The Jura GIGA 6 Review: GIGAntuan Overkill?

Usually, I get straight to the coffee machines, but this review starts with two health and safety warnings. First, never raid your joint bank account to buy a Jura GIGA 6 without consulting your partner. Ever. Second, take a deep breath before reading the next paragraph — I won’t be responsible for heart attacks.

With a price tag just shy of $4,459.00 — another deep breath — this ultra-luxury model is the most expensive super-automatic espresso machine I’ve ever reviewed. It’s also the biggest and heaviest — all in all, it’s as extravagant as a yacht with a helipad.

Truth be told, Jura coffee machines are not exactly the poster children for understatement or a low-key vibe. Quite the opposite. Much like its predecessor, the GIGA 5, the Jura GIGA 6 is not really aimed at average joe drinkers. Fair enough, you say, but is it the best super-automatic espresso machine?

In some ways, sure. A better question, though, is whether $4,459.00 isn’t excessive for an appliance that just makes coffee beverages with or without milk.

Of course, it is! Nevertheless, this monster of a machine still manages to knock your socks off from the get-go. It produces delectable coffee despite the price or perhaps because of it?

The Jura GIGA 6 at a Glance: A Coffee Machine on Steroids

Jura has gone large on every aspect of this model:

• Feature set
• Touch screen
• Dimensions
• Weight
• Water tank, etc.

Owned by Jura Elektroapparate, Jura Inc. has been systematic in supersizing fully automatic coffee makers. Not only do you get two electronically adjustable, ceramic, flat-burr grinders, each with its own capacious bean hopper, but there are also two pumps and two thermoblocks.

Thanks to all that gear, the Jura Swiss made coffee machine ensures that any and all brewing processes are performed at exactly the right temperature — no fluctuations. Of course, that temperature corresponds precisely to the notes you want to tease out from the beans under one of the two aroma lids.

In fact, in the same way that we refer to a portafilter with two heating systems as a dual-circuit machine, you could call the Giga 6 a true dual-automatic machine.

Considering how uncompromising Jura is on everything else, what’s with the aluminum casing? Sure, it’s shiny and better than plastic, but it’s also a very lightweight metal. Lots of cheaper super-automatic coffee machines get the full metal — stainless steel — jacket.

The Jura GIGA 5 vs the GIGA 6: Progress Through Technology

Much like with cars, flagship models are a good indication not only of the tech that will eventually trickle down to more affordable machines but also the way forward in machine developments. With Jura, that definitely seems to be smart coffee machines.

How can I tell? That’s where the gee-whiz upgrades are on the Jura GIGA 6, compared to its predecessor, the Jura GIGA 5. We’re talking electronically adjustable grinders and artificial intelligence that learns your preferences. In terms of looks, however, the two are almost identical, except that the GIGA 5 has buttons instead of a touch screen.

On the whole, the GIGA 6 is a complete package and has gadgetry — old and new — out the wazoo.

Highlights of the Jura GIGA 6

• Scales of up to 10 for typical settings
• Maximum options for personalizing each coffee drink
• Minimum espresso volume of 15 milliliters (half an ounce)
• Bean hoppers and grinders can be operated simultaneously
• Color display is automatically reorganized to reflect your favorite beverages, thanks to the AI
• Adjustable spout height and width

Justifying the price of the GIGA 6 is much easier once you cut through Jura’s murky marketing mumbo jumbo and get a clear understanding of the machine’s key automatic capabilities. Let me break it down for you:

Flaws of the Jura GIGA 6

By the same token, I’m not going to just pass over the machine’s few — forgivable? — flaws:

• By default, both grinders produce grounds for your cup on a 50/50 basis, so be sure to change the settings.
• As far as I can tell, you can’t adjust the ceramic, conical-burr grinders in the app.
• A few key settings are difficult to find in the app (see the grinders).
• As on other Jura coffee machines, the volume of milk froth dispensed is calculated in seconds, not ounces.
• The term “amount of water” is misleading.
• No milk pitcher is included in the box, but there is a wireless transmitter for the separate Cool Control jug.

We’ll dig into the first five flaws in more detail later. As for the last one, I’m going to get that off my chest right now: way to land a low blow, Jura!

The wireless transmitter retails for $33.05, but it’s worthless without the cute little Cool Control milk jug — and wait for it, it’s gouging at $329.00 for that.

Seriously? I just handed over $4,459.00 of my hard-earned cash, and Jura can’t even throw in a milk pitcher “on the house”?

If this doesn’t infuriate you so much that you refuse to use anything but the milk carton, you can get the machine in a bundle with an attractive-branded glass jug for just a little more.

Further adding insult to injury, the transmitter is also pretty pointless in and of itself: it only communicates with Jura Smart Connect, but you can’t link it to the app. I know, it beats me.

Despite those hiccups, it quickly becomes apparent that the Swiss intend the Jura GIGA 6 to live up to its OTT name and price tag. This is one pimped out super-automatic espresso machine. It’s designed for users who couldn’t be bothered with complicated settings but still expect gourmet coffee. Jura has gone to great lengths to spare you any unnecessary effort.

Dialing in the Jura GIGA 6: Artificial Intelligence vs Human Smarts

Now, it’s time to talk about the app trap. The question is whether an app improves ease of operation, adds to functionality or just bumps up the price of a Jura automatic espresso machine by several hundred dollars. In the case of the Jura espresso machine, I can’t say for sure.

As a rule, all functions that can be programmed using the one-touch options on the display and rotary switch are in the app menu. The exception appears to be adjusting the grinders. Despite a long search and a call to customer service, I got no joy.

Sure, even when changing the beans, you don’t need to reset the grinder every day, but I’m surprised that this function didn’t make it into the app.

In the end, I used the touch screen to adjust the grinder on the first bean compartment to the second-finest level and set the second hopper and grinder slightly coarser for comparison.

Thanks to the dual-heating systems, you can bet your bottom dollar that a Cappuccino made with grounds from the first bean hopper will be a textbook case of the differences to a Lungo made from the second hopper.

Like I said, the Jura GIGA 6 is far more than just a 2-cup machine — it’s two super-automatic espresso machines rolled into one. While all extraction processes are still handled by the same — non-removable — brew group, parameters such as brewing temperature and so on are adjusted for different beverages.

The catch is that you definitely need to check which bean hopper is selected before you start brewing. That’s because for reasons that Jura alone understands, the default setting is a 50/50 mix of grinds from each bean hopper. Who knows why.

Upping the grump factor on this point is the fact that this setting isn’t easy to find in the app. I had to bug customer service about this, too. The trick is swiping up to open the relevant submenu for each specialty coffee. At least all the other important parameters for making espresso, coffee and a Latte Macchiato are easy to find and can be programmed with great precision.

What’s more, there’s nothing superficial about the range of options for personalizing milk froth from the Jura coffee maker. Quite the opposite. You can completely rejigger every last detail, which pays off immensely.

With a minimum espresso volume of just 15 milliliters (half an ounce), Jura may have set a new record and is definitely ahead of the super-automatic-espresso-machine pack. Usually, you can pump up the volume for coffee up to 8 ounces.

Don’t let the terminology in the app and touch screen menu throw you off, either. “Water” just refers to the amount of coffee. In Jura speak, extra water — that you add to make an Americano, for instance — is called “bypass water.” Way to make things unnecessarily complicated, Jura!

If you were hoping that this machine would put to bed the debate about whether steel or ceramic grinder mechanisms are quieter, I’m going to have to disappoint you. My decibel meter reads 69.9 — neither infuriatingly loud nor impressively quiet. It’s simply audible.

Truly Divine Espresso & Coffee

As soon as you taste your first fine-tuned coffee from the Jura GIGA 6, the price suddenly seems a whole lot less insane. If there’s one thing I know by now, it’s that high-priced super-automatic coffee machines take coffee really seriously. In the case of the Jura coffee maker, though, it’s attention to detail verges on finicky.

For a glimpse into just what the machine could do, I tried making an espresso from the same beans — first with a fine grind and then a slightly coarser one.

Despite the marginal difference, the 2 cups had very different flavor profiles — the Coffeeness team preferred the finer grind with its intensely chocolatey notes. With its more pronounced brightness or acidity, the coarser espresso was also very drinkable.

As a real endorsement, I have to say I’m even happy slurping a boring old Lungo or coffee from the Jura espresso machine. Honestly, I have no complaints.

It checks all the boxes: temperature, body and coffee strength are spot-on. So, is coffee from the GIGA better than from the similarly sublime Jura Z8? I can’t say for sure.

One thing I can say without hesitation is that Jura is currently the undisputed champion of super-automatic coffee and espresso. Of course, all that glorious flavor doesn’t come cheap.

Milk Froth — It Doesn’t Get Better Than This

While we’re throwing superlatives around, it has to be said that this appliance whips up spectacularly good froth for milky coffee, Lattes and other delights. If you think that black coffee is as incomplete as a keyboard without the ivories, you’ll be grinning as broadly as Mauricio in our video review of the Jura GIGA 6 (in German only): “Milk Froth Three Fingers Thick!”

Who would’ve thought a “simple” cappuccinatore could produce those kinds of results? Of course, being Jura, that’s just the beginning: you can also tweak every imaginable detail — from the temperature, through the proportion of milk versus froth, to the volume.

There’s nothing stopping you from living the dream of perfect coffee specialties from the Jura automatic coffee machine.

By its very nature, the flat white is the final frontier for automatic milk frothers, but the Jura coffee maker produces mouthfuls of flavor and almost nails the creaminess perfectly.

As with other Jura coffee machines, I once again found myself scratching my head over what exactly a “second” of milk is supposed to mean. So, I finally rolled up my sleeves and got measuring:

• 1 second of hot milk equals 6 grams (0.2 ounces)
• 1 second of froth corresponds to 4 to 5 grams (0.14 to 0.18 ounces)

Milk has a density of about 0.6 ounces per cubic inch, which is about 1.1 ounces per fluid ounce. This, in turn, means that in one second, the machine delivers about 0.2 fluid ounces of milk. So, for just under 7 fluid ounces, the machine should run for about 35 seconds.

Cleaning: Trust Is Good, Control Is Better

I got fed up with ranting about the fixed brew groups that Jura — and Krups — insist on using. So, I’m taking the bull by the horns and running a long-term experiment over a year. At the end of it, we’ll see whether the Swiss automated cleaning is all it’s cracked up to be.

Until there’s evidence to the contrary, I continue to believe that coffee grounds find their way into places they don’t belong in the Jura GIGA 6. On the whole, though, the manufacturer has done its utmost to ensure that users clean its machines well. First of all, there’s the cleaning alarm, which tells you when it’s time for a thorough cleaning.

Much like the oil light in a car, you can ignore it for quite a while, but eventually, the machine will just quit on you.

In fact, Jura’s motto for its GIGA machines is very much “trust is good, but control is better.” In addition to keeping an eye on the bean hopper levels, the machine also monitors the drip tray, milk system functionality and the water tank. The oversight even extends to the filter.

I warn you that all of these demands for attention will probably get on your nerves, but they serve a purpose — ensuring your machine stays clean. What’s more, you can program the intervals between certain cleaning processes in the same way that you set the on/off time.

Amazon is also in on the plan to nudge you toward better machine hygiene with its Jura bundle that includes an extra filter, machine detergent as well as the branded glass milk container — all for nearly the same price of the GIGA 6. Who can argue nowadays that cleanliness is next to healthiness or that price?

Silver linings: it turns out that as a casing material, aluminum isn’t just a tinier version of stainless steel. That’s because you can pat, paw and prod at the Jura coffee maker as much as you like, and you won’t leave any nasty fingerprints.

Verdict on the Jura GIGA 6: Wow!

Like its siblings, the GIGA 5 and GIGA 7, the Jura GIGA 6 is often regarded as an automatic coffee machine for the catering industry. That means it oversteps the usual bounds of our super-automatic espresso machine reviews.

In reality, the GIGA 6 is not ideal for the foodservice industry. Despite its huge array of functions, it lacks a plumbed-in water connection and can’t churn out high volumes fast. Sure, you can get a single Cappuccino pronto, but you won’t be able to pump out 10 cups at record speed.

Instead, it’ll fit right in as an automatic coffee machine for the office or a shop. Does that mean it’s not a homebody?

Like I said at the beginning, this is a purchase that you need to weigh up carefully — together with your significant other. After all, everything about this machine is GIGAntuan: its functionality, coffee and fine foam technology, dimensions and price.

Let’s face it, you don’t need to shell out this much for a touch screen, shiny aluminum and chrome, electronic grinders, a ton of coffee specialties, excellent espresso and even great flat whites.

If the Swiss brand has stolen your heart, check out my Jura Z8 review or even the Jura Z6, which hits a sweet spot in terms of being a value for the money. To my mind, the DeLonghi PrimaDonna models do a better job of squaring that circle in the premium range.

Maybe you’ve got cash to spare. Although, honestly, you’d have to have won the lottery or have an awesome stock portfolio to contemplate the $4,459.00 it costs to get one. If so, be my guest. The Jura GIGA 6 is an outstanding choice that won’t disappoint.

My super-automatic espresso machine reviews are just half the story. Your experiences and opinions are the other half. So, please help me get the full picture and leave a comment.