Ranking the 9 Lavazza Whole-Bean Coffees from Worst to Best

For many, drinking coffee is a ritualistic experience. When you get stuck in the monotony of waking up, brewing a cup, and then trying to get your life in order, it can be tough to reinvigorate your relationship with coffee and make it something that’s more of a simple pleasure than a necessity. As someone who drinks coffee every day (and usually multiple cups), I’ve come to learn that switching up the beans that I use on a regular basis can help change up my routine just enough for it to make a difference without throwing my entire day off-kilter. The subtle change in flavor, roast, and intensity can really draw my attention to the cup and make the experience of sipping it all the more worthwhile. 

One brand that I’ve been trying and tinkering with more recently is Lavazza. It’s been my go-to coffee brand for years now, but I’ve just recently taken an interest in its variety of whole-bean offerings, which includes a broad scope of coffee and espresso beans. In order to help you decide which of this Italian coffee giant’s beans are worth trying, I brewed them up as a double shot of espresso or a cup of drip coffee before smelling and sipping them. As I drank, I considered if the flavor was reflective of the roast listed on the packaging, how complex those flavors were, and whether or not I would buy it again, in order to rank the beans from worst to best. 

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

The Classico was the first of the drip coffees that I sampled for this ranking. It has a moderate intensity, rated as a 5 out of 10, and is made with both arabica and robusta beans. 

This blend, admittedly, didn’t do much for me. When I opened the bag, I didn’t smell anything particularly fresh or inviting, nor did I notice any distinct flavor notes that set it apart from the other drip coffees that I sampled. The drip coffees in this ranking had to work twice as hard to compete with Lavazza’s excellent selection of espresso beans. And unfortunately, Classico was just a little too conservative for my liking. 

There was some maltiness on the palate that I noticed as I sipped, but I couldn’t detect any of the flavor notes that would make me consider this coffee “complex.” The brand notes that there are supposed to be “dried fruit” flavors present, but all I really got here were hotel coffee vibes. It isn’t necessarily watery like hotel coffee though — just uninspiring, and frankly, bland. If someone served it to me at their house, I would drink it with no problem, but it’s not a coffee blend that I would seek out for my coffee collection. A cheap Starbucks dark roast has more going on than this Lavazza coffee — and that says something.

The Lavazza Super Crema coffee is designed for espresso; the packaging only lists instructions for how to transform the beans into the perfect single or double shot. Like several other espressos on this list, it is a medium roast. The company does note that these beans are supposed to be a “full-bodied, harmonious experience,” complete with notes of roasted hazelnuts and brown sugar. Sounds like my kind of coffee. 

This brew is a mixture of robusta and arabica beans, so I expected a flavor that was going to be more robust-a, dark, and almost bitter. I definitely think that the bitterness was one of the most pertinent flavors at play — and it didn’t do this coffee any favors. When I took a whiff of the bag of beans, I could pull out those hazelnutty, almost toffee-like notes clearly. But when it was brewed up into a shot, the flavors didn’t stick around long enough to have a tangible impact on the overall profile and drinkability of it. What I really wanted here was a darker and more intense flavor. The aroma gave me a hint of what I should have gotten, but when I sipped, all I got was a watery and weak mouthfeel that didn’t really work. The flavor wasn’t memorable, which is why it ranked below several of the other espresso beans. 

I was excited to try this Dolcevita Classico coffee, as my rendezvous with the Classico drip coffee was not one that I would like to have again. The Dolcevita supposedly boasts more roasted nut notes with a little more of a full-bodied flavor, which I hoped would address all of the faults I found in the Classico. 

The arabica and robusta blend has some of the same malty notes as the Classico, but it takes things in a much better direction. The flavor of this blend was certainly full and assertive. While both of the coffees boasted about a dried fruit flavor, the Dolcevita was more successful at delivering on it. I could discern apricot notes here, which was not the case with the Classico. Dolcevita’s flavor wrapped my taste buds in a pleasant hug, and I have to say that it was enjoyable to sip on — which is not something I often say about a drip coffee.

But its complexity is limited by the fact that it’s a drip coffee. It still leans acidic and light; I would say it’s more of a light-medium roast than a plain ol’ medium roast. But it’s very drinkable. I also think it’s one coffee that you could make as a cold brew or pour over ice and not think twice about it. It has enough heft to stand its ground. However, I have had other drip coffees from both Lavazza and other brands that are more assertive and full in the mouth, thus pushing this one down in my ranking slightly.

This medium roast coffee blend from Lavazza is supposed to be all about the chocolate notes. It brings together South American arabica and African and Southeast Asian robusta for a flavorful blend that can be made in a moka pot, a drip machine, a French press, or my mode of choice: an espresso machine. 

The coffee had a very sandy and light brown appearance to it when it was ground. The crema was also quite thin compared to the Super Crema and Espresso Italiano that I sampled for this review. When I sipped this coffee, I felt like it was a drip coffee that was trying to fit in with the “cool kids” (read: the espresso beans). It has a weak profile that’s a little watery on the palate, though it has enough strength behind it to somehow still push those flavors through. I didn’t sense the same bitterness that I did with the Super Crema, which was a refreshing plus. 

I think that this coffee really should be used for drip only because it doesn’t have enough body or lingering mouthfeel to make it as an espresso. If I added it to a milky coffee drink, like a latte, I’d expect that the flavor would just slowly dissipate into an acidic nothingness rather than actually elevate the drink and give it character. If you like a medium roast coffee that leans floral, this multi-origin blend could be your jam. But if you’re after something more assertive, you’re better off looking elsewhere. 

Was the Perfetto perfect-o? Far from it, but it was certainly still a valiant effort from Lavazza on the drip coffee front. The coffee, which was made as a tribute to Lavazza’s founder, Luigi Lavazza, features a medium-roasted arabica blend sourced from Central and South America. The predominant tasting note here is supposed to be caramel.

The one thing I have to note about these beans is that they are very beautiful. They have a beautiful, golden-brown color with a matte coating — which is different from the other slightly greasy and dark espresso beans that I sampled for this review. When I first smelled the brewed cup of drip coffee, I almost thought it was skunky, though it thankfully faded away to notes of burned caramel. 

This coffee puts hair on your chest — not because it’s strong, but just because it’s well developed. The flavor is punchy and bright — though not acidic like the other two drip coffees I sampled. The caramel notes are sweet and gentle yet still make their presence known with every sip. This coffee really embodies the true definition of a “medium roast” and is something that I would consider stocking in my pantry for when I have guests over and I’m looking for a good after-dinner coffee to brew. However, I don’t think the mouthfeel was as full as it was for my other top choices, which gave this coffee a middle spot in this ranking. But it’s easily Lavazza’s best whole-bean drip coffee.

The Lavazza Espresso Italiano has been my go-to coffee for several months now after I switched to it from the Super Crema. Its intensity is rated as a five out of 10, and it’s made with 100% arabica coffee. I think the only reason I’ve been buying it recently is because it’s usually on sale on Amazon, and its flavor is neutral enough to not be offensive. I’ve only brewed it in an espresso machine, but the packaging also claims you can brew it in a French press, a moka pot, or a drip machine.

The shot I pulled for with this brew presented with a thick but not overwhelmingly rich crema. The flavor was a bit darker than I would expect from a medium roast; I would rate it closer to a seven out of 10 than a five. The flavor is bitter on the palate, which its peaty, mossy aroma indicates. The shot goes down clean and is pleasurable to sip, but only if you like really dark and heavy espresso. It’s certainly full bodied and flavorful, though I think you would need to have a refined palate to drink this espresso as a straight shot. I personally don’t mind the bitterness because I usually prefer to drink my espressos in lattes or cappuccinos where the milk can balance out the flavor a little bit. But I could foresee something like an Americano or a red eye made with this espresso being a little too overpowering for most, which ultimately pushed it out of the top three.

I will be the first person to admit that I have never enjoyed light roast coffee. But I still approached this ¡Tierra! Organic selection from Lavazza with an open mind. The adjectives the brand uses to describe it are no stranger to light roasts: “floral,” “citrusy,” and “zesty.” I was a little skeptical here at first because I personally don’t think these adjectives “work” in an espresso — even though that’s the recommended brewing medium for this coffee.

When I took a whiff of this whole-bean coffee, I could immediately smell the earthiness — and almost drown in it. It brewed, like many of the other selections, with a great crema — though it still had the “normal” coffee color, which didn’t necessarily distinguish it as a light roast. However, when I sipped it, I audibly said, “Yep, that’s a light roast all right.” 

But I don’t think this was the worst light roast I’ve ever had — in fact, far from it. The earthy, floral notes persisted in every sip, and I honestly didn’t think it was too bitter or acidic. Some of the medium roasts were more acrid than this one, which was surprising. Dare I say it was pleasant?

I can’t decide whether this coffee would work in something like a latte or not. Honestly, I don’t think it’s robust enough to “work” in a milk-based beverage. But if you were to make it as a drip, I fear that more of that acidity would be drawn out and ruin the flavor. If anything, the best way to sip it would be as a straight shot — and I’m going to venture to guess that’s not how most people enjoy their espresso. So, its low utility really is its downfall.

Lavazza’s Crema e Gusto is a force to be reckoned with. The brand notes that this coffee’s flavor profile is heavily spice-leaning and is made with arabica and robusta beans sourced from South America and Africa. I was amazed that despite having the same intensity rating as my top choice, it had an almost entirely different flavor profile. 

This shot brewed up beautifully and had an impressive crema layer that any barista would marvel at. On the nose, there was almost a cumin-y undertone, which gave the impression that this brew would toe the line between sweet and spicy. I could appreciate that as I sipped because I could easily pick up on the spice notes. The same cumin-like note persisted throughout the sip, but I was also met with anise- and licorice-like flavors as I swirled the espresso in my mouth. 

The one thing that I will say about this brew is that it’s strong and slightly abrasive. When the brand says that this coffee is “ideal for milk-based preparations,” it means it. It’s bitter — but not unpleasantly so — and assertive, yet those spice notes make it wildly complex. It would be delicious in a latte, especially one that was made with cinnamon or even pumpkin syrup. However, I didn’t rank it at the top because it didn’t really have a creamy mouthfeel to it, and I think that its abrasive nature may be a turnoff for some drinkers. 

At first glance, the Espresso Barista Gran Crema looks just like the Espresso Italiano. But when I saw the label, I noticed that the former had a slightly higher intensity. This intensity makes it ideal for espressos, cappuccinos, and lattes, and the packaging notes that the most prominent tasting notes are of chocolate. However, secondary to that are its nutty undertones, mild body, and slightly roasty flavor. I assumed that the Espresso Barista Gran Crema would just taste like a darker version of the Espresso Italiano, and I was correct — in some, but not all respects. 

When I opened the bag, I immediately said, “And I thought the Espresso Italiano was too heavy.” The smell of this shot is intoxicatingly heavy and dark, which clued me into what the shot had in store. I was initially expecting to taste something with the same bitter zing as the Espresso Italiano. Instead, I was met with something more chocolaty — but not necessarily bitter. It’s certainly a robust brew that delivers on the promise of being a seven out of 10 as far as intensity goes. But despite this depth of flavor, I didn’t find it as unapproachable as the Espresso Italiano, and it was far more assertive than several of my other lower-ranked selections. I could see myself enjoying it in not only a latte but also as a cold brew and even over ice — which I don’t say very often — thanks to its hearty flavor and restrained acidity.

I don’t consider myself a coffee “expert” in any sense of the word, but I do consider myself to be a frugal coffee consumer. And when you’re looking at spending upward of $20 on a bag of coffee (even if Lavazza is one of the best brands out there), you want to know that you’re picking the best one for your needs. In order to decide which Lavazza whole bean coffees were worth buying, I brewed each one in my Ninja Luxe Café Premier Series in either an espresso or drip coffee style depending on the recommendations that were given for the brew on the bag. I used the same grounds, grind settings, and temperatures for the espressos and the drips to ensure that they were all on an even playing field. I also sampled them as soon as they finished brewing all on the same day so that I could accurately assess and compare each one. 

I looked at several different aspects of each brew. The first was flavor. I wanted a coffee that was representative of the tasting notes listed on the package and had some level of complexity to it but not so much that you would need a degree in coffee-ology to enjoy drinking it. It should be robust and satisfying, rather than weak and tepid. I also considered each coffee’s versatility. I ranked brews that could be enjoyed in a latte or over ice higher than those that were only tasty as a shot. Lastly, I put my personal coffee bias aside to consider which coffees were the most enjoyable and easiest to drink overall.