Every coffee lover knows that the bean makes the brew. What you put in is what you get out, and with so many options available, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming.
That's why we've done the research for you, rounding up the best Australian coffee beans to buy online and the top roasters across our cities that are worth visiting in person. Ready? Let's grind.
Our Top Picks
Before we dive in, here's a quick look at our top picks at a glance.
Campos Superior Blend
Best café-style espresso bean from one of Australia's most respected Sydney roasters, with caramel, butterscotch, and dark chocolate notes.
ST. ALi Italo Disco
Best dark roast espresso blend from a Melbourne specialty roaster, with rich chocolate and spice notes, available as whole beans, ground, and capsules.
ONA Coffee Raspberry Candy
Best crowd-pleasing espresso blend from a World Barista Champion, with sweet berry and white chocolate notes, perfect for milk-based coffees.
Finding a good coffee bean in Australia is not hard. Finding a great one takes a bit more work. We've tried a lot of them, so you don't have to. Here are six of the best coffee beans you can get your hands on.
01 – Campos Superior Coffee Beans
Best Café-Style Espresso
Campos has been one of Sydney, Australia's most respected coffee names for over two decades, and the Superior Blend Coffee Beans is what started it all. It's a full-bodied espresso bean with caramel, butterscotch, and sweet red fruit notes, with a lingering chocolate finish.
It works beautifully through a home machine with milk, but holds its own as a straight black, too. Its the same blend that's been pouring in Australian cafes for years now, available to make at home.
02 – Grinders Crema Coffee Beans
Best Creamy Roast
Grinders has been roasting in Melbourne since 1962.
The Crema is a medium roast, 100% Arabica, with flavour notes of cocoa, malt, and honey. It's made from 100% Rainforest Alliance-certified beans; ethically sourced and roasted fresh in Australia.
The roaster works best with milk and suits automatic home espresso machines well. It's not a strong coffee, and that's the point. It's the one you reach for when you want something easygoing and consistent.
03 – Primo Espresso Numero Uno
Best Dark Roast
Primo Caffè is a family-run Australian coffee business in Sydney since 1987, and the Numero Uno, literally "number one", is their strongest offering. It's a dark roast Arabica and Robusta blend with a full-bodied, intense flavour, raisin-like undertones, and an oak-like finish.
Numero Uno is best enjoyed with milk, where the richness really comes through. We rate its intensity 5 out of 5 - it's not for the faint-hearted. Ideal for those who like their flat white or latte with a serious kick.
04 – Byron Bay Organic Espresso
Best Organic Beans
Byron Bay Coffee Co has been roasting in the Byron Bay hinterland since 1989, and this organic espresso is their best seller for good reason.
It's a medium roast blend from Colombia, Mexico, Sumatra, and East Timor: smooth, full-bodied, with notes of milk chocolate, toffee, and mandarin. Every batch is also tested by an Australian government-accredited lab after roasting, which is not something most coffee brands bother doing.
You get 100% organic beans, sourced from farms where the growing and harvesting are done properly from the start.
05 – Harris Strong Coffee Beans
Best Australian Heritage Brand
Harris has been roasting coffee in Sydney since 1883, making it one of the oldest coffee brands in Australia. The Strong blend is a dark roast, slowly roasted to develop a bold, full-bodied flavour with nutty notes.
Even then, it's worth noting that some long-term Harris fans have flagged inconsistency in recent years following recipe changes. Worth trying a bag before committing to a bulk buy.
06 – Lazzio Dark Roast Beans
Best Budget Buy
Not every good cup of coffee has to cost a fortune.
The Lazzio Dark Roast from ALDI is roasted in Melbourne and comes in at just $17.99 for a full kilogram; that's $1.80 per 100g, which is hard to beat.
It's a dark roast with a strong, full-bodied flavour with no frills and no fancy origin story. Under $18 for a kilo, this is the bean you keep in the cupboard for weekday mornings. Plus, given it's roasted in Melbourne, you're not sacrificing local quality for the price.
07 – ST. ALi
ST. ALi has been roasting out of South Melbourne since 2005. They offer a wide range of blends and single origins, free express shipping on orders over $119, subscriptions, and multiple grind options.
Italo Disco from ST. ALi is exactly what it sounds like: bold, fun, and unapologetically Italian. It's a dark roast sourced from Brazil and India, with rich dark chocolate and spice notes, a smooth body, and a sweet finish. ST. ALi designed it to bridge the gap between traditional Italian espresso drinkers and the specialty coffee crowd, and it pulls it off well.
Available as whole beans, ground, capsules, and on subscription, it probably offers the most versatile pickup on this list.
08 – Proud Mary Coffee
Proud Mary Coffee was founded by Nolan and Shari Hirte in Collingwood in 2009 and has grown into one of the most respected names, recently ranked 4th in the World's 100 Best Coffee Shops.
They roast at Aunty Peg's, their roastery just down the road from the café. Subscriptions start at $24 with fortnightly delivery, and you can choose between whole beans, stovetop, espresso, and cold drip. They also have cafes in Portland and Austin, which tells you how far their reputation has travelled.
The Ghost Rider from Proud Mary is a natural process blend from Brazil and Ethiopia. Brazil brings dark chocolate and a syrupy body, while Ethiopia adds bright notes of red grape and blueberry. The blend won the Golden Bean Award in Australia in 2013, then took home three more gold medals back-to-back. It's the most decorated blend on this list.
09 – ONA Coffee
ONA Coffee is a Canberra-based roaster founded by Sasa Sestic, the 2015 World Barista Champion. It has four flagship cafes across Australia.
ONA has since built a reputation for sourcing exceptional beans and roasting them with precision. It offers free shipping on orders over $70 and free express on orders over $115, and a subscription model. They only sell whole beans, so if you want ground, add it in the notes at checkout.
ONA Coffee's Raspberry Candy is a sweet, fruit-forward espresso blend with notes of berries and creamy white chocolate. It's the kind that surprises people who think they don't like specialty coffee; sweet and approachable for beginners, interesting for the serious coffee drinker.
10 – Offshoot Coffee
Offshoot Coffee is a specialty roaster based in Perth, Western Australia, with a cult following that extends well beyond its home city. They roast small batches with a focus on fun, flavourful blends and interesting single origins.
You can order online across Australia, with options for whole bean or ground across espresso, Aeropress, and French press. A 250g bag starts at $25 and a 1kg bag at $80.
If you like your coffee with a bit of personality, the Jam Donut blend from Offshoot Coffee is hard to beat. It's a 100% Colombian bean from the Tatama region, naturally processed at 1650–1800 metres up. The whole point of this coffee is to taste like a jam doughnut.
11 – Twin Peaks Coffee Roasters
Twin Peaks is a specialty roaster based in Morley, Western Australia, with a focus on sourcing quality beans from around the world and doing right by them.
They roast for espresso and filter, offer subscriptions with free shipping, and nitrogen-flush all their bags to lock in freshness for up to six weeks before opening. A 250g bag starts at $23, and a 1kg bag at $55.
Our favourite from Twin Peaks is the Seasons Best, a washed Red Bourbon from the Apaneca-Ilamatepec region of El Salvador. It has a rich chocolate and toffee note up front, with a sweet date finish and a gentle orange-like acidity. It's comforting with milk and elegant on its own.
12 – Single O
Single O is a Sydney-based roaster that has been going strong since 2003, with cafes in Surry Hills, Carriageworks, and Newstead in Queensland.
They roast blends and single origins, offer subscriptions with a 10% discount, and have wholesale and equipment available, too. They're B Corp certified, which means their sourcing and business practices are held to a higher standard.
Reservoir is Single O's flagship blend and has been on their menu since day one. It's a Kenya and Ethiopia combination, i.e., Nyeri and Keffa, that delivers ripe stone fruits, vibrant acidity, and a clean, structured finish. It works beautifully as a straight espresso but holds up well with milk, too.
How to Choose a Blend or Roaster?
If you want something easy, consistent, and available at the supermarket, stick with the beans section. Brands like Moccona, Harris, Grinders, and Lazzio are reliable, widely available, and good value.
On the other hand, if you want something more interesting, that's where the roasters come in. Specialty roasters like ONA, ST. ALi, Proud Mary, and Offshoot source their beans carefully and roast in small batches. The coffee tends to be fresher and more expensive, but the difference in the cup is real.
A few things worth thinking about before you buy:
- Roast level — Dark roasts are bold and bitter. Medium roasts are balanced. Light roasts are bright and fruity. If you're not sure, start with medium.
- Brewing method — Espresso beans are roasted differently to filter beans. Most home machines use espresso, so check the label before buying.
- Whole bean vs ground — Whole beans stay fresher longer. If you have a grinder, always go whole bean. If you don't, ground is fine.
- Milk or black — Strong, dark roasts work best with milk. Light, fruity blends are better black. Most roasters will tell you which is which.
So, honestly, it depends on what you want from your coffee and how much effort you are willing to put in.
Common Coffee Drinks
Looking to experiment and experience more? Here are seven popular coffee drinks you should try. Different variations of coffee come with different tastes and silkiness; you might find a new favourite.
- Long Black / Espresso Americano – Espresso diluted with hot water. The water goes in first, then the espresso is poured in.
- Flat White – Espresso topped with microfoam (silky, fine-bubbled steamed milk). Has more espresso and less milk than a latte.
- Cappuccino – An Italian classic with three layers: espresso at the bottom, hot milk in the middle, and a thick microfoam top that can be decorated.
- Caffe Latte – Espresso mixed with a lot of steamed milk, so it tastes more milky than coffee-forward. Often topped with a thin layer of milk foam.
- Espresso Macchiato – Mostly espresso with just a small dollop of frothed milk on top. "Macchiato" means spotted in Italian.
- Lungo – Espresso made with more hot water, making it lighter but more bitter than a regular espresso, since the extra water pulls out more compounds.
- Irish Coffee – This is the cocktail of hot coffee, Irish whiskey, and sugar, topped with lightly whipped cream.
Darren Sherwood
Keeping the Coffee Culture
Coffee has deep roots in Australian history, so it is with you. There is a coffee for you, roasted in Australia, for Australians to enjoy—to keep the coffee culture alive. So, go on and purchase your desired coffee for that usual surge of enthusiasm to start your day.
If you're replacing or getting new machinery for your coffee workstation, our comprehensive guides on the best home coffee machines and the best home coffee grinders would be of great help.
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