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Lavazza Super Crema Whole Bean Espresso Coffee Review: Is It Worth It?
Lavazza's flagship espresso bean and Amazon's best-selling espresso whole bean — a medium-roast Arabica-Robusta blend with hazelnut and brown-sugar notes that pulls thick crema on any home machine.
Quick answer: Yes — Lavazza Super Crema is worth buying if you have a home espresso machine and want a reliable, consistent, thick-crema bean at a fair price. It's Amazon's #1 best-selling espresso bean for good reason: medium-roast Arabica-Robusta blend with balanced hazelnut and brown-sugar notes, forgiving on grind, textbook for milk drinks. It's not the bean for third-wave single-origin fans, but for classic Italian-style espresso at home, it's the safe default. Pair with a proper machine like the [Breville Barista Express](/reviews/breville-barista-express) and a burr grinder for the best results.
Product image from the Amazon listing.
Our verdict
Yes — Lavazza Super Crema is worth buying if you have a home espresso machine and want a reliable, consistent, thick-crema bean at a fair price. It's Amazon's #1 best-selling espresso bean for good reason: medium-roast Arabica-Robusta blend with balanced hazelnut and brown-sugar notes, forgiving on grind, textbook for milk drinks. It's not the bean for third-wave single-origin fans, but for classic Italian-style espresso at home, it's the safe default. Pair with a proper machine like the [Breville Barista Express](/reviews/breville-barista-express) and a burr grinder for the best results.
The short version
Lavazza Super Crema is the bean people who own a [Nespresso Vertuo](/reviews/nespresso-vertuo), a [Breville Barista Express](/reviews/breville-barista-express) or a semi-automatic espresso machine graduate to when they realize their beans matter more than their machine. It's Lavazza's flagship whole-bean espresso — a medium-roast blend of Arabica (for aroma and sweetness) and Robusta (for body and thick crema) sourced from fifteen countries. The tasting notes are consistent: hazelnut, brown sugar, a full body, and a golden-crema crown that photographs well. On Amazon it's the #1 best-selling espresso bean by wide margin — around 90,000 monthly sales — because it's the safe default for home espresso: forgiving on grind, pulls consistently, and priced sanely against the specialty roasters that cost twice as much. Not the pick if you want single-origin light roast pour-over beans; the sweet spot for classic Italian-style espresso and milk drinks.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Amazon's #1 best-selling espresso whole bean
- Pulls thick, golden crema on almost any home machine
- Balanced hazelnut and brown-sugar tasting notes
- Forgiving on grind size — good for espresso beginners
- Lavazza's flagship blend since 1971 — consistent year after year
- 2.2 lb bag is the volume-buy sweet spot
Cons
- Not a light-roast bean — third-wave coffee fans will find it too roasted
- Contains Robusta (some purists prefer 100% Arabica)
- Best-by dates vary — check freshness on delivery
Why people love it
Grind for your machine
Fine espresso grind for pump machines (Breville, Rancilio, Gaggia); a medium-fine setting for pre-ground bulk brewers. Super Crema is forgiving across a wide grind window.
Pull a double shot
18g dose, 36-40g yield, 25-30 seconds — the classic 1:2 espresso ratio. Adjust grind finer if shot runs fast, coarser if slow.
Steam milk (optional)
The Robusta adds body that stands up to milk — makes textbook cappuccinos, lattes and cortados with visible layers.
Who it's for
- Anyone with a home espresso machine or Nespresso original
- Cappuccino and latte drinkers
- People who want thick crema without a barista skill floor
- Beginners graduating from grocery-store beans
- Espresso households buying beans monthly
Why Lavazza Super Crema is Amazon's best-selling espresso bean (and where third-wave coffee fans push back)
Super Crema hit the top of Amazon's espresso-bean charts and stayed there because it solves the specific problem home-espresso people have: they want a bean that pulls consistently, tastes good in milk drinks, and doesn't require a $2000 grinder to dial in. Lavazza's blend delivers all three. The medium roast level is dark enough to develop the caramelized, hazelnut notes espresso drinkers expect but light enough to keep a pleasant sweetness. The Arabica-Robusta blend is the strategic choice — Arabica for aroma and clean flavors, Robusta for body, crema and caffeine — and it's the same formula Italian bar espresso has used for decades. At around $15-20 for a 2.2 lb bag, it's cheaper per shot than specialty single-origin beans that run $18-25 for 12 oz.
Third-wave coffee culture (Blue Bottle, Intelligentsia, Onyx, Sightglass) pushes back for a few legitimate reasons. Light-roast single-origin Arabica beans express terroir — you taste blueberry from Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, chocolate from Colombian Huila, jasmine from Panama Geisha. Dark-roast blended espresso with Robusta erases those distinctions and delivers a more uniform 'espresso' flavor. If you're chasing flavor complexity and origin transparency, Super Crema is not the right bean. If you're pulling shots for a morning cappuccino and want it to taste like the espresso in an Italian bar, it's exactly right. Both perspectives are legitimate; they just serve different priorities.
How to pull the perfect Lavazza Super Crema espresso shot at home
The classic pull: 18g dose in a double basket, tamped level with even pressure. Fresh water, machine at temperature (let it heat 15-20 minutes from cold), portafilter locked in and shot started immediately (don't leave grounds in a hot machine). Target 36-40g liquid yield in 25-30 seconds — that's the 1:2 espresso ratio Baristi around the world use as a starting benchmark. If your shot runs fast (under 20 seconds), grind finer. If it drips slowly and finishes above 40 seconds, grind coarser. Super Crema's forgiveness means you can be off by two grind clicks and still get a decent shot.
For milk drinks: steam whole milk to 140-150°F (touch the pitcher, it should be uncomfortably hot but not scalding), with the steam wand submerged just below the surface for the first 5 seconds to introduce microfoam, then deeper to heat without adding more foam. Pour into the shot from about 4 inches above the cup, then close in for latte art if you're practicing. For a cortado use 1:1 ratio (equal espresso to steamed milk), for a cappuccino 1:1:1 (equal espresso, steamed milk, foam), for a latte 1:3 (one part espresso, three parts steamed milk plus a thin foam layer). Super Crema's Robusta body holds up to all these ratios; single-origin light roasts often get lost in milk.
Home espresso setup: pairing Lavazza Super Crema with your machine and grinder
The espresso quality equation is: 30% bean, 30% grinder, 30% machine, 10% barista skill. Super Crema handles the bean part reliably at a fair price. On grinders, a stepped grinder like the Baratza Encore ESP or a Breville Smart Grinder Pro is the entry level that lets you dial in espresso; anything below that will struggle to produce consistent shot times. On machines, entry-level pump machines like the Breville Barista Express or Gaggia Classic Pro deliver 9-bar pressure and PID temperature control at reasonable prices. Below that (De'Longhi Dedica, most under-$200 pump machines) you get pressurized baskets that create fake crema and mask bean quality — Super Crema works there but you're not tasting its best.
Serious home baristas often build a full setup: Baratza Sette 270 or Eureka Mignon grinder ($400-600), Rancilio Silvia or ECM Classika PID machine ($700-1500), calibrated tamper and knock box, milk pitcher and thermometer, a scale for dose weight. That kind of setup extracts every drop of quality Super Crema has to offer — and once you're there, you'll also start rotating in some higher-end beans and single-origins as your palate develops. Super Crema stays as the daily driver because it's consistent and priced right; specialty beans become the treat. Pair with a Nespresso Vertuo as the quick-shot backup or an AeroPress for travel and you have every coffee scenario covered.
See Lavazza Super Crema on Amazon
Check the latest price, photos and buyer reviews on Amazon.
Check Price on Amazon →Sold and shipped by AmazonFrequently asked questions
Is Lavazza Super Crema good for home espresso machines?
Yes — it's specifically formulated for home espresso and is the default 'safe pick' for anyone with a Breville Barista Express, Gaggia Classic, Rancilio Silvia, or similar semi-automatic. The Arabica-Robusta blend is forgiving on grind size (many single-origin light roasts require precise grinding to taste good), and the Robusta component reliably produces the thick, golden crema people want from home espresso. It also plays well with all pressurized-basket machines from budget De'Longhi to prosumer Rocket, and with milk drinks.
Lavazza Super Crema vs Illy Classico vs Peet's Espresso Forte — which is the best espresso bean?
Depends on your taste. Super Crema is medium roast with balanced hazelnut and brown-sugar notes and thick crema (Amazon's #1 seller). Illy Classico is a lighter medium roast, 100% Arabica, cleaner and more delicate — great for straight espresso, less body in milk. Peet's Espresso Forte is a dark roast, bold and slightly smoky — best if you love traditional Italian dark-espresso flavor. Super Crema is the safest all-rounder, especially for milk drinks. Illy for straight espresso purists. Peet's for dark-roast lovers.
Does Super Crema work with a Nespresso machine or K-cup brewer?
Nespresso and Keurig use their own capsule systems, so whole-bean coffee won't fit directly. However, Lavazza sells Nespresso-compatible aluminum capsules of Super Crema and other blends — search 'Lavazza Nespresso capsules.' For K-cup users, look at the Peet's Coffee Major Dickason's Blend K-Cup pods as an equivalent premium single-serve option. Super Crema whole bean is for home espresso machines with a built-in or separate grinder.
How should I store Lavazza Super Crema to keep it fresh?
Coffee's enemies are air, light, heat and moisture. Store the bag in its resealable pouch (the built-in valve lets CO2 escape without letting O2 in) in a cool, dry cabinet — not the fridge or freezer (moisture is worse than time for espresso beans). For a 2.2 lb bag consumed over 2-4 weeks, the pouch is fine. For longer storage, portion into a vacuum-sealed or airtight one-way-valve container and buy an Airscape or similar coffee canister. Grind immediately before brewing — pre-ground coffee stales within days, and Super Crema shines most when ground fresh.
What grind size should I use for Lavazza Super Crema?
For espresso: fine, like table salt or slightly finer. Exact number depends on your grinder, but start around setting 8-12 on a Breville Smart Grinder, 3-5 on a Baratza Encore ESP, and adjust based on shot time. Shot too fast (<20 sec) means grind finer; shot too slow (>35 sec) means grind coarser. Super Crema's forgiving nature means small grind changes don't crash your shots the way they do with light-roast single origin beans — helpful for espresso beginners still calibrating.
How much caffeine does Lavazza Super Crema have compared to drip coffee?
Espresso is more concentrated but served in smaller amounts. A double shot of Super Crema (roughly 60ml/2oz) contains about 120-150mg of caffeine. A typical 12oz drip coffee contains 150-200mg. Espresso feels stronger because of the intense flavor and rapid delivery, but ounce-for-ounce contains similar caffeine to drip. The Robusta component of Super Crema does contribute slightly more caffeine than a 100% Arabica bean (Robusta averages roughly twice the caffeine of Arabica by weight).
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