The Best Coffee Beans for Jura Machines for Perfect Espresso and Cappuccino
Quick summary
 Koffee Kult Coffee Beans Dark Roasted Columbia, Guatemala and Sumatra blend with heavy body, smooth, cinnamon, bright with a long finish cupping notes.  best overall |
 Lavazza Super Crema Medium roasted beans with mild and creamy notes of hazelnuts and brown sugar.  |
 Kicking Horse Coffee Cliffhanger Espresso Medium roasted coffee beans with blackcurrant, milk chocolate and brown sugar taste notes. |
So you've splurged on a Jura superautomatic espresso machine…
In a perfect world, it would take the blandest coffee bean and turn it into a masterpiece without your input. Reality is less promising. While the user manual will tell you what types of beans are not recommended (oily ones), it does not come with a list of pre-approved brands. So let me be your guide in the world of beans suitable for superautomatic espresso makers. I'll share personal favorites and caution against the types of beans that will ruin your Jura in a matter of days.
The 7 Best Coffee Beans For Jura Machines. Our Picks
Koffee Kult Dark Roast
- Brand: Koffee Kult
- Item Form: Whole Bean
- Roast Level: Dark_roast
- Flavor: Whole Bean
- Caffeine Content: Caffeinated
Before you skip this blend, it's not oily at all. The careful small-batch dark roast is perfectly safe for your machine. Besides, the beans are packaged within hours of roasting and shipped to your doorstep in days. If you use them within a month of receiving the package, you'll enjoy delicious java, and your Jura won't complain.
And you will enjoy this blend if you love your espresso full-bodied, bold, and vibrant. I'm not sure how they preserve the bright fruity notes along with the darker nuances of chocolate and cocoa. The finish is very pleasant too. I guess it all comes down to a clever combination of Arabica grown in the highlands of Columbia, Guatemala, and Sumatra. Each variety brings something extra to the blend, making it an unforgettable experience you'll be craving more of.
For $15 per 2-pound bag, Koffee Kult promises impressive consistency batch-to-batch. That might be true for roasting, but the beans may differ in flavor season-to-season, so don't be surprised by the claims that coffee tastes weaker or more acidic. That's a natural evolution of the flavor caused by temperature and rainfall conditions. It could take a couple of months for the blend to get back on track. To wait it out, check out the next entries on this list.
Lavazza Super Crema
- Brand: Lavazza
- Item Form: Whole Beans
- Roast Level: Medium_roast
- Flavor: Super Crema
- Caffeine Content: Caffeinated
You know the blend will work great for espresso when it's designed by Italians, and this beauty by Lavazza is yet another proof of this theory. Unlike many brands on my list, Lavazza doesn't shy away from Robusta. Instead, the company embraces the punchy, full-bodied beans that add depth and complexity to the flavor.
Expect up to 40% of Robusta to be mixed with Arabica in this blend. This mix makes up for the medium roast by introducing the intense notes of hazelnut and brown sugar into every shot. The aroma and flavor are to die for, especially for an unflavored variety.
Besides, careful medium roasting ensures the beans do not become oily, so your superautomatic Jura espresso maker is 100% safe from clogging. And you can easily turn a shot into a cappuccino, latte, or macchiato that will taste divine. Milk and sugar have no chance of overpowering or watering down this flavor.
The 2.2-pound bag is only $22, making this a great deal for any budget. Just make sure to check the best by date, as Lavazza is a huge manufacturer, and you may get a bag from an older batch than you'd prefer.
Kicking Horse Coffee Cliffhanger Espresso
- Brand: Kicking Horse
- Item Form: Whole Beans
- Roast Level: Medium_roast
- Flavor: Cliff Hanger Espresso - Medium Roast
- Caffeine Content: Caffeinated
This is another take on a complex blend for espresso. With Cliffhanger, you get a mix of Arabica beans grown across Indonesia, Africa, Central and South America. They mingle to create a full-bodied coffee ripe with notes of cocoa, chocolate, and a wildberry finish. Any shot you pull ends up smooth and silky, impossible to resist.
Fair warning: though this blend is advertised as a medium roast, the beans are much darker than you would expect, though on par with Kicking Horse roasting style. With this in mind, get ready for some bitterness that will make itself known in an espresso shot. I'd recommend shortening the extraction time or using this blend as a base for latte and cappuccino if the flavor is too overpowering for you.
Finally, I can't ignore all the feel-good certifications this coffee boasts. You get organic, shade-grown Arabica that's good for the planet for not causing deforestation or using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. You also get Fair Trade coffee that supports small farmers and keeps high-quality beans coming to your pantry. And it's kosher too! Still, the price calls for a bit of an investment at around $30 for a 2.2-pound bag.
Coffee Bean Direct Italian Roast Espresso
- Brand: Coffee Bean Direct
- Item Form: Whole Beans
- Flavor: Sea Salt Caramel Mocha
- Caffeine Content: Decaffeinated
- Package Information: Bag
If you thought Cliffhanger was dark, think again. This Italian roast is the darkest on my list, and so it comes with a disclaimer. Always check the beans for excessive oiliness before pouring them into the Jura hopper. And don't let them lie around for more than a month. Otherwise, you risk jamming the grinder and giving up shots until your superautomatic machine is repaired.
With that out of the way, this blend of Indian and South American beans is tailored to an outstanding espresso experience. It's bold and intense, with a rich, full body and memorable bite. It's bright with cocoa and molasses nuances that stand out in a shot and pair nicely with milk and sugar to make a latte or cappuccino.
Another thing I love about Coffee Bean Direct is their variety. If you don't like the Italian roast, you can always switch to Super Dark Espresso, Six Bean Espresso, or Medium Roast Espresso. All are equally good and might be more pleasing for your palate. And the prices are similarly affordable, between $40 and $50 per 5-pound bag. It's large enough to last you a month and more, even if you go through three or four shots daily.
Cafe de Loja Specialty Coffee
- Brand: Café de Loja Premium
- Item Form: Whole Beans
- Roast Level: Medium_roast
- Flavor: Medium Dark Roast
- Caffeine Content: Caffeinated
I know you've been waiting for this–a single-origin espresso bean to satisfy the coffee snob in you. Instead of going for Kona or Yirgacheffe, I urge you to try this 100% Arabica grown above 6,200 feet above sea level on the slopes of the Ecuador Loja growing region. It's well known for producing high-quality, dense, and vibrant beans that perform exceptionally well with any brewing method, from espresso to pour-over.
You can recognize the medium-dark roast as the full city, and it's just right to bring out the sugars and toastiness of the bean without going overboard with bitterness. There's barely a hint of it in the aftertaste. Overall, the shot you get is super-smooth with a medium body and exciting fruity notes that taste delicious in the morning and throughout the day.
Consistency is among my favorite things about this coffee. Cafe de Loja combines chemical probing and traditional cupping to ensure each batch tastes the same, so you won't be disappointed once you get used to the flavor. I wish the price was a bit more affordable, though it's hardly outside my budget at $26 for a two-pound bag.
Verena Street Shot Tower Espresso
- Brand: Verena Street
- Item Form: Whole Bean
- Roast Level: Dark_roast
- Flavor: Shot Tower Espresso (dark roast)
- Caffeine Content: Caffeinated
You're in for a treat. This dark roasted Arabica tastes outstanding, with its rich body and creamy complexity. Despite being roasted to the second crack, the beans remain sweet and vibrant, without unnecessary bitterness to mask the flavor. In fact, it may seem too overpowering if you're not used to intense java. Consider adding milk to take the taste down a notch and enjoy a decadent cuppa on a lazy Sunday morning.
While I appreciate the history behind the Verena Street brand, I wish they'd include more info on the beans rather than the company. For one, there's no mention of the origin of the Arabica used in this coffee. There's even no hint whether it's a single-origin java or a blend. All we know is that it's Kosher and Rainforest Alliance certified.
Fair warning: this dark roast can be rather oily, especially if the bag you get is over a month away from the roast date. Don't use these espresso beans for superautomatic machines if they seem too oily. Instead, use a Moka pot or an Aeropress, and your Jura will stay safe. For $19 for a 2-two bag, that may be a disappointment, but not a disaster.
Blackwelder Coffee Espresso Medium Dark Roast
- Brand: Blackwelder Coffee
- Item Form: Whole bean
- Roast Level: Medium_roast
- Flavor: Espresso
- Caffeine Content: Caffeinated
Last but not least is this gem of a medium-dark roast sourced across Indonesia and Guatemala. The mix is surprisingly rich and intense, perfectly suited for espresso shots and milk-based drinks. It's creamy with hints of caramel and no excessive acidity and bitterness. You can enjoy it black or add some sugar for an even punchier drink. And the crema you get out of this is to die for.
Unlike Verena Street and Coffee Bean Direct, this medium-dark roast is not oily at all. You get barely a glimmer of oil on the surface of the bean, which is perfectly safe for your Jura. Besides, the company specifies the roast date with every Amazon order, and the best-by date is three months from roasting, so you know exactly how fresh each batch is.
For a gourmet coffee, Blackwelder Coffee espresso blend is fairly affordable at $25 for a 2-pound bag. It's well-packaged with a one-way valve in a resealable bag, though I still prefer pouring the beans into a glass jar. I urge you to try this blend before it becomes mainstream and boring. For now, Blackwelder is still an artisanal roastery that delivers a gourmet experience in every cuppa.
Things to Look for in the Best Coffee for Jura Machines
The Road to Hell Is Paved with Oily Beans
Oily beans are the freshest and tastiest! Or are they?
They can be fresh and delicious, conditionally. I'll explain it all in a minute, but first, let's talk about why you should stay away from oily beans if you're a proud owner of Jura.
- Excessive oils leave a thin film on burr grinder parts and all other parts that come into contact with whole or ground beans. This may cause lots of trouble:
- Clogged hopper. The beans will simply stick together or cling to the oily walls of the container. As no beans pass through the grinder, you get no coffee. At least, this problem is relatively easy to resolve. You just empty the hopper and scrub it clean.
- Jammed grinder. The same thin layer of oil inside the grinder will cause tiny ground particles to stick to the walls and burrs. Once there's enough of a buildup, it will simply jam the movement of the burrs. You'll be lucky if the motor stops in time without burning out. Otherwise, you're in for a replacement grinder. This scenario isn't covered by warranty, so get ready to pay a hefty sum for repairs.
- Stale coffee. Even if you skip the first two issues, you won't avoid the unpleasant sour taste of every shot. Grounds clinging to the oily film on the insides of the machine will go bad very soon, and each subsequent batch will add to the problem until your Jura can no longer produce drinkable java. Your only resort is to take the espresso maker to a service center for disassembly and cleaning.
Does it mean you have to give up your favorite dark roast? Not necessarily!
The Dark Side of the Roast
I promised to tell you when oily coffee beans are a good sign. And that's only when you buy a dark or extra dark roast. Light or medium roasted beans covered with an oily film are likely old and stale.
It all comes down to the physics of roasting.
All those lovely oils are usually stuck on the inside of the bean that is actually a coffee cherry seed. These oils are necessary to produce a new sprout if you were to plant the seed instead of roasting it.
When exposed to heat for a long enough time, the bean's hard exterior becomes porous, as water evaporates, and the color changes from green to caramel. That's how you get light roast, at which stage the oils are still trapped inside the bean. The longer you roast coffee, the more cracks develop between the core and the bean's surface, and the faster the oils can travel to the outside.
This means dark roasts are more prone to developing an oily sheen than light roasts. Besides, the oils come to the surface regardless of the roasting, though it usually takes more time the lighter the roast. That's what I meant when I said oily lightly roasted beans are likely stale. It would take a few months to them to develop so much oil on the surface.
Finally, let's go over why oily coffee is best brewed as soon as possible. You see, oils are healthy and good as long as they are preserved in their original form. Once exposed to the air, they degrade fast and lose their health benefits while ruining the beans' flavor.
One Flavor to Rule Them All
Now, I love a blueberry-flavored java as much as the next person, and I wouldn't say no to a pumpkin spice latte around Thanksgiving. But it's not a good enough reason to pour flavored beans into your Jura's hopper.
First off, the flavors added may take on many forms, including oils. And we've already established that any extra oil inside the grinder is a sure cause for a trip to a repair shop down the road.
Even if the flavored Jura coffee beans don't look all that oily, the flavors added may leave a smidge of residue inside the machine. And every time you pull a shot, those tiny flavoring particles will end up in your cuppa, whether you want it or not. Unless you're willing to disassemble and clean out the machine after every batch of flavored coffee, steer clear. French press it or use a pour-over kit, but don't turn your superautomatic into a one-trick pony with indestructible hints of blueberry flavor.
Final Thoughts
With so many great options to choose from, it's hard to pick one winner, so I won't. If you're looking for an exciting gourmet experience, I suggest you try Blackwelder Coffee. Still, I also urge you to have a bag of Lavazza Super Crema in your pantry for emergencies and everyday espresso that you don't need to be over the top.
As long as you keep an eye out for oily beans and don't put them in your Jura espresso maker, you can try any of the seven varieties above and enjoy a punchy, rich cuppa black or with milk.
FAQ
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What Type of Coffee Beans Should Be Used in a Jura?
You can use whichever type of bean you prefer, as long as it's not oily or flavored. -
Where to Buy the Best Coffee Beans for Jura Espresso Makers?
Amazon, Target, Walmart–take your pick. You can even find a small variety of beans on the Jura website.
Renat Mamatkazin
Founder and owner of Lion Coffee and 3ChampsRoastery, 1st place winner of Ukrainian Barista Championship 2017. Interested in travelling, football and Formula-1 (besides coffee, of course).