We’re comparing two stand-out espresso machines: the Jura J8 vs Z10. While they have very different unique features (sweet milk foam vs cold brew), they both cater to anyone who wants high-quality coffee at the touch of a button. They’re packed with features that set the pure espresso quality well above other Jura machines and many of their competitors.
Overall, the Z10 is the better espresso machine and will likely be the choice for most people as it looks better, has better milk customization, and can make excellent cold drinks. That said, if you’re not bothered by the cold coffee options, the J8 offers almost the same coffee quality as the Z10 and is considerably cheaper. Plus it has the sweet milk feature.
We were very impressed when we tested both machines – the flavor, quality, and fun features are fantastic. To help you decide between them, we’ve compared them head to head.
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At a Glance: Which Is Best?
The J8 is cheaper with an amazing grinder, easy-to-use customization, and a fun “sweet foam” feature.
Coffee Quality: 9.5/10
Milk Quality: 10/10
Ease of Use: 10/10
Value for Money: 8/10
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The Z10 has an automatic grinder and offers unique “cold brew” drinks at the touch of a button.
Coffee Quality: 10/10
Milk Quality: 10/10
Ease of Use: 8/10
Value for Money: 7/10
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A Battle of Looks (and Design)
With the signature Jura sleek style both these machines look fantastic. But the details can make or break a ‘fit.
The general aesthetic of the Jura Z10 and the J8 are fairly similar, but there are a few key differences that make the Z10 stand out:
For starters, they are available in different colors. The Z10 comes in Piano Black, Piano White, or Aluminum White whereas the J8 comes in Midnight Silver or Piano Black.
Next, the water carafe on the Z10 is a beautiful wave-effect plastic that lights up when the machine is on. The J8 has the water container in the same place but it’s built into the machine so you can’t see it. Don’t get me wrong, the machine still looks great but the Z10 has a more premium look and feel to it.
It’s the same with the bean hopper cover:
The Z10 has a beautiful circular lid which adds to the look of the top of the machine. The hopper cover on the J8 blends into the rest of the body. We also like the rotary dial on the Z10, again adding to the sleek look on top.
Bottom: Jura Z10 and J8 bean hopper’s
Their respective dimensions (width x depth x height) are:
- Jura Z10: 12.6 x 17.7 x 15 inches (32 x 45 x 38.1 cm)
- Jura J8: 12.5 x 17.6 x 13.7 inches (31.8 x 44.6 x 34.8 cm)
So they’re basically the same width and depth with only a fraction of an inch between them. However, the Z10 is 1.3 inches taller. It’s still not a major difference but if you have overhead cabinets you might need to get the measuring tape out. Since the bean hopper is top-loaded, you need enough room to get in.
Winner
Since they’re basically the same size, beauty is what matters here.
For me, the Z10 is the better-looking machine. The small details and accents make it look like a super premium machine. Yes, the J8 still looks great but it doesn’t have the same style impact.
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Espresso Taste Test
They look amazing, but will either the Jura J8 or Z10 blow you away with coffee quality?
We’re looking at two machines made by the same company and with almost exactly the same parts. So we wouldn’t expect much variation in espresso quality.
Both the J8 and the Z10 have the following features:
- Variable dose of 5 to 16g
- Intelligent preheating
- 3D brewing technology
- Jura’s Pulse Extraction Process
- 3 temperature settings
- 10 strength settings.
The singular difference that could affect your coffee quality is that they have a different grinder:
Inside the J8, you’ll find the Professional Aroma Grinder 2+ whereas the Z10 has the Product Recognizing Grinder. Both are great grinders but the biggest difference is that you have to make manual grind adjustments on the J8 but they’re automatic on the Z10. They’re pretty similar noise-wise and neither is particularly loud.
When making a drink on the J8, the screen prompts you to set the grinder to “mild” or “intense” (there are more than 2 settings but these are the two categories on the dial).
However, when using the Z10, the machine automatically sets the grinder to the correct setting for your chosen coffee. (You can adjust it when you customize the drink if you want to.)
So espresso shots taste pretty much identical from each machine. But it’s easier to use the Z10 as it will automatically adjust the grinder to your preferred setting for each drink. I also find the recommended settings on the J8 to be a little dull and not bursting with the coffee flavor I’m looking for so I tend to ignore it.
Winner
This round of the Jura J8 vs Z10 battle is a dead heat.
When it comes to the taste of your espresso, you won’t find a noticeable difference between the two espresso machines. However, once you’ve chosen your settings, the Z10 achieves this more easily.
What About the Milk?
Milk texture can make or break your morning coffee, so which machine has the upperhand?
The Jura J8 has a dial that allows you to adjust the texture of the milk. But the choice is basically “foam” or “no foam”. This does at least mean if you feel the “foam” position is wrong for your favorite drink, you can change it.
While the Z10 doesn’t offer milk foam adjustments it has 10 milk temperature settings up to a maximum of 150°F (66°C) and you can change the quantity of milk to milk foam (in seconds). This gives you much more control over your milk than the simple dial on the J8, though trying to adjust the foam level by adjusting the temperature is an extreme level of trial and error.
On both machines, we found the milk texture to be fantastic. The microfoam is beautiful meaning they can handle everything from a cortado to a cappuccino to most people’s satisfaction.
What sets the J8 apart, however, is being able to make sweet milk foam. By adding the little syrup cartridge, the syrup is automatically mixed through all of the milk giving a balanced sweetness while maintaining the milk texture.
Annoyingly, neither the Z10 nor J8 comes with a milk container. Like most Jura coffee machines, it has a basic milk hose that can be put into any container. If you want a more contained, sleek look, you’ll need to opt for the Jura branded milk container or splash out for the Cool Control system.
Winner
We’d rather have more control so the Jura Z10 is our winner. When making one of the many espresso drinks that require milk, adjusting your milk can be the difference between a good and a great coffee.
That said, both machines produce excellent quality milk and we were really impressed with the quality of all the different drinks we tried. There’s just a slight edge to the Z10… unless you want sweet milk.
Sweet Foam or Cold Coffee?
These features make these machines unique in the Jura range, and the wider super-automatic market. But is sweet foam (the J8) or cold coffee (the Z10) the better feature?
Currently, no other espresso machine has a feature like the “sweet foam” function on the J8. It’s quite a big swing from Jura as they’re known for exceptional coffee quality and syrup is usually used by those who don’t like coffee so they can mask the flavor.
Having said that, I think the sweet foam works very well.
We filled the little capsule with caramel syrup, attached it to the milk frother, and made a delicious sweet caramel latte. As it’s not my normal caffeinated tipple, I roped in my sweet-toothed sister-in-law who also gave it her nod of approval.
Cleaning it isn’t the most fun – nothing with sugar ever is. But we can’t fault the result.
The Z10 has the much simpler task of selling you on cold coffee. Iced coffee is having a moment right now and being able to make it at home at the touch of a button is an incredible feature.
Being able to make iced coffee isn’t unique (many DeLonghi machines can do this too) but making “cold brew” is.
Though it’s not technically “cold brew”.
Instead, the coffee is brewed slower and at a lower temperature so you get a smooth, sweeter style of coffee that’s not dissimilar to cold brew but is definitely its own thing.
It comes out at room temperature, so you’ll need to add ice cubes for that refreshing iced coffee feeling. You can also turn down the milk temperature to make iced lattes, but I’d recommend adding more ice.
Winner
Having a large selection of cold coffees to choose from is an incredible feature to find on a super-automatic espresso machine. Sweet foam may appeal to a certain group of people but cold coffee has a much wider appeal. So, for me, the Z10 has a more universally useful feature that’s also more impressive.
Ease of Use
Both Jura machines have a responsive touchscreen and can connect with the J.O.E. app. But how simple is it to get the perfect coffee?
To make a drink on the J8, you swipe through the options using the touchscreen to find the one you want, then touch it to select. It will then ask you to set the grinder (Mild or Intense), add the sweet foam cartridge (if required), and move the milk dial (foam or no foam).
If all your settings are already in place, you can cycle through them quickly, and off it goes.
Choosing your drink is easy with the large, bright touchscreen. You can also narrow down your selection by filtering for sweet foam, double shot, pre-ground, or 2x drinks. Or you can make on-screen customizations.
Nothing is complex but I find it annoying to be constantly reminded to do things I’ve already done – it’s like my parents are in there! But it’s also helpful when you’re only half awake.
The Z10 has both a rotary dial and a touchscreen. I like the choice as the touchscreen isn’t as sensitive as I’d like and the dial is a little too sensitive but between them, you should find a sweet spot for picking and customizing your drinks.
For every drink, the settings can all be adjusted on the screen – there’s no need to move dials. Instead, it’s all programmed in and automatic (including the grind settings.)
This is a lot less hassle than the J8.
I’m a big fan of the fact they both come with WiFi Connect included so you can use the J.O.E. app. It makes it easier to “order” drinks to your machine and to customize and save your favorites. However, you still need to be in front of the J8 to make a coffee to confirm that everything is in the right place.
Winner
Despite the screen not being as nice, I still find the Z10 easier to operate than the J8.
Once you’ve programmed your preferred setting, the machine takes care of the rest. Don’t get me wrong, the extra steps on the J8 are an extremely minor inconvenience, but they are an inconvenience so they’re worth noting.
Who is the Jura J8 vs Z10 Winner?
The Jura Z10 is the better espresso machine. But is it worth $500 more to you?
Overall, the Jura Z10 is a better-looking espresso machine, is easier to use, has better milk quality, and offers amazing cold coffee options. But you need to splurge a little extra to get these perks.
That said, the Jura J8 still has an amazing coffee grinder, produces incredible espresso, and great quality milk (sweet or not). Even if you never use the sweet foam option, it could be worth the money on the drink quality alone.
Neither machine comes cheap so you need to decide which features matter most to you.
For me, it’s worth taking the plunge on the incredible Z10 for the iced coffees all summer long. But the J8 is still an amazing coffee machine that will be the better choice for many people.
Which is Your Winner?
Some Alternatives
If you’re not feeling either the Jura J8 or Z10, all’s not lost. There are some good alternatives out there and here are some of our other favorites:
Gaggia Accademia
Coffee Quality: 9.5/10
Milk Quality: 9/10
Ease of Use: 8.5/10
Value for Money: 9/10
For more info, check out our Full Gaggia Accademia Review
Not at the level of the J8 or Z10 in terms of ease of use, but the Accademia is a brilliant espresso machine that can produce some really excellent coffee. With a little work.
The max dose is lower (11.5g) but the excellent Espresso Plus dial allows you to control the flow rate through the puck, delivering amazing results. It has dual boilers, a ceramic grinder, and a manual milk wand in addition to the automatic milk. All-in, it’s a gorgeous and high-quality option.
Read next: Gaggia vs Jura
Breville Oracle Touch
Coffee Quality: 10/10
Milk Quality: 10/10
Ease of Use: 7.5/10
Value for Money: 8.5/10
For more info, check out our Breville Oracle Touch Review
This is the ultimate espresso machine for anyone who wants complete control but with a little help. The Breville Oracle Touch offers an incredible range of settings for nailing your perfect coffee. Use the color screen to select cafe favorites, customize, and then let the machine go to work.
You do have to move the portafilter from the grinding/dosing to the brewing section – a frankly outrageous amount of work. The milk is steamed automatically with a wand and milk jug, so you need to keep the wand clean too.
But the results are incredible if you’re happy to put in a little work.
Read next: Jura vs Breville
Psst… Want to see how the Z10 stands up in head-to-head battles with some other great machines? Then these guides should be right up your street:
Final Thoughts
When deciding between the Jura J8 vs Z10, the question you need to ask is do you want cold coffee, sweet foam, or neither?
The Jura Z10 is undoubtedly the better espresso machine. You get more control over the milk and the cold coffees are much better than the sweet foam system. However, if you don’t drink cold coffee but you do enjoy a hazelnut latte then the J8 has to be the choice.
If you’re not bothered by either special feature then you should get the J8.
The coffee quality is basically identical on both espresso machines, though you lose some milk customization options. And it’s around $500 cheaper.
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