Pros:
+ Makes great coffee
+ Highly customizable for strength, size, temperature
+ Energy saving features
Cons:
Serious usability issues
Low height of spout
More plastic than there should be in a product this expensive
Please forgive the length of this review, but for a product that costs as much as this one does, I think you deserve as much information as you can get.
I have owned a Jura Impressa E8 for three years and have been very happy with it overall. The Impressa J9 is Jura''s current top-of-the-line model and, at first glance, it looks the part. Gleaming silver body and chrome buttons and accents plus a color LCD screen make a positive first impression. This fades a bit when you notice that nearly all of what you see is plastic, including the chrome-plated spouts. Seriously, at this price point I expected stainless steel or chrome-plated brass here.
In front center, above the drip tray (whose chrome grille is pretty much the only visible metal) is the dual coffee spout. This slides up and down and the dual spouts pivot apart for filling two cups. (Note that coffee comes out both spouts at the same time regardless.) The height of the spout is adjustable between 2.5 and 4.25 inches, with the maximum distance between the spouts being 2.0 inches. I found myself wishing for a taller opening.
On the left side is another single spout which is used for milk and hot water. The standard spout serves as a mixer for milk, water/steam, and if you''re making a latte or cappuccino, dispenses both the coffee and the milk, which is a nice touch. The height of this spout is adjustable between 4.0 and 5.75 inches. This spout has a dial that adjusts how much air/steam is mixed in with the milk, which enters the spout through a port on the left. Into this port you insert a piece of silicone tubing (supplied) which can be run into a milk container or connected to the supplied stainless steel insulated cup with siphon tube. This cup is said to be able to keep milk cold for up to 8 hours, though only when full. The port is covered with a red rubber plug when not in use.
Below the center spouts are two LEDs, with a single LED under the frothing spout. These initially illuminate white but change to yellow while a brew is in progress. They go out after a short while after the serving is complete.
There are four hinged doors on top of the unit. The door on the left side exposes the water carafe, which is tall and narrow. A handle swings up on the carafe to assist in removing, holding and replacing. An optional "Clearyl Blue" filter sits inside the carafe with an extender that snaps on to bring it up to full height. You cannot see the water level once the carafe is in place an issue made especially annoying as the "refill water" indicator doesn''t come on until there is less than 8 ounces of water remaining, meaning that your last cup may not be full. The door on the right side covers a storage compartment which holds a spoon for pre-ground coffee, a hot water spout that can be swapped in for the milk frother, and the adjustment for the coffee grinder.
A small door in the center is where you would spoon in ground coffee if desired lifting that door triggers the pre-ground coffee cycle which is then started by pushing one of the buttons at the sides of the LCD panel within two minutes. A large door at the top rear surface exposes the bean hopper, which has an "aroma saver" inner lid and a plastic grille preventing you from getting your fingers near the grinder opening.
These doors on the top of the J9 are a problem for me. I have the J9 on a counter with cabinets above. The cabinets, and the moulding below them, are low enough that I can barely open any of the doors. I am able to, with some manipulation, get the water carafe out and access the storage bin, but the bean hopper is inaccessible unless I swing the whole unit around and out on the counter. Luckily I don''t have to do that every day. The side doors on my old E8 were narrower and easier to deal with, though I still had to pull the E8 out a bit to refill the beans which, on that model, were on the right side. Of course, if you have the J9 on an open counter, with unimpeded access to the top, none of this will be a concern to you.
The drip tray has four components. The large tray itself has two electrical contacts on the end that tell the machine the tray is inserted. The chrome grille (with a plastic grille underneath) sits on this. A secondary tray sits on the large tray and a plastic grounds container sits on this secondary tray. I noticed that the grounds container was made of a softer plastic than the one on the E8 and grounds tend to stick to it more.
Above the center spout is the LCD display with three buttons on each side. This is your primary interface to the J9. In normal mode, it presents six choices: Espresso, Coffee, Cappuccino, Latte macchiato, Hot water and 1 portion milk. Pressing the button by one of these choices immediately starts dispensing the selected item. On the top front surface of the J9 is a large rotary dial with a central push button. This is used to select additional beverage choices and to make adjustments. Flanking this dial are the power button and a P button used for programming.
If you spin the dial, you are shown all the standard beverage choices plus these: Ristretto, 2 Ristretti, 2 Espressi, 2 Coffees. You push the central button to make your choice, though if you choose a standard offering; it just takes you back to the main screen. Otherwise, pushing the button immediately starts dispensing the beverage. The double-portion choices double the amount of water used, but don''t double the amount of coffee ground, so don''t think, for example, that you can brew two 8-oz cups of coffee and get something good. However, it would probably work well for two of the smaller products such as espresso.
(By the way, in case you don''t know what a Ristretto is I didn''t the J9 makes it out to be a very strong espresso. Originally it was a "fast pull" of the espresso machine''s handle.)
No matter what choice you make, you can individually customize your cup, though the process of doing so I found awkward. On my old E8, I could select cup size before brewing and got mild, normal or strong by pushing the start button once, twice or thrice. On the J9, you use either the push buttons by the LCD or the dial to make adjustments, but your opportunity to do so is limited. For coffee and espresso, you can select one of five strengths only in the few seconds while the coffee is grinding. Then when the brewing starts, you can adjust the amount of water to be used in .5oz increments up to 8oz. For drinks that use milk, you instead select the number of seconds it will pump milk. For hot water you can select three temperatures; the manual says that "Extra Hot" corresponds to 203 degrees F, but I measured it at 170 in the cup.
You can, however, preset the customizations for each drink type using the programming menu and the "Expert Mode". These presets are used as defaults but can still be overridden while the beverage is being prepared.
When you first turn on the Impressa J9, the screen indicates that the water is heating and then it prompts you to press the dial''s button to initiate a rinse of the coffee system. This rinse uses far less water than the E8 did. Then you can make your selections. When you power down, it rinses again.
Ok, that''s a lot of words about the machine, but how good is the coffee it makes? Great! I found the coffee even more flavorful than what the E8 could prepare, and I had not even selected the strongest setting. The latte and cappuccino preparation was pretty good, though I found the milk foam to be no thicker than I ever managed to get from the E8. Earlier I got the Capresso frothPRO, which not only makes thicker, richer foam but is a heck of a lot easier to clean up afterward. However, if you''re making a lot of milk drinks in a row, you''ll appreciate the all-in-one convenience of the J9 just position your cup under the spout, push the button, and it does the rest.
Jura touts the energy-saving features of the J9, so I tested these. When the J9 is heating water, it draws 1300W, but I was amazed at how quickly it came up to temperature from a cold start, only about 15-20 seconds. When it is sitting ready to brew, it draws 3-5W. When powered off normally, Jura says that it draws 0.1W, but my "WattsUp" meter read zero, so it must have been even less than 0.1. There is also a rocker switch by where the power cord comes in (on the bottom right) that completely disconnects the power.
You can set an EnergySave mode. What this does is, once it has brewed, it does not keep the water at brewing temperature. This is indicated on the display. If you then want to brew a cup, you press a button and it takes 15-20 seconds to reheat, then you press the button again to start brewing. I watched my power meter when the EnergySave mode was disabled and didn''t see the heater come on too often. Jura says that this can reduce energy consumption by up to 40%, but if you want your coffee NOW, you will probably choose to leave EnergySave disabled. You can also set an auto-turnoff time which will shut the machine down after a period of no use that can be selected from 15 minutes to 15 hours.
The coffee and milk systems get cleaned independently. The machine will remind you to run a brewing cleaning cycle every 200 cups or so. This is done using a Jura cleaning tablet that is inserted into the ground coffee funnel. The machine then soaks, sprays, and rinses the system and then flushes with water this takes about 20 minutes. When you do this, you must place a cup under each of the coffee and milk spouts. About 8 ounces of solution get discharged into each of these cups.
The milk frother is supposed to be cleaned after every use. The usual way of doing this is to add a small amount of cappuccino cleaner (an initial bottle is supplied) in 8oz of water and let the milk tube suck it up into the system. There''s a cleaning option in the programming menu to do this. By default, it won''t remind you to clean the frother, but you can enable that if you wish.
On my E8, I discovered that the stainless steel filter/strainer, inside the machine, would get gunked up with coffee grounds and oil over time. Eventually this would prevent coffee from flowing and what coffee you did get tasted bad. I know a lot of people griped about having to send their E8 back to Jura for "repair", but I think many of them could have fixed the problem themselves. The J9 seems a bit less prone to this problem as the clean cycle does a halfway-decent job of cleaning the filter, but I''m going to show you how you can help.
I have attached three photos to the product page. The first shows the view inside the opening when you have removed the drip tray. Notice the brown plastic flap with a slanted edge hanging from the top of the opening. This flap is hinged and spring-loaded. Up behind it is the brewing mechanism and the filter disc see the second photo. In this photo you can see the disc after just a few days of use. The third photo shows the same area after a cleaning cycle has been run much better, but not perfect.
What I recommend is: once every couple of weeks or so, take a damp paper towel. Reach into the opening, and with your fingers (and the towel), reach up behind the flap (you can pull it forward a bit don''t force it) and wipe off the strainer and surrounding area. You may need someone with long fingers (or small hands) to do this. You won''t be able to see what you are doing, but you will be able to feel the disc with its central screw. Cleaning this regularly will keep the quality of the coffee consistent and reduce the chance of problems down the road.
Some miscellaneous stuff you should know. The J9 comes with one filter plus a water hardness testing strip. If you choose to not use the filter, you are supposed to test the water hardness and set the value in the programming menu. This controls how often the machine will prompt you to run a descaling process. The descaling tablets must be purchased separately. If you use the filter, you don''t need to descale, but do need to replace the filter every two months. Make sure you get the right kind Jura has two incompatible types of "Clearyl" filter. The one you want is Jura 67879 Clearyl Water Care Cartridge for ENA.
Also in the "Welcome Kit" are two cleaning tablets, a bottle of cappuccino cleaner and manuals in multiple languages. I highly recommend visiting Jura''s web site and downloading the manual so you can go over it before purchase.
I hope you found this review helpful if you have additional questions, ask in the comments and I''ll do my best. The J9 is expensive, to be sure, but if you buy it, you''ll get a machine that makes fantastic coffee in multiple styles, and quickly. I do have some quibbles with the design as far as usability is concerned, notably the positioning and size of the top doors and the quick reflexes you''ll need to make adjustments when brewing a cup. With proper care, it should last for years.
I have had a Capresso C3000 super automatic for many years that I was starting to have some minor problems with (small water leak, tray sensors corroding) and decided it was time to get a replacement. I work from home and tend to drink coffee most of the day so I''m looking for something that works reliably and for a very extend period of time. I started looking at the new super automatics from the Jura Capresso based on the longevity of the old C3000. I will admit, it''s the TFT display that really caught my eye on this one. I started looking thinking that I''d end up with a Z series, but the TFT display was what veered me over to this one.
It comes pre-loaded with default recipes for latte macchiato, cappuccino, an espresso shot, a ristretto shot, coffee, coffees, hot water, and steamed milk. All of the recipes can be customized via "Expert Mode". You can adjust the strength (1 5 beans), volume in ounces or mL''s), steamed milk amount (based on time in seconds). You can also adjust all of the parameters while making the drink without saving, which is great for guests. Basic operation is very simple and straightforward. The TFT display makes this super user friendly. Anyone can easily scroll thru using the wheel on top of the machine and pick whatever type of drink they want. Or, you can select most drinks directly from the TFT screen as well. For two shots or two cups of coffee, hit the button twice. You can also enter the recipe modification mode by holding the drink selection button as well. Grind adjustment is via a knob under the back right top cover. It also displays graphics of your drink while it''s being made.
The coffee seems to be a bit stronger on this than on my old C3000, but I love the fact that you don''t have to move the cup for lattes and cappuccinos. And, the insulated milk container (included) really does keep the milk cold all day.
I was a bit disappointed when I first got the machine and went looking for the "Auto On" function that turns on the machine at a set time to warm up. After I really started using the machine, I realized this was really not needed. It''s typically heated up and ready to go by the time I get the milk container out of the fridge and connected.
Maintenance and Cleaning: If you use steamed milk, I highly suggest changing the setting to display the "Rinse Milk System" prompt to appear right after using. The default is 10 minutes, and you cannot select this rinse from the Maintenance menu. The quicker you rinse out the milk residue, the less likely you are to get clogs. The manual also suggests to use the Jura Cappuccino Cleaner daily. I tend to rinse often and do a breakdown cleaning of the milk system and frother about every other day.
The drip tray on the J9 TFT is very different that what I was used to on the C3000. It has 4 parts (bottom tray, top tray, grinds container, and grill) but the material seems much easier to clean that the drip tray on my C3000.
There is a bar graph style indicator in the Maintenance menu that shows you when cleaning and filter changes are due. I''ve always cleaned my old one as least once a month with a tablet and about once a week using a cleaning cycle with just water. This machine does use the new Clearyl Blue filters.
One other thing, the coffee only dispenser does not rise up high enough to use with any of the travel mugs that I have, but the milk frother/coffee dispenser side does.
Overall, very happy with my purchase so far. It has the Jura quality that I''m used to, makes great coffee, everything can be customized, easy to clean, and has a neat screen on the front :-)
Buy Jura Impressa J9 One Touch TFT Coffee Machine Now
If you are reading this, you are likely both a gadget lover and a coffee enthusiast, or are considering the J9 as a gift for someone who fits that description. Having tested it for a month and a half, I am still finding surprisingly thoughtful aspects. For example, I found that holding down any button while coffee or milk is pouring prompts you to let it know when you have as much as you want. This is perfect for those odd size cups you can''t estimate the volume of, or adding milk foam to the top of a cup of hot tea. It is this attention to detail that really defines the experience with this coffee machine.
Because others have given very good lengthy reviews, with even more available on Youtube, I will give my brief thoughts:
FLAVOR
As expected from the Jura brand, the flavor is excellent. More accurately, the flavor is finely tuned to the user, as the way it is brewed, including strength and grind, is very customizable. Regardless of how you like your coffee, the J9 will likely make it just right and consistently. I have used both very high end and standard beans, and was pleased with both, in the sense that the best flavor and consistency was brought out of both. Of course, the better bean gave the better coffee. Different coffee types are all produced equally well, with black coffee being something beyond the typical office brew and espresso having a beautiful crema and serious punch. A filter is integrated to give better water quality as well, though it can be left out if you want to avoid the cost of replacing it.
INTERFACE
The screen, which seems to add a hefty sum to the price, could be considered a gimmick. For some reason, they brag that it is TFT in the product name, though that is not an impressive screen technology. However, having a screen and buttons (no touch interface) allows for simple and intuitive customization. You can set every parameter of each coffee type quickly and without ever looking at the manual. This makes customization something everyone can have fun with, rather than a daunting task for the professional. If you purchase this unit, I recommend playing with the settings and creating your ideal coffees rather than sticking with the presets. It is a primary reason to own a fancy coffee machine. Some changes can also be made on the fly, such as the above mentioned ability to change the volume of coffee and milk.
CLEANING
The machine includes some consumables for the cleaning, of which extra will need to be purchased (or DIYed) as needed. Other than this issue, cleaning is a breeze. The machine lets you know when it needs to run self-cleaning modes, if you don''t do it first, and they are automated. The coffee grounds are ejected as cute pellets and can be thrown away more regularly. The tray will not let itself overflow, because it has sensors to let you know it is time to empty it.
DESIGN
This is my only real sticking point with the machine. For something in this price range, it is sub par. Other than the front plate and tray lid, it is largely made of plastic. The silver color is painted on and easily scratched off, revealing the black plastic underneath. It is strange that they did not at least use silver plastic to avoid scratches showing. Those scratches might occur while trying to open the top flaps, since the unit is a bit too tall to fit under a standard kitchen cabinet. The spouts on the front are chrome plated and feel cheap. Also, the chrome plated wheel on the top for menu navigation does not have smooth movement and feels very plasticky.
Other than the strange design compromises, the J9 is a really wonderful coffee machine. I can not imagine anyone being disappointed with it in that regard.
Read Best Reviews of Jura Impressa J9 One Touch TFT Coffee Machine Here
This coffee maker exceeds all my expectations. It''s quick to program the drinks to your specifications. Machine is easy to use and even easier to clean. It is worth every penny.
Update: Thank goodness for Amazon. Jura has no customer service. One week after purchase the machine started having trouble making espresso. I tried all their troubleshooting methods; increasing the grind, cleaning, and descaling. By week two, the machine could only steam milk. I called Jura and left multiple messages. I also emailed them. After no response I submitted a return to Amazon. They took back this expensive paperweight, paid for shipping, and gave me a full refund. Again I say, thank goodness for Amazon. I still haven''t heard a word from Jura. Bottom line: this machine is a lemon
All instructions were followed exactly according to the manual. Defective machines happen, but ignoring them loses customers.
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This is our third Jura Capresso machine, and, although we just got it, we can already tell that it''s an outstanding machine!
Prior to this, we started with a basic Jura Capresso Impressa machine, and then moved to a Jura Capresso ENA4 when the Impressa gave out on us after a few years. Before that, we had had a Saeco automatic machine, but we''ve found that we prefer the Jura brand overall: it puts out stronger coffee, looks sleeker out in the kitchen, and is easier to clean and upkeep.
Since a lot of this machine is automated, it definitely has more of a learning curve to it. Fortunately, the instruction manual it comes with is very thorough, and I hope to read through it a few times since I tend to be a bit more technically challenged. It took us about an hour to set it up, read through the basic instructions, and make our first espresso with it. (We don''t plan on getting much sleep tonight since we''ve been playing barista since it arrived a few hours ago!)
The many programmable features, however, make it wonderful, and I love the fact that it comes with pre-programmed settings. It has programmed settings to easily and quickly make the following items: espresso, coffee, cappuccino, latte macchiato, hot water, or hot milk, as well as doubles of anything.
You can also pre-program the sizes of your drink. We''ve found this to be really convenient with our last automated Jura since we like to have pre-set drink sizes for our morning to-go coffees.
My husband uses just cream in his coffee and espresso, but I usually drink mine as caffe lattes. For such, I use either skim milk or soy milk, and it has steamed both beautifully, leaving me with wonderful foam, if I desire it. I can already tell that the metal frothing can it comes with is going to be a pain to clean since it''s not dishwasher-safe and has a plastic tube that I can see becoming clogged rather easily. Despite that, it froths really well! Instead of putting a steel frothing pitcher under a pipette/tube as I''ve done with previous models, you use a plastic tube; you attach one end of the tube into a small hole in the frothing device, and the other end into your pitcher of milk. The Impressa knows exactly how much milk to steam and foam, based on the type of coffee you select (cappuccino or macchiato) and the size of your brew. This is one smart machine!
One big piece of advice is that when you have an automatic machine like this, you shouldn''t use oily or greasy beans. We buy beans from a local coffee brewer or stock up on the Lavazza Super Crema Espresso beans and get them on Subscribe and Save from Amazon. Using the proper beans will ensure that you have a nice crema on the top of your coffee. The type of beans you use makes a huge difference in the quality of the coffee a machine like this makes, and we''ve found that the Jura makes cafeor restaurant-quality espresso.
Be warned, too, that the upkeep of Jura machines is also more expensive than that of a Saeco. The cleaning tablets and Clearyl filters you have to buy can add up, so just know that upkeep of this machine is another cost to factor in. I think we have to replace the filter about once every three to four months on our last machine, and that is with us making about five to ten shots of coffee/espresso each day.
Overall, we love our Jura so far, and know we''ll love it as much as we''ve loved our last two! It''s one of our more expensive household "toys," but, if you''re serious about your coffee, you''ll love having one of these coffee centers. After all, it''s the little things in life that make a difference, right?
I will also be sure to update my review as we use this more.
UPDATE ON 10/30/11: As we''ve used this more, I''ve come across a few more negatives that I wanted to be sure to include in my review:
* the instruction manual is much too brief; we''ve had to find online reviews and forums to find ways to program the machine to suit our needs (the Jura website hasn''t been any help)
*the plastic material used to make this isn''t as nice as it could be; after only owning it for a few days, we already have a knick/scratch on the front; we''re really careful with our possessions, and aren''t even sure how this happened; the plastic dredge drawer could also feel more substantial
*it''s a bit frustrating that you can only steam milk by using the plastic tube, which is hard to clean; this does make for perfect foam, but I prefer our older, more traditional model, whereby you frothed/steamed milk under a tube in a steel pitcher
Overall, though, I''m still keeping my five-star review for this since it makes excellent coffee!
UPDATE ON 12/31/11: I also wanted to add that if you use the milk frothing system on a regular basis, you will definitely want to run the cleaning liquid (one bottle of which is included with the machine) through the system every few days. The manual suggests doing this every day, but I''ve found that every four to five days works fine. It only takes a few minutes to do so, and it makes a difference in the foaming of the milk.
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