Classic & Chocolatey
Gateway Blend
Dark Chocolate · Walnut · Spice
Full-bodied, sweet and familiar. A strong choice if you love traditional espresso flavours or drink cappuccinos and lattes.
Best for: Classic espresso and milk drinks
Espresso Beans
Whether you like your espresso rich and chocolatey, balanced and sweet, or bright and fruit-forward, we’ve selected coffees that work beautifully on an espresso machine.
Choose by taste
What kind of espresso do you like?
Start with flavour. There is no single right coffee for espresso.
Best place to start
Balanced
Transcend Espresso - El Salvador
Dark Chocolate · Toffee · Orange
Plenty of sweetness and body, with enough fruit and acidity to keep the cup lively.
Best for: A middle ground between traditional and modern espresso
Fruity & Modern
Wote Konga - Ethiopia
Orange · Strawberry · Black Tea
Bright, aromatic and expressive. For people who enjoy fruit, florals and lively acidity in modern specialty espresso.
Best for: Straight espresso and adventurous coffee drinkers
Decaf
Transcend Decaf - Colombia
Chocolate · Caramel · Walnut
Sweet, balanced and satisfying as espresso, with enough body to work beautifully in milk.
Best for: Espresso without the caffeine
Our recommendation
Not sure? Start with Transcend Espresso.
Chocolate and toffee give it sweetness and body,
while orange adds enough brightness to keep the cup interesting.
It is our easiest recommendation if you simply want a great place to start.
Shop Transcend Espresso
How we think about espresso
Espresso isn’t a roast level.
Espresso is a brewing method, not a particular kind of bean or roast. A chocolatey coffee can give you a rich, syrupy shot that stands up beautifully in milk. A bright Ethiopian coffee can produce an intensely aromatic espresso full of fruit and acidity.
Neither is more correct. We roast coffees to reveal what is compelling about the coffee itself, then select coffees from our current lineup that we think perform especially well as espresso.
The right one comes down to what you like to drink.
A practical starting point
Start here. Then taste.
19.5 g
coffee in
39 g
espresso out
30–32 s
brew time
If the shot tastes sharp or sour, try grinding a little finer.
If it tastes harsh, dry or bitter, try grinding a little coarser.
The numbers get you started. Your palate tells you when you're finished.
The numbers get you started. Your palate tells you when you're finished.
Why Transcend
Specialty coffee since 2006.
Transcend has been sourcing, roasting and serving specialty coffee
in Edmonton for twenty years. We've worked directly with producers,
travelled throughout coffee-growing regions, judged coffees at
Cup of Excellence and prepared espresso professionally across the
bar in our cafés.
That experience doesn't mean there is one correct espresso. It means we can help you find the coffee that makes the espresso you want to drink.
That experience doesn't mean there is one correct espresso. It means we can help you find the coffee that makes the espresso you want to drink.
Since 2006
Specialty coffee roasting
Edmonton
Two cafés and our roastery
Canada-wide
Fresh coffee shipped from Alberta
Found your coffee?
Never run out of espresso.
Have fresh coffee delivered automatically.
Transcend subscriptions ship free across Canada
and can be paused, skipped or cancelled.
Espresso beans FAQ
What are the best coffee beans for espresso?
There isn't one coffee bean or roast level that is inherently best
for espresso. The best choice depends on the flavours you enjoy.
For richer, more traditional espresso, start with chocolate,
caramel and nut flavours. For brighter modern espresso, coffees
with fruit and floral character can be exceptional.
Do espresso beans need to be dark roasted?
No. Espresso is a brewing method, not a roast level.
Darker roasting can emphasize chocolate and caramelized flavours,
while lighter-roasted specialty coffees can make sweet,
complex and intensely aromatic espresso.
Which coffee should I choose for traditional espresso?
Start with Gateway Blend. Its dark chocolate, walnut and spice
profile produces a richer, more familiar style of espresso
and works particularly well in milk drinks.
Which coffee should I choose for fruity espresso?
Try Wote Konga from Ethiopia. Its orange, strawberry and
black-tea character creates a brighter, more expressive
style of espresso.
Can I use these coffees in an automatic espresso machine?
Yes. Any of these coffees can be brewed in a fully automatic
espresso machine, although how much control you have over
grind, dose and extraction depends on the machine.
Gateway or Transcend Espresso are good places to start
if you want a forgiving, balanced result.
How fresh should espresso beans be?
Freshness matters, but coffee does not need to be brewed
immediately after roasting. Espresso often becomes easier
to dial in after the coffee has had some time to rest.
Keep the beans sealed, dry and at room temperature,
and grind immediately before brewing whenever possible.
Do you ship espresso beans across Canada?
Yes. We roast in Edmonton and ship coffee across Canada.
