10 of the Best Starbucks Coffee Beans for Home Brewing

Whenever you think of a delicious cup of coffee, the name Starbucks probably crosses your mind before anything else.

Mostly because they are on almost every street corner in every city around the world, but also because they have been leading the coffee industry by consistently producing delicious types of coffee drinks and various coffee beans from different regions of the world!

As a coffee lover, you might want to save yourself a ton of money by brewing the best Starbucks coffee beans at home as opposed to buying a cup of coffee everyday.

Luckily, Starbucks beans are sold online so that you can avoid breaking the bank and save yourself several hundred dollars a year!

However, picking the best Starbucks coffee beans isn't quite that easy because there are numerous types of coffee bean blends to choose from.

So we will walk you through the list of the finest Starbucks coffee beans based on the type of beans, what region they are from, flavor and roast.

So let's dive right in…

What are the Best Starbucks Coffee Beans?

As we all have our own preferences, it isn't easy to decide which Starbucks coffee beans are the best. So, we picked the best ones from each roast category to meet the needs of every coffee enthusiast. 

1. Starbucks Pike Place

#1 Pick for Medium Roast

If you love sweet, smooth, and chocolate notes in your coffee, then the pike place blend will be an ideal choice for you! 

It’s quite popular, originating from their first store in Pike Place Market in Seattle! Today, all the Starbucks stores worldwide serve the Pike Place blend as their daily roast. 

This medium-roast blend has a full-bodied and balanced taste. The mouthfeel experience of this roast is cleaner and less heavy than the darker roasts.

As for the flavor, it has a decent undertone of nuts and chocolate that is still noticeable even after mixing it with milk or cream. It also has a sweet aroma that instantly fills the room with a heavenly smell.

Now imagine that smell first thing in the morning right after waking up!

The coffee blend is crafted from 100% Arabica beans, and it's kosher certified. Plus, you can easily prepare the coffee in any brewing method, including drip coffee, pour over and maybe even the moka pot or percolator. 

The coffee beans are grown in an environmentally responsible way and by the best farmers of Latin America.

SUMMARY

• Sweet flavors of chocolate and roasted nuts
• 100% Arabica beans, kosher certified
• Smooth, and a less bitter medium roast

2. Starbucks Breakfast Blend

#2 Pick for Medium Roast

The breakfast blend was the standard coffee blend at all Starbucks stores for quite a while, and that’s because of its bright and tangy tasting notes. It’s no surprise that it’s appealing to most coffee lovers.

Originating from Latin America, this coffee blend is organic and sourced from 100% Arabica beans. These medium roast coffee beans have nutty and cocoa notes. Additionally, the flavor includes highlights of sweet orange, soft spice, and brown sugar.

Despite being medium roasted coffee, the flavor seems more toasted than roasted. Again, the coffee beans are sourced ethically from certified farmers from Latin America. You can brew this coffee in a French press or a drip coffee maker. 

SUMMARY

• Fruity, nutty flavor with notes of brown sugar and soft spice
• Crafted from 100% Arabica beans
• Sourced ethically from certified farmers

3. Starbucks Siren's Blend

#3 Pick for Medium Roast

The Siren’s blend was created to honor women and their innovations in farming, roasting and barista skills! 

Being a medium roast whole bean coffee blend, it has a rich and juicy taste of chocolate and citrus. If you like a strong, flowery, and herbal aroma, you'll surely love this blend.

The whole beans are collected from sustainable farmers of East Africa and Latin America. Certified by kosher, this coffee blend is organic and fairtrade.

SUMMARY

• Juicy, chocolaty, and citrusy flavors
• Flower-like herbal aroma
• Organic, kosher certified, and fairtrade

4. Starbucks Guatemala Antigua

#4 Pick for Medium Roast

Another whole bean Starbucks coffee, the Guatemala Antigua, has a robust and bold taste. Its smoky flavor is very appealing to any passionate coffee drinker.

As the name suggests, the blend is sourced from Antigua, Guatemala of Latin America. The kosher-certified coffee is environmentally sourced and crafted from 100% Arabica coffee beans. Thanks to the strong taste of chocolate, the aftertaste of this coffee is sweet and long-lasting. 

The flavor of this coffee is unique and rather interesting. Other than the notes of chocolate, it has subtle notes of lemon and spice. 

Even though it is not labeled as such, we think that you can brew this blend using an espresso machine.

SUMMARY

• Unique flavors of cocoa and subtle spices
• Environmentally responsible, kosher certified
• Suitable blend for espresso machines

5. Starbucks Sumatra

#1 Pick for Dark Roast 

One of the most hyped dark roast coffees, the Sumatra dark blend is strong and bold. This unique coffee blend is suitable for making iced coffee and cold brew because it is full-bodied and will not lose its strength when diluted! 

This dark roast blend has a full-bodied flavor profile with herbal spices and earthy notes. It is a single-origin coffee that is crafted from whole coffee beans of the Asia-Pacific region. It's organic, kosher, and environmentally responsible.

This blend is very appealing for most coffee drinkers with its earthy, fruity, and herbal aroma. Since this coffee blend is rich in natural oils, it has low acidity levels. 

I tend to gravitate more towards this blend because it seems to be less harsh on my acid reflux. If you have similar symptoms, then I recommend trying this low acid coffee blend. 

SUMMARY

• Strong, rich, and bold taste
• Earthy, fruity, and herbal aroma
• Low acidity, full of natural oils

6. Starbucks Caffè Verona

#2 Pick for Dark Roast 

This seductive and full-bodied blend is inspired by Italy’s culinary history. Caffè Verona is well-balanced and rich, and has notes of dark cocoa and roasty sweetness. 

This blend has depth from Starbucks Italian roast being added to it, but it is neither very bitter nor excessively sweet. The rich flavors of caramelized sugar and cocoa are evident from the first sip with a sweet aroma that entices your senses! 

Originating from multiple regions: Asia/Pacific and Latin America, each coffee bean is full-bodied and rich in natural oils. The coffee is ethically sourced, fairtrade, and free from pesticides. 

Use these beans for different brewing methods, such as the moka pot, pour over, and drip coffee makers. 

SUMMARY

• Strong and well-balanced texture
• Flavors of dark cocoa and sweet caramel
• Organic and full-bodied

7. Starbucks French Roast

#3 Pick for Dark Roast 

The French roast coffee is probably one of the most popular dark roast blends at Starbucks because it is super smoky, yet light-bodied and with low acidity! These beans go very well with vanilla syrup for a killer French vanilla coffee.

Originating from Latin America, this dark roast blend is cultivated with care then roasted to an ebony color so it can reach its distinct flavors and aroma. 

Keep in mind that the coffee takes time to release its flavors and oils if you are using the French Roast pods for your Nespresso machines. Ideally, it is best used with the French press. 

The beans are collected from certified farmers, so the coffee is organic, kosher, and free from chemicals and pesticides.

SUMMARY

• Organic, kosher, environmentally responsible
• Robust, bold, and smoky flavors
• Light-bodied and low acidity

8. Starbucks Komodo Dragon 

#4 Pick for Dark Roast 

One of the wildest dark roast whole bean coffee, the Komodo Dragon blend is earthy, complex and herbal with spices that linger!

As the coffee beans are sourced from Indonesia, this blend is unique in its texture, flavor, and aroma. The coffee beans are crafted from ethically sourced Arabica coffee and are organic, kosher, and fairtrade.

You can use this blend with espresso machines, or drip coffee makers. However, you might need to clean your coffee makers regularly as the beans are full of natural oils.

SUMMARY

• Ethically sourced from Indonesia
• Complex and deep flavors with lingering spices
• Earthy and herbal aroma

9. Starbucks Veranda Blend

#1 Pick for Blonde (Light) Roast 

If you want a mellow and smooth blend, with lots of flavor, then the Veranda Blonde roast should be on your “Tasting List”!

As the coffee beans are roasted for a shorter period, the flavors are soft and light with cocoa and roasted nuts that mingle with toasted malt notes.

Sourced from Latin America, the coffee beans are 100% Arabica. This coffee blend is crafted in ethically responsible ways, so it's organic and fairtrade. 

We believe that this blend is best for pour over brewing! 

SUMMARY

• Flavors of soft cocoa and toasted malt
• Organic, fairtrade, and ethically sourced
• Best for pour over brewing

10. Starbucks Decaf Pike Place 

#1 Pick for Decaf Beans

This time, we have the Decaf Pike Place Roast for coffee lovers who want to have their cuppa joe in the evening or at night without having the shakes. 

You can even serve it as a Starbucks decaf iced coffee! 

This blend offers you the iconic Starbucks notes of chocolate and toasted nuts while being completely caffeine-free. The texture of this blend is consistent, smooth, and well-rounded.

The coffee beans, being a medium roast, are moderately acidic and less bitter than dark roasts. Since the flavor is pretty strong, you can mix it with milk and cream if you like.

The coffee beans are sourced ethically from licensed farmers in Latin America. 

SUMMARY

• Fresh, ethically sourced, free from caffeine 
• Subtle flavors of chocolate and toasted nuts
• A smooth blend for any time of the day or night

What Is So Special About Starbucks Coffee?

Many have wondered and some Starbucks haters have even been converted. 

Why you might think? 

The reason is the source of the coffee beans, which are the key behind the delicious and different flavors of Starbucks coffees available. 

Starbucks imports coffee beans from more than 30 different coffee producing countries around the world. Their employed farmers are licensed, and their practices are certified, are ethical and environmentally responsible.

Then their master blenders take their time learning, testing and experimenting until they reach the perfect blends to share with the rest of us! That’s why the coffee beans are of the highest quality. 

To suit the needs of every coffee drinker around the world, the company has been making and delivering hundreds of different types of coffees for years.

All this plus the outstanding customer service that is provided at all locations are what make Starbucks coffee one of the best in the world.

What Are the Different Coffee Roast Levels?

The taste of your coffee will depend largely on the type of roast. There are mainly three kinds of roast, and here we will discuss the characteristics of all three of them. By the way, Starbucks also makes use of unroasted beans; they use green coffee extract in their refreshers and BAYA energy drink. But of course, these are not coffee per se.

Light (Blonde) Roast

As you can assume, the light or blonde roasts are roasted for the shortest period of time, in temperatures around 356 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (180°C to 204°C). Lightly roasted coffee has a natural aroma and light flavor that's not very strong or bitter. Moreover, the beans are the least oily and more acidic with subtle citrus notes.

The beans are roasted before they reach the first crack, so the color of the beans is light brown to slightly dark. Usually, light blends aren't used for making espresso coffee. Rather, you can use it for pour over and filter drip.

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Medium Roast

Medium roasted beans are processed for a longer time in temperatures around 400 to 430 degrees Fahrenheit (204 to 221 degrees Celsius). Due to the longer roasting period, the bright, natural flavor and aroma are slightly reduced, and the coffee gains a stronger and more bitter taste.

Usually, the medium roasts are dark brown and slightly cracked. The acidity range is medium, and the beans are more oily than the light ones. You can use this type of beans for making almost any kind of coffee, including espresso, drip coffee, and French press.

Dark Roast

Typically, the dark roasts are processed for the longest time in temperatures between 430 and 480 degrees Fahrenheit (221 to 249°C). As the roasting period is long, all the natural aroma and flavors are reduced and instead we get smoky, roasty and caramelized sweetness. The dark beans have visible oils on their surface, and you can notice the oils in the espresso crema as well.

Naturally, they have the darkest brown color and the boldest flavors. The sugar content of the beans is caramelized, which gives them a sweet taste and rich flavor. 

Dark roasts are also known as French roast, Italian roast, or simply Espresso roast, and you can use them to make espresso, pour over, Aeropress, and French press. Also, dark roasted beans will have the least acidity.

What Should I Consider When Purchasing Coffee Beans?

Before buying coffee beans, you should know what characteristics you want in your coffee. There are a few things that decide whether the quality of the coffee is good or bad. So, here are some crucial aspects you should consider while making your purchase.

Roast Type

You should choose a roast type that perfectly suits your taste. If you like lighter, acidic flavors with a natural aroma, go for lightly roasted beans. Otherwise, buy the dark roasts in case you like a mouthfeel experience, oil-rich texture, sweet and bitter flavors.

You can opt for medium roasts if you like the natural flavors with sweet and bitter highlights. This type is usually the most popular as it has a good balance of acidity and natural oils.

Bean Type: Arabica vs. Robusta

Most coffee beans are of two types: Arabica and Robusta. Arabica beans are usually sweeter with notes of fruits and sugar and they contain less caffeine than Robusta beans.

Arabica beans are carefully grown in specific weather conditions, which makes them vulnerable to pests and can easily be damaged by poor handling and cold weather. That's why the price and quality of Arabica beans are higher.

On the other hand, Robusta beans have an oatmeal like flavor, neutral and harsh. When unroasted, they smell like raw peanuts. They are easier to grow and cultivate and they aren't susceptible to damage from pests, so there's more finished product with low production costs. 

This is why Robusta beans are usually used in instant coffee or as filler in some low quality ground coffee. 

Keep in mind, Robusta coffee is not bad coffee, it's just not ideal for most types of brewing methods. For instance, traditional Italian espresso is made of Robusta beans because of the thick and rich crema produced from this type of beans. 

Source

It's essential to check the source of the beans before purchasing them. Be sure to go for ethically sourced beans grown in environment-friendly ways. This will ensure that no pesticide or harmful chemicals were used during cultivation.

Also, check out where the plants were grown as the weather plays a vital role in the quality. For example, humid areas like the Asia Pacific region and Latin America will grow better beans with rich flavors. So, opt for high-quality beans that were grown in a healthy environment.

Why Should I Get Whole Starbucks Coffee Beans?

If you want to enjoy the fresh, intact flavor and aroma of your coffee, nothing can be a better option than purchasing whole Starbucks coffee beans and grinding them on demand. 

Ground coffee bags often lose their aroma and flavors the moment you open the bean bag.

Moreover, you can't change the grind size and coarseness level of the pre-ground coffee as per your needs. It will be difficult for you to store ground coffee as it remains fresh for only a short period of time, much less than whole coffee beans.

However, if you purchase whole beans, then you will have more control over how much coffee beans you grind and on what setting, which gives you more variety. 

You can make coarse grinds for a French press or fine grinds for a delicious espresso. Plus, the flavor, taste, and aroma of Starbucks' whole coffee beans will last longer! 

You will need to spend some extra cash to purchase a good coffee grinder, such as the Bodum Bistro Burr Grinder or you can opt for a cheaper and manual coffee grinder. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Bottom Line

So, these were some of the best Starbucks coffee beans with their unique taste and flavor profiles. You can pick any type from our list that you find the most appealing and cost-effective.

Pike Place and Sumatra dark roast are surely the best and most popular ones among all those options. Opt for Decaf Pike Place if you want caffeine-free coffee beans.