It can be a pretty difficult task when it comes to choosing a super-automatic espresso machine for yourself. These machines are pretty expensive, and most of them operate with their brands’ own set of features and technologies. You should get yourself familiar with these features and decide whether they match your money and desirability—after all, an automatic espresso machine is a long-term investment.
If you’ve browsed the internet for super-automatic espresso machines, you must have seen the Swiss brand named Jura. Jura is a trusted name in automatic espresso machines, and there’s a huge variety to choose from.
Today we’ll focus on two of their most talked about models, the E6 and the E8, and compare them with each other.
Jura E6 VS. E8: Comparison Tables
Similarities
| Category | Jura E6 | Jura E8 |
|---|---|---|
| Used Coffee Grounds Container | 16 servings | 16 servings |
| Bean Hopper (oz.) | 10 | 10 |
| Water Tank (oz.) | 64 | 64 |
| Boiler | Single Thermoblock | Single Thermoblock |
| Pump Pressure | 15-bar | 15-bar |
| Hot Water Levels | 3 | 3 |
| Energy Saving Modes | Yes | Yes |
Dissimilarities
| Category | Jura E6 | Jura E8 |
|---|---|---|
| 3D Brewing | No | Yes |
| Model Year | 2015 | 2020 |
| Coffee Strengths | 8 | 10 |
| Drinks | 7 | 17 |
| Pre-Ground Powder Chute | No | Yes |
| Milk Frothing System | HP1 | HP3 |
| Foam Technology | Standard | Advanced |
| Adjustable Spout Height (in) | 4.4 – 6.2 | 6.6 – 11.2 |
| Dimension (W x D x H) (in) | 11 x 17.3 x 13.8 | 11 x 17.6 x 13.8 |
| Adjustable Brew Temperature | 2 | 3 |
| Weight (lbs.) | 21.6 | 22 |
| One-Touch Americano | No | Yes |
| One-Touch Milk System Cleaning | No | Yes |
Jura E6 VS. E8: The Key Differences
Specialty Drinks
The Jura E8 is quite ahead in terms of specialty drink numbers compared to the E6 machine. The Jura E6 comes with only 7 specialty drink recipes: espresso (2×), coffee (2x), cappuccino, a portion of milk, and hot water. The E8, on the other hand, has an impressive 17 drink recipes: espresso (2x), coffee (2x), caffe barista, Americano, doppio, cortado, cappuccino (with an extra shot), macchiato, flat white (with an extra shot), latte (with an extra shot), a portion of milk, and hot water.
Special Technologies
The Jura E8 also scores very highly when compared to the Jura E6. Jura E8 has intelligent pre-heating technology that is for hot coffee from the very beginning. Then it offers 3D brewing technology to extract maximum aroma and flavor. It allows the machine to automatically monitor and control the water flow into the ground coffee on multiple levels. Furthermore, the E8 can connect to your home Wi-Fi and enable remote access from other devices. All other standard Jura technologies, such as status display, P.E.P., and J.O.E. compatibility, are available on both the E8 and E6. But these special technologies have pushed E8 way ahead of E6.
Milk System
Another headway for Jura E8 as it features Jura’s fine foam frother technology. So, make all those delicious milky recipes with fine microfoam. The E6 doesn’t have a separate foam maker, unlike the E8. So, you’ll only have standard quality milk and foam with the E6 espresso machine. The E8 machine also comes with an HP3 tube that performs well, far better than the HP1 tube of the E6. Astoundingly, the E8 can whip up milk foam with a single touch of a button on the user interface. The E8 can also steam milk and pour your espresso at the same time, which the E6 can’t.
Grinder Settings
Both the E8 and E6 have an AromaG3 grinder, but the E8 also takes the cake regarding grinder settings. The Jura E6 only has 5 basic settings: fine, medium-fine, regular, medium-coarse, and coarse. But the E8 has a whopping 10 settings: ultra-fine, extra-fine, fine, medium-fine, regular, medium-coarse, coarse, extra-coarse, steel-cut oats, and rice. Meaning, you have some insane level of control over your fresh grinds. For decaf coffee lovers, the E8 also provides a pre-ground powder chute. You won’t find that feature in the Jura E6 model.
Ease Of Use
Both the Jura E6 and E8 have intuitive functionalities with digital displays to make the experience fairly simple to operate from start to finish. The E8 and E6 machines do have the same TFT digital display with 6 buttons around. But the Jura E8 provides a one-touch Americano function that the E6 doesn’t. When it comes to coffee strength levels, the E6 has 8 different levels, whereas the Jura E8 has 10! Even though both of these models have the same number of hot water temperatures (3), they do have different brewing temperatures—the E6 has 2 and the E8 has 3 brewing temperature settings.
Cleaning And Maintenance
The Jura E6 has simple cleaning and maintenance functions such as a monitored drip tray and integrated rinsing, cleaning, and descaling. The Jura E8 is also equipped with these same functions, but it offers one more additional cleaning function – the one-touch automatic milk system cleaning function. Needless to say, it rinses the milk spout after each session, saving a lot of time and effort while maintaining tiptop hygiene. Both the Jura E6 and E8 don’t require traditional descaling as both have the Intelligent Water System (I.W.S) and CLEARYL Smart water filter.
What Are The Similarities?
- Both models come with the Aroma G3 grinder
- Their used pre-ground container capacity: 5–16 grams
- The bean hopper (10 oz.) and the water tank capacity (64 oz.)
- Both models use a single thermoblock heating system with a 15-bar pump pressure for their extraction process
- The biggest similarity between these two models is that they both have a 2.8″ high-quality TFT digital display with 6 buttons
- Both of them are equipped with Jura’s quintessential Energy Saving Mode, a Zero-Energy Switch or power switch, and a programmable switch-off timer
Jura E6: Brief Overview
The Jura E6 is an ideal minimalist prequel to the Jura E8. This espresso machine is made for folks who want to make a few quality specialty drinks with a lot of programmabilities. It has superb brewing performance just like the E8 and is one of the few budget-friendly Jura super-automatic espresso machines.
One of the underrated features of the E6 is its Aroma G3 grinder. It’s a quiet grinder with 5 different grind settings. The E6 also uses fewer coffee beans per espresso shot to minimize wastage. The Jura E6 uses the Pulse Extraction Process to produce an exceptional brew with adjustable strength and temperature settings. With the presence of IWS and a smart Jura water filter, most of the rinsing and cleaning get done by the machine itself.
Unfortunately, with the E6, you can’t use pre-ground coffee and it has a limited (7) recipe list. If you love lattes, macchiatos, flat whites, and cortados, the E6 is not an option for you as its milk system can only make cappuccino and lacks fine milk foam technology.
YOU MAY ALSO READ: In-detailed review of Jura E6.
Jura E8: Brief Overview
The Jura E8 is Jura’s most popular super-automatic espresso machine as it provides consistent brewing quality, a robust design, and very advanced Jura features. If you’re ready to spend big but wisely, this machine will fit into your plan like a glove. The E8 has the highest level of programmability and a wide range of beverages to choose from.
From quality espresso shots to irresistible flat whites, you can produce 17 different drinks out of this machine. The E8 has not only a separate milk spout but also fine foam technology. As a result, you can make all the fancy milky beverages with no additional steps. Moreover, the milk system auto-rinses itself after each session. Unlike the E6, this E8 model does come with a powder chute for the pre-ground coffee. So, it’s also a charming bonus for decaf lovers. The Jura E8 has intelligent technologies like automated preheating, 3D brewing, and a one-touch Americano option. It has a more programmable grind, brew, and temperature settings. This means you can pretty much go wild with the personalization.
But all this automation and customizability requires a steep learning curve. Also, the water and bean hopper capacities should’ve been larger for this machine.
YOU MAY ALSO READ: In-detailed review of Jura E8.
Jura E6 VS. E8: Final Verdict
As you can see, the Jura E8 has more brew programs, a more advanced milk frother, a larger water reservoir, and a larger bean hopper. It is also slightly larger and heavier than the Jura E6.
So, which machine is better? It depends on your needs and budget. If you are looking for a basic espresso machine that is easy to use, the Jura E6 is a good option. If you want a machine with more features and flexibility, the Jura E8 is a better choice.
Here are some additional things to consider when choosing between the Jura E6 and Jura E8:
- Milk drinks: If you make a lot of milk drinks, the Jura E8 is the better choice because of its more advanced milk frother
- Brew programs: If you like to experiment with different coffee drinks, the Jura E8 is the better choice because it has more brew programs
- Budget: The Jura E6 is the more affordable option
- Size: The Jura E6 is the smaller and more compact option
Finally, the easiest approach to determine which machine is best for you is to test both and discover which one you prefer.
FAQs
What is the best Jura espresso machine?
If you consider value for money, the best Jura espresso machine is the Jura E8 model. It comes with all the great Jura features, delivers great-quality espresso, and can make high-quality milk foam.
What’s the average lifespan of a Jura coffee machine?
On average, a Jura machine will easily last for about 5–7 years. But with great care, it can go beyond a decade.
Does a Jura machine make good coffee?
Most Jura machines guarantee perfect espresso shot quality.
How often should a Jura coffee machine be cleaned?
It’s usually every 1–2 months, depending on the water’s hardness.
Conclusion
The Jura E8 is the better espresso machine of the two without a doubt. But it doesn’t mean that the Jura E6 is a bad espresso machine. In fact, the E6 is a more suitable choice for someone who’s looking for his or her first super-automatic espresso machine.
Even to this day, both the Jura E6 and E8 are some of the premium and most favored Jura models on the market. Both of them ensure excellent brewing quality despite their technological disparities. The Jura E8 is more expensive as it was released years later than the E6 model and carries more advanced functionalities.
If you’re a coffee purist, the limited option but quality brewing combination of E6 will enchant you. But if you love quality brewing and delicious milky beverages with minimal effort, the E8 should be your preferred choice here.
