The Best Espresso K Cups For Espresso Coffee (And Our Brewing Trick!)

Read First: Before we dive into what pods work the best for making Espresso – there’s a trick! Keurig machines arent designed for espresso brewing so we created this workaround to make espresso from your Keurig machine

Even though Keurig K-cups have gained popularity over the years, they have gotten quite a bad rep. Users have cited drinking a watered-down, flavorless coffee, to experiencing leaking, messy pods. 

We understand how disheartening that can be. And we’re here to change the narrative. 

We’ve curated 4 of the best espresso k cups based on price, sustainability, taste, and aroma. So, if you’re in the market for amazing espresso shots, carry on reading this post.

• Best Overall: San Francisco Bay Coffee Espresso Roast  
  Good value for money. Produces complex rich, flavored espresso and aroma. Sustainable and ethical.
  [Jump to review]
  
• Best Tasting: Maud’s Espresso Dark Roast Coffee Pods (Espress-o Yourself)  
  Well-rounded, full-bodied espresso.
  [Jump to review]
  
• Best Value Brooklyn Bean Roastery
  Reasonable price if you want to try a few cups of espresso.
  [Jump to review]
  
• Most Sustainable and Ethical: San Francisco Bay Coffee Espresso Roast
  Holistically sustainable and ethical.
  [Jump to review]

What Is Espresso Coffee?

Espresso is a strong and full-flavored form of concentrated coffee that is generally served in shots.

It requires a specific brewing method where a small amount of hot water at typically 93degrees celsius is forced under around 13 bar of pressure through a tightly packed disc of finely ground coffee beans.

The traditional way of preparing espresso is without milk, and it’s meant to be consumed quickly just like a shot of whiskey would be. However, the espresso shot is more commonly used as a base for other cafe drinks like the flat white, latte, cappuccino, and long black to name a few.

So, Can you make espresso coffee with a Keurig machine?

The main difference between Keurig and other capsule coffee machines (like Nespresso) is they specialize in espresso coffee (about 30ml in volume), while Keurig makes drip coffee (of typically 8oz or 10oz pours).

There ARE however Keurig capsules labeled as ‘latte’ or ‘cappuccino’…. so how do these work?

This isn’t obvious, and in most cases, these capsules DO NOT produce a true espresso, latte, or cappuccino. In simple terms;

• The Keurig Rivo uses 15bar of pressure and ACTUALLY makes espresso coffee.
• The Keurig K-Cafe and K-Latte have an ‘Espresso Shot’ button but the machines don’t apply pressure, they just extract less water to make a strong ‘espresso-like’ coffee.
• The rest of the Keurig range doesn’t cater to making espresso at all but can make something close by following our workaround.

This article takes you through our BEST PRACTICE for making espresso-style coffee with your Keurig machine.

What Makes Good Espresso K-Cups 

When it comes to picking a brand of coffee, there are various features coffeeholics take into consideration. We explored a few of the aspects that we felt qualified a brand as good coffee. These include:

1. Flavor

People’s taste preferences vary, but one thing all coffee enthusiasts have in common is an appreciation for tasty joe. With this in mind, we sourced espresso coffees that: 

• Are rich, bold, and flavorful.
• Are strong, but not overpowering.
• Are not bitter when consumed black – not everyone likes adding cream and sugar to their coffee.
• Low in acid.

2. Sustainability

Sustainability around coffee farming and production is a big topic in the industry. We explored how these companies are playing their role in producing sustainable and ethical products for their customers on an environmental and socio-economic level – so you can enjoy your cup of espresso, guilt-free.

3. Aroma

Who doesn’t love the smell of coffee filling the room in the morning? We sure do! So, to make your wait time pleasurable, we’ve included brands that’ll give you a refreshing and warm whiff during brew time.

4. Price

If you want to enjoy good coffee, your budget doesn’t have to be a limiting factor. This list includes reasonably priced k-cups to ensure you keep coming back for more. 

The 5 Best K-Cups For making espresso coffee

With all that said, here are the best Keurig k-cups for espresso coffee.

Best Value: Brooklyn Bean Roastery Expresso Dark Roast Coffee

The Brooklyn Bean Roastery k-cups are made from 100% Arabica beans produced in line with the roastery’s small-batch roasting process. The result is a smooth, dark, and bold espresso, with no bitter aftertaste. It has very intense, smoky aromas.

Pros:

• Recyclable pods.
• Dark, smooth, and with a rich flavor.
• Small batch roasted to allow a consistent rich flavor.
• Sustainably sourced Arabic coffee beans.
• Kosher certified.
• Gluten-free.
• Dark roast.

Cons

• Only compatible with single-serving k-cup brewers.

Price:

$22.80 for a pack of 40 pods.

Stand-out feature/s: 

Small batch roast to control the heat and flavor of every roast, thus continuously producing consistent batches. 

Also, Brooklyn sustainably sources its coffee beans with the idea of striking a balance between conserving nature and the quality of life of its coffee farmers.

Best Value (Runner Up) Lavazza Espresso Italian K-Cups

These medium roast k-cups from Lavazza produce a rich, smooth espresso with fruit and floral notes, and intense aromas. This full-bodied espresso is great for those who love a medium Italian, low-acid roast. The pods are also biodegradable, and all their coffee is sustainably sourced. 

Pros: 

• Sustainably sourced coffee beans.
• Organic certified.
• LEED-certified. 
• WELL certified.
• Vegan.
• 100% Arabica beans.
• Biodegradable pods.
• Kosher Certified. 
• Intense aromatic flavor. 
• Rainforest Alliance Certified.
• Hand-picked coffee certified.
• Keurig certified.

Cons: 

• Not compatible with all K-cup brewers.
• Some pods are defective – they explode in the machine.

Price: 

• $8.70 pack of 10 pods
• $13.25 pack of 16 pods
• $25.15 pack of 32 pods
• $23.18 pack of 40 pods

Stand-out features:

An all-around sustainable and multi-certified brand that brings quality coffee to its customers while giving back to the community and its farmers. 

Best Tasting: Maud’s Espresso Dark Roast Coffee Pods (Espress-o Yourself)

If burnt undertones are your thing, then you’ll love this blend from Maud’s. The pods produce bold, rich espresso with scorched undertones – in a delicious way, of course. Every cup you drink is filled with flavor right down to the last drop. They’re made from 100% Arabica coffee beans, sealed in recyclable pods.

Pros: 

• 100% recyclable pods. 
• BPA free.
• Dark roast.
• Intensely aromatic and flavorful.
• Smooth and not overpowering taste.
• Sustainably sourced coffee beans.

Cons:

• Only compatible with 2.0 Keurig brewer.

Price: 

The price starts from $14.99/pack.

Standout features: 

Most tasty and flavorful with a pleasant smoky undertone.

Best Tasting (Runner Up): EkoCups Organic Espresso Roast Coffee Pods

Organic, fair trade espresso, anyone? These sustainably produced pods produce a very robust espresso that can be enjoyed ice cold or hot. They’re made from recyclable plastic – #5 plastic. With every cup you drink, you’ll experience a smooth, yet full-bodied espresso with smoky, dark caramel syrupy notes.

Pros:

• USDA Organic Certified
• Fairtrade
• Dark Roast
• Gluten and lactose-free

Cons:

• Somewhat pricey.

Price:

• $14.99 for 24 counts.
• $29.00 for 48 counts
• $39.39 for 100 counts

Standout features: 

Fairtrade and organic.

Best Overall: San Francisco Bay Coffee Espresso Roast

Last on our list is the San Francisco Bay Coffee Espresso roast. The pods are made from 100% biodegradable, compostable material – so you can add them to your compost bin after use. They produce a dark, full-bodied, complex espresso with no bitterness to it. 

Pros:

• 100% Arabica coffee beans.
• Medium-Dark Roast.
• Certified Commercially Compostable pods.
• Rich, full-bodied espresso.
• Certified kosher.
• BPI certified.

Cons:

• Only compatible with single-serve brewers.

Price:

$18.99 for a pack of 30 pods.

Standout Features: 

Holistic sustainable and ethical practices. It caters to the entire well-being of its farmers and employees, and they’re conscious of its carbon footprint. 

Final Verdict

Good quality Keurig k-cups are available on the market and multiple factors contribute to what makes them purchase-worthy. Aspects like taste, aroma, sustainability, and value for your buck all go into choosing your next Keurig k-cup espresso coffee. If you’ve dreaded using k-cups because of a bad experience in the past, hopefully, one of these brands will change your mind.

Best Value	Best Tasting	Best Overall	Most Sustainable and Ethical
Brooklyn Bean   Roastery Reasonable price if you want to try a few cups of espresso.	Maud’s Espresso Dark Roast Coffee Pods (Espress-o Yourself)   Well-rounded, full-bodied espresso.	San Francisco Bay Coffee Espresso Roast   Good value for money. Produces complex rich, flavored espresso and aroma. Sustainable and ethical.	San Francisco Bay Coffee Espresso Roast   Holistically sustainable and ethical.
Lavazza Espresso Italiano   Various, reasonably priced packs of espresso pods to choose from.			Lavazza Espresso Italiano   Credible sustainability and quality control certificates.
Maud’s Espresso Dark Roast Coffee Pods (Espress-o Yourself)   The more pods you buy, the cheaper it gets.