Jura E6 Fully Automatic Espresso Machine: Tested and Approved

#1 Automation

The magic of the Jura E6 is that you need absolutely no skills whatsoever to make a delicious, customizable espresso beverage. It has the option of adding ground coffee to make espresso, and with whole beans that live in the hopper, you can make a freshly ground espresso shot, macchiato, or cappuccino with a single button push. Brew espresso then opt for hot water to make an Americano or customize a cappuccino by brewing espresso and milk foam separately.

The machine rinses itself when you turn it on, then again after you use it. The only work you do regularly for coffee and espresso is refilling the water tank and emptying the drip tray, both of which are very simple tasks. And you don’t even have to figure out when to perform these tasks: A request appears on the screen, letting you know what’s needed.

All drinks are customizable in strength and temperature, with the option to save a certain recipe as your favorite. Once you do, those settings become the default until you save different ones.

#2 The Taste

Advertising “P.E.P.” technology, which stands for “pulse extraction process,” Jura claims the taste of its espresso can’t be beat, and the water system also includes an “intelligent water system” filter. So to test this machine, I intentionally bought mediocre espresso beans that were a far cry from the specialty coffee blend I’m used to purchasing for my French press. I have honestly never tasted better espresso than this machine makes. It is amazingly smooth, with none of the bitterness or sourness that espresso can have, while simultaneously being very rich in both texture and flavor. I’ve brewed espresso in it at settings from weak to strong, and I love them all.

The Jura can also brew coffee from whole beans. This option, too, was admittedly far superior than what I’m used to from my French press, which I tried with the coffee I had on hand that had been ground for French press, as the machine can grind it further if needed. Over the years, I’ve used various French presses as well as several drip machines and a couple pour-over makers. This surprisingly made coffee that was simultaneously smoother and deeper than any before.

#3 The Foam

Whether you love whole milk, half and half, almond, or oat milk, the Jura E6 creates thick, even microfoam with no unsightly bubbles. Cold milk comes out perfectly hot, and even though non-dairy milks can easily taste scalded, they shine through with this machine. And did I mention you need no foaming skills at all? To make foam, you attach a tiny hose into a cup of milk, then select the drink you want. I quickly learned that a 25 second foaming of 5 to 6 ounces of milk will create the perfect quantity of foam for a 10-ounce cappuccino and set that duration as my favorite.

For a cappuccino, the bulk of the foam is a thinner microfoam, with a denser, dryer bit on top. There’s no way to create a dry cappuccino from the cappuccino setting, but I was able to make one by brewing espresso and milk foam separately and spooning the dryer foam on top of the espresso.

#4 Cleaning

I was a little concerned about how high maintenance the Jura would be to keep clean, but it’s no big deal at all. If you make an espresso or coffee drink without milk, you won’t have to do anything for cleaning. If you make a drink with foamed milk, after you make it, you’ll dip the hose into a basin of warm water and rinse the milk system with a touch of a button and the opening/closing of the steamer switch.

If foaming milk, the milk system needs to also be cleaned that day, whenever you’ve finished making drinks. The machine comes with multiple tiny cleaning tablets, and you place one of those into an included container with warm water. You’ll open and close the steam toggler, then after it’s washed, you’ll place the hose into a fresh glass of water. The entire process takes just a minute or two.

One final note...

With a price tag of over $1,000, I was highly skeptical that a coffee center could be impressive enough to be worth it. This machine is strongly worth investing in.

Why Trust The Spruce Eats?

Ariane Resnick is a special diet chef, certified nutritionist, and bestselling author of five health-oriented books. She’s also a terrible barista who’s thrilled to make professional-quality espresso drinks at the touch of a button.