Jura Z10 Super Automatic
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Jura Z10
Machine Auto Rinses
Jura Z10 vs Profitec
Jura Z10 Shipping Box
More plastics and such
Cup Height
Ice Blue
Fingerprint Magnet
Jura Drip Tray Assembly
Bean Hopper Cover
Inside the Bean Hopper
Rotary Dial Control
Accessories
Jura Z10 Setup – Filter-3
Add Your Coffee
Settings Galore
The Jura Z10 Machine
Milk Drinks
Install the JOE App
The Cool Control
Milk Tubes
Power Button
Milk Cleaning System
The Transport Locks
Box Lifted Off
Unpacked
Setting the Machine Up
Espresso Brewing
Insert in the Reservoir
Waste Bin
Access Flap
Handle and Lid
Hopper Detail
Lovely Espresso
Espresso Results
Milk Drinks with the Z10
Whereto Buy
Manufacturer Website
Buy from 1st in Coffee
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Out of the Box
The Jura Z10 arrives in a box that telegraphs its significant contents. You might be tempted to call for backup, but Jura has a surprisingly clever design for the inner box. You’ll spot two large plastic dials on the sides. These are transport locks. Give them a turn, and they release the entire outer sleeve, allowing you to lift it straight up. This simple system means you don’t have to wrestle the heavy machine out of a deep carton, and it makes unboxing a straightforward one-person job.
That smart box design made what’s inside our review sample a bit of a letdown. Once we lifted the sleeve, we found the machine held in place by a large amount of form-fitting styrofoam. At the time, it felt like an outdated choice for a high-end product, as we all know polystyrene isn’t great for the planet.
We were getting ready to strongly encourage Jura to apply their Swiss engineering to this problem, but we’re very pleased to report they are already ahead of us. Jura has confirmed that they have since moved away from styrofoam entirely. New Z10 machines now ship secured in 100% sustainable, pulp-based cardboard forms. This is an excellent change and exactly the kind of responsible design we were hoping to see from a premium brand.
The box the Z10 comes in. It’s big, but they engineered it so one person can manage unpacking it.
The trick is these “transport locks” on the side. Rotate them, and the entire top of the box lifts off.
WiFi Module included… for $4200, I sure hope so.
The main box cover lifted off reveals – a lot of styrofoam and a Jura bag filled with goodies.
The unboxing continues; thankfully the sides of the cardboard lay flat after you disengage a few slot hoots in the cardboard. The machine is revealing itself
Slowly removing everything, you see… more styrofoam. Come on.
Didn’t know what this was at first, but it’s the dedicated reservoir for your regular cleaning of the milk system.
Once the plastic is finally removed, the machine will be ready to set up on the kitchen counter.
Once liberated, the Z10 has a substantial presence, weighing in at 12.3 kg (about 27 lbs). What’s surprising, however, is its footprint. While not small, it’s remarkably compact for a machine that contains a grinder, brewer, and a complex automated milk frothing system. It isn’t dramatically larger than a standard single-boiler machine like the Profitec GO, which is impressive.
As you can see, the Z10 is a lot smaller than you may initially believe. It doesn’t occupy that much more space than the Profitec GO, which is considered a small to medium size single boiler machine.
Looking top down, the size similarity with the Profitec Go continues. The machine is longer back to front, but a similar side to side profile.
Starting our tour from the top, the Z10 is genuinely gorgeous. Our $4,300 Aluminum White version (a $100 premium over the Diamond White model because of the use of sculpted aluminum) looks less like a kitchen appliance and more like a piece of sculpted engineering art. The mix of curved aluminum, glass, and polished plastics is exceptionally well done, conveying a clear sense of luxury before you even turn it on.
Dead centre, a chrome-ringed glass lid covers the 280 g (9.9 oz) bean hopper, complete with what Jura calls an “aroma preservation seal” they promise will keep beans fresher (it should help a tiny bit). What’s surprising, though, is that the hopper is fixed in place. It doesn’t lift out, which makes swapping beans a real hassle. If you want to switch from one roaster’s coffee to another mid-bag, you have to either run the grinder completely empty or break out a vacuum. The job is easier if you first remove the inner finger guard, which is held by a single Torx screw.
Towards the top front and on the right is the main rotary dial, which offers a tactile way to navigate menus. At the back left corner of the top you’ll find the discrete power button, in silver metal. Also at the back is where you’ll find a trap door of sorts, and this is where you can bypass the internal grinder by manually adding preground coffee (people use this for brewing with decaf), and you also put in Jura’s very expensive cleaning tablets here (hint: you don’t need to use their cleaning tablets; Urnex will do fine). If you remove the black bypass chute, you’ll discover Jura’s wi-fi module is (thankfully) installed in this machine. Yup, it’s a connected device. More on that later.
This is the rotary dial and touch control for choosing things in a more tactile way on the front display screen.
The machine’s main power button, towards the back left on the top.
The bean hopper cover is very nicely engineered metals and glass.
Lift the lid to see the bean hopper. The lid has a rubber seal to minimize air contact.
The hopper has this finger guard / anti-popcorn device, but it also makes it much more difficult to remove beans. The hopper isn’t removable.
This is where you add preground decaf, and the machine’s cleaning tablets (or Urnex cleaner). Pull this black part out to reveal the machine’s wifi module.
The front of the Z10 is the main event, dominated by the vibrant coloured and sharp (though finicky) 4.3” touch screen. This is the machine’s primary command centre. The rest of the front fascia is made up of well machined and sculpted convex aluminum and some matched plastics. The build quality here feels excellent, a seamless combination of high-grade plastic and metal that feels both solid and well-assembled.
Below the touch screen is the fairly complex dual-spout assembly. This entire unit glides up and down to accommodate a wide range of cup sizes, from a tiny espresso cup at 7.5 cm (3″) to a large travel mug at 15 cm (6″). The coffee spouts can also be adjusted for width, which is a clever touch for filling larger or wider cups side by side, without worrying about the liquids coming out not hitting their marks.
The touchscreen controls are big, the colours vibrant and crisp, but swipes don’t work as expected.
The screen is a major fingerprint magnet, requiring constant cleaning.
The cup adjustable spouts at their lowest, and tightest (closest together) point
Here’s the spouts lifted to their top position. Not shown: they can be stretched wider too, to accomodate wider cups.
The left side of the machine is dedicated to the large 1.9 L (64 oz) water tank. It features a well-designed integrated handle, making it simple to lift out for refilling at the sink. As a purely aesthetic touch, the tank also illuminates with a cool, ice-blue light when the machine is active, adding to its high-tech presence on the counter.
Inside is the housing for Jura’s proprietary water filters, which use an RFID-tagged system Jura calls their Intelligent Water System (IWS). This is where the high cost of ownership becomes evident. If you opt out of their expensive filters, the machine issues frequent warnings and demands a full descale cycle much sooner than necessary. We will get into the filter’s performance later, but the short version is this: they are fine. They do the job, but in our opinion, they don’t perform as well as dedicated filters from specialists like BWT. They are just… fine.
The reservoir occupies a svelte position on the left of the machine. It can be removed.
The handle and lid on the reservoir are very well designed, and feel very quality.
The reservoir removed. It is very easy and intuitive to slot into place.
When the machine is brewing, the reservoir lights up in this Ice Blue colour.
The entire drip tray assembly is an intricate drawer with multiple components that slides out smoothly and contained from the machine’s front. It is a multi-part system, topped with a faux-metal grate (it’s plastic) where your cup rests. The try cover is a nifty design that also incorporates little rubber strips which help keep your cups from sliding about.
Below this sits the main basin, a large reservoir that catches all the liquid waste from the Z10’s frequent rinse cycles. Nestled neatly within this main tray is a separate, deep container for the spent coffee pucks, which holds about 20 pucks before the machine prompts you to empty it. The whole affair pulls apart easily for cleaning and slots back together without much effort.
Jura also includes the expected collection of starter items to get you going. For milk drinks, there is a flexible tube with various connectors. For maintenance, you get a blister pack of cleaning tablets, a small “starter” jar of milk cleaning granules, and a two-part plastic container for running the milk cleaning cycle. Also in the box is a coffee scoop, a small brush, and a white zip pouch to store all these bits and pieces in, along with the hefty user manual.
the Drip tray assembly slides out from the machine no matter what position the spouts are in. The backing is aluminum, but most of the build is plastic.
The waste reservoir is easy to check and inspect, something that is a bit more hidden on other brands of super autos.
The main waste bin which holds a lot of spent coffee. Below it is the plastic shield cover for the drip tray; you don’t need to remove that just to empty the tray, but you should when deep cleaning.
The drip tray cover is a mirror-finish plastic material, which does scratch a bit less than actual polished stainless steel. It also has little embedded rubber strips which help keep your cups secure on the tray.
Most of the machine’s accessories store in this bag the machine comes with. It’s nothing to write home about, but a nice “add” to the package
Here’s all the accessories the machine comes with, unpacked.
A better look at all the accessories. NB the milk cleaning system reservoir (middle right side), which also has a started pack of obscenely expensive milk cleaning detergent.
If you don’t buy Jura’s optional milk cooler, this is the tubing system used to draw milk out of your own pitchers, jugs, cartons or glassware.
Jura’s cleaning tabs for the machine cleaning cycle. Don’t buy these (unless you don’t care about money). Urnex espresso cleaner is just fine and like 1/5 the cost.
Jura’s water filter system. We really didn’t like these at CG, for reasons detailed below.
A key optional companion, which we tested, is the Jura Cool Control. Our 1.1 L (37 oz) test unit is a dedicated milk cooler designed to match the Z10 and keep milk at a constant 4°C (39°F), delivering it via a tube for fully automated milk-based espresso drinks. This convenience isn’t cheap; the Cool Control is a premium accessory with a price tag typically running between $329 and $439 USD, depending on the size and retailer.
For full integration, the cooler can connect wirelessly to the Z10 to provide real-time milk levels on the main screen, but the catch is this requires an additional WiFi transmitter that costs around $70. Frankly, at the prices Jura charges for this mini fridge, WiFi functionality should be built-in. Our test unit did not include this optional transmitter, so we used the Cool Control in “dumb” mode, just feeding chilled milk to the machine automatically.
Photo of the cooler, etc.
The Cool Control, in the box it ships with. We also got a spare metal-wrapped milk tube.
The Cool Control isn’t huge, but not small either. Ours holds 1l of milk.
The inner container is all stainless steel with a silicone rim for keeping it secuire.
The connecting assembly that draws milk from the bottom of the cooler’s reservoir.
The Cool Control comes with an upgraded metal-wrapped milk tube connection that looks sleek.
The cooler’s controls for milk temperature and for sensing the level of milk remaining. But see the space on the right?
This is where the OPTIONAL wifi module would go. Jura charges $440 for this cooler, but doesnt’ even give you a $5 (cost) Wifi connection. You have to pay $70 more for this.
The Cool Control, set up and ready to connect to the main super auto.
Initial setup is an entirely guided process, which is a serious blessing given the machine’s complexity. The touchscreen walks you through everything, from selecting your language to testing your water hardness with an included strip. A key difference from other brands is the filter prep. The machine recognizes the RFID-tagged filter and runs a lengthy, automated rinsing cycle itself. You get to skip the five minute soak you typically have to do with other espresso machine brands’ filters.
After filling the hopper, the final setup steps include connecting the included WiFi module to your network. This allows you to pair the machine with Jura’s companion app, known as JOE, on your phone. This app is surprisingly robust, allowing you to remotely start drinks, customize recipes in minute detail, and access support materials. I’ve seen worse apps. I’ve also seen better ones too, though.
Setting the machine up for the first time, you get walked through the entire process on screen.
First, select your language.
The machine is very adamant about you installing Jura’s filter system.
Oh great, an NFC chip. Not a fan.
TBH, everything we’ve researched about Jura’s filter system is there’s nothing special about them – about on par with what Breville and other use. But a lot more $$$.
Install the grey filter in the white filter holder.
Insert it all in the reservoir. The machine will read and track the filter.
The filter, once installed, gets tagged and noted. This is so you can never use it again once the machine decides it is “expired”.
The machine does automatically rinse and prep the filter, something no other espresso machine maker I know does with their systems – you have to manually rinse the filters.
Add coffee, and get ready for the machine to walk you through a few drink shots. We hit this step because I initially skipped the “install the JOE app” part.
The machine does its first brews and calibrates the grinder.
Navigating the machine’s interface is mostly intuitive. One immediate and persistent quirk, however, is that the screen does not respond to swiping gestures. Attempting to swipe left or right is interpreted as a tap, which can accidentally start brewing a drink you did not want. You must use the small dots at the bottom of the screen to navigate between pages, a puzzling usability flaw in an otherwise mostly polished UI system and interface.
The Jura on the counter has a nice minimalist look when the machine is in standby mode. No cup storage, so you have to store those on their own.
Using The
Living with the Z10 is an exercise in letting go. If you are a hands-on espresso enthusiast, your daily ritual of weighing, grinding, and tamping is replaced by a single decision: what do you want to drink? The workflow is ruthlessly efficient. You power it on, wait for the mandatory rinse cycle to finish, place a cup, and make your choice.
That choice can be made in two ways: via the front touchscreen (with an optional assist from the tactile rotary wheel on the top of the machine) or through Jura’s companion app, known as JOE. The app is surprisingly robust, offering a better interface for deep customization of the 32 available drink recipes. For a quick, one-off drink, however, the touchscreen is faster, provided you can live with its quirks.
The setup process recognizes the machine has the wifi module installed, and starts that connectivity, also looking for connected accessories (like the Cool Control Fridge).
Next stage is to get the JOE app on your smartphone before continuing the overall WiFi setup (weird, yeah?) but its needed to make everything talk to each other.
Once JOE is installed the machine will show a bar code for the app to scan. This gets them talking and keeping each other uniquely connected.
So Jura does update the firmware on the Z10 which is nice, and it does it through the JOE app. It takes some time though.
The most persistent frustration remains the screen’s lack of a swipe function. You must navigate pages using small dots at the bottom, and an errant finger press will immediately start a drink you did not intend to make. It is a puzzling flaw in an otherwise polished user interface that you will eventually learn to live with, but if you’re like me, be constantly frustrated with.
For a basic espresso, the Z10 performs admirably. It uses what Jura calls the Product Recognizing Grinder (PRG). As an aside, Jura has a fanatical, obsessive love for acronyms (IWS, JOE, PEP, the list is long), but this one is key to the Z10. One of the first things you’ll notice is how quiet the grinder is, a significant improvement over older super-automatics. The grinder audibly adjusts its fineness for each drink, producing a decent shot with a thick, if slightly bubbly, crema.A key feature is the ability to adjust the coffee strength and water volume on the fly, using sliders that appear on the screen as the drink is being made.
The machine’s most unique capability is its Cold Extraction Process (CEP – another acronym!). While calling the result a true “cold brew” might be a stretch for the purists, the technology itself is impressive. When you select a cold brew drink, the PRG shifts to a much coarser setting, the machine bypasses its heating system, and it uses slow, high-pressure pulses of cold water to brew the coffee. The result is a legitimately smooth coffee concentrate that makes for an excellent iced beverage.
Every drink in the menu can be hyper customized to your own exact tastes and style. In the app, or on screen.
I passed the machine to Declan, one of our CoffeeGeek Focus Group members and a self-described espresso nerd. The cold brew function won over his initial skepticism. After experimenting a bit and dialing in a few shots on ice, he said, “The result was one of the best ‘iced’ espressos I think I ever had.” And to emphasise this, I once made him an iced espresso, using our CoffeeGeek How To for the method, using a Lelit Bianca V3 machine!
Making milk drinks introduces another set of choices, from a simple cappuccino to a flat white. The simplest method is using the included milk tube, which can draw milk directly from any container. This is easy, but requires you to manage keeping your milk cold. Your other option is the pricey, optional Cool Control, which keeps milk chilled and ready to go.
Regardless of the method, the milk foam texture is a point of contention. The Z10 produces a dense, stiff foam, not the silky, pourable microfoam needed for latte art. We found the factory settings for these drinks also required immediate adjustment to get the taste right.
Declan confirmed this. He reported that with factory settings, the cappuccino was “flat and almost ‘burnt’ tasting,” stressing that modification was essential. However, he also captured the machine’s ultimate appeal after making those adjustments, concluding, “Still, it produces a very drinkable and enjoyable cappuccino, completely hands off. That’s pretty neat.”
Here, we’re making a wide bowl cappuccino with the machine. All automated, all pretty, all fast and convenient.
My own daily rituals changed, starting with programming a one-touch Americano. The biggest impact, however, was how the machine handled drinks like macchiatos and cortados. On a manual setup, you must steam a full pitcher of milk just to use a tiny dollop of foam, leading to significant waste. The Z10 completely solves this by siphoning and frothing only the precise amount of milk needed. This waste-saving feature alone had me enjoying a customized version of these drinks almost daily, something I would never do with a standard machine.
The deep customization is the machine’s core software strength. Breville could learn lessons here. Each of the 32 drink options can be permanently tailored by adjusting temperature, strength, and volume. You can also activate a learning mode that tracks your usage and eventually reorders the home screen to put your favourite drinks first, though this adjustment can take several days.
Oh, did I note that the machine not only lights up the brewing area during drink builds and shot pulls, but even changes the light depending on what’s going on? For instance, a nice golden glow for espresso primary drinks, and a more cool white colour for milk based drinks. I love this kind of attention to detail.
The machine’s thirst for water is explained by its automated maintenance routines. It performs a full system rinse upon startup and another at shutdown. The Z10 also guides you through a mandatory milk system cleaning cycle each day, using on-screen animations to show you exactly how to connect the container and add the milk cleaning micro-tablets.
The machine produces the best espresso I’ve ever had from a super automatic.
Then there is the cost of ownership, which goes far beyond the initial purchase price. As mentioned, the Z10 is a thirsty banger of a machine, using large amounts of water for its frequent, automated cleaning rinses. This means you will be refilling the tank and emptying the massive drip tray often, and all that water runs through Jura’s proprietary, RFID-tagged filters, which cost around $20 each, and seem to need replacing far too often.
The daily milk system cleaning introduces another steep consumable cost. Jura insists you use their special milk cleaning micro-tabs, which are effectively a basic cleaning agent that can cost the equivalent of $125 per pound. It is an astonishingly high price for a simple maintenance product. (Hint: we are working on a guide for CoffeeGeek that will show you how to make your own milk cleaner for about $2.50 per 200g of the stuff).
Milk drinks on the Z10 come with an additional price, be warned.
The Jura Z10 exists in a rarefied atmosphere, but it isn’t without rivals.
Breville Oracle Jet
The Jura Z10’s most interesting competitor is probably the Breville Oracle Jet. While both are bean to cup, they have completely different philosophies.
The Z10 is pure automation, prioritizing convenience and variety. The Oracle Jet is a barista assist machine, automating the grinding and tamping but using a traditional portafilter and offering manual control over milk steaming. Both machines have a catalogue of drink builds, with the Oracle Jet getting new ones added by Breville every once in a while with OTA updates.
The Oracle Jet will produce a superior, entirely authentic 21rst century artisan espresso shot thanks to its decent Baratza burr grinder and especially the larger dose size and 58mm portafilter. For someone who still wants a lot of convenience but essentially wants to cosplay being a barista, the Oracle Jet is a compelling choice. However, the Z10 is far easier to use for a wider variety of drinks, and its cold brew capability is something the Oracle Jet cannot truly match, even though the latter does have cold brew options on its own touch screen menu.
The Oracle Jet is Breville’s latest take on their “bean to cup” machine series.
De’Longhi Eletta Explore
A more direct competitor in the super-automatic space is the De’Longhi Eletta Explore. This machine also boasts hot and cold drink capabilities and is often available at a significantly lower price, clocking in at $1700 at its usual sale price, and sometimes as low as $1,300 on deep discounts (something that Jura machines never have). The Eletta actually offers more pre programmed recipes than the Z10 and features its own well regarded LatteCrema system for hot and cold foam.
While the Eletta’s milk foam may be marginally better, the Z10 pulls ahead with its more premium build quality, quieter operation, and the superior technology behind its P.R.G. grinder and Cold Extraction Process. The Z10 feels like a more refined, luxury product, while the Eletta Explore represents a more value oriented, though still very capable, choice.
Delonghi’s flagship super auto has a lot of features.
Ninja Cafe Luxe Pro
Finally, to truly frame the Z10’s place in the universe, it helps to look at a machine with a completely different approach: the new Ninja Cafe Luxe Pro. You could buy six of them for the price of one Z10, yet the Ninja has clever barista-assist functions like a lever-activated tamping system and a built-in dosing scale.
The main thing about the Cafe Luxe Pro is that the interface can seem a bit complicated, with so many touch points and decisions to make. There’s no “build this specific drink” option like the Z10 or even the Oracle Jet; if you want a cappuccino, you go through a two stage process: brew espresso, and then manually queue up the milk to steam. You also have to clean things afterwards (the Z10 automates this), and it’s a bit more difficult to flush the group and portafilter than even with the Oracle Jet.
The Luxe Cafe Pro offers an incredible bang for your espresso buck. Longevity may be a concern, especially with getting after warranty service.
All that said, it uses a (more or less) standard 54mm portafilter, comes with a single and double basket (as well as Ninja’s “luxe” basket for doing larger brews), and it produces a more traditional, full bodied double espresso, something the Z10 cannot do unless you double up your shots. Also the Z10 has a definite lead in build quality and overall UI.
Comparing the two highlights many of the things you are paying for with the Z10. It is the difference between a machine that helps you make coffee and a machine that makes coffee for you, producing results that are very similar. The Z10 replaces hands-on ritual with seamless automation, premium materials, and a level of sophisticated engineering that delivers the entire cafe experience with a single button press.
Conclusion
Six months. To build and write a First Look! That’s kind of a first for this website. When you’re dealing with a high end piece of equipment, they generally deserve this kind of attention. After six months of use, the Jura Z10 has made its identity clear. It is a stunningly capable and complex machine that quite fully delivers on the ultimate promise of the super-automatic: push a button, get almost any coffee drink you can imagine. It orchestrates the entire process with a muted Swiss efficiency that is, for the right person or environment, deeply impressive.
Its strengths are immediately obvious. The build quality and materials are top-tier, and the sheer variety of its 32-drink menu is vast. For us, its most unique and successful feature is the Cold Extraction Process. It produces a genuinely excellent cold brew that no other competitor we’ve tested can truly match, making it uniquely versatile in a modern kitchen or a small office space. The machine is almost religious in its automated cleaning processes as well, including start up and shut down procedures, cleaning the milk system, and even deeper cleans, performed weekly, monthly and once or twice a year.
I can also state it is easily the best espresso I’ve ever had from a super automatic machine, and I count full blown, $25,000 commercial machines in on that comparison.
However, this quality and convenience comes with significant trade-offs, starting with the astronomical price tag. The high cost of ownership continues with the expensive, proprietary water filters and cleaning tablets. Furthermore, the milk foam is not true microfoam, and the espresso, while the best I’ve ever tasted from a bean to cup machine, will not replace a hands-on, traditional setup for a dedicated enthusiast.
So, who is the Z10 for? It is for the person who values ultimate convenience, variety, and high-end design above all else. It is for the busy household where budget is not the primary concern, and the goal is a consistently good beverage with zero fuss. The hands-on hobbyist seeking the perfect traditional shot is best served looking elsewhere.
This is, of course, just our First Look. We are still putting the Z10 through its paces for our comprehensive Full Review, which will feature detailed scoring and our final recommendations, though this First Look is about 75% there. In the meantime, if you have any questions about the machine or our experiences with it, please leave them in the comments below.
Once again, I would like to thank 1st in Coffee for facilitating the delivery of this machine for our long term review process and also to have it as a benchmark machine we can use to compare against other super automatics in the future. 1st in Coffee is the premier Jura vendor in the USA, and has this model for $4,200 to $4,300. They also sell factory refurbished versions for $1,000 less.
Jura Z10 minimalistic and beautiful
Where to Buy the
Manufacturer Website
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