Costa Coffee Caffè Crema Velvet box discount

Caffè Crema Velvet is Costa Coffee's smooth, medium roast bean blend. It combines Arabica beans from Latin America with Robusta beans from Asia, and the name tells you what to expect in the cup: gentle, silky and easy to drink, with an aroma that hints at dark chocolate.

• Roast: medium
• Strength: 7 out of 13
• Blend: Arabica (Latin America) and Robusta (Asia)
• Flavour: gentle and silky smooth, with a hint of dark chocolate on the aroma
• Pack: 1 kg of whole beans

Espresso machines

Velvet is at home in a bean-to-cup machine, which grinds the beans for you, and in a traditional espresso machine with a portafilter. At 7 out of 13 on our strength scale it sits in the middle: smooth rather than punchy.

With a portafilter machine, grind fine and grind fresh for each shot. In a bean-to-cup machine, simply fill the hopper and let the machine do the rest. Either way, the medium roast keeps the cup soft and rounded, so it is a coffee you can happily drink more than once a day.

Moka pot and filter

You are not limited to espresso. Grind the beans to match your brewing method and the flavour nuances come through in a moka pot or a filter coffee as well. Because the beans come whole, you only grind what you need for each brew.

As a rule of thumb, a moka pot wants a grind slightly coarser than espresso, and a filter coffee maker a medium grind. Too fine in a filter and the coffee drips through slowly and can taste harsh; too coarse and it turns out thin.