Jura X8 Review

As someone who's spent years behind the counter of coffee shops, I've had my hands on all kinds of espresso machines. While I have a soft spot for semi-automatics, I get it—not everyone has the time to make espresso a full-blown hobby. That's where super-automatic machines like the Jura X8 come into play. They offer a quick, convenient way to get your caffeine fix without sacrificing quality.

If you're a tech-savvy individual who loves the idea of a great espresso at the touch of a button, you're in the right place. The Jura X8 promises to deliver just that, and in this article, we're going to put those claims to the test. We'll explore its features, gauge its performance, and see if it's worth the investment.

So, whether you're an espresso lover looking for convenience or someone who's always on the go but still wants quality coffee, stick around. I'll break down everything you need to know about the Jura X8, from its grinding capabilities to its milk frothing system, all while keeping things simple and straightforward. Let's find out if this machine is as good as it claims to be.

Jura X8: What You Need to Know

The Jura X8 is a super-automatic espresso machine that comes packed with features. It's designed to make all kinds of coffee beverages you'd usually find in coffee shops but without the hassle. You can even make coffee without leaving your bed, thanks to its user-friendly app.

This machine isn't cheap; it's priced at $3,499.26. But what you're really paying for is customization. The Jura X8 offers 21 specialty drink options, from espressos to latte macchiatos, all tailored to your taste. It's a bean-to-cup experience that gives you the freedom to brew coffee just the way you like it.

Inside the machine, you'll find Jura's Pulse Extraction Process (P.E.P.) and fine foam technology. These features ensure that you get top-notch coffee flavor and excellent milk foam for drinks like cappuccinos. So, whether you're using it for home use or in office environments, the Jura X8 delivers a range of specialty coffee beverages that won't disappoint.

Inside the Jura X8: Features and Benefits

The Jura X8 has that clean, sleek design that Jura is famous for. It's bigger than your usual home-use super-automatic espresso machines. Both the bean hopper and water tank are twice the size of what you'd find in other models like the Z8.

This machine might be overkill if you're the only coffee drinker at home. But for those who can't get enough coffee, it's perfect. The color display isn't a touchscreen, but it's super easy to use. The layout is user-friendly, so you won't struggle to find what you need.

Cleaning is a breeze, too. The brew group isn't removable, but the machine has pre-programmed cleaning cycles. I used to doubt if that was enough, but after using a Jura for a year, I took it apart. Guess what? It was spotless. So, Jura's low-maintenance claim holds up.

Still, it's a good idea to get your machine checked by Jura every couple of years for a deeper cleaning and maintenance.

So, what's next? Let's dig into the features this Jura X8 has to offer.

Jura X8 in Depth: A Look at Its Key Features

The Jura X8 isn't just another coffee machine; it's a barista's dream tool. Packed with features tailored for precision and consistency, it promises an unparalleled coffee experience every time.

The Jura X8 stands out as a professional-level espresso maker, designed to meet the high standards of coffee aficionados.

Jura X8: Highlighting Its Standout Features

Here are the most important features, some might think about these as trivial, but these are the things that make or break our day to day experience as a barista.

Height-Adjustable Dual Spout:
The Jura X8's dual spout is not just any spout. It's height-adjustable, perfect for milk and milk foam drinks, thanks to its fine foam technology. This ensures your drinks look as good as they taste, without the nozzles dipping into your drink. Plus, with up to six inches of clearance, it can accommodate everything from tall glasses to travel mugs.

User Experience:
The Jura X8 is all about making your coffee brewing easy and intuitive. All controls are right at the front, easy to see and access. The TFT display, while not a touchscreen, is bright and easy to navigate with buttons on either side. Designed for heavy use, its button controls are durable and reliable. And with its vibrant display and simple menu, you're always in control of your coffee experience.

Milk Frothing Perfection:
The Jura X8 shines when it comes to milk-based drinks. Whether you're in the mood for cappuccinos, lattes, or flat whites, the X8 has you covered. It can even handle two different types of milk for added customization. Its fine foam technology ensures top-notch foam quality, and the system can switch between milk and foam seamlessly, giving your beverages that perfect layered look.

Aroma G3 Grinder:
Every great coffee starts with the grind, and the Jura X8's Aroma G3 grinder ensures your beans are perfectly ground every time. It grinds fresh for each drink, capturing the full flavor and aroma of your beans. Plus, it's adjustable, so you can get your coffee just the way you like it.

Water Reservoir:
With a water tank that can hold up to 167.3 ounces, the Jura X8 ensures you won't be constantly refilling. And to ensure the water is always fresh and clean, it's equipped with a Claris Pro Smart Water Filter. This not only improves the taste but also reduces the need for regular descaling.

Versatile Coffee Options:
The Jura X8 doesn't limit you. With 21 programmable coffee specialties, 10 levels of coffee intensity, and 3 hot water temperature options, you can have your coffee your way, every time. And if you're entertaining or just need a lot of coffee, it can even brew a 40-ounce pot.

J.O.E. App Integration:
The Jura X8 pairs with the J.O.E. app, allowing you to control and customize your machine right from your phone or tablet. This wireless control, combined with the machine's user-friendly interface, ensures you're always in charge of your coffee experience.

Design:
In terms of design, the Jura X8 offers classic color options like silver and black, but for those wanting something different, there's also a sleek platinum option. Regardless of color, the machine's true value lies in its performance, consistently delivering top-notch coffee.

Brewing with the Jura X8:
Using the Jura X8 is straightforward. Fill the bean hopper, ensure the water tank is full, and you're ready to go. Whether you're making a simple espresso or a milk-based drink, the machine's intuitive controls and menu make it easy. And with its cleaning programs and included cleaning supplies, maintenance is a breeze.

Jura X8 is a bean-to-cup marvel, packed with features that ensure every cup of coffee is a masterpiece. Whether you're a coffee novice or a seasoned barista, the Jura X8 is designed to deliver, cup after cup. For those who want to dive deeper into this review, here are other features of the machine.

• Bean-to-cup functionality: This feature ensures that every coffee drink is made from freshly ground beans. Freshly ground beans retain their flavor and aroma, resulting in a richer and more aromatic cup of coffee. It's like having a coffee shop experience right at your fingertips.
• Large water tank: A bigger water tank means fewer refills and uninterrupted coffee sessions. Especially in busy settings like offices, this feature ensures that multiple coffee drinks can be made back-to-back without the need to constantly refill the tank.
• Claris Pro Smart Water Filter: Clean water is crucial for a great cup of coffee. This advanced water filter removes impurities and ensures that the water used in brewing is of the highest quality. It enhances the taste and ensures that the coffee's natural flavors shine through.
• Effective water handling: By managing water correctly, the Jura X8 ensures that the brewing process is consistent. This means every cup of coffee has the right balance of flavors, from the first sip to the last.
• Adjustable water temperature controls: Different coffee drinks require different water temperatures. With adjustable controls, the machine can brew everything from a robust espresso to a delicate flat white, all at the perfect temperature.
• Hot water function: Whether it's for an Americano or a cup of tea, the hot water function is handy. It provides instant hot water, making drink preparation faster and more efficient.
• 12 different specialty coffee beverages: Variety is the spice of life. With 12 options to choose from, there's a drink for every mood and preference. From classic espressos to creamy lattes, the choices are vast and customizable.
• Customizable drink options through menu options: Everyone has their unique coffee preference. The Jura X8's menu options allow users to tweak their drinks to perfection, adjusting strength, size, and more. It's like having a personal barista who knows just how you like your coffee.
• Adjustable milk foam temperature: The texture and temperature of milk foam can make or break a coffee drink. With adjustable settings, the machine ensures that milk-based drinks like cappuccinos and lattes have the perfect creamy finish.
• Automated cleaning program: A clean machine is essential for great-tasting coffee. The Jura X8's cleaning program kicks in after each brewing session, ensuring that there's no residue or old coffee lingering. This maintains the machine's performance and guarantees a fresh taste every time.
• Brewing temperature settings: Just like water temperature, the brewing temperature is crucial for extracting the best flavors from coffee beans. By allowing users to set this, the Jura X8 ensures that every brew is just right, capturing the full essence of the beans.
• Button controls and intuitive interface: A machine can have all the features in the world, but if it's hard to use, it's not worth it. The Jura X8's user-friendly controls make brewing easy, even for those new to coffee machines. It's straightforward, efficient, and designed with the user in mind.
• High-quality ceramic burr grinder: A good grinder is the heart of any coffee machine. The Jura X8's grinder ensures that beans are ground to the perfect consistency. This maximizes flavor extraction and ensures that every cup is a masterpiece.
• Top-notch water handling capabilities: Water plays a huge role in coffee brewing. The Jura X8's superior water handling ensures that every part of the brewing process, from soaking the beans to pouring the final drink, is optimized for flavor and quality.

In essence, the Jura X8 is more than just a coffee machine. It's a barista's tool, designed to craft exceptional coffee drinks with precision and consistency. Every feature is thoughtfully designed to enhance the coffee-making process, ensuring that each cup is nothing short of perfection.

Brewing Coffee with Jura X8 – Effortless

With the Jura X8 automatic espresso machine, brewing a perfect cup of coffee or espresso is as automatic as it gets. Just a few simple steps, and the machine takes over, delivering your favorite drink with precision. Here's how to make the most of this automatic wonder:

1. Getting Started: Fill up the bean hopper with your favorite coffee beans and make sure the water tank is full. Then, turn on the machine.
2. Water Quality Matters: If you're using the Jura X8 for the first time, pop in the Claris Pro Smart water filter. It helps make your coffee taste even better. If you've done this before, move on to the next step.
3. Brewing Your Drink: Place your cup and pick your favorite coffee drink. Maybe an espresso or a simple black coffee? Just press the button and let the machine do its magic. Your drink will be made just the way you like it.
4. Making a Pot: If you're in the mood for a pot of coffee, decide how many times you want the machine to brew (you can choose up to five). Set it in the preferences menu, and with a single touch, you'll have a pot ready.
5. Milk Drinks Made Easy: Fancy a flat white or a cappuccino? Connect the milk to the dual spout, place your glass, and pick your drink from the menu. Hit the button, and voilà, your creamy drink is ready!

With the Jura X8, making professional-level coffee drinks at home is as simple as pressing a button. Enjoy!

Milk Frothing Magic with the Jura X8

The Jura X8 automatic espresso machine is a game-changer, especially when it comes to milk drinks. Here's why:

Same Control for Coffee: Whether you're making a simple espresso or a fancy latte, you have full control over how your coffee turns out.

Two Milk Types in One Drink: This is the cool part. You can mix regular heated milk with smooth milk foam in the same drink. And guess what? You decide how much milk and at what temperature, with ten options to choose from.

Unique Milk Mixing: This feature is what makes your drinks look and taste professional. You won't find it in many other machines. Drinks like lattes, flat whites, and macchiatos benefit from this. But for a cappuccino, it's just the frothy milk. With macchiatos, there's even a special delay between milk types to get those classic layers.

Espresso and Coffee: The Jura X8 isn't just about milk drinks. It makes amazing espresso and coffee too. I've tried it with Maromas Orphea, a rich Italian blend with chocolatey vibes and no bitterness. The result? A perfect shot with creamy layers from start to finish.

Top-Notch Grinding and Brewing: The secret behind such great coffee? The Jura's Aroma G3 grinder and its pulse extraction process. The grinder is super fast and quiet. Before brewing, the coffee gets a quick soak. Then, the machine adjusts the pressure while brewing. This makes the espresso rich and full of flavor, just like what you'd get from big professional machines.

So, if you're into coffee and want to make barista-level drinks at home, the Jura X8 is the machine to check out!

Beverage Variety and Programming Features

The X8 Platinum is a professional level espresso maker that offers a broad range of beverage selections right from the outset. It can craft various coffee beverages such as espresso, flat whites, latte macchiato, and black coffees either as a single serving or double. Moreover, it can brew a full pot of coffee up to forty ounces. Besides coffee, it has a hot water function for other hot drinks like green tea, with an adjustable temperature setting.

One of the standout features is its user customization through a user-friendly app. While the drinks are pre-set to traditional sizes, the X8 Platinum provides room for personalization. You can adjust the drink parameters to match your taste and cup size.

The Jura J.O.E. app is a notable tool for customization. With a tablet or phone, you can modify various aspects of your drinks: coffee strength, brew water amount, coffee temperature, milk foam amount and temperature, and milk amount and temperature. Beyond adjusting existing drinks, you can craft new drink recipes, name them, and alter all their parameters. This feature is especially useful when ordering multiple drinks with different settings. For instance, Bob prefers a stronger latte macchiato with cooler milk, while Lisa likes her flat white with normal strength but hotter coffee and milk. You can create these orders in the app, place a cup, and initiate the brewing process by selecting each drink. Essentially, it's like having a personal barista ready to take custom orders swiftly.

The app also incorporates comprehensive instructions, product counters, and maintenance counters to provide insights into the machine's usage and maintenance schedule.

If app usage isn't appealing, the X8 Platinum also allows on-machine programming. An intuitive method for setting cup volumes is by pressing and holding the drink button until the display indicates “enough coffee or milk.” Upon reaching the desired amount, press any button to stop the process, and the machine will save that volume. Alternatively, by pressing the program button and navigating to “expert mode,” you can input volumes in ounces or milliliters and access further customization options similar to those on the J.O.E. app. This includes ten coffee strength settings, two temperature settings, and rearranging drink icons on the main screen for quicker access. This way, you could organize all coffee drinks on one screen and milk-based drinks on another, making the X8 Platinum a super-automatic espresso machine with a user-centric design.

Cleaning and Maintenance – Taking Care of Your Jura X8

The Jura X8 automatic espresso machine is pretty easy to look after. Here's what you need to know:

1. Water Filter: The machine comes with one, but it's a good idea to keep an extra. If you use this filter, you won't need to descale the machine. Simple, right?
2. Milk System Cleaner: You'll get a big bottle of this. It's enough for fifty clean-ups. If you're making milk drinks daily, you might want to stock up on more.
3. Coffee System Cleaning Tablets: The machine includes two of these. They last for 360 brews. Trust me, they run out faster than you think. Maybe grab two or three bottles of 25 tablets each. That way, you're set for a whopping 4500 brews.

Jura X8 Accessories

The Jura X8, a professional level espresso maker, offers a range of features. However, it does not include a milk container in its package. While users have the option to utilize any suitable container they already possess, Jura offers specific containers designed for the machine.

One can opt for the standard glass container, which can be stored in the fridge when not in use. Alternatively, Jura provides the Cool Control milk container, designed to keep milk fresh and cold on the counter.

Additional accessories for the Jura X8 include a bean hopper extension for those requiring increased coffee bean storage and a cup warmer to maintain the optimal temperature for coffee beverages. This is particularly beneficial when serving multiple guests.

Furthermore, the Jura X8 can be equipped with an inline fresh water kit. Once professionally installed, this feature eliminates the need for manual water tank refills.

Most Important Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Top-Notch Coffee: The Jura X8 stands out with its high-quality coffee output. Expect a deep flavor and a rich, nutty crema that elevates your coffee experience.
• Pulse Extraction Process (P.E.P.): This feature in the X8 ensures the best extraction of flavors from the coffee beans, giving you a brew that's both aromatic and flavorful.
• Multiple Brewing Choices: Thanks to its double-spout design, the X8 can brew coffee and froth milk at the same time. This means you can make various coffee drinks quickly and easily.
• Quiet Grinding: The X8 keeps the noise down when grinding coffee beans, so you won't disturb others around you.
• Easy-to-Use App: Brewing your favorite coffee is simpler with the X8's user-friendly app. It offers intuitive controls and lets you set your coffee preferences just how you like them.
• Built for Volume: With its high-capacity design, the X8 is great for places that need a lot of coffee, like offices or events.
• Customize Your Brew: The X8 gives you lots of options to tweak your coffee to perfection, from the strength of the brew to the consistency of the milk foam.
• Superior Milk Frothing: Expect silky and smooth milk froth for your lattes and cappuccinos, thanks to the X8's advanced frothing system.

Cons:

• Designed for Business: The X8 is built with businesses in mind, so it might feel a bit too big or professional for a regular kitchen.
• Milk System Concerns: Some people have mentioned that the milk system can be a bit unpredictable at times.
• Takes Up Space: Given its professional features and capacity, the X8 needs a good amount of counter space. This might be an issue if you're short on room.
• Doesn't come with a milk container.