DeLonghi vs Jura: A Save or Splurge Showdown

Coffee Quality

For the best quality coffee, Jura wins hands-down every time. They have a huge list of acronyms that explain how they get the most flavor from the coffee beans. They really work too:

The pulse extraction process (P.E.P) and 3D Brewing (ensuring water evenly extracts flavor from the puck) give great depth of flavor. They also tend to use a slightly larger dose than other super-automatic coffee machine brands.

DeLonghi machines don’t make bad coffee by any stretch. A good quality espresso is pretty much guaranteed with a super-automatic DeLonghi. But the same level of attention to detail and weight of technology just isn’t there when it comes to extraction. It shows in the price and the espresso flavor.

So if the coffee quality is your main focus, then Jura is the espresso machine company for you.

Features

Jura does one thing and does it really well: make super-simple, super-automatic espresso machines. Everything about these machines is designed to make your life (well, coffee life at least), as easy as possible.

All you need to do is select your preferred coffee drink and the machine will take care of the rest. Your involvement is limited to making a few customizations and maybe moving your cup a few inches to the right for the automatic milk to be dispensed.

DeLonghi’s range includes semi-automatic and automatic machines. They require more input from you but are jam-packed with features to give you maximum flexibility.

Looks

I know I know, looks aren’t everything. But if you’re going to invest in a giant coffee-making box, you don’t want something hideous dominating your room. And the visual design is a big factor that separates Jura vs DeLonghi.

Every one of Jura’s super-automatic espresso machines makes a statement. They are sleek, minimalist, and have clean lines. Whilst they don’t look like traditional espresso machines, they do look eye-catching and beautiful. 

On the other hand, DeLonghi prioritizes functionality over form. So their machines look more utilitarian, particularly at the more budget end. 

Budget

No matter what espresso machine you’re looking to buy (or any product, for that matter), the price tag will always be the most limiting factor.

DeLonghi and Jura position themselves at different ends of the pricing spectrum. The price for a De’Longhi machine varies from $120 up to $1800. Whereas, a Jura will set you back anywhere between $1000 and $6000 for a home machine (they also have more expensive professional-grade machines).

So to get the most bang for your buck, DeLonghi is the clear winner. But if you’re after something simple to use, pretty to look at, and you have the money to spend then you can’t go wrong with a Jura.

Jura ENA 4

Visually the ENA 4 looks fantastic. With a large display and minimalist buttons, the front of the machine is beautifully simple. The diamond effect water carafe looks nice and is more scratch resistant than plainer water tanks.

The ENA 4 is 10.7” wide by 12.7” high and 17.5” deep. So it’s still a substantial coffee machine although not being too wide does help with counter space. Overhead cabinets could be an issue as the bean hopper and water filter are accessed from the top.

All super-automatic Jura coffee machines are well-built and this is no exception:

The relative simplicity of the ENA 4 and the top-quality manufacturing of the brewgroup and grinder means this machine should last you close to a decade. Plus, the minimalist style means it’s unlikely to look dated in 10 years either.

DeLonghi Magnifica Evo

Currently, it feels like most coffee machines are opting to use light-up pictures as buttons, and the DeLonghi Magnifica Evo has jumped on this trend too. But they look nice and the housing made from plastic silver and black is unlikely to go out of fashion any time soon.

At 9.5″ wide, this DeLonghi coffee machine is narrow than the Jura ENA 4 but it’s taller at 14.2″. Although they both have the same depth (17.3″). Being narrower could be a big advantage if you’re looking at a cluttered countertop and wondering where you can slide your machine in. But that extra height makes coming into conflict with cabinets all the more likely.

All DeLonghis are high-quality espresso machines that are well-built but they feel a little cheaper.

For example, the water carafe is lighter and the drip tray feels flimsy. However, these are subjective criticisms that might not be important to you. What is important is that the DeLonghi Magnifica Evo is very well-built where it matters: the brewgroup and the grinder.

Winner

The Jura ENA 4 is clearly the better-looking fully automatic espresso machine. And, with not much to choose between them on size, we’ll take the superior looks and build of the Jura every time.

Jura ENA 4

Being easy to use is one thing that all Jura machines share.

The buttons and large screen on the ENA 4 make choosing and customizing your coffee very simple. You can even connect to the J.O.E. smartphone app if you prefer (although you need to buy the separate WiFi Connect dongle first).

There are also very limited options on the ENA 4, which ultimately does make it easier to use than other coffee machines. You can choose:

• Espresso, coffee, or doubles of either
• 1 of 3 strength levels
• To customize the length of drink

In practice, this does mean you could have ristretto, lungo, espresso, or double espresso as your 4 options with the correct setup. Which is quite cool. But this is fewer options than other affordable super-automatic espresso machines, including the Magnifica Evo.

DeLonghi Magnifica Evo

The Magnifica Evo doesn’t have a dedicated screen to help you keep track of what it’s doing. Instead, you have to pay attention to which bits are lit up. Not that this is complex.

With 3 strength settings and the ability to tailor the size of your coffee, you simply push the button for the coffee of your choice and you’re done.

The different coffee options may also be confusing. The basic Magnifica Evo model has coffee, lungo, and americano. But, by playing with the settings, these can all be tailored to make different specialty coffee drinks such as a double espresso. The LatteCrema model offers different choices but also has a MyLatte slot where you can save your favorite coffee recipe.

If you want to drink milk-based drinks, this will work differently depending on your chosen model. The slightly more expensive model with LatteCrema will automatically dispense your chosen amount of milk for your chosen coffee.

Or, if you prefer the manual option, the milk wand is also very easy to use. You can select the ‘Steam’ button from the display and use the small lever to activate the wand.

Winner

This is a dead heat between two hassle-free coffee machines.

ENA 4

First things first: the Jura ENA 4 isn’t designed to make any coffee concoction you can dream up. It’s exclusively for black coffee drinkers. More specifically, espresso or lungo drinkers. So if that’s not you, it doesn’t matter how customizable it is as it’s not going to suit you.

That said, the Aroma G3 grinder on the Jura coffee machine is superb and gives you 6 grind settings to choose from. You don’t even need to use it on the finest setting to get good espresso which is a common complaint with some other top espresso machine brands.

The ENA 4 also gives you 3 “Aroma” settings but this is just Jura’s way of saying “Strength”. Using these, you can set the dose at 6, 8, or 10g of coffee.

You can also customize the length of any of the coffee options up to a maximum of 8oz (237ml). This gives you a great range to make the most of the 4 preset drink options on the Jura coffee maker.

You can also fiddle with all these settings in the Jura smartphone app but annoyingly you have to buy the WiFi Connect dongle separately. But using the app is really useful if multiple people in your house like different settings as they can save them to their phone.

Magnifica Evo

The grinder on the Magnifica Evo has an impressive 13 settings although only around half of these are actually useful. We recommend automatically lowering the factory settings to the third finest but that’s just our opinion – maybe you’ll use more than that.

It has the 3 strength settings and customizable length for all the coffees too.

There are two big differences that really set the DeLonghi Magnifica Evo apart from the Jura ENA 4: the steam wand and the “Over Ice” coffee options.

The ENA 4 doesn’t have a steam wand so this gives the Magnifica Evo an edge straight away. You can choose the model with a manual wand (ECAM29043) or the one with the LatteCrema milk system (ECAM29084). And, even if you only froth milk occasionally, it’s still nice to have that flexibility.

The “Over Ice” coffee from DeLonghi is interesting because it actually works pretty well. Your espresso is brewed at a lower temperature (167°F / 75°C), and much stronger. They then rely on the ice cubes to cool the drink and dilute it making it enjoyable. As a result, you really have to follow the instructions and use the right number of ice cubes (9) to get a good drink. But it’s still very impressive, particularly at this price.

Winner

The Magnifica Evo offers nearly all the same customization as the ENA 4. Plus it has a milk wand and the “Over Ice” option. So, for us, it’s the clear winner here.

ENA 4 by Jura

Jura tries to automate everything, so the cleaning is as taken care of as it possibly can be.

Sadly you’ll still need to empty the spent pucks, rinse the drip tray, and wash your cup when you’re done. But the machine will do the rest. The water filter also keeps descaling to a minimum which is nice when Jura insists you use their expensive branded cleaning products for it.

One knock on the ENA 4 is that you can’t remove the brewgroup to clean yourself. This is the case on all other Jura coffee machines too. They claim the automatic cleaning keeps it in good shape, and we have no reason to doubt them. But many people may prefer to clean this themselves.

Magnifica Evo by DeLonghi

DeLonghi also wants to keep your cleaning tasks to a minimum.

The daily cleaning is mostly automatic with just the usual descaling needed every few months. Unfortunately, you also need to use expensive branded cleaning products to descale the machine. Nowadays, most popular coffee machines have their own branded cleaning products to keep you locked in.

Having a milk system does mean a little extra cleaning is needed. But, to make this easy, the Magnifica Evo will rinse the inside of the wand after use. Then, at the end of the day, you need to give it a good clean. This is important as milk notoriously gets stuck in any crevice and goes nasty fast.

The brewgroup can also be removed and cleaned very easily. So, anyone who likes to know their machine is sparkling clean will probably prefer this to the Jura “trust us” method. But one’s not really better than the other – it’s just personal preference.

Want to Dive Deeper into the DeLonghi Magnifica Evo?

Check out our in-depth review of this awesome espresso maker. We took the model with LatteCrema system for a whirl and you can see what we thought here:

Read More

Winner

When it comes to cleaning, this round of the DeLonghi vs Jura battle is a tie. We can’t knock down the Magnifica Evo for being harder to clean when it’s only because it offers more functions. If you never use the milk wand, cleaning is exactly the same for both of the entry-level espresso machines anyway.

Unless you’re a black coffee drinker who really cares about aesthetics, it’s the Magnifica Evo.

Whilst it’s not quite up to the fantastic Jura espresso quality, you can still get great coffee from it. Plus, it has more options, more customization, and a milk wand in case you need it.

Yes, the ENA 4 is beautiful and makes really great coffee. But it’s very limited for such an expensive machine.

Top-of-the-Range: Jura ENA 8 vs DeLonghi Eletta Explore

OK, the ENA 8 isn’t the true top offering from Jura, that would be the stunning Z10. It is, however, double the price of the top DeLonghi machine – the Eletta Explore.

So rather than comparing two machines with vastly different price points. We’ll look at the ENA 8, which is the closest Jura to the Eletta Explore in price (there’s still a $200 difference).

If you want to take a closer look at the more expensive coffee machine, you can check out our full Jura Z10 review.

Jura ENA 8

The ENA 8 is another stunning-looking super-automatic espresso machine from Jura.

The sweep of the lines and the diamond effect water carafe have a very premium look that will be a feature of your kitchen, rather than fading into the background. Plus, the large, bright screen is gorgeous. Basically, every aesthetic detail has been well thought out.

Similar to the previous generation (the ENA 4), this is still a relatively narrow machine. The ENA 8 measures up at 10.7” wide, 12.7” high, and 17.5” deep. Whilst calling it “compact” would be generous, compared to some automatic coffee machines at the top-end, it’s a nice size.

The build-quality of Jura coffee machines is also exceptional. Everything feels premium – even the simple things like the grind adjustment dial is smooth and plush. But the grinder and brewgroup are where the magic happens and both have excellent reputations for quality and longevity.

DeLonghi Eletta Explore

The Eletta Explore is a Red Dot and iF Design winner, both of which are highly-sough after marks of quality and good design. So while it isn’t as beautiful as the ENA 8, who are we to criticize its design elements?

Our only concern is that the light-up buttons beside the screen might age poorly over the years – it’s still too new to tell. But, by then, you’ll instinctively know what was there and press on auto-pilot.

Compared to Jura’s ENA 8, it’s half an inch narrower and has the same depth. However, it is 3 inches taller. The extra height could be an issue if you have overhead cabinets due to the top-loading bean hopper. But 15 inches tall is hardly skyscraper stuff. Most premium super-automatic espresso machines are quite tall so it’s something to keep in mind as you shop around.

Comparing DeLonghi to Jura, the Eletta Explore may not look as premium. But the build is still high-quality.

To allow you to choose between hot and cold drinks, there are two detachable milk containers that are both well-designed – everything slides perfectly into place.

As an added bonus, DeLonghi offers a 2-year warranty with the Eletta Explore plus a 3rd year when you register the product. Good peace of mind with an expensive coffee machine.

Winner

On looks alone, we’d pick Jura over DeLonghi as the ENA 8 is the better-looking machine. But who are we to ignore the two prestigious design awards for the Eletta Explore? It’s also a good-looking espresso machine that has great design features and is built to last. So Jura really only just takes the win here.

Want to Dive Deeper into the Jura ENA 8?

We’ve put together a full review of this compact espresso machine. It might be the stripped back version of one of our favorite Jura’s – the E8 – but it’s still awesome in its own right. And you can get it for a fraction of the price:

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Ease of Use

ENA 8

The interface on Jura automatic coffee machines are more than just beautiful, they’re intuitive too. In fact, it’s unlikely you’ll ever need to pick up the instruction manual for the ENA 8. Unless you want to get into very specific settings, of course. Instead, the menu takes you through all the steps and lets you adjust everything on the fly.

This is a very novice-friendly coffee machine. But with all the options for more experienced drinkers to tweak the settings to their preferences without having to dig through multiple menu screens.

We also like that Jura simply uses a plastic hose for milk. It means that you don’t need a separate container, though Jura does sell a branded glass milk container. You can chuck the hose straight into any container of your choice – a cup, a frothing pitcher, or even directly into the milk carton. This reduces milk waste which can be a real problem with other espresso machines.

Like with the other new Jura coffee machines, there is also app connectivity. Though it does cost extra for the Smart Connect Bluetooth dongle. It’s annoying that this isn’t included but it can make life even easier as it allows you to adjust and save your coffee settings on your phone.

Eletta Explore

DeLonghi has looked to competitor Jura when designing the Eletta Explore in terms of allowing you to adjust on the fly. But, not only did they take a leaf from the Jura playbook, DeLonghi then turned the dial up to 11. So all the options aren’t just easily presented to you, but you also get helpful tips on using them.

Having 40+ pre-programmed drink options may seem overwhelming at first but selecting hot, cold, or to-go at the start gives you the genre you’re after and it’s easy from there.

You can save personalized drinks to one of 4 user profiles or have one-off settings. There is also app connectivity which they don’t charge extra for. So that’s a big tick in the DeLonghi box over Jura.

To make sure their cold drinks are always delicious, DeLonghi provides two different milk jugs – one for hot and one for cold drinks. This might be annoying but their recommendation to use two different types of milk is even more so. But we’re willing to forgive them since we get the iced coffee features.

Winner

When it comes to simplicity and being easy to use, the Eletta Explore wins hands down.

Not only does it make things simple, but it also actively explains what’s going on as you do it. So it’s incredibly easy to use, is informative, and comes with app connectivity as standard. Overall, the Eleta Explore is superb for beginners and seasoned coffee machine users alike.

Don’t get us wrong, the ENA 8 is hardly complex. It’s just that DeLonghi has the edge over Jura here.

ENA 8 by Jura

With 8 different coffees plus the option for milk foam or hot water, the ENA 8 covers all the bases with its standard options. On top of that, you get 3 temperature options, 10 different coffee strength adjustments, a stepless grinder, and custom coffee and milk volume control.

So nailing down your perfect coffee is definitely possible.

Jura quality espresso is renowned for being superb too. So whilst this espresso machine might not have the widest range of options, all of them make amazing coffee shop quality espresso. Something that’s not necessarily true of all manufacturers.

We wouldn’t say the ENA 8 is limited – it still offers all the big hitters of the coffee world. But it’s not as feature packed as some others including it’s big ‘brother’ the Jura E8 automatic coffee machine (full E8 review here).

Eletta Explore by DeLonghi

With this machine, DeLonghi has really packed in the options. There are hot drinks, cold drinks, and to-go-sized drinks too. Ok, so it’s essentially the same drink options 3 times over but this is the level of customization that some have been waiting for.

As standard, there are 4 pre-set size options and 5 for strength. Plus, you can get the exact size you want by using the “My” button on each pre-programmed coffee. Pressing the “To Go” button gives you 3 large cup options for your travel mug.

The grinder has 13 settings with the finest 7 or so actually being usable. In our opinion, anything after the 8th setting is pretty rubbish.

At this price, having cold coffee drinks available is a unique feature so kudos to DeLonghi.

Just remember that these are iced coffees and not cold brew. The Eletta Explore brews the coffee at 167°F and the milk at around 70°F. Plus, this intuitive machine will tell you how many ice cubes to use to get a deliciously chilled drink. The drinks themselves are really good, and having all these options from iced coffee to iced latte is a big selling point.

Winner

When it comes to customization and range of options, this round of Jura vs DeLonghi clearly goes to the latter.

The Eletta Explore has all the options of the Jura and more. The “Cold” and “To Go” coffee options are great and take it well above the ENA 8. And, as an added bonus, you also get app connectivity as standard and a helpful display that makes it easier for everyone to use.

Want to Dive Deeper into the DeLonghi Eletta Explore?

Check out our in-depth review of the Eletta Explore: an incredible fully automatic espresso machine that’s packed full of features to suit beginner’s and old pro’s alike.

Read More

ENA 8

Most Jura coffee makers are very easy to clean, and the ENA 8 stays true to this.

It will automatically rinse out everything after use including the milk tube. So, as a daily clean, it’s just a case of emptying the drip tray and puck container.

The Claris Smart water filters minimize the need for descaling. So you’re looking at only having to go through this mildly annoying process once or twice a year. Whilst it might be time-consuming, the touchscreen talks you through everything when it comes to the deep clean. Just keep in mind that you need to use Jura’s branded cleaning products or you will invalidate your warranty.

Eletta Explore

DeLonghi and Jura are pretty similar when it comes to cleaning. The only difference with the Eletta Explore is that the milk containers need to be cleaned every day. This means dismantling them and giving them a good rinse-out. And, if you use both each day, then it may get annoying.

You can also remove the brewgroup and clean it out fully every couple of weeks which you can’t do with the ENA 8. Personally, I like this. But I’m a control freak so can understand why many wouldn’t really care when the Jura is so good at cleaning itself.

Winner

Both coffee makers are easy to clean, but the Jura ENA 8 is so ridiculously easy and low maintenance that it has to take the win here. Yes, part of the reason the DeLonghi doesn’t come out on top is that it has extra features which need extra cleaning. But having to clean two separate milk carafes for hot and cold milk drinks is just a bit frustrating.

If you have a specific coffee that you like and fantastic espresso quality is everything, then the Jura ENA 8 comes out on top.

But, for everyone else, the Eletta Explore offers a lot more options and functionality for slightly less money. So if you want to experiment with different specialty coffees or chop and change your preferences based on your mood or the weather, DeLonghi has packed in tonnes of features for an affordable price.

Psst… Want to see how the ENA 8 compares to a cheaper DeLonghi, the Dinamica Plus? Check out our comparison guide next, here