Jura E8 Review (5th Generation)

The Jura E8 is the machine to buy if you want café-style milk drinks from one button and you will spend about $2,500 to $2,800 to get them. If you mostly drink espresso or black coffee, buy the Jura E6 and keep the difference. If you want two bean hoppers or cold brew, you need a J8 or Z10, at a much higher price.

This review draws on manufacturer specifications, manuals and long-term owner reports, not on our own use.

Who the E8 is for

The E8 fits a household that makes two to six drinks a day, most of them with milk. Each person sets strength, volume and milk for a drink once, then repeats it with one press.

It is a poor fit for three buyers. Black-coffee drinkers pay for a milk system they do not use. Daily decaf drinkers fight the single hopper. People who enjoy dialing in shots get no pressure or flow control; read our superautomatic vs semi-automatic guide.

What changed in the 5th generation

The coffee hardware carried over from the 4th generation: P.A.G.2 grinder, HP3 milk system, P.E.P., 1.9 L tank and 280 g hopper. The changes are in the menu and interface.

Light Brew is a gentler, lower-temperature hot extraction. It is not cold brew. Sweet Foam mixes coffee syrup into the foam as it froths, so a flavored latte tastes even throughout. Before this generation, only the J8 had it. Coffee Timer schedules a drink but needs the optional Wi-Fi Connect V2 adapter and the J.O.E. app.

How to tell the generations apart when you shop

Some 4th-gen stock is still sold, often discounted. Check three things:

1. Look for the model number. The current Piano Black E8 is 15777 (NAD). The 4th-gen Piano Black is 15648 (NAC).
2. Count the drinks. A listing that says 17 specialties is the older machine.
3. Look for Light Brew or Sweet Foam in the photos or text. Only the 5th gen has them.

The older machine makes the same espresso and foam. At $300 or more off, and if nobody wants flavored lattes, it is a fair buy. Otherwise buy the current model. This E8 Gen 5 vs Gen 4 comparison lists every change.

Drink quality and settings

The P.A.G.2 grinder has 7 grind levels. The brewing unit doses 5 to 16 g, with 10 strength levels and 3 brew temperatures. Pulse Extraction Process (P.E.P.) pulses water through short drinks like espresso. Owners commonly report dense crema and very repeatable shots once the grind is set.

Change the grind only while the grinder runs, one step at a time, and judge after two or three drinks. Avoid very oily dark roasts, which can clog the grinder.

The coffee spout adjusts from 65 to 111 mm, so a normal 12 to 16 oz mug fits. Tall travel tumblers do not.

The milk system: HP3, CX3 and Sweet Foam

The HP3 system draws milk through a tube from any carton or container. You set milk volume and foam per drink, so a flat white and a latte macchiato can both be one-touch. The CX3 spout comes apart for rinsing.

The automatic rinse after milk drinks does not replace cleaning. Jura’s guidance for the E8 is to run the milk system cleaning program with Jura milk cleaner every day you make milk drinks. Most foam problems trace back to skipped cleaning. Our milk system care guide covers the routine.

Daily and weekly routine

• Every day: Empty the grounds container and drip tray. Refill the tank with fresh water. If you made milk drinks, run the milk cleaning program.
• Every week: Take the milk spout apart and rinse each part. Wipe the bean container if you use oily beans.
• When prompted: Run a cleaning tablet cycle. Change the filter, or descale if you run without one.

The cleaning and descaling programs run on their own after you add the tablet. The brewing unit is fixed, so the tablet cycle replaces the brew group washing that many De’Longhi machines need.

Running costs

Plan for an estimated $80 to $120 a year in Jura consumables at normal home use. The main items are:

• Water filter: The CLARIS Smart+ filter (check price) is rated by Jura at about 50 liters, or roughly two months. With the filter active, the E8 stops asking for descaling. Our water filter guide helps you decide if you need one.
• Descaling tablets: You need Jura descaling tablets only if you run without a filter.
• Cleaning tablets: One tablet per prompted cycle.
• Milk cleaner: A daily dose if you drink milk. Jura milk system cleaner is the product the program expects.

E8 vs E6, S8, J8 and Z10

Each step up Jura’s line adds convenience, not a better shot. Our Jura brand guide maps the whole range.

Step down to the E6 if milk is a once-a-week drink. Step up to the S8 only if you value the touchscreen enough to pay for it. The J8 makes sense for a home that keeps decaf and regular beans loaded at the same time; see our E8 vs J8 comparison. The Z10 is for cold brew and cold foam. This Jura E6 vs E8 comparison goes drink by drink.

Outside Jura, De’Longhi and Philips sell superautomatics for much less, with more parts you remove and wash by hand. Our best superautomatic machines page compares them.

Buying advice

Check the model number on the listing. The Amazon link on this page goes to the 5th-gen Piano Black 15777. Buy from a seller that honors Jura’s 2-year US warranty.

Jura holds its prices tightly, and sale discounts tend to be modest, so do not wait months for a deep cut. Order a CLARIS Smart+ filter and milk cleaner with the machine.