taste. It’s described with a subtle citrus aroma, just enough to give you that morning wake-up spark, balanced with hints of cocoa and brown sugar to smooth it all out for a very easy-to-drink morning brew.
If you’re a fan of the “buy local” movement, you’ll be happy to know this is roasted and packed in the great United States of America. It’s only available as bagged ground coffee, so if you’re looking for a K-cup pod, this will be one that you’ll have to create yourself.
This is great for both beginning and veteran coffee drinkers. The beginner will appreciate its approachable taste and ability to pair with any cream and sweetener combination. The veteran will enjoy its dependable, familiar taste of a good, solid cup of coffee. A solid contender for its place on this list of the five best ground coffees.
Don Pablo Signature Blend, Medium-Dark Roast
There’s always a maverick. The newcomer with something to prove. The underdog. The Cinderella story. This is that coffee. If you enjoy a good story that connects you to humanity every morning, you will fall in love with Don Pablo and his Signature Blend.
The story goes that Darron Burke fell in love with a beautiful Colombian girl named Eliana, and the rest is delicious history in a coffee cup. Darron Burke was renamed Don Pablo by Eliana’s grandmother, essentially providing her matriarchal blessing. Don Pablo and Eliana started the coffee company together.
As with any love story, there is tender care given to sourcing only the best beans from Colombia, Brazil, and Guatemala. True love can’t be rushed, and neither can the slow-roasting of small batches of beans at a time.
Because the Signature Blend draws from three different countries, you can expect that taste to be more complex but with very low acidity, a true feat of mastery. Very smooth with cocoa tones, this coffee is great alone or paired with your desired concoction of cream and sweetener.
Although this is the only medium-dark roast on this list, the small-batch slow-roasting allows for a slight caramelization, subtle roastiness, and a naturally sweet, pleasant aftertaste. This coffee is available in 2 or 5 lb bags and single-serve cups.
And because this is the lesser-known surprise coffee to make the list of the five best ground coffees, Don Pablo is so sure that you’ll enjoy his cup of coffee that he offers a risk-free, complete refund if you don’t fall in love. It’s an entire brand founded on love, how could you not?
Your Buyer’s Guide to the Best Ground Coffee
When shopping for a bag of ground coffee, you have several considerations. Because each person’s preferences and tastes are different, it is dependent upon personal equipment, roast preference, and flavor choice. We’ll start with the equipment.
First, determine how you will be brewing your coffee. Is it a regular drip coffeepot? K-cup machine? French Press? This will determine what products are available to you. Depending on the equipment, you will want to purchase the appropriate grind for the beans. A coarse grind is best for french press or Chemex pour-over.
These methods allow for more steeping of the coffee bean. Your regular drip coffeemaker will benefit from a medium grind. If you’re super adventurous and fancy, be sure to get a fine grind for your espresso machine. This method applies pressure to the coffee to extract its golden elixir of goodness.
If you have a K-cup machine, you’ll be looking for K-cup pods to determine which brew you’d prefer. The K-cup machine offers an insane amount of convenience but removes any customization or control of the variables in creating your perfect cup of morning coffee.
Will you be grinding your own beans or buying your coffee pre-ground? Do you have a coffee grinder? Many grocery stores offer bulk coffee as a more economical option and will also allow you to grind the whole beans in store if you do not have a coffee grinder at home.
If you have a coffee grinder and want to keep your coffee as fresh as possible, you’ll want to opt into purchasing whole bean coffee. If you do not have a coffee grinder, you can buy a bag of coffee pre-ground or grind a bag of beans in the store.
Once you know how you’ll be brewing your coffee, you can determine the flavor profile. In general, light roasts will be lighter in color, but heavily pronounced in acidity. Medium roasts strike a balance between sweetness and acidity. Dark roasts have the most bitterness but also highlight the flavors of the roasting process.
With those three roast profiles — light, medium, dark — you can experiment along the entire spectrum. There are medium-light and medium-dark roasts, so you can really experience the shades of roasting and the flavor profiles of the coffee.
Finally, you can select if you have a preference for added flavor. You might enjoy an additional hazelnut or french vanilla flavor included in the coffee. Perhaps you’ve had your eye on some seasonal creamer or just want to appreciate the coffee in its purest form. You have the most room for experimentation and playing with flavors here.
You’ve selected your brew of choice and now you’re home. When first opening your bag of coffee, be sure to engage all of your senses. What color is the coffee? Is it lighter or darker? How does it smell? Can you pick up on the notes of cocoa or citrus? How does the grind feel? Is it coarse or fine? While it’s brewing, what does it sound like? If using a drip coffeemaker, is it gentle and consistent? Finally, how does it taste?
As far as a coffee budget is concerned, you will save a lot of money brewing at home compared to picking up a cup at your local coffee shop. The most expensive brewing method per unit is the K-cup pods. There will be sacrifices in taste and roast quality for the least expensive ground coffee.
These beans are roasted en masse and there is not much attention given to the beans’ ethical and sustainable sourcing. If you are looking for a decent quality coffee, be prepared to spend around $8-$20 for a responsibly sourced, consistent quality pound of coffee.
For a bonus mission, you can experiment with pairing your coffee with various breakfast pastries. Just like fine wine and delicious steak, you’ll find that some coffee can be enjoyed purely and enhanced with a delicious coffee cake or creamy pastry.
A lemon pound cake can heighten the citrus notes of a lightly roasted coffee while a dark chocolate bar will melt beautifully on the tongue alongside a deep dark roast. If you enjoy a blueberry muffin most mornings, you can find the perfect coffee counterpart.
As you embark on your coffee journey, you’ll be able to face the looming grocery aisle without fear. There are a lot of choices, but it boils down to equipment, roast, and then finally flavor. You’ll find a beautiful morning ritual that gives you the best start to every day. To store your coffee, you can keep unopened bags at room temperature out of direct sunlight.
Once you open your bag of coffee, air and moisture are the enemies. Tightly roll or seal the bag, or better yet, store in an airtight container at room temperature. Contrary to popular belief, please do not store coffee in the refrigerator or freezer. This will introduce too much moisture to the coffee, ruining the beans and destroying the taste.
Frequently Asked Questions: Best Ground Coffees
Q: Do I buy whole beans or ground coffee?
A: If you are looking to elevate your coffee game, grinding your coffee immediately before each brew is best. Most quality coffee grinders are inexpensive. Try to find one with variable grind settings (coarse to fine) so that you can find the setting that works best for your taste buds. However, ground coffee is perfectly delicious and has worked for many people for years.
Q: How much coffee do I brew?
A: This is dependent on how much you drink and how strong you like your coffee. To start, the purported “Golden Ratio” is one to two tablespoons of coffee to every six ounces of water. From there, you can adjust the strength of the coffee to your liking.
Q: What’s the best way to brew coffee?
A: The best way to brew coffee is to brew it in a way that tastes best for you. If you want the purest expression of the coffee, its roasting profile, and subtle flavor nuances, coffee aficionados grind their beans immediately before brewing and prefer methods such as the Chemex pour-over or french press. However, with the right bean and grind, you may find the most satisfying cup of coffee to come from your reliable drip coffeepot. It all has to do with the multiple variables of roast, grind, and how much you want to play with your morning coffee ritual.
Q: What type of coffee has the most caffeine?
A: Most regular home-brewed cups of coffee have approximately 10mg of caffeine per ounce. Espresso, due to its highly concentrated nature, has 40mg of caffeine per ounce. An 8-ounce cup of green tea provides a conservative 30mg to 50mg of caffeine. If you’re looking to decide between a light or dark roast, there is not much difference in terms of caffeine content. A darker roast does not mean more caffeine because caffeine content is quite stable during the roasting process.
Q: What type of coffeemaker should I buy?
A: This will be dependent upon your budget and how much control you have to have over the individual elements of brewing a cup of coffee. If you want something convenient and not worry about clean-up or how the coffee is brewed, the K-cup pod machines have become increasingly popular. Although you may not be able to account for grind or water temperature, it will provide a consistent brew each time. If you prefer tradition, you can never go wrong with ole reliable drip coffeemaker.
This allows you to choose to grind your own coffee (should you prefer) or buy the beans pre-ground, making the morning ritual that much easier. Finally, if you want to go all-in and meticulously experiment with the grind, water quality, and temperature, and experience the coffee in its purest form, I would recommend a three-part setup of coffee grinder, water kettle, and french press or Chemex pour-over.
Conclusion
This list reviews the five best ground coffees for anyone at any place in their coffee-drinking journey. It’s a great starter list for the beginning coffee drinker or the veteran looking to change things up a little bit. Coffee is the most popular beverage in the world, with about half of adults in the United States drinking coffee every day.
Coffee is a magical elixir that serves as an energy boost, burns some fat, and can improve physical performance. It’s a deeply personal ritual, customized to each person and their taste buds. So the next time you’re staring sleepily at the wealth of coffee options in the grocery aisle, just remember to consider three factors: equipment, roast, and flavor.
I hope you’ve found this list to be helpful on your coffee-drinking journey. Now go on; there’s an entire world waiting to be explored.
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