Jura Z10 Review:
Is 1 Button for Cold Brew Too Good to be True?

Hot and cold coffee? From a super-automatic espresso machine? Surely not. These were my initial thoughts when I read about this gadget-packed Jura machine: It sounded too good to be true. So I obviously had to try it out and do an in-depth Jura Z10 review to see if it could live up to the hype and whether my excitement was justified.

After testing, I can confirm that the Jura Z10 is an exceptional espresso machine that is absolutely worth the price tag if you’re a fan of iced coffee. More than just a gimmick, the cold brew coffees are superb. With Jura’s signature looks and build quality, you can expect the Z10 to churn them out for the next decade, making the cost per coffee a little easier to swallow.

If you’re not sure whether this is the automatic espresso machine for you, this in-depth review should help. Having spent time playing with all the settings, trying all the drinks, and cleaning the whole machine, we’re sharing what living with the Z10 would actually be like. Let’s get to it:

At a Glance: Jura Z10 Review

1. Product Recognising Grinder (P.R.G.)

The Jura Z10’s grinder sets this machine heads and shoulders above the competition and is one of my favorite features. It works by automatically adjusting the grind size to suit the coffee being made. So it’s smart enough to grind more finely for short coffees like ristretto and coarser for longer coffees and cold brew specialty coffees without you having to change anything.

You do get 5 settings to choose from but the PRG does the heavy lifting to optimize grind consistency for the best results. Being such a key component, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But I was blown away by the results across all the settings and all recipes (though I thought the 3rd/middle setting was the sweet spot.)

2. Cold Extraction Process

Eight cold brew specialty coffees are available at the touch of a button. Everything from cold brew espresso to cold brew latte macchiato is possible.

It’s not just a gimmick either – they taste deliciously creamy and smooth.

It works by coarsely grinding the coffee and slowly pulsing cold water through the puck at reduced pressure over two minutes. So it’s not true “cold brew” as that requires complete immersion over 18-24 hours but the flavor is much closer than I was expecting. The slow extraction method brings out the layered fruity flavors from your beans.

3. Height and Width Adjustable Dual Spout

Height-adjustable spouts are pretty standard on super-automatics these days. But Jura continues to push the boat by not only allowing you to adjust the height to fit your favorite coffee cup or travel mug but also allowing you to adjust the width. This gives you way more flexibility when you’re making coffee for 2 as you can use whichever 2 cups you have to hand.

4. J.O.E. App Compatible

Customize, save, and pour your morning coffee from your phone with the excellent J.O.E. app. If I’m organized enough to leave a cup on the drip tray, I love getting the Z10 to start making my coffee just before an ad break so it’s brewed right as I walk into the kitchen. I’m pretty sure this is the dream they were talking about in science fiction movies!

Jura has worked hard to improve their app, making it intuitive and slick to use. I actually found it easier to navigate the menus via my phone than with the Z10’s touchscreen.

The app and machine communicate over WiFi which isn’t perfect but is a lot better than Bluetooth which some of the other Jura machines use.

5. 10 Coffee Strength Settings

The Jura Z10 comes with 28 specialty coffees pre-programmed. From there, you can endlessly adjust the settings to suit your taste. There are 10 coffee strength levels to choose from, allowing you to use anywhere from 6 to 16g of coffee per brewing cycle which is great.

If you want to make further adjustments, you can change the temperature, volume, grind size, and milk settings. Or, if you just want to leave things as they are, you can do that too. For me, the “straight out the box” settings delivered full-bodied, flavorsome espresso shots at a great temperature.

6. 10 Milk/Foam Temperature Settings

Lava hot latte? Cool cappuccino? No problem – the Jura Z10 has a fairly insane number of ways you can customize your milk. You can change the temperature and also how much milk to milk foam you want to use.

It gets a little confusing as Jura measures milk quantity in seconds rather than volume, but you get used to it. For example, I use 14 seconds of milk foam for a cappuccino and 14 seconds of milk with 2 seconds of milk foam for a flat white.

7. Easy to Use Interface

You have a couple of options for controlling the Jura Z10. The gorgeous touchscreen is the most obvious and it makes selecting, customizing, and saving your perfect coffee easy for both casual coffee drinkers and coffee fanatics alike. However, I found it a little over-sensitive which I’ll discuss in more detail as we progress through this Jura Z10 review.

For scrolling through the menus, you can also use the rotary dial on the top of the machine. Or there’s the Jura smartphone app which is my favorite way to control the Z10.

8. Automated Cleaning

Self-cleaning protocols take care of the day-to-day cleaning of your Z10 so you don’t have to worry too much. You just need to empty the substantial drip tray and make sure the water tank is kept topped up. For more in-depth cleaning, you can control the settings and then follow the on-screen instructions.

You have three options for operating the Jura Z10 automatic coffee machine: touchscreen, rotary dial, or the J.O.E. app.

If, like me, you love playing with settings, the smartphone app is superb. When we first started testing Jura machines, it was clunky and dated. But they’ve worked to improve the app and it’s now a slick way to operate your machine, customize your drinks, and save your preferred settings.

Whilst the touchscreen is beautiful, I didn’t love using it. I found it to be overly sensitive and I’d accidentally start making the wrong drink while swiping the menus. So I preferred using the rotary dial or app instead.

At first, the number of specialty coffees and customization options are overwhelming. But once you get used to it, it’s so easy to use. Any drink can be customized by pressing on it for 2 seconds. Then you can adjust the strength, temperature, length, or milk to your heart’s content.

On a rainy afternoon, it’s worth taking the time to set up all your preferences so you don’t have to think about it when you’re tired. These will then be saved for future use.

I recommend adding a “new screen” as a home for your favorite coffees. This creates a blank screen where you can save your settings for each drink, creating a personal coffee menu. If you share the machine with someone who has different preferences from you, it’s a game changer – we have “Matt” and “Katie” versions of most drinks to save any arguments!

Automatic coffee machines are supposed to make brewing coffees easier and the Jura Z10 does that.

Milk Frothing

The quality of milk foam produced by Jura coffee machines is not in question – it’s brilliant, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. You have 10 milk temperatures to play with, up to 150°F (66°C) and you can adjust the milk-to-foam ratio too. There’s no functionality for latte art but with Jura innovations, you never know – we might see it in the future.

The quantity of milk is measured in seconds which takes a second to get your head around, but you get used to it pretty fast. Or you just find a number that you think tastes good and repeat that.

Given that it’s pretty hard to measure milk foam, this is our rough estimate of how much milk you get per second:

1 second of hot milk = 6ml (0.2 fl oz)

1 second foam = 4-5g (0.14-0.17 oz)

Here is my biggest annoyance with the Z10 though: you don’t get a milk container despite dropping $3500+. You don’t technically need one – you can put the hose in any container – but it’s still annoying.

Alternatively, you can pay around $40 for the Jura branded jug that you keep in the fridge. Or, if you’re feeling fancy, you can buy the Jura Cool Control that keeps milk at a perfect 4°C. However, it’s also a real pain to clean, so keep that in mind.

Just remember that to get the best out of your machine you have to use good quality espresso beans. After all, if you put rubbish coffee beans in, you’ll get rubbish coffee out.

You can store 10oz (280g) in the top-loading bean hopper. This is a good size but annoyingly not quite enough to take most full bags of beans so you’ll need a separate air-tight container to store the rest.

Once in there, the bean hopper lid has a good rubber seal to keep your beans fresh; a simple feature that is weirdly absent on a lot of high-end espresso machines.

Possibly the best feature of the Z10 is the fancy new grinder technology that works to ensure every drink is perfectly extracted for full flavor. Compared to the Z8, the Z10’s grinder is also quieter. I tested every drink and all the grinder settings and was consistently impressed with the results.

There’s also a chute for pre-ground coffee. Using it every day would defeat the purpose of having such an incredible espresso machine but it’s nice if you want to have an occasional decaf, for example. Nowadays, this is a pretty standard feature on fully automatic coffee machines.

Just a note on the cold brew options:

If you buy pre-ground cold brew coffee, the grind size won’t match what the Jura Z10 is expecting. It uses a coarser grind for its Cold Extraction Process compared to what you’d expect for traditional slow immersion. So your cold brew coffees will be subpar – either thin and watery or bitter and over-extracted. For this, it’s definitely best to let the Z10 take the reins and do what it does best.

The Looks

I quickly run out of new words to describe how great Jura coffee machines look, and the Jura Z10 is no exception:

It’s beautifully engineered with an aluminum front and plastic casing. The large touchscreen display and chrome details on the front of the machine and spouts add a sleek flash under your kitchen lights. It looks like a seriously premium piece of kit, which of course it is.

Sleek, minimalist, stylish, and classy are all good words to describe the Jura Z10.

As with almost all super-automatic espresso machines, the Jura Z10 is not small. It stands at 15 inches high by 12.5 inches wide by 17.7 inches deep. So, it’s going to take up quite a lot of space on your counter. Remember that the bean hopper is on the top too, so you need access to it for refills.

I’m a big fan of the geometric pattern on the water tank. Not only does it look good, but it also means scratches won’t be as noticeable as with a sheer plastic one. It’s only on the outside too so there’s no need to worry about trying to clean all those little crevices.

Having a Z10 on your countertop is going to be the focal point of almost any kitchen… Unless you have a particularly impressive stove or some incredible sculpture anyway!

The Build

The Jura Z10 continues the company’s reputation for high build quality and precision design.

I was pleasantly surprised by how solid and premium all the elements feel, right down to the drip tray. Some other Jura models have quite flimsy feeling drip trays and grounds bins which isn’t a problem per se, but it’s definitely noticeable. However, the Z10 feels solid in every single element, even down to these less “sexy” parts.

The bean hopper has a snug rubber seal so your 10oz of coffee beans stay as fresh as possible. And the beautifully crafted water reservoir holds a staggering 81oz of water (2.4 liters).

The whole machine weighs a hefty 27lbs – there’s a lot of complex machinery and motors in there. I can’t think why you’d consider moving this thing around unless you’re moving apartment/house so the weight doesn’t bother me at all. I’d probably be more concerned if it was light.

The new stainless steel grinder (new for the Jura Z range anyway) which automatically adjusts for each coffee is reliable and built to a high standard. So I’d realistically expect it to last a decade or so of normal usage. It’s also a feature on the Jura Giga 6 which costs a whopping $1500 more than the Z10 (compare them both, here).

We also love the fact the coffee spouts adjust horizontally as well as vertically. Ok so I don’t own any cups that require the horizontal move but I like that I have the option.

Connectability

If you want to use the app, you need to set up the Z10 to talk to your phone. But it’s fairly quick and painless to do.

It uses the Jura Smart Connect to communicate over WiFi rather than Bluetooth. (You just need to insert the included dongle into the back of the machine.) With the Z10, this comes included as standard which is a nice change compared to other Jura’s where you have to buy the connection separately.

You have to be on the same network as the machine and it only works over 2.4GHz WiFi. If you use 5Ghz WiFi, or run things off different networks in your house, I’d recommend getting the Smart Connect Bluetooth dongle instead.

You have to manually turn the machine on and run some water through it before making coffee. So the dream of ordering a coffee from your bed with the machine switched off downstairs is still just a dream sadly.

As the base unit of all 28 specialty coffee drinks, how the espresso tastes is the most important factor. And across all the settings, we were consistently impressed by the full-bodied, rich, syrupy shots.

We prefer a 1:2 ratio of ground coffee in, to espresso out. So we used the strength setting 8/10 on the Z10 and turned the espresso volume down to 1oz (2oz is the default.) For us, this pulled the best shots whilst also giving us room to go stronger or weaker as needed. (A rarer option than you’d think on super-automatic machines.)

You may prefer different settings and, luckily, there is an insane number of ways you can customize your coffee to your own tastes.

The ability to play with the temperature and ratio of milk to foam allows you to make a genuine cortado, latte, flat white, cappuccino, or whatever concoction you dream up. This kind of milk customization is only available on top-end super-automatic espresso machines. More budget-friendly options tend to give you a cappuccino-style foam which does not a flat white or latte make.

It would be nice if they’d throw in the milk container though rather than leaving you with just a hose.

Overall the Z10 produces the best coffee quality we’ve had from a super automatic coffee machine. It’s hard to compare side-by-side with every machine we’ve ever tried as we don’t have enough space at home to keep them all for comparison tests. But we’ve certainly never had noticeably better brews at the touch of a button.

To make “true” cold brew, grounds need to be steeped for 18-24 hours which is obviously not possible at the touch of a button. So, no, the Z10 doesn’t really make cold brew.

But don’t let that take away from how incredible the Jura “cold brew espresso” tastes.

The Jura Z10 uses a coarser grind and pulses unheated water through the grounds, very slowly extracting the flavor. It takes about 2 minutes and produces a cool (but not cold) espresso, lungo, coffee, etc that has a creamy texture and is slightly sweeter in style.

The flavor and mouthfeel are not dissimilar to cold brew so I can see why they call it that. But I just wish they’d given the coffee its own name that does justice to the unique and kind of brilliant flavor.

It took me a hot minute to get used to the slightly warm temperature. So I recommend chucking some ice or, even better, some reusable whiskey rocks into your cup before brewing for a colder iced coffee. Then you’ll get a sweet, rich, beautifully cold, iced coffee in 2-3 minutes.

Getting cold brew specialty coffees from a machine is pretty incredible when you think about it. The DeLonghi Eletta Explore is the only other machine that comes close.

If you’re more of an iced latte/cappuccino drinker, it’s best to turn the milk temperature right down and chuck some ice or whiskey rocks in your glass to get a beautifully chilled, milk specialty drink. Honestly, I think the Z10 is fantastic – the most versatile coffee machine available.

Most Jura coffee machines now have the Pulse Extraction Process, pre-heating, and pre-infusion. Plus, the Z10 has the incredible Product Recognizing Grinder.

Although it does annoy me how many acronyms Jura uses and their confusing explanations like “3D Brewing”. If anyone has a coffee machine that manages the coffee brewing process in two dimensions, please let me know!

What’s new and exciting about the Z10 is the Cold Extraction Process.

As we mentioned earlier, this is the incredible tech they use to deliver those cold espresso drinks with the characteristically sweeter flavor of a cold brewed coffee. The best thing is that this works for 8 of the specialty coffees offered by the Z10 from espresso to cortado to flat white.

For the milk-based drinks, you’ll need ice as the milk is still warm and the water is room temperature rather than chilled. But having the option for cold brew specialty coffees sets the Jura Z10 apart.

The Z10 automatically rinses after use, which is fine as the water tank and drip tray are both huge.

The Claris water filter makes descaling a very infrequent job and you can see when the next one is due on the app. You do need to be at the machine to perform descaling but the screen takes you through all the steps and it only takes 20 minutes or so.

If you opt for the Jura Cool Control to store your milk then the tubes will need to be frequently cleaned which, unfortunately, is not so easy. If you’re just using a container, branded or otherwise, then this is much simpler.

Jura recommends cleaning the milk system daily and we endorse this wholeheartedly as milk systems can get nasty. This is also mostly done by the machine, so don’t worry.

Like all the big manufacturers, Jura recommends its own branded cleaning products which are more expensive although not outrageously so. Whilst your machine is still under warranty (2 years/ 6000 coffees, whichever comes first), I recommend doing this. After that, it’s up to you but I think it’s worth spending a little more to maintain such an expensive coffee machine.

The brew group is fixed and can’t be removed for deep cleaning. Whilst some people don’t like this, I’ve never seen it cause an issue. If you want to give your Jura Z10 some extra TLC, you can take it to a Jura specialist for cleaning every year or two.

*UPDATE* A fellow coffee geek used a Jura machine for 1 year and was braver than us so dismantled it to see how clean the brew group was. It was spotless – Jura’s internal cleaning works perfectly.

Baby Brother: Jura Z8

With the exception of two features, these Jura coffee machines are nearly indistinguishable:

Firstly, the Z8 has two boilers compared to the Z10 which only has one. And the Z10 can make cold coffees.

We’ve talked a lot about how good the cold coffee function is on the Jura Z10, assuming you like cold coffee. So, let’s look at the slightly strange decision by Jura to go back to one boiler after having two on the Z8.

Dual boilers are generally used by the best super-automatic espresso machines to give one exclusively for coffee and one for milk. This means there’s no need to wait for it to cool down or heat up; instantaneous coffee to milk and back again.

The waiting time between coffee and milk on a single-boiler coffee machine can vary but on the Jura Z10, it’s barely noticeable. They’ve put in a new steam valve and the “intelligent pre-heating” has apparently removed the need for two thermoblock heating systems.

The latte from the Z10 is much better than from the Z8, so maybe they’re right. But maybe that’s all the technology like the improved grinder.

It’s now been discontinued but you can get some good deals on the Z8 – it’s still an incredible coffee maker.

Iced Coffee Queen: DeLonghi Eletta Explore

“Over Ice” coffees now appear on most new DeLonghi espresso machines. These are coffees that are brewed hot, but designed to be poured “over ice” and enjoyed cold. The machines even tell you how many ice cubes to use.

The Eletta Explore goes a step above this by also offering “cold foamed milk.” You get a full menu of “over ice” coffees which will be brewed at a lower temperature – 165°F (75°C) – with the goal of enjoying them at around 50°F (10°C). So not ice cold, but definitely cold.

There is a separate milk container for cold foamed milk vs hot milk which I find kind of annoying. But considering this machine is under $2000, this is amazing functionality.

The downside? Nothing is as good as the Jura.

The coffee quality isn’t as good, the milk isn’t as good, the cold brewed drinks aren’t as good, and there aren’t anywhere near the same customization options. You also get fewer coffee options, though almost all of them are available hot and cold

That said, if you want the ability to make iced coffees but the Jura is out of your price range, the Eletta Explore is amazing value for money. It will keep people who enjoy coffee but aren’t obsessed with it very happy.

Sleek Cousin: Breville Oracle Touch

Breville takes a very different approach to the high-end espresso machine market. They’ve kept the “classic” espresso machine looks with the portafilter and milk wand but added automatic elements that make being a home barista very simple.

The Oracle Touch is considerably cheaper than the Z10 but it lacks the cold brewing ability. It’s also technically not a “super automatic” as you have to move the portafilter from the grinding and tamping dock to the brew group. Egregious really.

What it does do is give you far more control over the coffee as you get 45 grind settings, up to 22g dose, and a steam wand that you can use manually if you want. You can also buy bottomless portafilters if you prefer and really get into the weeds of pulling espresso.

There is still the touchscreen to select and customize drinks if you don’t want to do the work. But it’s still slightly more work to use than the Z10. It’s also cheaper to run as it doesn’t require as many cleaning products. But again, this means more manual cleaning by you.

We love the Oracle Touch, and if you’re not into cold brew coffee then it’s worth a look as it’s much cheaper than the Z10. But if cold coffee is your jam, then it doesn’t hold a candle to the Z10.

Prettier Sister: Gaggia Accademia

Gaggia recently launched an upgraded version of the Accademia and it is beau-ti-ful. One of the few machines that is better to look at than the Jura range.

It isn’t purely an aesthetic upgrade though, the new Accademia comes with 17 coffees, 2 temperatures of hot water for tea, and a manual steam wand for latte art. There are also upgrades to the strength, pre-infusion, and milk foam customization options.

It doesn’t come close to the drinks or customization options of the Z10. There are no cold brew coffee drinks, only 5 strength settings (max dose 12.5g), and 8 grind settings. But it does have 4 user profiles for saving custom drinks which some might prefer over the app or using different screens on the Z10.

Once again though it’s also much cheaper than the Z10. So if looks are what you want, as well as great coffee, then maybe the Accademia is a good alternative. But in a pure “which makes better coffee and the largest range of coffees” contest, it falls well short.

Jura lives in its own pricing structure world. They work on the principle that no other espresso machine manufacturer is really comparable. And, with the Z10, they’re right.

This is the first coffee machine that does cold specialty coffees at the touch of a button. So I guess they can charge whatever they like.

For us, that’s what this Jura Z10 review comes down to: Do you want cold brew specialty coffee?

If you don’t, there are other, much cheaper, coffee machines like the Jura E8 or Breville Oracle Touch.

But if you do, the Z10 is an innovative coffee machine that is worth every penny of the price tag. If you can afford to spend this much, it is the overall best coffee machine currently on the market.

The looks, build quality, functionality, and quality of coffee and milk foam are all as good – or better – than the competition. The only downside for me is that they don’t include a milk container. So nothing that can’t be easily solved.

Don’t forget to buy your Jura Z10 On Amazon | On 1st in Coffee

Matt Woodburn-Simmonds

Matt's coffee obsession started in 2006 when working as a Barista. A tendency to turn up to work hungover kickstarted his coffee journey which quickly turned into a love affair. As he moved on to work as a Restaurant Manager and Sommelier, the obsession continued to grow. Now, his passion is helping others to enjoy better coffee at home.