JO ESPRESSO: 2 lb, Organic Espresso, Whole Bean, Medium-Dark Roast

So, first off, I'm a huge fan of good coffee, but this was my first time making coffee completely from scratch. I've been wanting to start drinking coffee in the morning, but I don't like having too much. I'm more of a one cup ever person, because I'm really strict about my caffeine intake, lol. Possibly to a fault there, but that's more of a personal thing... I got this coffee with a new grinder and an Aeropress all in the same box on the same day, so this was literally my first time using any of these things. I research a lot, and it's not like it's hard to figure out super simple stuff, but I did screw up a little where I think it'll be better in the future. Regardless of that, the coffee was really good. I actually like my coffee a little bitter sometimes, but this wasn't bitter at all. That was fine. Really smooth finish and I enjoyed it. I tried it out with some grass-fed unsalted butter/coconut oil recipe (just those things, no sugar/milk) and I enjoyed it. I tried some without either of those, just black, and it was also good. So overall it's just really good coffee, but if you're looking for something with a little more of a bitter flavor, I'd go with a stronger blend. It's a good all-around coffee, though, and good to have around for guests where you don't know their coffee preferences. I like the beans part, though, because I can just grind up a cup whenever I want. I think any grinder is fine. I loved using the Aeropress, too. I believe that I used it a little too quickly, though, so I think I can squeak out a bit more flavor from the coffee in the future if I slow down there. It was my first time, so I was kind of excited, lol. For those who aren't familiar with the Aeropress, once you have hot water you can basically make a cup of coffee in ~30 seconds (I think mine was more like 20 seconds, though). I wasn't entirely sure how much to use, either, so I just used the scoop from the Aeropress to measure the beans (though the instructions said 2 scoops, but I think that might be a bit much? I would guess 1.5 Aeropress scooper scoops of beans, grind those, and use that would be perfect. I only used 1 scoop, so next time I'll screw around with that). So, overall, good coffee. Nice flavor. Mixed well and tasted good with unconventional coffee accoutrements that I haven't tried before, so that was a bonus. Tasted fine black, too. I assume it tastes fine with any good ingredients. Not the most powerful flavor, but you don't always need some huge rush of taste overpowering your senses, you know? Definitely a nice medium roast, and the crema/heavy dark chocolate flavor is accurate. I'd say more like a ~60% dark chocolate. I'll definitely be trying out a stronger roast from them later, though, as occasionally i'm a huge 80-90% dark chocolate fan, and I'm hoping they've got a coffee that can sate those types of desires. They've got a ton of different types/flavors, so I'm definitely excited to try more.

I drink espresso daily. I grind on a Rancilio Rocky and pull on a Gaggia Baby Twin or Color depending on mood. My benchmark for coffee is usually fresh shop roast or micro roast from local NJ or NYC coffee shops. While I don't pull at home as well as on a shop semi-auto machine or stepless grinder, I am able to get shots with consistent body (the essence of espresso vs. other brewing methods) and crema (not as important, but a good crema is probably a surogate marker of correct brewing conditions) if not consistent aroma, flavor and finish in the cup. To put it another way, I am a home espresso snob and these beans do the job surprisingly well. First thing I notice about the beans is they are appropriately roasted for espresso (no hint of burn) and appear somewhat fresh (small amt of oil on exterior of roasted beans). They grind well leaving little oily residue in grinder. After dialing in (got lucky with this one, went finer than my usual default given I don't know how old these beans are), I can almost pull a 20-25 sec shot with crema throughout (some black layered out at the bottom of cup by end of pull). I am chocking this up to freshness factor because these beans have a 'use by' date, but no 'roasted on' date. Body is thick but not sludgy and complements the savory flavors in the cup. I'm not tasting much fruit or other brighter or sweeter notes, just savory. Crema on top is a nice blend from caramel color to light brown swirls and spots. Puck on 3-way solenoid machine is firm and knocks out very easily. I give it 5 stars because this company figured out how to roast a decent espresso that clearly stays tasty and forgiving to work with for god knows how long after roasting and worked with my espresso technique to make a great espresso.

I've been starting my day with a few shots of espresso made using my Saeco Super Automatic espresso machine for many years now. I've experimented with many beans over the years, and it's been hit or miss (some are good, but are just too oily for my machine). My "go to" bean right now is Lavazza Super Crema. I love the taste, and the beans work perfectly in my machine. I was pleasantly surprised by the Jo Espresso beans. I knew nothing about the beans or the company that makes them, they just happened to be available "same day" along with the Lavazza beans I was ordering, so I added them to the order. These beans produce really great espresso. The crema is rich and consistent (more a function of the machine than the bean, I suppose), and lasts longer than it takes me to drink an espresso. The color of the crema is darker than the picture shows. I thought the flavor was really nice. As advertised, strong notes of dark chocolate, a really nice finish; velvety. I really like it with just a bit of sugar added as well (I know, that's blasphemous!). All and all, another great "go to" espresso bean that I'll be stocking.

This coffee is amazing. Tastes so good, really happy with it and will def buy more!

First, the only way something is going to get 5 stars from me...if the item magically produced kittens riding unicorns with rainbows streaming from their butts. A little background: I own a Breville Barista Express (BTW - this machine is awesome - right combo of features and price) for about 16 months. It is used everyday, at least 2x per day to make espressos, caps, and/or lattes. We are a family of 5, with 4 members drinking espresso based drinks daily. I REALLY like these JO Espresso beans; I will continue to purchase - which is my seal of approval. I have tried several highly rated espresso beans here on Amazon (Kicking Horse, Lavazza, etc) and from local stores (World Market, Trader Joes, etc). My normalization basis is Starbucks (SB) espresso beans - which I equate to a "standard" whisky or beer that someone drinks on a regular basis. Though I am not a huge fan of SB coffee/espresso (tends to hoover on the bitter end), it is readily available (on every corner) and consistent (from bag to bag). The other espresso beans are "change-ups" from the everyday. This JO Espresso will be explored as my everyday bean. Why? Smooth, even taste from beginning to end (unlike some of the other beans I have ordered or purchased). Lack of bitterness, over-roasted flavor like SB espresso. Good, but not overwhelming earthy flavor (unlike Kicking Horse). Excellent crema. Grinds well/packs well (at different grind settings) and from a price point, is right on the money (pun intended). Don't get me wrong - some of the other brands I have tried were definitely fair to excellent and featured nuances and complexities similar to wines. But, for everyday drinking that has wide palette appeal - JO Espresso is becoming the one for us.

These beans make for some excellent espresso. There is a common misconception that "espresso beans" need to be a super dark roast and extra oily. My experience is that the best stuff is lighter in color and generally drier. Before JO's, I had settled on Lavazza as my preferred beans for espresso. Their beans are also lighter and less oily and always gave me the best crema and smoothest taste. I still love Lavazza, but for the price and especially the freshness, I'm sticking with JO Espresso. I get just as good crema (see my photo in the user images) and the taste is 95% as good as the Lavazza. In fact after a week or so of drinking this every day I might even enjoy the taste more than Lavazza. I'm using a Hario hand grinder and a Presso hand machine, so you can get these kind of results from simple and cheap hardware. You just need the *right kind* of simple and cheap hardware. Regardless, you can't go wrong trying this stuff out. It is very reasonably priced, fresh roasted, and top quality. Thanks guys!

Everybody's taste is different when it comes to wine and coffee, so it's not exactly fair to rate a coffee from "good" to "bad." I prefer a darker roast than this for my espresso. I pull a few shots daily, and I like it rich and dense. I would have described this as more of a blonde roast than a dark roast; it brings up a lot of the flavor of the coffee, and maybe even more so if you're making a brewed coffee, but I found that I had to reduce the grind size considerably to slow down the shot, and even then I got what I would describe as a bit of a sour taste, although I know that this brings out flavors that other people like. In other words, this roast is right on target for some tastes, so it's not bad at all. It's just not my target for an espresso roast. I like 'em dark and oily when they come out of the bag, and this was lighter colored and dry. If that's your speed, dive right in--it's a quality product, well packaged and consistently made. If you like darker, try a darker roast than this. The flavor will be different. And it's mostly a question of what you really want.

My wife and and I drink ALOT of coffee. We are always trying new coffees and local roasters even though this is our everyday go to coffee. This coffee is in the top 2 coffees I have ever had!!! Great flavor, starts smooth and strong and ends on a nice creamy Carmely note. No bitter note or acidic flavors. I do not know what the “amazon customer” was talking about I have literally been ordering this coffee for over a year and have never had a problem. If you think that espresso should be strong and bitter like that from Starbucks this coffee bean is not for you. If you have had REAL espresso and know that the beans are not suppose to be oily and not god aweful bitter you will enjoy a cup of this.We run it through our breville esspresso machine and get a nice smooth pull with perfect amount of golden crema every time. We also run it through our self grinding breville coffee maker. I will continue to buy as long as the roaster does not change it up. Thanks Jo for making my mornings.