Jura ENA 8 Review

The Jura ENA 8 is the Jura to buy if one or two people want one-touch milk drinks and the machine must fit under low cabinets. New units usually sell for around $1,800 to $2,000, about $500 to $800 less than the E8. The cost of the small body is refills: a 1.1 L tank and a 125 g hopper. If three or more people use the machine every day, buy the Jura E8.

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

Who the ENA 8 is for

The ENA 8 fits a couple or a single person who makes one to three drinks a day, most with milk. It makes latte macchiato, flat white, cortado and cappuccino at one touch. Few machines at this price do that with a fixed, self-cleaning brew unit.

It is the wrong pick for three buyers:

• Busy households. At four to six drinks a day, you refill the tank every day and the hopper every two or three days.
• Black-coffee drinkers. You pay for a milk system you do not use. The Jura ENA 4 costs less, and the Jura E6 gives you a 1.9 L tank for about the same money.
• Buyers who need a narrow machine. At 10.7 in, the ENA 8 is no narrower than the E8.

Size: what “compact” really means here

Width is where most people expect the ENA 8 to win, and it does not. Jura lists it at 10.7 x 12.7 x 17.5 in (W x H x D). The 5th-gen E8 is 10.6 in wide and 13.7 in tall.

The real gain is height and weight. The ENA 8 is about an inch lower and weighs 20.7 lb, against 22 lb for the E8. Under a standard upper cabinet, that inch decides whether you can open the bean lid without sliding the machine out. Leave an estimated 2 to 3 inches above it for the lid and tank, and some space behind it for air.

If width is your true limit, our small-kitchen espresso machine picks include narrower machines at every price.

Drinks and coffee quality

Jura lists 15 specialties, including espresso, coffee, Caffè Barista, cortado, cappuccino, flat white, latte macchiato and hot water, plus extra-shot and two-cup versions. It uses Jura’s Professional Aroma Grinder (P.A.G.), a 15-bar pump and Pulse Extraction Process (P.E.P.). P.E.P. pulses water through the coffee for short drinks.

Owners commonly report shots close to the larger Jura machines for single drinks. The gap shows in strong large drinks. Jura lists the ENA 8’s brewing unit at 6 to 10 g, against 5 to 16 g on the E8, so big mugs taste lighter at the same strength setting.

Set the grind only while the grinder runs, one step at a time. Avoid very oily dark roasts, which can clog the grinder.

The milk system: HP1 and CX1

The ENA 8 uses Jura’s HP1 milk system with a CX1 interchangeable spout. A tube draws milk from any container. You press one button and the machine grinds, brews and froths in sequence.

These parts are not the HP3 and CX3 hardware on the E8 and S8. When you buy a spare pipe or spout, check that the listing names the ENA 8, HP1 or CX1.

Three habits prevent most milk complaints:

1. Use cold milk. The manual says milk at 4 to 8 °C (39 to 46 °F) froths best. Milk left on the counter gives thin, bubbly foam.
2. Clean the milk system each day you use it. Run the milk cleaning program with Jura milk cleaner, then rinse the spout parts.
3. Replace the milk pipe when it hardens or discolors. A hard, old pipe draws air instead of milk.

Our milk system care guide explains the full routine for tube systems.

Daily routine and running costs

• Every day: Refill the tank (at two or more milk drinks a day, plan on it). Empty the drip tray and grounds container. Run the milk cleaning program.
• Every few days: Top up the 125 g hopper.
• When prompted: Run a cleaning tablet cycle. Change the CLARIS filter, or descale if you use no filter.

The brew unit is fixed, so you never take it out to rinse it. Supplies run an estimated $80 to $120 a year, like other Jura machines. With an active CLARIS Smart+ filter set in the menu, Jura’s manuals say the machine needs no descaling. Without one, follow our descaling schedule.

ENA 8 vs E8 vs E6

The ENA 8 has more milk drinks than the E6 for about the same money. The E6 wins on refills and dose size. The E8 wins on everything except price and height. This Jura E8 vs ENA 8 comparison covers the trade drink by drink.

The newer Jura C9

Jura now sells the C9 in the same compact slot. US retailers list it at about $1,800. Retailer spec sheets give it a 10.2 in width, a 1.6 L tank and a 200 g hopper, so you refill it less often than the ENA 8.

That changes the buying rule. Buy the ENA 8 only if it sells well below the C9. If you want the narrowest current Jura and larger tanks, look at the Jura C9 instead. Our Jura brand guide shows where each series sits.

Buying advice

The Amazon link on this page goes to the ENA 8 Full Metropolitan Black, 15496. Buy from a seller that honors Jura’s 2-year US warranty, since remaining stock often comes through third parties. App control needs the optional Wi-Fi Connect adapter and the J.O.E. app. Read the full ENA 8 guide for milk troubleshooting before you buy spare parts.