Coffee machines like Jura A1 have garnered immense popularity in recent times. These super-automatic machines simplify the way you make your cup of coffee, as they come with multiple features. But does a machine like Jura A1 deserve your time? We are going to find all about it in this review.
Jura A1 super-automatic machine automates the entire coffee-making process from your beans to the final cup. It comes with an inbuilt grinder that too with three different programmable features. You also get to choose from different strength levels of your coffee. There is an intuitive touchscreen as well in the play.
These features allow novices to work a great cup of coffee. But if you are an experienced coffee drinker who knows and understands how different coffees taste, then such a machine is a blessing for you.
A super-automatic machine is not for everyone. It works great for an individual who is actively occupied, and just needs a flavorsome coffee. Therefore, you need to make a decision wisely.
With all the arguments in favor and against it, does it actually need to be in your home or office kitchen, let’s find out!
Pros
- Use pre-ground coffee or grind it with the inbuilt grinder
- Switches to energy-saving mode when not in use
- Manually adjustable grinder for coarseness
- Compact design
- Less noise
- Pulse coffee extraction
- Touch display with different indicators
- Alerts you with maintenance needs
- Can handle travel mugs and small cups
Cons
- No milk frother
- No smart features
- Small brewing capacity
- Small hopper
- Heavy to move
Jura – The Brand
Jura is one of the top-notch brands in the world of coffee and it is well known for bringing innovative designs and features. For many years, the brand has allowed the users to make espresso-based beverages right in the comfort of their homes.
Jura’s entire focus is to provide its customers with a full bean-to-cup experience without much fuss. These machines are also equipped with frothing features for those brilliant latte arts for the coffee aficionados.
What makes Jura different is its machines that provide you with different choices when it comes to coffee volumes and flavoring strengths. And of course, you will be using that inbuilt grinder, so you can extract the maximum aroma and flavor in your cups.
Comparison Chart
| Features | Jura A1 Super Automatic | Jura D6 Automatic | Jura E6 Automatic |
| Flavor & Aroma | Rich, aromatic and creamy. | Strong and robust. | Rich, aromatic and creamy. |
| Water Reservoir Capacity | 4.5 cups (36.8 fl oz). | 8 cups (63.6 fl oz). | 8 cups (63.6 fl oz). |
| Ease of Use | Very simple with an intuitive touch display | Touch display with smart features. | Very simple with an intuitive touch display. |
| Design & Construction | Solid construction featuring hints of stainless steel and aluminum alloy construction and hard plastic body. | Hard plastic with stainless steel components. | Hard plastic with stainless steel components. |
| Milk Steaming | Airier and less creamy (with a steam wand). | More airy and creamy (with a steam wand). | Less airy and more creamy (with a steam wand). |
| Coffee Bean Grinding | Inbuilt grinder with 4.4 oz bean hopper. | Inbuilt grinder with 7 oz bean hopper. | Inbuilt grinder with 10 oz bean hopper. |
| Cleaning & Maintenance | Inbuilt maintenance cycles. | Inbuilt maintenance cycles. | Inbuilt maintenance cycles. |
| Value for Money | Meets the value. | Slightly expensive. | Expensive. |
| Extra Features | Aroma preservation seal, convenient programmability, adjustable spouts, and energy-saving mode. | All A1 features along with a milk frother, larger bean hopper, water tank reservoir along with smart capabilities. | All A1 features along with a milk frother, and even bigger bean hopper and water tank reservoir along with smart capabilities (smart-connect device sold separately). |
Jura A1 Super Automatic Review:
Flavor & Aroma:
Jura A1 can deliver a great tasting cup of coffee that is rich in aroma and flavors. And a lot of credit goes to the inbuilt grinder. You get to choose the coffee beans of your choice. And the freshly ground coffee that it uses to produce the cups significantly alters the taste. Therefore, you need to choose the coffee beans of the highest class if you are looking to experience the aroma and flavors that you crave for.
However, the inbuilt grinder is not the only thing that has its role to play in creating addictive taste. An aroma preservation feature present in the bean hopper will keep your coffee beans fresh. Moreover, you won’t have to remove the remaining beans from the hopper.
Coupled with the pulse extraction process allows the machine to pulse pressures during the brewing process for the optimal level of exertion. It ensures consistency in the flavor and aroma in each cup.
On the other hand, the Jura D6 can also produce the finest coffee but the foam that it can produce is a bit less creamy in comparison to the A1. Therefore, the coffee will taste more robust and strong. And if you are not a fan of that, this machine is not the perfect match for you.
The Jura E6 is equally effective in terms of quality and flavor of your cup. This machine can also produce a rich tasting coffee with velvety and creamy taste so it’s on par with the Jura A1.
Water Reservoir Capacity:
The water reservoir capacity of a machine tells you how frequently you will need to refill it. The Jura A1 comes with a capacity of almost 37 fl. oz. It means you can prepare about four and a half cups for every refill.
Now, that might not sound too much especially, if you consume coffee at high rates. It will serve you well if you are the only coffee fan around and you will have to get through the day with a couple of refills.
But when we talk about the water reservoir capacity of the D6 and E6 they both can handle the same number of cups per refill and that is 8. Therefore, they both have almost double of what the A1 has to offer. Hence, they both are great when it comes to serving a small group of avid coffee drinkers. Consequently, both are great for office use as well. The A1 on the other hand is better suited for home use.
Ease of Use:
Jura A1 features a touchscreen control panel so this machine is straightforward to use. This display tells you the current status of your machine and it can also tell you about the current water level in the reservoir and when your machine requires cleaning and maintenance.
Simple programmability features are also available. You can alter the size of your cup and you can also change the dose level in each of your cups according to your requirements. The machine also provides you with the feature to change the coffee strength from 8 to 10 grams of coffee per cup.
The D6 by Jura features smart controls. Therefore, you can also operate it with your smartphone even if you are not at home. You can also attend guests meanwhile your machine brews coffee for them. There are different automated features you can access through the app and it simplifies the entire coffee-making process significantly.
The E6 coffee machine just like the A1 comes with a display panel that allows you to access different controls intuitively. This screen tells you about the current status of your brewing process or what your machine is doing. It will also tell you whether it needs maintenance or not.
So for the people who want smart features, the D6 is the better option. But the controls that the A1 and E6 have to offer are quite intuitive enough to work for a regular coffee drinker. If you think that you need to get your hands on your cups right away when you enter your home then perhaps the D6 is the better option out of the three.
Design & Construction:
The A1 coffee maker is a very minimalistic design. With a compact footprint, you can fit it in anywhere you want. It looks pretty sleek and has a very elegant design. Therefore, it will look nice on your kitchen top. There is a lot of plastic used here in A1 but it’s still pretty sturdy. Its boiler is made of stainless steel and aluminum alloy.
A 5-ounce bean hopper is there too along with the 37-ounce water reservoir. However, the machine is pretty robust due to hints of metal as well as high-quality hard plastic so it is pretty bulky to lift and move around.
If you compare it with the D6 and E6 then you will notice that the A1 is significantly heavier than the other two machines. It is for this reason, the machine is very durable and can stand the test of time. The other two are slightly larger than the A1 but are also lighter. If you are likely to move your machine a lot from time to time then consider buying either D6 or E6 and if you are looking to durability then A1 should be your choice.
Milk Steaming:
In comparison, the A1 is at a serious disadvantage as it doesn’t come with a milk frother. You can only brew a good cup of coffee and nothing else. The coffee that it can produce will be very creamy but Jura A1 doesn’t allow you to test your barista skills when it comes to latte art.
On the other hand, the D6 allows you to work with its milk frothing features. An open-concept switch allows you to achieve this. However, the froth that it can produce will be a lot less creamy and it will leave you craving for more.
The E6 machine also comes with the same open-concept frothing switch but the results are much better here. The rich and creamy taste that it can produce will satisfy your coffee drinking senses.
So, the clear winner here is the E6 as it not only comes with a milk steaming option but it can produce satisfying results as well. However, if you are not a huge fan of milk frothing then you can buy the A1 as it doesn’t come with this feature.
Coffee Bean Grinding:
Jura A1 comes with an inbuilt grinder and it allows you to automate your coffee-making process right from the coffee beans. The machine features a bean hopper with a capacity of 4.4 ounces and it is a good-enough capacity for coffee lovers.
But if you are looking to serve several people more than that then the D6 will come in handy as it features a 7-ounce bean hopper.
So the A1 is a better choice for regular coffee drinkers while the other two can serve heavy coffee consumers as well. Don’t leave your beans in the hopper for long as they will lose their taste over time. And the cup that will result from them will also lack flavor. Therefore, choose the hopper size accordingly.
Cleaning & Maintenance:
Jura keeps all its machines as simple as possible for cleaning and maintenance. Therefore, it provides the users with all the instructions in the manual to go through the process step by step.
Apart from the cleaning instructions, all the machines by Jura also come with integrated features to make the cleaning process simple. You can choose from three different settings. These include descaling the machine, cleaning, and filter replacement.
You can choose any of these settings with ease according to your needs or the indication of the display of the machine. Daily cleaning your Jura A1 machine is very simple too and you can use a damp cloth to wipe it with ease.
Likewise, D6 and the E6 both are very easy to clean and descale and you don’t have to go through much to handle these procedures. It is one of the best features of super-automatic machines as you don’t have to do much to maintain them.
Value for Money:
In terms of value for money, the A1 meets the value. The only feature missing is milk steaming. If you need a milk-steamer, then you go for the other two options.
The D6 comes slightly more expensive than the A1 but it also comes with smart features. And if you are looking to operate your machine from outside your house then these features will prove to be very useful for you.
The E6 is a lot more closer in design and specification to A1 but it has a bigger hopper and water reservoir. You will also get a brother with this machine. And for these features, you need to pay double for what you are paying to get the A1 machine.
So it all depends upon your preferences and requirements from the machine. They all come with and miss some important features.
Extra Features:
The A1 comes with an aroma preservation seal, easy programmability, fully adjustable spouts, and an energy-saving mode. The machine also tells you when you need to clean it or what is the status of the water reservoir.
The D6 comes with smart features but you don’t get to choose the coffee volume and strength as you do in A1. The grinder and water tank are bigger and you also get to froth your coffee. On the other hand, with the E6, you can try different coffees and also froth them. There is a pre-brew aroma system as well. You have to buy a smart connect device separately for the smart features.
So you are paying for the frother, and extra bean hopper and tank capacity along with smart features if you are buying D6 or E6 and not choosing A1.
Who Should Buy the Jura A1 Super Automatic?
These are the reasons why you should buy the Jura A1 for your home.
- If you are a regular coffee consumer
- If you prefer back coffees and don’t need frothing
- Prefer to go for a fully automatic machine
- Prefer durability over style
- If you have compact space available
- If you are interested in ristretto, espresso will work for you too
Who Shouldn’t Buy the Jura A1 Super Automatic?
You shouldn’t buy the Jura A1 for the following reasons.
- If you refer after art
- If you like Americano
- Prefer to drink a lot of coffee
- Looking for a machine for your joint office with more coffee drinkers
FAQs for Jura A1 Super Automatic:
Can I hold coffee beans in the bean hopper for a long period?
The bean hopper does come with the aroma preservation sea that Jura has designed to keep the beans fresh for long periods. Therefore, you can store them in the hopper for days. Therefore, you don’t need to remove any remaining beans from the hopper when you are done making your coffee.
What does P.E.P do?
PEP stands for the Pulse Extraction Process and it’s Jura’s exclusive. It allows the machine to input pulse pressure during the brewing process it ensures the optimal brewing process for a more consistent flavor and aroma.
How can I descale my Jura A1?
Your Jura A1 will tell you when it needs to be descaled and it is usually after 80 switch on rinses or 180 coffee preparations. Just press the 2 coffee strength buttons on the machine at the same time. After that, press the two strength level symbols. It will light up the descaling sign. Carry on with this first prompt till the end. Go through the instructions carefully before you begin with the descaling process for better understanding.
You can also use a descaling tablet. It will not only remove the scales from your coffee machine but will extend its life as well.
Thus, you can indubitably enjoy the finest coffee in the world.
The Verdict:
Jura A1 is one of the best in the super-automatic category because it can automate the entire coffee-making process for you from coffee beans to your cup of joe. It comes with an inbuilt grinder and its three different programmable features allow you to alter the coffee strengths. The touchscreen control panel simplifies the process.
But, if you are an avid coffeeholic then this machine is not the right option for you because it has a small bean hopper and its water tank reservoir is small as well. It doesn’t come with a frother so if you prefer black, ristretto, or espresso without latte then the A1 is the right choice for you.
