Sometimes in this busy modern world, who has time for whole-bean coffee?!
Ground coffee can mean you have a nice steaming mug of joe without the palaver of needing a grinder or a coffee maker that has a built-in grinding mechanism.
Whether you prefer light roast, medium roast, or dark roast ground coffee (decaf or packed full of that good old caffeine), we have put together a list of the best ground coffee the industry has to offer to keep your mug full and your taste buds tingle in 2022!
What is Ground Coffee?
If you’re new on your coffee journey, ground coffee is the final process of the coffee bean processing method and is used in machines to create a delicious coffee beverage.
Coffee beans are quite literally that – beans (although they are technically considered in the coffee industry as ‘cherries’). They are planted, cultivated, harvested, roasted, and then sold in whole bean format or pre-ground coffee. Coffee beans need to be ground into small particles to extract the delicious coffee flavor from the beans.
Some coffee lovers like to buy whole beans, and others like pre-ground coffee, used in a coffee machine or instant coffee.
Types of Ground Coffee
Ground coffee isn’t a one-size-fits-all affair; it comes in several options, meaning there are different types of coffee ‘coarseness’. You can purchase ground coffee in any of the following options:
Fine Grind
Ultra-smooth particles a similar size as granules of table salt or caster sugar.
Extra Fine Grind
Naturally, the extra fine grind is the most ‘grounded’ coffee beans you can buy, and in terms of size and texture, it is similar to that of flour.
Course Ground
Similar to the size and consistency of Kosher salt, coarse ground coffee is larger than fine grind.
Medium Grind
These particles are somewhere in the middle of coarse ground coffee and fine. Their size and texture are often likened to that, of course, sand.
The type of grind impacts the flavor of coffee and can be used specifically for different types of coffee makers and presses. For example, the extra fine grind is ideal for French presses because the granules are so small that they fit well into the compact space of the press.
They often take longer to filter the flavor through the water, meaning more flavor is extracted, which benefits coffee lovers with specific tastes and preferences.
Best Ground Coffee: Our Top 10
Behold! Our top ten favorite ground coffees for coffee drinkers in 2022:
1. Kicking Horse Coffee Smart Ass Blend (Medium Roast)
Kicking Horse Coffee is a fan favorite of joe lovers everywhere, owing to their consistently good quality and great-tasting coffee beans. This medium roast ‘Smart Ass’ blend strikes a mouth-watering balance between their light and dark roast. And if you like milk chocolate hints in your coffee – this is the one for you!
Completely organic and Fair Trade, these coffee beans are naturally a bit pricier than their competitors, but for a good reason. Good quality beans = good quality coffee (and good quality coffee is worth paying an extra buck or two for, right?!)
2. Illy Classico Espresso Ground Coffee (Medium Roast)
Designed especially for espresso machines, these 100% Arabica beans boast a bold flavor from a coffee company with over 80 years in the biz.
Ideal for Moka pot or AeroPress, this premium coffee boasts notes of caramel and chocolate and can be a delicious treat with frothy milk for a latte or cappuccino. And the company’s trademark stainless steel packaging is known to keep this finely ground coffee fresher for longer – and is 100% recyclable. In fact, illy is known to be one of the most sustainable brands on the planet.
3. Starbucks Veranda Blend (Light Roast)
Love or hate them, Starbucks knows coffee – particularly specialty coffee with all the bells, whistles, and trimmings!
Those who love a mellower cup of joe will love this blonde roast, known for its cocoa and roasted nut notes, which are great for steady drinking. This coffee’s taste is much lighter than Starbucks’s signature blend, so those who aren’t keen on the known robustness of the typical joe attached to this company may relish this smooth ground coffee.
This Latin American coffee is also super inexpensive, considering the big name attached to it, and the amount you can buy comes in various sizes.
4. New England Coffee (Medium Roast)
Lovers of French vanilla – get ready for a taste explosion!
Despite being one of the lesser-known brands on this list, this company has been excelling in coffee-making for over 100 years. Unlike many coffee brands, New England Coffee roasts all of its coffee beans in small batches. Small-batch roasted coffee is always a much better and even quality coffee and has a notable flavor than coffee beans roasted in large batches.
This brand is known for its flavored coffee and offers flavors including ‘Blueberry Cobbler,’ ‘Donut Shop,’ ‘Pumpkin Spice,’ ‘Chocolate Cappuccino,’ and ‘Butter Pecan.’ Mmm! Anyone else dribbling, or is it just us?!
5. Dunkin’ Dark Roast Coffee (Dark Roast)
You may have noticed that Dunkin’ dropped the ‘Donut’ from their name a while ago – why? Because they’re vastly becoming associated with great-tasting coffee (as well as donuts, of course). Dark roast ground coffee isn’t for everyone, but those who love their joe darker than midnight will love this high-quality ground coffee.
Using 100% Arabica beans, this blend is full-bodied, low acidity, and fully Kosher coffee – and it can be enjoyed from the comfort of your home. This fully American coffee can be enjoyed with or without milk or creamer and is reasonably priced.
Dark roast not done well (as it has been roasted for too long) can be incredibly bitter, but thankfully that’s not the case here. You get all the strength without the sacrifice of flavor. Score!
6. Lifeboost Light Roast Coffee (Light Roast)
Those who love an organic, light, yet completely flavorful cup of coffee are in luck with Lifeboost Light Roast. This single-origin coffee is sourced from the mountains of Nicaraguan and is completely Fair Trade.
As the taste goes, you get delicate hints of caramel, fruit, and chocolate, making it a light sweet treat – without the calories! For those who enjoy milk or cream in their coffee – you may find this blend a little too light, but if you’ve got a soft spot for this good quality joe, Lifeboost also roasts their beans for a medium roast and dark roast ground coffee too.
7. No Fun Jo Organic Ground Coffee (Medium Dark Roast)
Decaf coffee lovers shouldn’t miss out on excellent quality ground coffee. This No Fun Jo organic coffee has its caffeine extracted using the Swiss Water method – meaning no nasty chemicals. And don’t be fooled by the name – this coffee is ALL the fun!
This medium dark roast coffee boasts blueberry and milk chocolate hints and is a firm favorite for those whose palates lean towards the marriage of these two notes.
Because of the delicious flavors and lack of caffeine, this ground coffee is ideal for steady drinking throughout the day or as a nice after-dinner treat that won’t keep you up all night! As well as ground coffee, you can purchase this particular blend in whole bean or K-Cup format.
8. La Colombe Corsica (Dark Roast)
Lovers of French press will delight at this devilishly dark chocolate-flavored ground coffee.
Much French press ground coffee can be a bit too fine, which means the granules can escape the press and end up floating about in your coffee, which isn’t ideal. Luckily, that’s not the case here, as these coffee grounds are coarse, meaning they are thicker and less likely to escape.
Hailing from South America, this delectable ground coffee has dark chocolate notes and a smoky flavor, making it lean a bit more towards the ‘bitter’ end of the scale, so lovers of sweet and fruity notes in their coffee may not enjoy this ground coffee so much.
9. Stone Street Cold Brew Reserve
Cold brew lovers, you didn’t think we’d forgotten about you, did ya?!
Stone Street Coffee was founded in coffee haven, Brooklyn, New York, and now offers this course grind ground coffee for those who can’t get enough cold brew coffee. And these coffee grounds are ideal for those who like a stronger, darker flavor.
Although this brand is quite pricey, Stone Street is known for providing extremely fresh coffee blends and is high-ranking in the New York coffee scene.
Please note: there aren’t any instructions on this cold brew coffee packaging, so be sure to look into cold brew coffee-making methods online for whatever machine you have.
10. Death Wish Coffee (Dark Roast)
Last but not least, we round up our list of best ground coffees with this extremely strong and rich coffee which has dubbed itself the ‘world’s strongest coffee’ – and it’s certainly not for the faint of heart!
This joe boasts almost double the amount of caffeine that almost all other coffee grounds do and has such a bitter, dark flavor it borders on, tasting almost burnt, but with clear notes of dark chocolate to tease those taste buds!
Despite the slightly controversial nature of this coffee, it is a completely kosher, Fair Trade, and organic coffee. It is specifically designed for both French press and drip coffee makers.
Best Ground Coffee: FAQs
Is ground coffee the same as instant coffee?
No, it isn’t. This is because instant coffee has already been brewed as well as processed. Instant coffee is designed to have boiling water (or milk) applied directly instead of through a coffee maker. Instant coffee grounds are known to be a lot less fresh than freshly roasted whole coffee beans or unprocessed ground coffee and will deteriorate quicker than the latter.
Do you need a coffee maker for ground coffee?
Not necessarily. Applying hot water, you can enjoy a cup of freshly roasted ground coffee. As long as the beans are well-ground, they should dissolve with the hot water, and your cup of coffee should still be enjoyable.
How should you store ground coffee?
Whether your coffee is ground or whole bean, it should always be stored in airtight packaging to keep it fresh. It should also be kept from heat, sunlight, dampness, and light. This can be an airtight bag or something like a Tupperware container.
Should you store ground coffee in the fridge?
No, your fridge is not the ideal location to store your coffee. This is because the temperature isn’t cold enough to keep it fresher for longer. Ground coffee has a ‘deodorizer effect’ and will very likely begin to absorb the smells of other (particularly pungent) food smells in your fridge, even if protected in an airtight bag or container.
Storing it in your cupboard or pantry in an airtight tub or something similar is fine, and be sure to consume the product within a year. Once opened, your best bet to ensure fresh cups of coffee every time is to consume the coffee within a month.
What is the best type of ground-roasted coffee?
In terms of roasting, this can come down to individual preference. However, medium-roast ground coffee can be a great option because it harbors the best of both light and dark roast flavors.
Best Ground Coffee: Final Thoughts
Whether you’re a light, medium, or dark coffee fan, we hope this list has proved fruitful in your quest to find the best ground coffee on the market in 2022. Just remember – to get the best out of your coffee granules’ life, keep it protected from air, moisture, heat, and so on. Coffee beans (ground or otherwise) should not be exposed to air or other elements when not in use.
