Mr. Espresso

Me and my family have been going to Mr. Espresso for our roast beans for over 30 years. They know me by name and they're wonderful coffee. Makes me wake up with a smile. Heck yeah, local owned local roasted OG's in the coffee business. My friends and yours, Mr. Espresso

Have had two great experiences with this establishment that showed true customer care. Alex saved me some $$$ and time by suggesting a temporary fix over the phone for my espresso machine. When it finally did need care 2 years later, Mamoud (sp?) got my machine back to me same day! And, when I picked it up, Alex shared some of his dark roast beans (French roast) that are delicious. Give these folks a try; you won’t be disappointed.

Mr. Espresso wrote the book on customer care. I have rarely been treated as well by a firm providing repair services as I was by Eric and his colleagues at Mr. Espresso. I can't speak highly enough about the care they took with my precious macchina.

I bought a pound of their Neapolitan Espresso and some other dark roast coffee. In my opinion it wasn't anything that special for the price; nothing noteworthy stood out but maybe I should one day try another roast. I give them four stars because they were prompt with my online order.

Ivan at Mr. Espresso was recommended to me by Miele. This man is one in a million. I called him, and he spent five minutes on the phone with me, walking me through a series of steps that ultimately corrected the problem with my coffee maker. He is a true expert. Working with Ivan was a breath of fresh air: excellent customer service, knowledgeable, honest, and full of integrity. I will ONLY use Mr. Espresso going forward. Thank you, Mr. Espresso.

I began my sincere coffee experience with Mr. Espresso more than a decade ago. I travel a ton and at every port-of-call I would go to the local roaster and sample their roasts. This would include coffee mecca’s such as the Bay Area, Seattle & Portland, but also roasters on the East Coast, Midwest and Canada. There some good roasters out there and there also some bad ones, but I’ve completed the circle and there’s nobody better than Carlo’s roasts at Mr. Espresso. He gets not only how to roasts the beans but how to blend them and how many beans to use in the blend. Part science part hard earned craft.

Before opening a cafe I visited dozens of roasters, and Mr Espresso ended up being the best. They use oak to roast their coffees, and it makes a difference. They also sell and service commercial espresso machines and have customers all over the Bay Area. They’ve been around a long time.

Fantastic customer support. Had a problem with my Rocket Expresso machine and they took care of it the best possible way. Very professional, fast and caring for the customer. Difficult to find such a great customer support like this one. Thanks Alex!!

I used Mr Espresso at . my cafe Toy Boat for around 30 years. It's Family run They have great coffees. They're reliable. Good Quality Control Good repair men ( if you have a store) This is a five star review

Coffee is excellent and delivered quickly and efficiently. Makes my home barista experience better most places I go to.

My late husband started buying Napolitano beans for our espresso machine. We have been customers longer than I can remember. I just lost my home of decades in the 2025 Palisades fires. In my transitional life, one of the things I miss is my morning Napolitano espresso. I called to get a ground bag (no machine to grind) and Nia graciously offered to send me a supply to get me going during this unimaginable chapter. Not only the beans are among the best I have tested (superior to Blue Bottle IMHO), their service and now their humanity and compassion sets the bar high for other businesses. Try a cup and you will agree with me. Thank you, Nia!

I had an order issue caused by a technical glitch. They responded in less than 24 hours and credited my account.

Anyone leaving a bad review of this coffee just can not have a working taste bud on their tongue. This is literally the best coffee I've ever found, anywhere. And I am a BIG coffee person.

I'm so lucky to have found Mr Espresso. This is such a solid, well-run organization that delivers for their customers. Our Rocket Espresso maker was broken. We brought it in. They set clear expectations. They delivered faster than we expected. The machine was totally tuned up and looked like it was a car that had been detailed. They gave us a bag of coffee beans with the machine. The price was fair and everyone was professional. I HIGHLY recommend.

I decided to check them out after drinking their coffee years ago at a local cafe. The retail coffee shop has gone Modern looking like a Blue Bottle Italian style. Pros: Good tasting bold espresso drinks Nice in house porcelain cups which they pre heat. Cons: No Menu board. You have to literally be in the front at the counter to read their stand up menu ( ala Blue Bottle). Im never happy that good espresso shots are poured into shot glasses then dumped into the cup. This is lack of respect for a good bean! My drink was a barely warm wet Cap that had bubbly (Yikes!) foam. Probably a straight espresso would be great (if they draw it directly). So, Mister Espresso, keep pumping to get Blue Bottle drink quality. Oh are your beans Arabica and/or Robusta?

The staff here are FANTASTIC. Because high end espresso machines are prone to problems, I highly recommend you purchase your machine from them. I believe they only service certain types. I have been taking mine to them for 10+ years and it still works as if it's brand new. I picked up my Rocket Espresso yesterday and really appreciate the staff and the tune up was excellent. Plus they added a free bag of their coffee beans.

Mr. Espresso has serviced my Rocket R58 machine a few times now over the last four years. I would not trust anyone else in the Bay Area with my machine! Feels like new every time! If your espresso machine is having issues or just needs tune-up, this is where you need to come. I drive one hour away for the best.

Absolutely fantastic coffee- we love whole espresso beans and are able to make great coffee at home.

Jeanette was an absolute delight. Great spot to pick up some delicious coffee beans. Plenty of street parking. My suggestions is order ahead so beans are ready when you arrive.

Best coffee I've ever tasted stateside. I love their coffee, I buy in 5 lb bags by the truckload to my home. This is my joy, and my joy is complete. Thank you Mr Espresso.

Awesome folks and great service. I had my Rocket Appartmento fixed and refurbished here.

When you think of Mr. Espresso, you're probably thinking of their coffee beans. These beans are sold primarily to restaurants and cafes, but you can purchase them in 12 oz bags at the Berkeley Bowl. (I haven't checked this lately, in fact.) I was a big fan of their gold medal and organic Neopolitan espresso blends. The coffee is roasted reasonably lightly (not charred in other words) over oak wood. You don't get the burned quality that people complain about when the "full city roast" backfires at *$ and sometimes at Peet's. However, you do get some smokiness from the oak wood. Some people like this added flavor component (I do), but you can get tired of it even if you like it at first. When I bought beans at Graffeo (in Beverly Hills), the counter guy made fun of me when I told him that I was buying my espresso from Mr. Espresso. Mr. Espresso is a person: Carlo. See http://www.mrespresso.com/ for info about the company any its history. It's worth trying to visit their showroom with its gallery of antique espresso machines. If you make an appointment in advance and all systems are "go," Carlo will be there in person to pull you a shot. Some of the best espressos I've ever had were made with Mr. Espresso beans. The Phoenix Pasticceria and Chez Panisse used to get their espresso here and probably still do. (Phoenix is closing on Shattuck but opening up elsewhere -- west and a bit south of the present location.) It's rare that individual customers will find their way down to the roasting plant on 3rd street. One way you might get there is if you need your home espresso machine repaired. Mr. Espresso will overhaul your machine for you; their service is thorough and reliable, though it's pretty expensive. Once you're in the door, you can often buy directly from the counter as if you were a wholesale customer. They sell accessories like knock boxes, tampers and steaming pitchers as well as espresso beans. Mr. Espresso's logo frequently appears on espresso equipment in restaurants and cafes. That's likely a sign that the establishment is buying coffee from Mr. Espresso and acquired its equipment there as well. If so, the shot you're about to order will be above average.

At this past weekend's Eat Drink SF events, I came across Mr. Espresso beverages for the first time. I happened to have been fortunate to attend Friday's (Day 1) industry day. While in the lobby, I got to chat with Eric, the Quality Control manager at Mr. Espresso. Not only is Eric skilled at making coffee beverages, I could see his passion for making a quality product and listened to him speak about the business itself. The owner seems super cool. You just have to look at the postcards that were on display (on one of them the owner on a Vespa in a 1950's photo in Naples). On the last day of the EDSF event (this past Sunday), I ran across Eric again at the espresso bar. He was making coffee drinks and ensuring that each cup was made to order. I bellied up to the bar and asked for an espresso. Gotta say that Eric made the B-E-S-T espresso cup I've ever had. It also had a beautiful schiuma (foam) atop the cup. You can't ask for more...well you could.

Coffee as good as it gets. Buy it at many local coffee shops or factory direct in Oakland Jack London Square Area.

I had recently my espresso machine serviced there. A part was needed and Mr Espresso ordered it from Italy's manufacturer Rocket. Rocket has not been diligent to send the part via expedited means. Alex from Mr Espresso knowing that the ordered part will not arrive before the holidays managed to find it through other distributors and installed it in a much more shorter time than ETA. His initiative has ideally compensated the bad customer experience I was experiencing from the Italian manufacturer. Bought at the same time their coffee Elysian blend that I like too.

Da kine beans. Found out my fave bakery in Santa Cruz pours this coffee. Chiaroscuro is our choice, strong flavor, but not headachy or cranky buzz after. Great, great customer service.

Only beans I would buy for my former cafe in Concord. They were such a hit, my little place nestled in a gym stole customers from Peet's and Starbucks (the only places in our town) for their daily dose. I became hooked myself and try to seek out places who use the beans and equipment. This stuff is the real deal, made as they do in Italy. Don't be fooled by the name and compare it to Mr. Coffee...you'd be doing yourself a huge disservice. If you're in the cafe business, consider having them come show you how to brew the perfect espresso using their beans. You'll be hooked. Great beans, great service, old school Italy for sure.

Frankly one of the reviews on Mr. Espresso shows how stupidly snarky the coffee trade has become. The comments made by the author showed a lack of understanding of the diverse and robust nature of the coffee trade, and the varied types of coffee drinker out there. I wonder if this author even knows what the most popular coffee in the world is...? The answer: Nescafe. So that guy can take his high minded sensibilities and shove them. Coffee is diverse and nuanced, it is NOT a one-size-fits-all world. I also wonder if that author knows that here in the Bay Area WATER, and how a restaurant/bar owner decides to filter water is probably the #1 deciding factor on how a coffee turns out. Mr. Espresso Napolitano is my go-to bean for our 2 espresso machines. It is a nice Oak fired roast, medium caffeine and is well balanced. How well balanced you ask? Well the flavor profile has been almost identical for the entire 20 year span I have been buying it. I have also recently been buying Carlo's Blend, and find that to be a nice change from time to time. I wonder if that oh-so-self-important reviewer knows that Carlo di Ruocco, owner of Mr. Espresso, won the Alfred Peet award last year? he was the first to receive this prize, given to him by his PEERS, rather than outside amateurs. carlo didn't just win for his coffee, but his dedication to a craft, his love of coffee, and the life-long pursuit of perfection in his field. Shame on Chris S. for his poor wording, and his extremely uneducated approach to besmirching the image and reputation of a dedicated artisan.

This is a review of their coffee, not this particular cafe. I have had Mr Espresso brewed and espresso at various venues, including St Mary's Garage in SF, Clif Winery in Napa, and others. I home roast, and drink as much specialty coffee as I can. So here is my opinion: Mr. Espresso makes a balanced roast. I find many Third Wave coffees to be sour (here's looking at you, Verve) and unbalanced. I have had heralded coffees such as Blue Bottle, Intelligentsia, Heart, etc. pour-overs and espressos that were borderline undrinkable for my taste. Not all, but many - I'd say coffees from many hardcore Third Wave shops are overdone as often as they are excellent. This is not to say that all Third Wave coffee is bad; simply that it is a modern style that in my opinion is sometimes/often overdone. In the name of acidity, balance is often forsaken. And so, I can say I have yet to experience an undrinkable coffee from Mr Espresso, though his roasts typically display solid varietal/origin flavor and a balanced sweetness that is clearly many steps above a commercial coffee house such as Sbux or Peet's. These are often light/medium-roast coffees, though I have had excellent lighter-roast single-origin expressions of Colombia, Guat, and dry-process Ethiopia at their shops as well. If you have had a bad cup of Mr Espresso, it was probably either a fluke or a poorly prepared/pulled. Or you're a someone (more than likely a pretentious hipster) who believes any roast flavor in your coffee whatsoever is to be called "scorched". This is quite good, balanced coffee that is consistently pleasant to drink.

If you think this is good coffee you have no taste. Mr. Espresso supplies a bunch of cafes and restaurants in the area such as Bette's Oceanview Diner in Berkeley. The coffee is terrible! Thankfully one other reviewer on here also shares my opinion. They only reason they get away with it and even have market share is they heavily subsidized the equipment cost. If you want good coffee go to Blue Bottle, or Philz, Four Barrel, or hell just order some Illy online.

Ive run into Mr Espresso in a number of venues now. My recent Americano i had today has finally got me to reviewing them. Good dark roast and a bitterness that is still smooth. Putting them on my list of solid coffee vendors around the bay area

Such good coffee we had to ask our waiter what brand coffee they brewed at The Vault San Francisco up all night off only 1 cup but worth every yummy sip & trying to enjoy this morning's whatever crap brand I bought at the grocery store!

I love coffee and always on the lookout for a great place to get espresso. This place is fantastic and the service is welcoming. You need to call in advance to order, but well worth it.

I remember the summer... where I spent the ENTIRE DAY being trained by a Mr. Espresso employee on how to make the perfect cup of latte at the (what used to be) Desiree Cafe in the Presidio. The coffee beans were always perfect. This is the summer I learned to love coffee. Some beans are just too dry, others are too strong and potent... but Mr. Espresso beans are always just right. The aroma is fragrant and delicate to the nose, but pleasing all in the same breath! I highly recommend trying this coffee... if you ever encounter it. Such a hidden secret!

We were visiting we Palm Desert, when I entered a delightful and only recently (we were told-opened only one month) opened coffee shop. D' Coffee and Bouteaque, in the Bristol Farms grocery store shopping center. After visiting daily by myself for a week, my husband joined me. There was not a table to be seated at, when a gentlemen, told us he would leave so we could have his table. We asked him to stay and we would join him. He told us how much he liked the place, the owners and the food. He asked us if we had tried the coffee. I am off coffee for around 4 months (medical reasons) so told him I don't drink coffee, so he told me the tea was also great, which I already knew by experience. He told us, he appreciate coffee and told us a little about the coffee process. What a delightful man, we enjoyed his company. But little did we know, until he left that he was Mr. Expresso himself- Joel. Thank you Joel, for sharing your table and for the conversation. After you left, the owner told us who you were and gave us a couple mugs of coffee. My husband a man who drink his cream with coffee, drank his coffee black and said it was the best he had ever tasted. He never drink coffee black. I just had to taste my mug of coffee, and my husband wasn't kidding. Now, I will be on the hunt for Mr. Expresso coffee, in my local area, when I can start drinking it again. Smooth and silky, absolutely wonderful coffee.

Ode to Mr. Espresso How do I love thee...let me count the ways 1) Your coffee is rich and delicious every time! 2) The smooth smokiness of the oak wood you roast it over gives it a unique and distinctive flavor. 3) You make me want to get up in the morning when I could easily snooze for another 20 minutes. 4) You are local. 5) You are served at a few of my favorite places. I could go on... But really, what I really want to know is when are we gonna have a Mr. Espresso Cafe to eat, drink and be merry? Your true fans are waiting...

Your journey ends here with wonderful coffee, premium machines (commercial and residential ) and a friendly and knowledgeable staff all guided along by the owner Carlo de Ruocco, a wonderful and fascinating man. Make the effort to schedule some time with Carlo before you stop by. Google Carlo and read about his history and his passion for perfect coffee. He knows more about coffee than anyone I have ever met. You can absolutely trust him to guide you to the best machine for your needs. Absolutely. Take time to understand the nuances of brewing the perfect cup of espresso and you will be rewarded for decades to come! I have enjoyed owning an Italian espresso machine I bought from Carlo 25 years ago. It is as beautiful today as the day I took it home AND it makes perfect espresso today just as it did when I bought it. His machines are manufactured in Italy (not China ) and are the best available, period! Ciao

Mr. Espresso's finely roasted high-quality coffee bean is definitely as good as it gets. For 30 years, as a San Franciscan, I've relied on East Bay friends to buy beans for me. Or, when I drive over the bay, I go to Berkeley Bowl. I used to buy the Gold Medal Italian in the old shiny green-and-red bag. Now I'm drinking the Neopolitan. I see Mr. Espresso coffee served in San Francisco restaurants, but I still don't know where I can buy the superb beans here. A few years back, the Chronicle did a piece on excellent local coffee roasters, and left out Mr. Espresso. I'm still steaming years later. This company deserves raves.

I've been a long-time Mr. Espresso fan. A chef friend of mine introduced me over 10 years ago and I've been drinking it ever since. I frequent establishments in Alameda that use their beans - Cafe' Au Lait, Little House Cafe', and Speisekammer to name a few. I can't say enough about their wonderfully rich coffee and generosity. They've also been donating beans to our school in Alameda for two years now. Thank you, Mr. Espresso and (especially) Laurence.

I really enjoy the flavor of this coffee - all the blends I have tried have been smooth and delicious, with a nice kick.

My favorite coffee in the Bay Area. This is classic Italian roast with its delicious bitter notes, perfect for waking up in the morning, accompanying a pastry, or finishing a great dinner. It's not tthe third wave sour stuff that has become so popular. They have, however, started making a medium roast to cater more to those tastes.

Seriously! Love that Organic Neapolitan Espresso Roast! Thank you! Long-time Mr Espresso fan here -- first time was at Tartine in SF in 2002 -- and I've been hooked ever since! Gotta go to the Berkeley Bowl for the beans!

My husband and I first came across Mr. Espresso coffee when we had the best cup of coffee we'd had since being in Europe (he is from Spain, we are coffee snobs!). They told us the bean they used was from Mr. Espresso and we have been buying their beans ever since. We've never had a bad cup of coffee, but we only use stove-top or a nice espresso machine to brew the shots. Our stapes are the Neapolitan Organic or the Organic Decaf. We've been buying their beans for several years now.

I am shocked at how many people gave Mr. Espresso great ratings. Do you people really know coffee or are you just the Two buck Chucks of coffee? I ask because coffee is very much like wine. It has a region, a season, a way it should be roasted etc. Mr Espresso coffee tastes like burnt coffee. It doesn't even match up to French Roast which all of us in the industry know is as close to burnt in roasting as possible. I have been told their service to restaurants is the best but who cares about service if the coffee is bad. My take is anyone who currently services this coffee should switch to a GREAT coffee roaster, and we have so many here in the Bay Area. Some recommendations from a real coffee connoisseur (that's me) would be: Taylor Farms Coffee and Tea out of Sebastopol CA Equator Coffee in the North Bay CA Phil's Coffee in Bay Area Or even my old daily drinking stand by, Peets! PLEASE.....do your customers a "flavor" and switch. You will get more business trust me. And to be fair, I tried reaching out to Luigi Di Ruocco at Mr. Espresso to share my opinion and they black listed me from their email....so here you go Mr. Espresso. Thanks for letting consumers share their opinions without being hostel! He called me ignorant.....WOW!

First came across the coffee in Piatti's in Carmel. The drip coffee was so good we had to ask what it was; Mr. Espresso. Found out located in Oakland and have been ordering whole beans from them ever since. Have ventured far and wide in terms of tasting coffee, ordering various beans, several trips to Guatemala (okay some of these did beat Mr. E out...) but stateside these are our "go to" beans. All of their coffees are smooth, with good body but little bitter aftertaste. Probably due to the oakwood smoking, hate over-roasted coffee with a passion. Lighter coffee roasts have more caffeine people (and IMHO more flavor...) Favorites? - Organic Neapolitan espresso, Organic Guate, Organic Mexico.

I called Mr. Espresso to purchase a $2500 espresso machine they carry. I was told their sales people were out, so I left a message. When my call was not returned, I phoned back again and their sales people were not in. It has been almost a week and still no call. It seems their retail side of the business is poorly managed

For espresso lovers, this guy knows what he's doing - perfectly pulled espresso from freshly roasted beans. I just wish they sold to consumers in smaller quantities than 5 lbs because I can't go through that much coffee and keep it fresh - so guess I'll have to come back to the kiosk when I'm in the Bay Area. Well worth the extra 15 minute drive on my way from Oakland airport to Santa Rosa.

Mr. Espresso is my favorite coffee. I love coffee and am very particular about what kind I drink. If I eat at a restaurant that serves it, I will be a loyal customer (ex. Adesso). I work up the street from Mr. Espresso and I'm happy our office started buying it. Now I don't need to go to Filbert's just to get a decent latte.

Ok. I have tried so many beans I could pop. I always ask at a restaurant what beans they use and some how I stumbled on Mr. Espresso. I am impressed. Better flavor and lower cost per pound. Makes great crema. A little bit of a hassle to buy but the staff at their location are terribly accommodating. A true hidden treasure.

Amazing cup of coffee. They serve this at the Argonaut hotel in SF. Give it a try you will be pleasantly impressed. P.S. i work in this industry and can only hope that our product is as appreciated.

Great quality coffee. Ordered countless 5lbs bags of beans and all of them were fresh and consistent. I've tried ALMOST all of their offerings. My personal favorite is hands down the Kenya AA or drip coffee (i enjoy light roast beans) and the neopolitan espresso is just amazing. For a guy that prefers light roast beans, the Organic Bolivia is pretty damn good as well. Customer service is top notch.

Really freaking good coffee. Way to represent Oakland.

Mulberrys Market in Piedmont began selling bags of Mr. Espresso and using it exclusively in their espresso drinks several months ago. I bought a bag of Breakfast Blend a couple of months ago, brought it home and made a cup of drip coffee, and immediately took the bag back for a refund. It was truly, in my opinion, worse than the cheap coffees you'll typically find at chain restaurants. The flavor can't even be masked by chocolate. Last week, my wife and I made the mistake of ordering a couple of mochas there, and neither one of us could drink more than a swallow or two. It wasn't just not as good as the Peet's they had been using (not my favorite), it was for both of us, literally, undrinkable.

I have been a customer for at least 20 years and used their coffee for a cafe I owned. I now have a 2 group head high end espresso machine at home that I bought from them about 10 years ago. Their service is excellent, and when Alex thinks I can do the repair myself, he patiently talks me through. Their coffee is the best I've found, and I searched a lot (including a couple of visits to Coffee Fest). For about the last 5 years I've been roasting my own coffee, not because it's better but because it's more interesting. Highly recommended.

Ordered espresso beans onlne. I got the beans in good time (2 days), but found they do not post the roasting date. When I called they said maybe roasted in the past 7-10 days. Well that is not acceptable for a roaster. Espresso beans are best between day 4 and day 14 after roasting. Beyond that, they are basicly not any good for espresso. The person on the phone said she would have the Roaster call me, well no one ever did. Any roaster who sells old beans, or not mark the roasting date, doesnt deserve any thing but a low grade, I mean these beans could be a year old and no one whold know.

I've had Mr. Espresso at heaps of Oakland cafes, since it seems to have become the coffee supplier of choice for wee hipster shops, and am not impressed. It's not awful, but it always tastes scorched, and leaves me wishing I'd gone to a different cafe. Please, please, wee hipster cafes, pick a different roaster!

I think it's good coffee. Chez Panisse served it for years until they changed to Blue Bottle several years ago. Cheeseboard still serves it.