Which Café William coffee can I use in my automatic espresso machine?

Ah! These machines that make good coffee at the push of a button… they are so practical! However, they can be quite capricious. Frequent maintenance is essential and it is often said that “greasy” or “oily” coffees should be avoided. So what coffee can I use in my automatic espresso machine?

Why avoid oily coffees in my machine?

Coffees that are coated with oil, when ground in the machine, tend to stick to the walls of the mill. If only oily coffees are used in the machine and maintenance is neglected, the machine may block due to all the ground coffee that has created a blockage inside.

Which coffees are oily?

It is normal for a coffee to reveal oils on the surface when the cooking of the grain has exceeded the second crack. The longer the bean is cooked, the more the oils will come out. That said, usually, the more the coffee is cooked, the more it is dark and bold. So you do the math?

As a rule, the darker the coffee, the oilier it will be.

To learn more about coffee oils, check out our blog.

Which William coffee can I use in my machine?

At William, our coffees are grouped in taste profiles to make your life easier when the time comes to make a choice: light, medium, dark and espresso. You guessed it, our dark roast coffees (blue bags) are less recommended for automatic espresso machines. Since they often have surface oils, they will have more difficulty getting through the machine once ground.

Here’s what we recommend:

Our espresso range (red bags)

This collection has been specially designed to offer you a tasty and complex mug full of aromas. It is not a taste profile per se, but a category of coffees with several italian inspired espressos blends. The Italiano, organic and fairtrade, is the favorite of many (even here at the office!).

Our light roasts (yellow bags)

These mild coffees are delicious in espresso and present little bitterness. You’ll discover a variety of flavours if you go with our lighter roast coffees. Our classic Colombien is worth a try!

Our medium roasts (green bags)

This range will appeal to those who want a bold coffee that will not be too oily. These coffees will present balanced aromas, not too acidic nor too bitter. Ideal for stronger lattes or cappuccinos! Try La Crema and let us know how you like it.

TAKE NOTE: Our Sumatra and Espresso Barista are in a class of their own. Being quite dark, we tend not to recommend them for automatic machines. Although one is labelled espresso, it is wiser to use it in a manual or semi-automatic machine, without an integrated grinder.

Remember, it is not forbidden to put a dark roast coffee in your machine. However, you must be diligent when the time comes to maintain it. The ideal is to alternate your dark coffee with a lighter one, less oily, to facilitate the passage of the grind.

Nothing also prevents you from making your own blends! Make yourself a barista and make beautiful discoveries in the comfort of your home. 

Now go and enjoy your fabulous automatic machine!