Jura WE8 Review: Is Bigger Really Better?

I tend to get pretty excited when I get to write about Jura fully automatic machines, and I’m especially pumped to be bringing you this Jura WE8 review.

As it happens, this Jura coffee maker has slipped through the cracks here at Coffeeness, so it’s high time I take a look. After all, in comparison with other machines in the Swiss manufacturer’s Professional line, the WE8 seems to be way more affordable and approachable.

So whether you’re looking for a super automatic espresso machine for the office or for your family kitchen, keep reading to find out the skinny on this impressive beauty.

Overview: Jura WE8 Review

As it turns out, the Jura WE8 has been around for quite some time. However, I feel like it’s overshadowed by more high-profile machines like the Jura GIGA 10 and the Jura Z10.

To be honest, that’s rather surprising seeing as the WE8 brings almost all the best Jura technology to the table. And seeing as this model would make an excellent office coffee maker, its $2,499.95 asking price is very reasonable. At least by Jura standards anyway.

And just for reference, the Z10 costs $3,300.00, while the GIGA 10 will set you back a breathtaking $4,780.00.

So, what is the Jura WE8 all about? Well, it’s the most compact model in Jura’s Professional line, although it’s still a very substantial machine. Designed to excel in high volume environments, the Jura WE8 is rated for up to 30 drinks a day, making it ideal for use in an office environment. At the same time, I could easily see this baby appealing to those of you living in a large coffee-loving household

I’ll get into the specifics a little later in this Jura WE8 review. For now, though, I can tell you that both the bean container and water reservoir are enormous!

Sure, the WE8 doesn’t offer enticing features like a cold brew function or two grinders. In fact, the drink menu is actually fairly limited. Still, you can expect Jura’s proprietary brewing technology, a superb grinder and plenty more advanced features.

Ultimately, this thing will crank out some of the best coffee and specialty drinks you’ll get from any fully automatic machine.

Jura WE8 Features

As promised, I intend to get into the nitty gritty of what makes this machine tick. So, let’s continue my Jura WE8 review by discussing its wide range of special features.

Size and Design

Given the price of Jura coffee makers, I’ve always been surprised by how much plastic is used in their construction. Still, you can be assured that the WE8 will feel nice and solid, and all removable parts will fit seamlessly into the machine.

As far as looks go, the Jura WE8 is classic Jura – it looks sleek, streamlined and about as premium as you could hope for. Front and center is a large color display, surrounded by buttons. Up top, there’s an enormous 17.6-ounce (500-gram) bean hopper, and to the side there’s an equally large 101-ounce (3-liter water tank). What’s more, the generous drip tray hides a waste collection container that’ll hold up to 25 used coffee pucks.

In other words, this machine is definitely set up to make a lot of coffee without constant refills.

By the way, the Jura WE8 has fully adjustable dispensing spouts that you can move up or down depending on the size of your coffee cup. Even better, there’s a dedicated spout for milk-based drinks that’s also height-adjustable.

User Interface

Rather than a touchscreen interface, the WE8 coffee machine features a large, full color display surrounded by navigation buttons.

Personally, I have no problem with this. The control panel is super intuitive and you won’t end up with smudges and fingerprints all over the screen.

As you might expect, the control panel allows you to access a ton of adjustable parameters for dialing in your coffee drinks to perfection. You can play with coffee and milk volume, coffee temperature and coffee strength.

Oh, and the WE8 really excels when it comes to that last parameter. There are eight strength levels to choose from, with the highest value equaling a dose of around 16 grams of ground coffee.

Aroma G3 Grinder

I’ve discussed the Aroma G3 grinder at length in other Jura reviews. In short, this stainless steel conical burr grinder is extremely sophisticated, as well as very quiet in operation.

There are six grind adjustment levels to choose from, which might not sound like much. However, the Aroma G3 grinder has been precisely calibrated for espresso preparation and does a wonderful job.

You’ll find the grind adjustment dial in a little compartment located behind the bean hopper, and you should only make changes when the grinder is running. Incidentally, there’s also a ground coffee bypass doser in this compartment, which comes in handy if you want to prepare the odd decaf coffee.

Pulse Extraction Process

Many super automatic espresso machines fail to make convincing espresso seeing as they’re trying to emulate a semi-automatic espresso machine. However, Jura employs a proprietary brewing system to get around this problem.

The Swiss manufacturer’s Pulse Extraction Process (P.E.P) technology is very clever indeed. It works by pulsing jets of hot water through the coffee grounds in short bursts, resulting in espresso that’s almost as good as what you’ll get from a home espresso machine.

In my experience, espresso from a Jura coffee machine is rich, complex and full-bodied. What’s not to like?!

Intelligent Pre-Brew Aroma System

As you might already know, Jura loves to throw around important sounding acronyms and abbreviations. I’ve always called the manufacturer out on this, seeing as it comes off as being rather ridiculous. Still, if it makes them happy, who am I to complain?

Anyway, the Jura WE8 features the Intelligent Pre-Brew Aroma System (I.P.B.A.S.), which makes sure the coffee grounds are moistened under low pressure before extraction begins. This allows the coffee aromas to develop as well as carbon dioxide to escape. And the result is a more well-rounded shot of espresso.

Not to flog a dead horse, but couldn’t they have just called it “pre-infusion”?

Milk Foam

I’ve always been impressed by the quality of milk foam produced by Jura machines, so I can almost guarantee the WE8 will knock it out of the park when you’re making a cappuccino or flat white.

Rather than an integrated carafe, the Jura WE8 features a milk hose that attaches to the machine’s dispensing spout. You then put the other end in a container of milk.

At this point, I feel like it’s my duty to once again scold the manufacturer for not including a milk container with the machine. I mean, sure – you can spend $28.78 on a Jura Glass Milk Container, but having already dropped thousands on the machine you might feel a little cheated.

So, here I am on my soap box once again, imploring Jura to do the right thing and throw in a milk container with its machines. C’mon guys!

Specialty Drinks

Interestingly enough, the Jura WE8 doesn’t jump on the current specialty drink bandwagon.

Instead of a stupidly extensive menu of exotic-sounding drinks that no one really cares about, the WE8 offers just 10 options. These include cappuccino, flat white, latte macchiato and various espresso iterations like doppio and ristretto.

Of course, seeing as you’re able to adjust a bunch of parameters, you can easily make something like a cortado or espresso macchiato then save the settings in a user profile.

Intelligent Water System

As I already mentioned, the Jura WE8 is equipped with a 101-ounce (3-liter) removable water reservoir. That’s pretty huge, but it’s great if the machine is getting used all day, every day. Still, it might seem like overkill if you’re only using the machine in the morning. Plus, you don’t want water hanging out in there for days.

Brace yourselves, because here comes another silly acronym: I.W.S. This stands for Intelligent Water System, which is a super cool feature.

Essentially, you can install a Claris Pro Smart Water Filter in the water tank, which communicates with the machine via RFID technology. That way, the WE8 will let you know when the filter needs to be changed.

And as an added bonus, you’ll seldom have to descale your machine. Let’s call that a win-win situation shall we!

How to Use the Jura WE8

Getting started with the Jura WE8 will be a piece of cake, even if you’ve never used a super automatic espresso machine before. With that said, I’d fully recommend rinsing all removable parts first, paying special attention to the water reservoir.

Once that’s done, the machine will guide you through the initial setup. At this stage, you’ll want to install the water filter and input your water hardness.

Next, fill the reservoir with cold water and add your favorite espresso beans to the hopper. Incidentally, the bean hopper has a nice rubber seal to help keep your coffee beans fresh. Still, I’d recommend using a coffee storage container rather than leaving beans in there for an extended period.

Seeing as the machine’s user interface is so intuitive, I’d say you should just dive right into making drinks rather than spending time studying the user manual. Trust me, you’ll be making delicious coffee in no time!

When it comes to espresso preparation, I’d recommend adjusting the grinder to its second finest setting and reducing the volume to around 1 ounce (30 milliliters). As for the strength and temperature settings, feel free to play around until you’re satisfied with the results.

Jura WE8 Cleaning

For some people, the downside to owning a fully automatic coffee maker is all the cleaning and maintenance involved. If you want to learn all about what you need to take care of, check out my guide to coffee maker cleaning and descaling. 

Fortunately, Jura coffee machines make it pretty easy on you with all of its automated cleaning programs. For starters, you won’t have to remove the internal brew group seeing as that isn’t even possible. However, when the machine lets you know it’s time to run a cleaning program, don’t ignore it! Oh, and Jura throws in a couple of cleaning tablets with your purchase.

As for the milk system, it’ll need to be taken apart and cleaned at the end of each day’s use. Again, Jura includes the necessary equipment for doing so.

As I mentioned earlier, the Claris Pro Smart Water Filter communicates with the machine, so you’ll get an alert via the display when it’s time to change the thing. And seeing as the filter is so effective, you’ll hardly ever need to perform a descaling cycle.

With that said, you’re not completely off the hook. Once in a while you will need to descale the water tank using Jura Descaling Tablets. The process takes around half an hour, and you’ll find all the juicy details in the user manual.

Jura WE8 Technical Specifications

Jura WE8 vs E8

In many ways, the Jura WE8 is simply a larger version of the excellent Jura E8. However, the E8 offers more specialty drinks and has a more sophisticated milk foam system. In fact, there’s a switch on the milk nozzle which allows you to fine-tune the texture of your milk foam.

That’s all well and good, but the Jura E8 would struggle to perform in an office setting, whereas the WE8 has been designed to make dozens of drinks each day.

Interestingly enough, the Jura E8 is only slightly less expensive than the WE8. In fact, you’ll have to spend $2,429.33 to get hold of this superb machine.

Ultimately, it makes more sense to buy the E8 if you want a premium fully automatic machine for your kitchen. On the other hand, the WE8 is a better choice if you want to show your staff how much you appreciate them!

See Also: Jura E8 Review

Jura WE8 vs E8 Comparison Chart

Verdict: Jura WE8 Review

There’s a lot to recommend the Jura WE8, especially if you need a workhorse machine that’ll produce excellent espresso and milk foam. Sure, there are better Jura machines out there, including the Z10 and the GIGA 10.

However, when it comes to value for money, the Jura WE8 really delivers. I can think of many settings where the WE8 would be a real asset, including small hotels, offices and even small restaurants. With that in mind I’m giving the Jura WE8 full marks for its design, performance and ease of use.