The Jura ENA 8 is one of the latest Jura models with a small, stunning design.
There are two reasons you might consider investing in the ENA 8. The first is the compact design, the ENA 8 is the smallest coffee machine to offer milk-based beverages, making it perfect for city dwellers short on space.
The second is the beautiful aesthetics, the ENA 8 offers a luxurious experience, with a color display, a patterned water tank, and a premium build.
However, this espresso machine does come with a hefty price tag, so before you hit the buy now, read this review to find out if it is right for you.
Jura ENA 8 Overview
The ENA 8 is a compact bean-to-cup machine that is packed with premium features. Its highlights include a built-in conical burr grinder, 10 programmed one-touch drinks, and a large color screen to control the machine or program drinks. However the ENA 8 does have some limitations, the compact footprint also means the coffee machine has a diminished capacity, so is best suited to a small household. You also are paying a premium for the design and compact footprint.
ENA 8 Review
Specs
Design
The Jura ENA 8 is a beautiful coffee machine well worthy of a spot on the kitchen counter. Given that the ENA 8 shares many of the same features as the other Jura models, aesthetics are one of its key selling points.
The ENA 8 has a stunning design with clean lines and a premium glossy finish. While much of the machine is made of plastic, it comes across as sturdy and well-built. The Jura ENA 8 stands out from the rest of the lineup with a beautifully patterned water tank, resembling premium crystal carafes. This flawless design comes in 4 color options: massive aluminum, metropolitan black, nordic white, or sunset red.
The ENA 8 has a compact footprint, being almost as small as the entry-level A1 model, but with the advantage of producing milky drinks as well. The small size means it is easy to find a space for it, even if counter space is at a premium. The downside is that the ENA 8 has limited capacity, with a small bean hopper, water tank, and used grounds container. While the size is adequate for a small household, larger families may get frustrated with the work required to maintain the coffee maker.
Features
While the Jura ENA 8 resembles the entry-level Jura A1, inside it is packed with advanced technology commonly found in premium coffee machines. So let’s take a look at the features on offer.
Thermoblock Heating System
The Jura ENA 8 has a thermoblock heating system which means that the coffee machine is quick to heat up and water is freshly heated each time.
2.8” Color Display
The Jura ENA 8 has a large 2.8” TFT color display used to operate the machine. This is not a touchscreen but has buttons on each side of the screen to select drinks. From the screen, you can choose drinks, program beverages, and run cleaning cycles. The color screen has sharp clarity and makes the coffee maker simple to use with 10 one-touch drink options complete with pictures.
Aroma G3 Grinder
The Jura ENA 8 has the new Aroma G3 grinder built-in, allowing you to brew coffee with freshly ground beans. The Aroma G3 grinder is a stainless steel conical burr grinder that is faster and quieter than previous models.
The grinder has 7 grind settings to adjust the grind size to suit the beans you are brewing. Just like you can only adjust gears on a bicycle while it is moving, so the grind setting can only be adjusted while the grinder is running to prevent any damage.
The ENA 8 allows you to adjust the dose of coffee used from 6-10 grams. There is also a ground coffee bypass on the espresso machine, giving you the option of using decaf or flavored coffee. Finally, the hopper lid has a tight seal to keep any coffee beans fresh.
Intelligent Water System
Common to all Jura machines, the ENA 8 has the intelligent water system. For those unfamiliar with the system, it uses the CLARIS water filter to ensure the highest water quality, and thus coffee quality is achieved. The filter also protects the coffee maker against calcium build-up and extends its lifetime. But perhaps the best advantage of using the CLARIS smart filter is that the coffee machine does not need to be descaled.
The Intelligent Water System automatically detects when a filter has been inserted and alerts you when the filter is due to be changed.
Pulse Extraction Process (P.E.P)
The Pulse Extraction Process is designed to produce delicious espresso with a strong flavor and aroma. When brewing espresso drinks the machine pulses hot water through the ground coffee in short bursts, rather than at a steady pressure. This ensures the espresso is well-extracted with a thick layer of crema.
One Touch Technology
The ENA 8 allows you to prepare specialty coffee drinks with the push of a button. The machine offers 10 pre-programmed recipes: Ristretto, Espresso, Coffee, Espresso Doppio (double espresso), Espresso Macchiato, Cappuccino, Flat White, Latte Macchiato, Milk Foam, or Hot water. You can adjust the settings for each drink to suit your tastes and save changes for future use.
Programmability
The Jura ENA 8 offers a broad level of customization over the different drinks. As mentioned above, the coffee maker has 10 pre-programmed drinks from a simple coffee to coffee shop favorites like cappuccino, latte, or flat white. For each drink, you can adjust the settings prior to brewing or on the fly as you are brewing, with the option to save any changes made at the end.
Users have the option of adjusting the following settings:
The ENA 8 is compatible with the Jura Smart Connect accessory. This accessory allows the machine to connect via Bluetooth to the J.O.E app. From here you can wirelessly operate the machine and easily program and brew drinks.
Coffee Quality
While any coffee expert will tell you, the coffee from super automatic espresso machines won’t match that from semi-automatic espresso machines, the coffee from the Jura ENA 8 comes very close. And it is far superior to coffee produced from a Nespresso coffee maker.
The advanced brewing technology in the ENA 8 means it pulls well-extracted espresso shots topped with thick crema. The machine also offers a lot of versatility, allowing users to adjust settings to suit their tastes. It does take a while to customize the drinks to perfect them, and we recommend doing this, as the default settings are for quite a weak coffee. But after you have done this, brewing is as simple as pushing a button and watching as coffee is crafted before your eyes.
The Jura ENA 8 also adjusts the order of brewing depending on the drink. For example, for a latte macchiato, the foamed milk is added first followed by the espresso forming distinctive layers. While for a flat white, the espresso is added first, then frothed milk.
Milk System
The Jura ENA 8 has a siphon tube milk system, rather than a built-in milk carafe. Here the tube is inserted into a container of milk where it will suck up the correct quantity of milk and heat and froth it before delivering it directly into the cup. This system allows the espresso machine to maintain its compact footprint. It also makes it easy to switch between different types of milk. The downside is that the milk pipe does require regular cleaning to prevent the build-up of milk. Jura recommends that a cleaning cycle is performed after each use or at least once a day.
The ENA 8 milk system is fairly basic, allowing you to adjust the quantity of milk frothed but not the temperature or texture of the milk. The frothed milk has a good consistency and temperature, thanks to Jura’s fine foam technology, but you cannot adjust it according to the drink.
The ENA 8 also doesn’t come with a milk container which is a shame given the price. While you can just insert the milk tube directly into the milk container or a glass of milk, it does ruin the premium aesthetics of the machine. Jura offers two milk carafes; a simple glass milk container or the fancy refrigerated cool control. Jura also offers a milk pipe accessory with a stainless steel casing that matches the aesthetic of the machine.
The ENA 8 has a separate hot water spout next to the coffee dispenser allowing you to brew tea or an Americano. Unfortunately, the ENA 8 does not have the option of a one-touch Americano.
Cleaning/ Maintenance
The Jura coffee makers are all about convenience when it comes to brewing and cleaning as well. The ENA 8 has alerts to notify the user when the drip tray or grounds bin needs emptying and when the removable water tank needs to be refilled. This usually needs to be done every few days, depending on how often the machine is being used, with the containers being rinsed under warm water before replacing.
The other regular cleaning task that needs to be performed is rinsing out the milk system using Jura’s cleaning container and solution. This should ideally be done after each use or once a day to prevent the build-up of milk. This process takes around 2 minutes, with the machine doing most of the hard work. However, it is more fiddly to clean than a standard steam wand would be.
One feature common to all Jura coffee makers is that the brew unit isn’t removable for cleaning. Instead, the machine relies upon automated cleaning cycles to keep the unit clean. When the machine notifies you it is due for a cleaning cycle, you simply pop a Jura Cleaning Tablet into the bypass doser and the machine flushes itself out before emptying it into the drip tray. While this is convenient, the purchase of these tablets is an extra cost you need to factor in. In addition, the built-in brew unit does mean it is difficult to repair if anything goes wrong with the machine.
If you opt to use the CLARIS water filters you will not need to worry about descaling the machine which is a box to cross off the list.
While most of the cleaning tasks are automated, they do involve investing time each day into maintaining your machine.
Who is the Jura ENA 8 For?
There is no denying the Jura ENA 8 is an expensive espresso machine. So who should consider investing in one? The Jura ENA 8 is an excellent option for coffee lovers who want the option of making specialty drinks without having to learn all the skills to brew coffee themselves. The Jura ENA 8 is simple to use and produces delicious espresso and milky drinks with the touch of a button. The machine has beautiful aesthetics, a compact footprint, and is built to last for years.
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Alternatives
Delonghi Dinamica Plus
The Delonghi Dinamica Plus is another popular super-automatic espresso machine that isn’t as pricey as the ENA 8. This machine excels at brewing high-quality espresso and milk-based drinks. It offers 16 pre-programmed drink recipes, an automatic milk frother, and the ability to connect to an app. While it doesn’t quite have the same premium look as the ENA 8 it does offer better bang for buck.
Jura E8
f you find yourself confused by the Jura E8 and the ENA 8, you are not alone! The Jura E8 is one of their best-selling machines and falls in the middle of the Jura range. The E8 has a slightly larger footprint than the ENA 8 and thus has bigger bean hopper and water tank capacities. The E8 also offers a few more features including intelligent preheating, 2 pouring spouts for the option of brewing 2 drinks at a time, and more one-touch drinks (17 vs 10). The lengthy drinks menu and extra features do put the E8 a cut above the ENA 8. And given that the price difference between the two machines is minimal, we think the Jura E8 is a better buy unless you are short on bench space or love the aesthetics of the ENA 8.
Jura ENA 8- The Verdict
The Jura ENA 8 is a stunning espresso machine capable of producing quality espresso and milk-based drinks. It offers a decent drinks menu and plenty of options for coffee lovers to customize each drink to suit their tastes. But the key selling point for this machine is the compact footprint and beautiful design complete with a round water tank inspired by a crystal carafe. You are paying a premium for this, but if you are wanting a machine that will grace your benchtop the ENA 8 is where it’s at. Drinking coffee has never been easier with Jura.
