Costa Rica Espresso:
Flavor Profile & Dial-In Guide
Costa Rica is a consistent, high-quality origin with excellent infrastructure for specialty coffee. Tarrazú is the most famous region — clean, sweet, with a fruit-meets-chocolate complexity. Honey processed Costa Ricans (yellow, red, black honey) are especially compelling as espresso: rich, sweet, with layers of stone fruit and caramel.
Flavor profile
Washed process
Natural process
Dial-in tips for Costa Rica espresso
Honey processed Costa Ricans extract beautifully at 1:2–1:2.2.
Temperature: 92–93°C works well for most Costa Rican profiles.
Less demanding to dial in than Kenya or Ethiopia — a good choice for daily use.
The sweetness holds through milk drinks — good all-rounder origin.
Suggested starting recipe
Starting parameters for Costa Rica
Dose
18g
Yield
36–40g
Ratio
1:2–1:2.2
Time
26–31s
These are starting points — adjust based on your specific lot, roast level, and machine.
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Try Grindset free🇨🇷 Costa Rica at a glance
Altitude
1,200–1,900m
Regions
Tarrazú, West Valley, Central Valley, Brunca
Process
Honey, Natural, Washed
Varietals
Caturra, CatuaÃ, Bourbon, Villa Sarchi