using a jura super-automatic, and have tried all the best and freshest beans i can get my hands on but i just can’t get that great citrusy thing that i taste in any of the top coffee bars in nyc. this weekend i went into a blue bottle, had an espresso, and am now determined to get it right, if possible.
is there any chance that if i buy a very good grinder i can keep my machine and get what i’m looking for? i think i understand the limitations of my machine but was hoping to work around it a bit.
What beans are you using?
My best guess is the roast you’re using is too dark. To get citrus notes the roast has to be medium - medium dark at most. I get a fair bit of citrus from a local roaster that has a farm in Brazil.
have used beans from blue bottle, blue bird in the village, stumptown, red bird, and a small roaster from brooklyn (can’t remember the name)
i will check how dark the roast has been.
What control of variables (dosage, temperature) do you have on the machine? I’m not familiar w/ your machine, but imagine it’s a self-grinding/ tamping machine?
Find a coffee somewhere like Blue Bottle that has the citrus notes you want and is also available by the bag. Keep the shot from the store as a frame of reference and then bring the beans home and adjust dosage/ grind to calibrate. Starting points would be:
Dosage: 17-20 grams coffee
Time: 25-30 sec for a double shot (close to 2oz).
I find the citrus/ berry notes in mostly light roast, dry-processed beans from Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya) or perhaps something from Guatemala, Costa Rica… If you can’t hit he dosage/ times listed above you need a finer grind. If you don’t want to drop the coin ($200~) on a electric grinder you can find a hand grinder for $50~ that will work for espresso.
Not sure of the pressure/ temperature specs of that machine but those are a huge factor.
We bought some coffee beans from Intelligentsia in Chicago, I had a lot of bright acidity to the flavor. Is that what you’re looking for?
the roast level isn’t determinative - you can pull varying flavors from most coffees. you need to be able to adjust/control brew temp, grind, and tamp.
blue bottle uses the strada machine and top-of-the-line mazzer grinders. that level of control and precision paired with experienced barristas is the best it gets. you’ll need to manage your expectations accordingly with your setup. their hayes valley espresso blend is excellent, but not very easy to pull at home.
i find red bird extremely forgiving and that’s why i recommend it. la colombe’s nizza is also quite easy.
it’s a very humbling process…
thanks yaacov. i bought the red bird from your recc. if i owned top flight tools and still couldn’t get what i was looking for i would no doubt be humbled. as i’m using a super-automatic, i’ve tempered my expectations. i was however hoping for a small miracle 
I’ve bested shots pulled by Intelligentsia staff on a $200 modded Gaggia machine using the same beans so IMO it’s very possible to find the profile you desire without spending tons of money on a machine, however what is more difficult is consistency. since the temp on most consumer machines swings wildly, you’ll mostly be “temperature surfing” especially when pulling multiple shots.
If you can control grind and dose my bet is you can get in the ballpark of what you’re looking for.
Try the Honey Badger blend from Intelligentsia – it’s a pretty forgiving blend. Stumptown blends are notoriously difficult to replicate. I don’t have any personal experience pulling Blue Bottle blends.
intelligentsia up next, thanks
If you want citrus and lighter roasts, don’t forget about Terroir as well.
Of course, it’s from MA and I’m going on 22 years of being a George Howell coffee drinker. Yikes.
I also like Vivace for citrus notes. I tried both the Dolce & Vita blends. I found them a big light, but you should try them at least once as I did. Cross country shipping ups the ante a bit for us east coasters.
George Howell is one of the greatest coffee mavins
looked at howell’s site and find it quite confusing. what to pick?
i would very seriously caution against getting deep into the howell coffees. they can be great, but for espresso fairly difficult to make properly. you’ll spend the good part of a bag getting what you want.
again, great coffees and his contribution to the single-estate movement is undeniable. but again, expectations at home should be managed.
you’ll be able to highlight certain aspects of any blend largely by altering the brew temp. start at 198F and go up in 1 degree increments to 202F.
Also, i thought of this after; what might register to some as citrus might actually be sour flavors, which are very typical in espresso that hasn’t yet been dialed in correctly. i don’t recall ever getting sour shots at blue bottle or stumptown, but there’s always variability. if you go early in the morning, you’d increase your chances of a shot with more sour aspects. there’s also a slight new wave trend to chase that sour element, ironically.
Mark,
The Daterra Calabrian roast & the Matalapa La Libertad I’ve enjoyed before, plus the 2 limited additions they’re currently offering from Columbia & Ethiopia sound like good fits for what you’re seeking. Yaacov’s espresso palate is probably much more discerning than mine, I’ve always felt like I’ve achieved good results with the beans, and I make it up to their cafe about 2x a year as it’s a 5min drive from my grandparents. The shots I’ve had there are not so ‘night & day’ different as the shots I’ve experienced from Stumptown, for example, vs what I’ve made at home w/Stumptown beans.
With the caution from yaacov I won’t set my expectations too high, but I will check them out Brent. Thanks guys.
Over the last three weeks I have finished off. Most of the major articles on home barista and coffee geek. There is a wealth of information on pulling shots and flavor profiles.
The general consensus seems to be don’t expect greatness from a super auto, expect ease and consistency.
I actually sold my Silvia and replaced it with a r58. I pick it up tomorrow morning so I can start learning the e61 over the weekend.
Just picked up two fresh bags of red bird to play with.
Actually having a great deal of fun learning to pull shots and craft milk drinks for the wife.
Mark,
You might offer a barrista you know $30-40 to come by your place on his or her day off to give you a hour of so’s tutorial, using your setup and a coffee he or she recommends.