Latte Run, Anyone?
Ready to ditch your morning coffee run? If you’re a fan of excellent espresso-based drinks like lattes and cappuccinos, “the coffee we have at home” might not measure up.
Luckily, with the Jura ENA 8, you can replicate your favorite coffee drinks at home with absolutely no barista experience.
What is the Jura ENA 8?
The Jura ENA 8 is a super-automatic espresso machine that can grind beans, brew espresso, and froth milk within the same machine at the touch of one button.
It’s a great coffee maker for someone who frequents coffee shops for specialty coffee drinks that go beyond a cup of drip coffee.
It’s also a convenient choice for busy or time-pressed coffee lovers, as the maintenance required for this machine is extremely quick and easy, and the Jura will prompt you to perform any care that needs to be done.
Do you find that every person in your household has different coffee preferences? Do you get bored easily and love to switch up your caffeinated beverages? The Jura ENA 8 is also a great way to cater to varying tastes within your household or keep your options fresh and new.
It’s simple to brew different types of coffee beverages, customize the settings, or even bypass the coffee beans in the machine to make a cup of decaf.
Small, Stunning, and Simple
Jura markets the ENA 8 coffee machine as a “small, stunning, and simple machine.”
The profile of this appliance is 10.7″ wide, 12.7″ high, and 17.5″ deep. It is on the smaller end of Jura’s products and doesn’t look oversized or bulky on my counter.
It comes in four classy colorways and features a cylindrical water tank designed to emulate a crystal carafe. It’s a luxury appliance and has the look of one.
The ENA 8 is a one-cup automatic coffee machine that brews 10 specialty drinks, ranging from the humble cup of hot coffee or espresso shot to regular coffee shop favorites like the latte, cappuccino, or flat white.
The ENA 8 grinds beans fresh from a chamber for each cup but also has a bypass chute that allows you to use ground coffee if you want to.
This coffee machine has been especially helpful in our home since one family member drinks decaf exclusively while another (me) needs “jet fuel” to get moving in the morning.
It comes with a filler funnel, a measuring spoon for ground coffee, and a container for cleaning the milk system.
What Are The Features of a Jura ENA 8?
A Drink for Every Taste
The Jura ENA 8 offers 10 brew options: ristretto, espresso, cappuccino, espresso doppio, coffee, macchiato, latte macchiato, flat white, milk foam, and hot water. Phew!
Each brew setting can also be customized with an individually programmable volume of water and foam, three hot water temperature settings, and 10 possible strength levels.
With so many options, you’re bound to find the perfect combination.
The number of options to program might sound a bit complicated! For example, I use this machine every day to brew coffee and have programmed it to dispense the greatest possible volume (8 ounces) at the highest available coffee strength and “normal” temperature.
If a guest wants a single cup but prefers a less potent brew, I can individually adjust the strength setting for their drink without changing my default settings. Likewise, I can adjust the coffee brewing temperature or amount brewed.
The wide variety of options available with the Jura ENA 8 also provides the opportunity to explore the differences between various beverages. I’d never heard of ristretto before owning this machine, but now I know that it allows me to drink a less bitter, slightly sweeter shot of espresso.
As I mentioned above, the ground coffee bypass option can be used to make a single cup without changing the beans stored in the chamber. We use this option regularly to make decaf versions of our favorite beverages while keeping the caffeinated beans in the hopper and at the ready for my morning brew.
High-Quality Brew of Every Kind
Espresso-lovers know that a perfect shot of classic espresso features a luxurious crema. The Jura ENA 8 automatic coffee maker delivers this in its espresso shots and also in its coffee.
I’ve quickly become spoiled and learned to expect the velvety, red-brown layer on every cup, even when I’m “only” making coffee. Sorry, Mr. Coffee, our association has ended forever!
The ENA 8 employs a technology Jura calls their p.e.p., or pulse extraction process. It was invented to give their cup of espresso a “strong, typically Italian finish.” Thanks to this technology, every shot is strong and tastes great.
As someone who appreciates a jolt to get me started in the morning but lacks the finesse to pull a perfect espresso shot, I’m grateful to Jura for making this so easy to achieve.
One Touch For Frothy, Delicious Milk Foam
When brewing drinks with milk foam, the process is still single-button simple.
The machine is equipped with a tube on the front, which can be attached to any of Jura’s milk containers or milk coolers (sold separately). Simply choose a drink, and the machine will dispense the correct amount of espresso, heated milk, and foam.
The separate milk container, like the machine itself, is a bit expensive, and having to buy it separately is one of the few bones I have to pick with Jura over this espresso maker.
I find the ease of making drinks with foamed or steamed milk to be one of the most attractive features of the ENA 8. I’ve used several stand-alone milk foamers in the past and found that they were ineffective, hard to clean, or both.
The result was usually more “coffee with hot milk” than “Instagram-worthy latte.” The foam produced with the ENA 8 is truly frothy and delicious and sits in its own layer. Again, one-button functionality! I’m no barista and have plenty of other dishes to wash, so this is the ideal option for me.
How Do The Drinks Look? More Importantly- How Do They Taste?
Is the aesthetic of your drink an important part of your coffee experience? If so, grab a clear mug and let the Jura ENA 8 wow your friends and followers.
Casual espresso drinkers may not know the difference between a latte, cappuccino, and macchiato, but Jura does.
Despite being totally automated, it delivers drinks that match their descriptions. For example, a latte will contain a creamier combination of espresso mixed with steamed milk and topped with milk foam, while a cappuccino will feature defined layers of hot milk, espresso, and thick foam.
Similarly, there will be a distinct difference between a shot of espresso, an espresso doppio (a true double espresso shot), and a cup of coffee. Most importantly, all of these taste fresh and never have a burned taste, like I get with some big-name coffee shop drinks.
The Jura ENA 8 produces beverages that are strong but extremely drinkable. I typically can’t deny my sweet tooth, but I don’t feel any need to add sweetener or flavoring to lattes made with this machine. They have a distinct espresso flavor without being overly bitter. (Of course, we can’t forget the role of the perfect bean in the taste!)
A Breeze to Clean and Maintain
If you’ve used a manual espresso machine in the past, you may have found the cleanup process tedious. It’s especially cumbersome if you have to clean a separate grinder, espresso machine, and milk foamer.
That’s precisely why I ditched my manual espresso maker and milk foamers in the past. Luckily, cleaning and maintaining the Jura ENA 8 is as easy and automatic as everything else about it.
The system is automatically rinsed when the Jura is turned off. It is also rinsed when turned on, and the milk system flushes itself 15 minutes after preparing a milk-based drink.
All other maintenance, such as cleaning the machine, cleaning the milk system, and descaling, is suggested when needed by icons that appear on the screen.
The Jura ENA 8 completely walks the user through the cleaning cycle via on-screen prompts.
Since this type of machine is a significant investment, I feel better knowing that I’m not likely to forget or put off the care needed to keep it in tip-top shape.
It’s worth noting that the supplies needed to maintain this machine (cleaning tablets, descaling tablets, milk system cleaner, and filters) are made by Jura and could be pricey for some users.
It’s well worth investing in keeping your Jura working properly for years to come, but investigate the price of upkeep before taking the plunge to make sure it’s attainable for you.
J.O.E.: Coffee For The Digital Age
Modern coffee drinkers may be excited to bring their caffeinated beverages into the digital age. With the JURA Operating Experience app (J.O.E.), tech-savvy coffee aficionados can bring the functions of their automatic espresso machines to their smartphone or even Apple Watch.
The Jura ENA 8 is compatible with this technology, but you must purchase it separately.
I don’t personally use the J.O.E. app, and since preparing drinks and performing upkeep is already so quick and easy, I don’t think I ever will. However, high-tech options like this could be fun or useful for some users.
So, Is It For You?
The Jura ENA 8 is a sleek-looking automatic machine, and its design makes it extremely simple to brew a variety of top-notch espresso-based drink options.
It’s also a snap to clean and care for, making it a superb choice for anyone who wants delicious and beautiful drinks and needs or wants the process to be as painless as possible.
While the Jura ENA 8 has a variety of functions, none of them are iced or cold-brewed, so some java lovers may find they still can’t make their favorite drinks. In that case, this machine may not be the perfect choice.
Jura has an extensive line of automatic espresso machines ranging from cheaper coffee makers to even more feature-packed coffee brewers, so it’s worth perusing their line to ensure the ENA 8 is the right choice.
If you love coffee-shop quality drinks, the Jura ENA 8 is the next best thing to popping out to your local shop, or even better. But, it may not be worth the splurge if you prefer plain or iced coffees.
Happy Brewing!
Jura ENA 8 Review: An Excellent Automatic Espresso Machine
Looking for a good automatic espresso machine? Read our Jura ENA 8 review to learn the special features that make coffee preparation a breeze.
4.5
