Kimbo Tasting Pack - Coffee beans - 4 x 1 kilo

Yes, the beans in this tasting pack work well in a moka pot. You grind them yourself, slightly coarser than you would for an espresso machine and clearly finer than for filter coffee.

Kimbo is a Neapolitan roaster and these Italian blends are made for exactly this kind of brewing: full, strong and with plenty of body. Fill the funnel loosely, do not tamp the coffee down and put the pot on a moderate heat, so it does not turn bitter. If you do not own a grinder, a pack of whole beans is less practical and ground coffee is the better choice for you.

According to the product description, the Kimbo tasting pack contains four blends of 1 kilo each: Kimbo Espresso Bar, Kimbo Prestige, Kimbo Espresso Bar Premium and Kimbo Espresso Bar Extreme. That adds up to 4 kilos of whole coffee beans.

The idea is simple: instead of committing to one large bag straight away, you get to taste four different characters from the Kimbo range side by side. One blend is rounder and softer, another is stronger and more darkly roasted, so you quickly discover which direction suits you. Always check the current contents on this product page, because a blend can be swapped when something is temporarily out of stock.

These whole beans suit any machine that can handle beans: a bean to cup machine, an espresso machine with a built in grinder, or a separate grinder combined with a portafilter.

Kimbo grew up in the espresso bars of Naples, so the blends are at their best as a short, strong espresso and as the base for a cappuccino or latte macchiato. In a bean to cup machine you can simply keep your usual settings. If the result tastes too bitter, move the grind one step coarser. They are no use in a pod or capsule machine, because these are whole beans and not ground coffee.

Keep the bags you are not using yet unopened in a dark, dry place at room temperature, and close the bag you are scooping from properly. That is how the beans hold their flavour longest.

Unopened, coffee keeps well for a long time; the exact best before date is printed on the packaging itself. Once you open a bag the clock starts ticking: press the air out and seal it with a clip, or transfer the beans into an airtight storage tin. Try not to keep coffee in the fridge, because moisture and the smells of other food work their way into the beans. Freezing is possible, but only with an unopened bag that you bring back to room temperature in one go.

Yes, you pay less for this pack than you would for the four bags ordered individually. Exactly how much you save depends on the current prices of the separate blends, so feel free to compare the total with the individual 1 kilo products.

Beyond the price, it mainly saves you the agony of choice. With 4 kilos of coffee beans at home you can spend a few weeks finding out which Kimbo suits your machine and your taste best, and after that you simply order your favourite in a larger quantity. Good to know: this is a bundle, so all four bags arrive in one delivery.