Top 5 Espresso K Cups – and Tips For Best Experience
Looking for the best espresso k cup? Searching for the combination of k cup convenience and espresso coffee joy?
As you already know, when using k cups in a single serve machine – the coffee is already measured and waiting inside the k cup. All you need do is run the k cup in your machine.
Very much like an old fashioned espresso machine, a Keurig or other single serve machine works very much the same way. A small amount of coffee is placed in a container that is tightened into the machine and very hot water is forced through it. And just the right amount of hot water. Not too much. Not too little.
So, using your single serve machine for a k cup espresso will be a close approximation of the real deal espresso. Because using the k cup machine is so convenient, and because you can have an espresso anytime you like without all the work and mess – it is well worth giving up the real deal espresso.
Oh – did I mention there is not much of a sacrifice.
K Cup + Espresso + Single Serve Machine = really, really good!
Note: Our review scores below do not rely on our opinion alone. They are a consensus of all reviews we could find and overall comments on each espresso coffee k cup we looked at.
If you keep reading… at the bottom
there are a couple tips on how to get the best espresso k cup experience
and a couple of really good flavored espressos that we didn’t include in the top 5.
The 5 Best Espresso K Cups
San Francisco Bay Espresso Roast K Cups

The Espresso Roast is a full-bodied medium-dark coffee blend that delivers notes of dark chocolate & smoky brown spice. Perfect on its own or in mochas, lattes, & cappuccinos.
This family-owned roasting company claims to be dedicated to delivering the most flavorful coffees in the world. This exclusive coffee blend is crafted from the best Arabica beans, sourced from small, sustainable farms in Central America.
San Francisco Bay Coffee uses only 100% arabica coffee and certified Kosher coffee beans.
Google Reviews Score

“robust, delicious coffee”
“pure coffee taste without bitterness”
“great flavor, and yet it is also strong and rich”
“this roast falls in the sweet spot”
“rich, bold and strong”
“rich and full bodied”
Top praises:
“The Espresso Roast is a bold, but smooth coffee with no bitter aftertaste. I love the scent and the flavor. ”
“I like a good strong dark roast cup of coffee. I’ve tried many, many different kinds searching for a great k-cup coffee and a great price. I finally found the perfect coffee.”
Brand | San Francisco Bay |
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Pod type | K Cup Pod |
K Cup Fill | Coffee |
Roast | Espresso |
Keurig Licensed? | No |
Green Mountain Vista 44 Espresso K Cups

Darkly distinctive and wonderfully rich. A well-balanced brew with exceptionally refined character. Perfect with frothed milk or on its own.
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Vista 44 N Espresso Roast is wonderfully rich, balanced, and refined.
Google Reviews Score

“coffee is amazing- consistently”
“Delicious, strong, but not overly bitter.”
“strength without the bitter, robust & smooth”
“Rich, satisfying, no bitter taste. “
Top praises:
“Vista 44 N Espresso Roast is delicious! I have it almost every morning.”
“I love the rich, dark flavor of Vista! It has the perfect flavor of espresso without the bitter aftertaste that some other brews have.”
Brand | Green Mountain Coffee Roasters |
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Pod type | K Cup Pod |
K Cup Fill | Coffee |
Roast | Espresso |
Keurig Licensed? | Yes |
Caribou Coffee Real Inspiration Espresso Coffee K Cups

Espresso roast beverage with a hint of sweet fruit from a blend of Latin American and Ethiopian beans.
Google Reviews Score

“Very tasty, deep flavor.”
“Smooth and satisfying coffee”
“Very good espresso-like flavor ”
“very well blended and tastes great”
Top praises:
“This coffee is our new staple. It is so smooth with deep flavor ”
“I found another great bold coffee! “
Brand | Caribou Coffee |
---|---|
Pod type | K Cup Pod |
K Cup Fill | Coffee |
Roast | Espresso |
Keurig Licensed? | Yes |
Lavazza Espresso Classico K Cups

Classico’s balanced roast time produces its signature intense aroma of dried fruits along with its rich and full-bodied flavor. Enjoy this blend as part of your everyday morning coffee ritual.
The best blends of coffee beans from all over the world to provide you the authentic Italian experience.
A mix of African and South American varieties creates a balanced medium roast with rich flavor. You’ll taste hints of dried fruit with every full-bodied sip.
Google Reviews Score

“stronger coffee, but not at all bitter”
“strong but not overwhelming”
“delicious smooth coffee flavor”
“rich and full bodied”
Top praises:
“Great tasting coffee! I consider this brand of coffee my end of the week treat. ”
“It’s rich and full bodied, not for the faint at heart. This coffee is not bitter! “
Brand | Lavazza |
---|---|
Pod type | K Cup Pod |
K Cup Fill | Coffee |
Roast | Espresso |
Keurig Licensed? | Yes |
Timothy’s World Coffee Rainforest Espresso K-Cup

Thick, sweet, luxurious. Rainforest Alliance Certified. Only the top 5% of beans from any harvest meet Timothy’s World strict standards.
These beans are roasted to highlight the unique characteristics of the land in which they were grown.
A strong, full bodied coffee. A sweet, smooth and richly satisfying pause in your day.
Google Reviews Score

“smooth flavorful coffee”
“rich bold flavor that is not bitter”
“bold flavor and aroma”
“rich and bold flavor”
Top praises:
“Goes down smooth yet with the rich and bold flavour. ”
“After kissing many frogs, I seem to have found the prince.”
“Very smooth and not much of an after taste.”
Brand | Timothy's World |
---|---|
Pod type | K Cup Pod |
K Cup Fill | Coffee |
Roast | Espresso |
Keurig Licensed? | Yes |
Tips on how to get the best Espresso K Cup experience
Tip 1 :
Espresso Roast K-Cups work well with the special features of the Keurig K-Café and K- Latte coffee makers. The Shot/Latte brew feature is designed especially for getting the most out of espresso roasts. Their built-in fresh milk frothers are also a plus.
Tip 2:
Remember that a true espresso experience comes from a special machine. An espresso machine is made so that it pushes a small amount of very hot water through filtered coffee at a very high pressure. So, don’t expect a true espresso from a K Cup. Instead, enjoy a close approximation by making your K Cup espresso on a strong setting and low size cup setting on your Keurig or single serve machine.
A couple of Flavored Espressos worth trying.
There were a couple of flavored espresso K Cups that looked very good and worth trying, but were not straight espresso coffee.
Yes, they are probably artificially flavored – most all flavored coffee is! (and flavored coffee is not a favorite of mine) But, every once in awhile, a good flavored coffee can hit the spot.
Here they are below, if you have an interest – and they received good reviews!
Gevalia Vanilla Espresso K Cups

Savor the combination of slightly caramel espresso coffee with rich vanilla froth. The coffee comes from 100 percent Arabica beans to live up to the quality of the Gevalia name, and the froth packet boasts real milk for authentically creamy goodness with every cup. These six single-serve roasted vanilla coffee pods and froth packets have 100 calories per serving. To enjoy delicious vanilla flavor coffee, first add the froth packet to your mug, place it on your brewer’s cup stand, and then select the 8 oz. brew size.
Google Reviews Score

“These k-cups are amazing!! ”
“Very tasty , lots of froth.”
“Super rich, and every tasty! ”
“Great! I love it! Just a hint of sweetness.”
Top praises:
“Pour the froth packet in cup, insert k-cup in Keurig coffee-maker, press go and you have an awesome cup of coffee. ”
“This LEGIT tastes like an expensive vanilla latte from a coffee shop! Soooooo bomb! “
Brand | Gevalia |
---|---|
Pod type | K Cup Pod |
K Cup Fill | Coffee |
Roast | Espresso |
Keurig Licensed? | Yes |
Green Mountain Vanilla Espresso Roast K Cups

Enjoy a timeless taste of familiar flavor; subtly sweet and wonderfully balanced, with the unmistakable aroma and flavor of vanilla. Perfect with frothed milk or on its own.
Artificially flavored.
Google Reviews Score

“A nice smooth taste with a good finish.”
“AMAZING with almond milk”
“Strong, but smooth”
“Savory tasted vanilla”
Top praises:
” the flavor is so good. Dark roast with a hint of vanilla. ”
“Strong, but smooth, espresso with vanilla flavor.”
“Great flavor and strong! “
Brand | Green Mountain Coffee Roasters |
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Pod type | K Cup Pod |
K Cup Fill | Coffee |
Roast | Espresso |
Keurig Licensed? | Yes |
Hope you liked our selections. Enjoy!