Jura Z10 Espresso Machine review: The only automatic machine we trust, but with a lofty price tag

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Automatic espresso machines are a quick, mostly hands-free measurement to make cafe-style java drinks yourself. We've tested respective for our guideline to nan best espresso machines, and nan Jura Z10 ranks arsenic nan champion super-automatic espresso machine. The Jura Z10 stands unsocial successful nan oversea of sub-par automatic espresso machines connected nan marketplace — though not without a fewer shortcomings of its own. 

The Switzerland-based marque has been processing automatic espresso machines for much than 50 years. We emotion nan Z10 because it pulls retired each nan regular espresso, latté, cappuccino, and macchiato stops while adding a cold-brewing feature. This is nan astir costly instrumentality successful our apical picks, but it's worthy noting that nan marque has released nan Jura ENA 4, which is person to nan Breville Barista Express Impress value range.

Read connected for our thoughts connected nan Jura Z10 espresso machine.

Testing nan built-in grinder

The best burr grinder is, isolated from nan java beans themselves, nan first make-or-break measurement successful value espresso. The Z10's "product-recognizing grinder" (PRG) has a sensor that dials grind size based connected nan beans and adjusts successful existent clip to optimize brewing. Using a densitometer and nan Instituto Espresso Italiano's standards, we recovered that nan Jura produces cleanable espresso grounds. (It's a full dissolved solids (TDS) betwixt 7% and 12% TDS, if you're curious.)

This is nan first of immoderate of nan automatic espresso machines we've tested that has really achieved existent espresso arsenic defined by nan IEI. Others person travel close, and astir person sadly been acold from it.

If you'd for illustration to bypass nan grinder successful favour of 1 you already have, there's a sprout for pre-ground java successful nan back. We put our java done nan champion espresso grinder, nan Baratza Sette 270, and sent it into nan sprout arsenic good to spot what came out. The espresso was moreover better, but cognize that nan Jura's built-in grinder much than suffices.

Basic brewing

The Jura lists 16 different programmable beverages, and each comes arsenic a azygous and a double. You get an array of espressos (hot and cold); agelong achromatic aliases Americano coffees; and milk-based macchiatos, cortados, lattes, and cappuccinos. Kitchen editor Lily Alig uses nan Jura chiefly for regular coffee: "While I emotion having lattes connected command, a modular cup of java from nan Jura brews quickly and pinch an amplified flavor."

We based our Jura information chiefly connected nan equilibrium of nan espresso we made utilizing 3 different caller bags of beans, but were impressed by nan reliability of nan milk-based beverages. Each portion had a cleanable coffee-to-milk balance, and nan beverage was ne'er burned.

For lattes and such, Jura makes a Cool Control container, a pricy accessory that keeps beverage astatine 39 degrees Fahrenheit. It is shockingly pricey and takes up moreover much abstraction connected your counter. We recovered that you tin conscionable arsenic easy usage a jug of beverage that you conscionable support successful your fridge until java time. Alig says she uses thing from a quart instrumentality to a lowball solid to clasp beverage erstwhile making lattes and ne'er has a problem. 

Cold brew espresso

One of nan large standouts for nan Z10 is its "cold brew" function. It doesn't precisely make cold-brew java — nan beverage is akin to a somewhat watery nitro brew, which is awesome considering it's served up successful little than a minute. Even nan best acold brew makers tin return 8 hours aliases more, but good grounds and precocious unit let for nan Z10 to expedite nan process.

We tried cold-brew macchiatos and lattes that were enjoyable capable for this stodgy espresso snob. If you want a due acold brew, look elsewhere, but if you are happy pinch thing adjacent to nitro pinch minimal effort, nan Z10 will service you well.

Cleanup

The worst point astir this machine, and immoderate automatic instrumentality that incorporates milk, is nan cleanup. Because it draws beverage done tubes and into what is, successful effect, nan group head, you'll want to make judge you cleanable nan instrumentality and nan accessories aft each milk-based drink. Unlike pinch a semi-automatic espresso instrumentality and a steam wand, nan cleaning process is clunkier and much progressive than a speedy steam purge.

The Z10 comes pinch a cleaning tray and a cleaning solution that will past respective cleaning cycles, but you'll want to prime up thing for illustration Urnex Cafiza Powder for early cleanings.

Cons to consider

Unfortunately, we recovered dealing pinch Jura's customer work to beryllium a frustrating experience. One time into utilizing nan machine, we recovered we were incapable to brew java utilizing nan secondary sprout for pre crushed coffee. We entered a unrecorded chat pinch a technician's adjunct and were directed to a costs page to proceed chatting for $40. In our opinion, nary 1 should person to salary to consult a technician connected a astir $4,000 machine.

The marque doesn't make it crystal clear, but nan instrumentality is Bluetooth- and WiFi-compatible pinch nan summation of "WiFi Connect," a plug-in portion of hardware which you tin moreover run done Siri, but you'll person to bargain that separately, too. 

What are your alternatives?

For existent espresso aficionados, nan Jura Z10 is nan only super-automatic instrumentality that aces our tests. However, if you're consenting to sacrifice a small successful value aliases customizability, location are immoderate much affordable options

• Best automatic espresso instrumentality nether $1,000: Cafe Affetto – See astatine Best Buy
  This is simply a awesome preamble to making espresso, and is importantly cheaper than astir different automatic machines.
• Best Nespresso machine: Nespresso Essenza Mini — See astatine Amazon
  Nespresso Original machines usage a 19-bar precocious unit extraction strategy that produces a brew person to existent espresso than immoderate different pod brewer.

The bottommost line

In nan end, nary afloat automatic espresso instrumentality we've tried competes pinch a value semi-automatic instrumentality and a perfectly dialed burr grinder. But if convenience is your superior interest and you person nan fund for it, nan Jura Z10 is nan champion automatic espresso instrumentality connected nan market. 

The biggest downsides of nan instrumentality are its size, price, and costly accessories that we deliberation should beryllium included pinch nan almost $4,000 guidelines machine. Otherwise, this is an almost flawless instrumentality that makes astir cafe-quality espresso drinks pinch nary integrative aliases aluminum discarded astatine nan push of a button.

Pros: Best espresso we've tried from an automatic machine, makes almost each java beverage we tin deliberation of

Cons: Large, mediocre customer service, accessories (including WiFi connectivity) sold separately