Jura S8 Review: Should You Upgrade to the New Version?

You can measure the success of a Jura fully automatic coffee machine by whether the Swiss upgrade a device with new functions in good time or banish it to the serial number cemetery.

To be honest, I expected the S series to be discontinued. Instead, there is now a second edition of the Jura S8 Coffee Machine. Its predecessor was far from my favorite, but it was definitely nicely priced for a Jura fully automatic machine.

The new features and functions don’t necessarily make this updated coffee machine much better. Still, they continue to give it a raison d’être. The only question is whether the upgrades justify the increased asking price. In this Jura S8 review I’ll discuss my experiences using the new model, and try to give you a clear idea of whether it’s worth buying.

Jura S8 Coffee Machine Overview

I get that super automatic manufacturers feel constant pressure to innovate. After all, they have to stay relevant in a really crowded and competitive industry. Still, the way Jura tried to cobble together a new “premium mid-segment” with the original S8 felt a little cynical and contrived to me.

Still, once I took a closer look at the Jura S8 Coffee Machine, I realized that it was one of the Swiss manufacturer’s most advanced and exciting super automatic coffee makers. Packed with high-end features, the original S8 cost way less than one of Jura’s premium segment machines.

While Jura went overboard with superlatives such as “ease of use redefines the zeitgeist” with the first edition of the S8 fully automatic coffee machine, they are now keeping their feet more firmly on the ground.

Here, it simply states: “The stylish S8 is a favorite among coffee lovers and design aficionados alike.” And further: “Innovation and indulgence in perfect harmony.”

It’s not particularly innovative, but the updated machine still opens up new possibilities – especially if you’re a fan of Jura’s proprietary syrup cartridge for the milk system.

Jura S8 Updates

Let’s not forget that the original Jura S8 was a fully automatic coffee machine with excellent cup results, numerous settings and controls that took some getting used to. Two separate spouts – one for coffee/hot water and one for coffee/milk caused not a little chaos and confusion!

The basic ideas have been retained in the second S8 fully automatic coffee machine. And the machine still doesn’t remind you to move the cup when you’re making a latte. However, you can still easily decide whether hot milk or foam should come out of the dispenser thanks to a simple dial on the nozzle.

This time, the real innovations are hidden inside the machine and concern technical details. The fine foam frother has been updated, the brewing unit and grinder have been replaced, and a few new ideas for the cleaning programs have been added. Here is an overview:

Except for the Sweet Foam function, none of this sounds particularly alluring at first, which makes marketing the new fully automatic machine somewhat difficult. Nevertheless, the innovations prove their worth.

That’s a relief, seeing as the S8 now costs $3,299.00. Seriously, that’s a very significant jump in price from the original model.

Jura S8 Automatic Espresso Features

One look at the original Jura S8 is all it takes to appreciate why this machine won a Red Dot Award in 2018. With its clean lines and sharp, modern aesthetic, the new Jura S8 is an even more striking coffee maker that’s going to look great in any kitchen.

Jura has obviously put a lot of thought into the S8, and the attention to detail that’s gone into the design of this coffee maker is immediately apparent.

Although the Jura S8 is packed with upmarket features, it’s actually quite compact. That said, the water tank is pretty huge and can be fitted with a filter as part of Jura’s Intelligent Water System (I.W.S.). There’s also a separate dispensing spout for milk-based drinks, meaning you can make a latte macchiato or cappuccino at the touch of a button without having to move the cup.

Let’s continue this Jura S8 review by taking a closer look at all the features on offer.

User Interface

One of the most striking features of the Jura S8 is its 4.3 inch (10.9 centimeter) full color touchscreen display. Where other Jura coffee makers employ a high resolution screen with buttons, this is the real deal.

I can tell you that the S8’s operating system is clear, functional and easy to navigate. Plus, you immediately notice that the touchscreen has been significantly improved. Whereas the original was rather laggy, this is now as responsive as a smartphone, making it easier to use. In other words, you can easily do without the app and operate the fully automatic coffee machine in real life!

Specialty Coffees

If you’re going to be investing this much money in an automatic coffee maker, you’d hope that the thing can make just about any specialty drink there is. Fortunately, the Jura S8 allows you to choose from a wide variety of specialty coffee drinks, including cappuccino, latte macchiato and flat white. And seeing as the machine is now equipped with Jura’s Sweet Foam function, there are tons more options on the menu.

With that said, not all coffee specialties are displayed on the screen by default; you must first raise them from deep in the settings menu to the home screen.

As you’d imagine, you’re able to adjust a range of settings including temperature, coffee strength, volume of coffee and volume of milk foam. This means the number of personalized specialty coffees you can get from the Jura S8 is almost limitless.

When it comes to espresso, the Jura S8 really delivers the goods. Thanks to Jura’s innovative Pulse Extraction Process (P.E.P.) brewing technology, the espresso you’ll get from the Jura S8 will be mind blowing. In my experience, P.E.P. allows the machine to achieve espresso that’s as good as any I’ve tasted.

Bean Hopper

In keeping with the Jura S8’s meticulous design, the weighty bean container lid is made from hand-polished die-cast zinc. Not only does the lid fit seamlessly into the machine’s streamlined silhouette, it also keeps grinder noise to an absolute minimum. Jura has really outdone itself here.

The metal lid has an airtight seal, meaning you won’t have to suffer through espresso made from stale beans. Plus, I just can’t say enough about the bean hopper’s high quality materials and design. It really shows Jura’s commitment to standing out from the crowd.

Grinder

Although the S8 is equipped with the updated P.A.G.2 grinder, nothing has changed volume-wise. And that’s a good thing. During my test, I measured an ear-friendly 67 decibels when the grinder was in operation.

Jura has now given us a scale on the grind adjustment dial, which makes it a lot easier to see which setting you’re choosing. The third finest level (out of seven) is an excellent starting point – whether for my coffee beans or any other roast.

In case you’re wondering, yes you can use pre ground coffee with the Jura S8! There’s a bypass doser compartment next to the grinder setting compartment on top of the machine. I can’t see myself ever using this feature, but it’s nice to have all the same.

On the other hand, I could envision it being useful if a guest wanted decaf coffee.

Water Reservoir

The Jura S8’s water reservoir clocks in at a whopping 64 ounces (1.9 liters), which means you’re only going to have to fill it in the morning. That is, unless you’re having an all day coffee party, of course.

I love the water tank’s ribbed design and the way it meshes perfectly with the overall aesthetic. The water reservoir can easily be removed and even has a metal carry handle. Again, this shows that Jura has put a lot of thought into the design of the Jura S8.

Jura S8 Water Filter

No matter which preparation method you’re using, fresh, filtered water really makes a huge difference to the taste of your coffee. That’s why the option to use a filter in the Jura S8’s water reservoir is such a huge bonus.

Not only that, the Jura S8 employs an Intelligent Water System (I.W.S.) which essentially means the machine automatically detects the CLEARYL Smart+ Water Filter then lets you know when it needs to be changed. The best part? You’ll seldom need to descale your Jura coffee maker!

Spout Height

Both the coffee and cappuccino/hot water spouts are height adjustable, which is a fairly common feature of the best fully automatic espresso machines.

The cappuccino spout offers a maximum height of 6 inches (15.2 centimeters), which means I could fit my Coffeeness latte glasses under there. Many travel coffee mugs would be fine as well.

What’s more important to me is being able to move the coffee spout down to 2.8 inches (7.1 centimeters). This allows you to preserve the thick, pillowy crema that the P.E.P. brewing technology creates. On top of that, it cuts down on annoying cleanup by eliminating messy splashes.

App

The Jura S8 doesn’t come equipped with WiFi connectivity, which is quite surprising, given the price point of this espresso machine. However, it does come with the manufacturer’s Smart Connect, which works via Bluetooth.

I have to say the Jura Operating Experience (J.O.E.) app is pretty cool, in spite of the terrible name. It allows you to prepare drinks, adjust settings and monitor levels on your phone, all from the comfort of your couch.

The J.O.E. app is also available for Apple Watch, allowing you to save three specialty drinks. If that’s your thing, you’ll be able to make coffee with just a tap of your wrist!

If you want to take things to the next level, you’re able to use J.O.E. to assign Siri shortcuts to some of your favorite specialty coffees. Remember to ask politely, and always say, “Thanks Siri!” Your coffee will taste better and you’ll feel good about yourself into the bargain.

The Jura S8 Coffee Machine in Use

As sophisticated as the Jura S8 is, it’s refreshingly easy to set up and use, even for those who’ve never used an automatic coffee maker before. In my experience, Jura has done a great job of creating machines that you can start enjoying without having to constantly reference the instructions.

First things first, you’ll need to add coffee beans to the hopper and water to the reservoir. If you haven’t installed a water filter, the Jura espresso machine will ask you to input your water’s hardness, which you can measure using the included test strips.

The touchscreen menu is remarkably intuitive, and you shouldn’t have any problems getting started with drink preparation. Anyway, the Jura S8 espresso machine is with you every step of the way, so there’s no need to panic.

What’s really cool is the ability to adjust settings “on the fly” while your drink is being prepared. The machine will then give you the option of saving those settings, once your drink is ready.

Of course, you can also venture further into the menu and fiddle with just about every setting imaginable. I highly recommend playing around with settings for espresso – the Jura S8 allows you to adjust temperature and strength, as well as lower the shot volume to an impressive 0.5 ounces (14.8 milliliters).

It’s not every super automatic machine that allows you to make such an authentic ristretto.

How Do Espresso and Coffee From the Jura S8 Taste?

With three brewing temperature settings and 10 coffee strength settings, you can have fun tweaking your coffee and espresso. However, I wouldn’t go above level 8 for the coffee strength. That would simply be too much and your coffee will taste bitter.

You can adjust dispensing volumes using sliders on the screen, following my usual tips – 1.4 ounces (40 milliliters) for espresso and 4 ounces (120 milliliters) for coffee.

As I’ve already mentioned, the cup result is, in typical Jura style, excellent. The S8 truly showcases my Coffeeness beans at their full potential – sweetness, freshness and a hint of sparkling acidity.

At 138 degrees Fahrenheit (59 degrees Celsius), the espresso could certainly be a touch hotter for many of you, while the coffee, at 158 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees Celsius), is absolutely spot on.

Warning: If you press anywhere on the touchscreen too enthusiastically, the brewing process will start immediately. This is annoying if, for example, you want to access the drink settings (long press) but only briefly touch the icon. I would have liked to have seen Jura add something like “Are you sure you want to start?” to negate this annoyance.

Best Coffee for the Jura S8

Jura S8 Milk Foam

 If you’ve read any of my other Jura coffee maker reviews, you’ll know how impressed I’ve been by the quality of the milk foam these machines can produce.

My only gripe has been the lack of a milk container. Come on Jura! For the price we’re paying for your machines, the least you could do is throw in a complimentary milk flask!

Anyway, the milk foam system on the Jura S8 has the addition of an awesome fine adjustment wheel, which means you can dial in the already fabulous milk foam even further. The ability to make real time adjustments to the Jura’s milk foam is a pretty special feature, and makes this one of the best latte machines out there!

On a less positive note, I believe the Jura developers probably prefer to drink their latte or cappuccino from a gap in the space-time continuum. I mean, I just can’t explain why they decided to measure the milk foam output in seconds. No one can do anything with it. Seriously, as soon as you use a new cup or glass, you have to start over with the capacity guesswork.

When looking at my old calculations for the first S8 edition, I noticed that this information is no longer correct for the new edition – despite using the same coffee glasses. In general, however, we can still assume the following basics:

With the new S8, this roughly translates to 33 seconds for a cappuccino and 42 seconds for a latte macchiato. Unfortunately, this information is completely without guarantee.

How Do I Clean the Jura S8 Coffee Machine?

The Jura coffee maker automatically flushes the milk system after every use, and will let you know when it’s time to perform scheduled deep cleaning programs.

Of course, you should always perform the coffee system cleaning cycle when prompted by the machine. Naturally, you’ll need to use Jura cleaning tablets during this process, and the S8 will guide you through the necessary steps.

Sometimes the seemingly smallest details make the biggest difference. The Jura S8 fully automatic coffee machine comes with a cleaning container that fits perfectly under both spouts at the same time.

If you decide against installing a water filter, you’ll need to descale the Jura S8 using . Again, the machine will let you know when this needs to happen. Personally, I recommend going with the water filter for better tasting coffee and less work!

I shouldn’t have to tell you that emptying the drip tray and coffee grounds container should happen every day. Go ahead and wipe down the machine housing with a damp cloth, while you’re at it; the Jura S8 is an expensive piece of kit, so you should keep it looking its sleek, snazzy best!

Jura S8 Coffee Machine Specifications

Jura S8 vs Other Super Automatics

So far, so good. The Jura S8 is obviously a pretty special coffee maker. Still, I always think it’s a good idea to see how my review subjects measure up to the competition.

Jura S8 vs E8

There’s a lot to love about the Jura E8 and you might find yourself torn between this Jura coffee maker and the S8.

After all, the Jura E8 shares many of the same features, including a fine foam adjustment dial on the milk frother. Plus, costing $2,250.00 on Amazon, this Jura coffee maker is a good few hundred dollars cheaper than the S8.

I guess the main deal breaker might be the E8’s lack of a touchscreen interface. It all depends on how you feel about buttons.

See Also: Jura E8 Review

Jura S8 vs DeLonghi Dinamica Plus

The DeLonghi Dinamica Plus might not be as pretty as the Jura S8, but it’s certainly no ugly duckling. There’s also the fact that the Dinamica Plus makes fantastic espresso and its LatteCrema system creates some of the best milk texture I’ve seen.

Add in the fact that this automatic machine has a fantastic touchscreen display and makes superb iced coffee, and its $1,799.00 price tag might just tempt you away from considering the Jura S8.

See Also: DeLonghi Dinamica Plus Review

Jura S8 vs Others Comparison Chart

Verdict: Jura S8 Coffee Machine

There is absolutely no reason not to like the new Jura S8 model. I could also see immediately that the Swiss have focused on essential aspects when updating this Jura fully automatic coffee machine and have created a well-rounded piece of technology.

But that doesn’t mean you have to throw your old S8 fully automatic coffee machine in the trash. As is often the case with updated fully automatics, the novelty value is limited. If you are already happy with your Jura machine, you don’t need a new one.

In addition, I find that the price-performance ratio that impressed us so much with the first edition of the S8 is no longer as impressive in the new version. But that’s no surprise with Jura.

Ultimately, if you want to save money and still get great results, consider picking up the original Jura S8 on Amazon before it disappears.

Jura S8 Coffee Machine FAQ