When we decided to review the most popular coffee machines on the market, we had one request in mind: let us try out some of these new super automatic machines. Super automatic machines do almost everything for you and cut down on prep time, which is especially important when running a business or a website. Not only can one grind your beans, but the machine can also brew the water and even add just the right touch of milk on top. After sampling coffees, trying built-in recipes and drinking lots of coffee, we had to give a round of applause to the Jura Z6 Superautomatic Espresso Machine (View on Amazon.com).
Though it has espresso right there in its name, the Z6 also delivered great and delicious cups of coffee and cappuccino that we loved. It even comes with a pulse extraction process that gets more flavor out of all the beans that we tried. The Z6 from Jura is one coffee machine that won’t disappoint.
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Jura Z6 Compared to Others
Rank | Product | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jura Z6 Superautomatic Espresso Machine | Buy on Amazon | ||
2 | Jura J95 Carbon One Touch Automatic Coffee Machine | Buy on Amazon | ||
3 | Jura IMPRESSA J9 One Touch TFT Coffee Machine | Buy on Amazon | ||
4 | Hamilton Beach 40792 Espresso & Cappuccino Maker | Buy on Amazon |
Features
Rinse Cycle
The integrated rinse cycle on the Z6 ensures that each cup of coffee it pours tastes its absolute best. It does a simple rinse of internal components before brewing your cup and a second rinse once it finishes brewing. This lets you taste the beans and not the contaminants inside the machine.
Protective Hopper
Jura added a rubber gasket around the hopper that acts like a protective seal. This blocks out the air and helps keep the beans fresher. Even if you skip a few days, your beans will still taste as fresh as ever.
RFID Filter
When you buy an expensive coffee machine, you need to replace the filter regularly to keep blocking out impurities. Jura included a filter on this model that comes with an RFID chip. That chip will notify you when it’s time to replace the filter.
Sliding Spouts
With the two sliding spouts on the front, you’ll never again worry that your coffee machine cannot accommodate the size of your glasses or mugs. You can drop the spouts down to just a few inches for filling shot glasses. The spouts also rise large enough to work with dessert glasses.
Swinging Spouts
Those spouts also swing out and away from the machine. You can pull those spouts to get more room for brewing two cups of coffee or even an oversize mug. The spouts push together to quickly fill a standard cup too.
Pulse Extraction Process
Jura designed an innovate new pulse system that it calls its pulse extraction process. When making espresso and other single shot drinks, this system pushes water through the brewing chamber in a pulsating manner to extract more flavor from those beans.
Built-In Drinks
The next time you’re in the mood for something other than traditional coffee, you can press a button to reach the desired drink. The Z6 can make espresso, latte macchiato and cappuccino. With a latte macchiato, it will actually add milk first, then coffee and layer the ingredients in your glass.
Hot Water Setting
Use the hot water setting to rinse out your mugs before adding coffee to keep your drinks hotter than ever before. The hot water setting is also great for making tea and other hot drinks that use a powder.
Milk Setting
The milk setting makes it easy to add hot milk to your coffee and other drinks. It comes set to a one portion of milk foam that you can add to the top of your coffee, but you can adjust that setting to get more milk.
Automatic Milk and Milk Foam
The Jura Z6 Superautomatic also comes with a built-in and innovative system that lets it know when to switch from producing milk to milk foam. When making a latte macchiato, it will automatically pour milk in your mug and then add milk foam as needed.
Easy Maintenance
Proper maintenance will make any coffee machine last longer, but most users forget to rinse the tanks and clean other parts. The Z6 comes with easy built-in maintenance features that will automatically let you know when you need to clean it.
Top Coffee Grinder
With a built-in coffee grinder right on the top, you can now grind your own beans effortlessly. Simple select the grinding option from the display, decide on the type of grind you want and click enter. The machine will then quickly grind those beans for your next cup.
Second Hopper
In addition to the hopper on the top, the Z6 features a secondary hopper on the side. Also known as a bypass door, it lets you skip using your ground beans and use another type of coffee.
Pros
Automatic Features: The Z6 Superautomatic comes with a lot of automatic features not found on other models. It has an automatic rinse setting that lets the machine rinse out the brewing chamber between cycles and an automatic pre-infusion process. This adds a small amount of warm water to the beans to extract more flavor before grinding those beans.
RFID Technology: RFID technology used in this machine connect the filter and other components to the machine via a wireless system. This lets you know instantly when you need to take care of some routine maintenance, clean the machine or change the filter.
Movable Spouts: The spouts on the Z6 can move in a few different ways. While you can move those spouts up and down like you can on other models, you can also swing the spouts out. This gives you more space for using a larger cup or two separate cups.
Bypass Hopper: The bypass hopper or door takes this from an ordinary coffee machine. That door lets you use a completely different type of coffee with the machine and use it with different beans. It can also help you make hot chocolate, tea and other hot drinks with its various settings.
Cons
Rinse Cycle: While many like the automatic rinse cycle, some find it frustrating. The machine cleans itself fairly frequently and may enter a rinse cycle when you need to use it.
Lack of a Cup Warmer: The lack of a cup warmer means that you’ll need to rinse or warm your cup yourself. Jura used the hopper and grinding areas in the same place that most feature a cup warmer.
Final Verdict: Should You Buy This Model?
If you read this far down, you probably already know that we highly recommend the Jura Z6 Superautomatic. The main downside to this machine is that Jura skipped adding a cup warmer on top to make room for a larger hopper and grinder. That addition does let you store more beans and have more ground coffee for all your favorite drinks though.
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The only other issue is how often it enters a cleaning or rinsing mode. As those cycles keep the coffee tasting great, we can overlook it. While the Z6 is pretty similar to the Z9, which came out in the past, the Z6 is much easier to use and has a more intuitive design. You can use the Z6 Superautomatic from Jura in your home, in an office or even a business to provide everyone with their favorite drinks.
Comparable Models to Consider
Jura J95 Carbon One Touch Automatic Coffee Machine (View on Amazon.com)
A full-color TFT display is just one feature that coffee drinkers will like about this machine. That display provides you with full access to the entire menu, including both brewing and grinding settings. When you select a drink, that display will show you the amount of coffee, water and even milk that it requires. You’ll also get a milk canister that keeps your hot milk hot. Use the nozzle attached to the froth piece to fill the canister. The company’s patented fine foam technology ensures that the foam comes out looking like it does in a coffee house.
Jura IMPRESSA J9 One Touch TFT Coffee Machine (View on Amazon.com)
With a chrome finish and a TFT display on the front, this coffee machine almost looks like something from The Twilight Zone, but it’s so easy to use that you’ll get the handle of it in no time. That FTF display uses bold colors to help you see the drinks it can make and the settings that are available to you. The two adjustable spouts on the front raise and lower to accommodate cups of different sizes, and your cups sit on top of a drip tray that catches any excess liquid.
Hamilton Beach 40792 Espresso & Cappuccino Maker (View on Amazon.com)
When you want to make espresso and cappuccino drinks at home without spending a lot of money on a machine you won’t use that much, this Hamilton Beach maker is a good choice. While it doesn’t come loaded with amazing features, it does come with the same 15 bars of pressure found on professional machines. A Slide & Lock System lets you easily put in a new filter, and the system will keep that filter locked in place. It also comes with a removable water tank and drip tray for easy cleaning.