The Jura S8 comes from Jura’s S-Series, a line described by Jura as the “mid-premium segment.”
The S8 is the most feature-rich super-automatic espresso machine found below their premium line. It claims to take the favorite qualities of the more compact E8 and includes a few additional advanced features.
Don’t count out the E8, however. Despite being from Jura’s more mid-level E-Series and having a lower price point than the S8, the E8 has plenty of cool functions.
The specs between the two coffee makers are much more similar than you might have guessed.
| Jura E8 | Jura S8 | |
|---|---|---|
| Size (L x W x H) | 17.6 x 11 x 13.8 in | 17.3 x 11 x13.8 in |
| Weight | 21 lb | 22 lb |
| # of Drinks | 17 | 15 |
| Water Tank Capacity | 64 oz | 64 oz |
| Bean Container Capacity | 10 oz | 10 oz |
| Hot Water | Yes | Yes |
| Milk Frother | Yes | Yes |
| Touch Screen | No | Yes |
Jura E8 vs S8: The Differences
Brewing Capability
The E8 brews a whopping 17 specialty coffee drinks, including several “extra shot” options. The S8 has fewer beverages on its menu – only 15 – and none of them contain an extra shot.
The S8 does brew ristretto, dispense a portion of milk foam, and dispense hot water at the right temperature for green tea, all of which aren’t found on the E8.
If you’re looking for a cortado, Americano, or anything containing an extra shot, you’ll need to turn to the E8.
Features
The E8 and S8 share a lot of features, with a few differences that stand out.
The E8 is equipped with Intelligent Pre-Heating, which compensates for heat lost as the water travels through different parts of the automatic coffee machine. This keeps the water at the perfect brew temperature and ensures the best possible flavor extraction.
Since the S8 is supposed to be more of a luxury product, it’s disappointing to find this feature on only the E8.
The S8 comes equipped with Active Bean Monitoring, which will let you know when the bean hopper needs to be filled and won’t let the grinder run empty. This is a nice feature, but maybe not worth the price difference between the two models.
Design
The standout design difference between the Jura S8 and Jura E8 is the 4.3-inch touchscreen color display featured on the S8. The E8 has a smaller, 2.8-inch color display that relies on buttons for navigation.
While the button display is okay, the touch screen on the S8 is a definite upgrade.
The hot water spout and cappuccino spout on the S8 has a slightly greater maximum height than the E8’s- they’ll both go to 6.2 inches, while the water spout and cappuccino spout on the E8 go only to 4.4 inches and 6 inches, respectively.
It’s a small difference but may help on-the-go coffee lovers to fit a favorite travel mug, especially for the hot water spout.
Cleaning
Both the Jura E8 and S8 are very easy to clean and maintain.
The E8 again has an advantage in this area, with an automatic one-touch milk cleaning system.
No part of cleaning a Jura machine can truly be considered labor-intensive, but cleaning the milk system takes a bit of extra work on some machines. The one-touch milk system cleaning feature eliminates that extra work.
Similarities
Brewing Capability
Both the Jura S8 and the Jura E8 can brew a lengthy menu of specialty coffee drinks.
They can produce delicious shots of espresso, flavorful regular cups of coffee, and several quality coffee drinks that include hot milk and milk foam, such as cappuccinos, flat whites, and macchiatos.
Both machines also dispense hot water and portions of milk foam. They also each have a ground coffee bypass chute that allows users to make a single cup with pre-ground coffee. This is great for occasional cups of decaf.
Features
Jura has built its reputation on machines that produce delicious beverages every time, and they have exclusive technology that makes this possible.
Both the E8 and S8 are equipped with several such features, including the AromaG3 Grinder for freshly ground coffee and P.E.P. pre-infusion system to guarantee ideal aroma and flavor.
They also have the Thermoblock heating system, which helps ensure shorter heat-up times and freshly heated water for each brew.
If you love smart home connectivity, you’ll be pleased to know that both the E8 and S8 are compatible with Jura’s app, J.O.E.
Design
In terms of design, the Jura E8 and Jura S8 are again very similar. At first glance, they look almost identical.
Both machines have a 64-ounce water tank and a 10-ounce coffee bean hopper.
Overview of the Jura E8
The Jura E8 is a high-quality super-automatic espresso machine with a huge amount of features and control. It was redesigned in 2019, and the features we have described here are for the new version.
It has a built-in milk frother and adjustable cappuccino spout as well as a separate dual coffee spout that allows it to brew a huge menu of drinks, including some with extra shots.
With the Jura E8 you can easily brew:
- Espresso
- 2 x espresso
- Coffee
- 2 x coffee
- Cappuccino
- Cappuccino Extra Shot
- Caffe Barista
- Americano
- Espresso Doppio
- Macchiato
- Cortado
- Latte macchiato
- Latte macchiato Extra Shot
- Flat White
- Flat White Extra Shot
- A portion of milk foam
- Hot water
Between the lengthy menu and the ability to customize coffee strength, brew temperature, and milk foam flow, there are endless opportunities to create the beverage you want here.
Features such as AromaG3 Grinder, P.E.P. pre-infusion, and intelligent preheating help guarantee that every drink is hot and delicious.
While this is considered a mid-range product, it’s truly packed full of features and capabilities. Still, no one would call it an inexpensive product.
Overview of the Jura S8
The Jura S8 is a mid-premium super-automatic espresso maker. It can produce the following barista quality specialties:
- Ristretto
- Espresso
- 2 x Espresso
- Coffee
- 2 x Coffee
- Cappuccino
- Caffe latte
- Macchiato
- Latte macchiato
- Flat white
- A portion of milk foam
- Portion of milk
- Hot water
- Hot water for green tea
These menu options can be further customized with 10 different coffee strength settings, three possible brew temperatures, and adjustable milk foam flow.
This machine comes with an AromaG3 Grinder and P.E.P. pre-infusion but disappointingly lacks an intelligent pre-heating system.
The touch screen on this model is a nice upgrade, but placed side by side with the E8, it doesn’t feel as premium as the price difference would dictate.
The Verdict
The Jura E8 and Jura S8 are two highly capable machines within Jura’s extensive product line. They’re extremely similar, so be sure to browse the rest of their line if the features seen on these machines seem excessive, or if you’re looking for more features.
Both are mid-range Jura products, and while I have had a Jura on my counter for over a year and consider it a great investment, they’re not inexpensive. If you’re not ready to take the plunge, you can also consider other types of espresso makers.
Although Jura considers the S8 to be a more premium machine (and prices it accordingly, at around 15-20% higher), the E8 can brew more beverages and has almost identical features. It even has a few attributes we think are really great, like intelligent pre-heating and one-touch milk cleaning, which aren’t present on the S8.
For our money, we think the Jura E8 comes out on top of its higher-priced sibling the Jura S8.
Happy Caffeinating!
