The Best Bean To Cup

This one has been a long time coming, and even at this run time I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface. As I said, we didn’t touch on the apps because apps cause me emotional pain most of the time. (Also, we didn’t want to make a 2 hour video...). *We unfortunately managed to leave out the Gaggia Accademia UX/UI review from this edit so if you're interested in that, we have uploaded it separately here: • Gaggia Accademia UX/UI...
Here’s the links to the machines we tested:
Melitta Barista TS: international.melitta.de/en/P...
De'Longhi Dinamica Plus: www.delonghi.com/en-gb/dinami...
Gaggia Accademia: www.gaggia.com/automatic-mach...
Siemens EQ9: www.siemens-home.bsh-group.co...
Jura Z10: jura-z10.com/en_uk/
Miele CM7750: www.miele.co.uk/e/countertop-...
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
2:53 Espresso testing
17:33 Milk drink testing
25:45 User interface and build testing
33:17 Concluding thoughts
Related videos:
How To Dial In a Bean To Cup (Like A Nerd): • How To Dial In A Bean ...
“Coffee Expert” Reacts to Brad Pitt’s Weird Coffee Commercial: • "Coffee Expert" Reacts...
Links:
Patreon: / jameshoffmann
Limited Edition Merch: www.tenshundredsthousands.com
My Books:
The World Atlas of Coffee: geni.us/atlasofcoffee
The World Atlas of Coffee Audiobook: bit.ly/worldatlasofcoffeeaudio
The Best of Jimseven: geni.us/bestofjimseven
Find me here:
Instagram: / jimseven
Twitter: / jimseven
Things I use and like:
My video kit: kit.co/jimseven/video-making-...
My current studio coffee kit: kit.co/jimseven/studio-coffee...
My glasses: bit.ly/boldlondon
My hair product of choice: geni.us/forthehair

[@jameshoffmann]

We somehow unintentionally managed to leave out the UX/UI segment for the Gaggia Accademia on this edit, so we've uploaded that section separately here instead: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJjck4OohZaMgKM

[@bekeneel]

Oh this is awesome I'm happy you testing my machine too or very similar, I got the melitta t-smart TS is just deluxe like.

[@bekeneel]

Oh and the 55ml instead of 60, the machine adjusts it if you change the grind setting. Imo this machine is great price/quality, allthough mine was already replaced under warrantee & the display can give trouble if you keep machine on for long.

[@hdfailure]

You managed also not to include the price in Euros.

[@jg-uh5xq]

Looks like you have a scammer pretending to be you giving away coffee machines

[@heatherbell5306]

@@jg-uh5xq yeah... I just received one of those... surely it’s not for real!?

[@PacesIII]

The perfect cup of coffee was brewed and enjoyed exactly 28 years ago on a Tuesday afternoon in a small cafe in Spain. Everyone else missed it.

[@keco185]

That sounds like a sentence that would find itself in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

[@Shadowguy456234]

But, perfect to whom?

[@brendboer6026]

The best you ever had is just a memory

[@jpkatz1435]

@@brendboer6026 as each moment passes it becomes memmory

[@cacaulaymulkin7724]

@@keco185 first thing I thought of too. what a great book.

[@andymetzen]

I would love to see a comparison of multiple Delonghi Bean To Cup, from the lowest end to the highest end, since the price range is quite large and they seem to use the same brewing mechanism.

[@sammysalter]

seconded!

[@7804t1]

Thirded

[@STruple12]

q .... quadrupled? What is the correct word, guys?

[@davidy80]

err quintuppled?

[@carlveilleux5744]

My understanding is that all units from a specific series (ECAM, ESAM, etc) the internals are the same (brew unit, boiler, pump, etc). Only the offered features and user interface differ.

[@davidmcottrell]

I’m not even slightly in the market for these machines, yet, I still watch all your videos. Love them.

[@Flexy1234]

Now we need test for under 1k for the machines we can actually afford 🤣

[@lr2147]

This must be a scam! He wrote more comments like that and it seems like we both win the same machine.. I’d only trust a verified account

[@Mimeniia]

Yeah, us plebs are people too. 😉

[@Buzz0216]

@Flexo I second this!

[@rogierdikkes]

Wonder if the Patreon supporters chose more expensive machines with the knowledge that they make a chance to win these machines.

[@techforever1970]

I've been hard at bay finding a good machine under 1k that actually brews good coffee. Found none. I've just splurged and got the delonghi. For under 1k, just buy a Nespresso machine honestly... you'd be better off.

[@user-ez4mr1iq4j]

21:00 made me laugh so hard. It delicately prepares your drink with a delicate layer of foam on top... and then just angrily sputters and steams all over it

[@ianwilliams7740]

it also kicks sand in your face and makes moves on your girlfriend

[@tijmen131]

@@ianwilliams7740 Thanks to that machine I´m sleeping on my parents coach and had to take a second job at McDonald´s to pay for the alimony. For some reason I also have HIV now.

[@silpheedTandy]

the steam causing that little bit of spill over the side of the cup just added to the comedy, haha. poor little delicate cup of coffee.

[@asoaresjr]

As a Jura owner, I am happy to see it got good results. I think folks who own a Jura understand that they are paying for well above average coffee that is still a notch below the traditional coffee shop machines in exchange for incredible convenience. I don't want to be a barista in my own house every morning when I'm rushing to work or having a dinner party -- it's an incredible feeling to be able to pull a great cup of coffee or cappuccino and have minimal setup / cleaning to do afterwards. I personally have found it to be worth every penny, even if it means I give up control over some of the knobs I would have to get the perfect extraction

[@Roulandus-le-Fartere]

You nailed the whole Superautomatic ownership experience and why Jura should still be considered the best at it. Only thing I'd add is that Jura are too pricey if your main focus is espresso. You can get as-good espresso with much cheaper Superautomatics. But what Jura does to simplify and automate the milk process, if that's what you want, is a thing of beauty and worth every cent. Also, I reckon these machines make better coffee than two-thirds to three-quarters of Baristas out there.

[@MarkJT1000]

Yes those are my thoughts on Superauto machines too. Both my son and my son-in-law have more hands on types of coffee makers and although they will generally make a better espresso (it can go badly wrong some times) - its takes an absolute age to get there and then there's all the cleaning up after. By the time you've added some frothy milk though, there's not much difference in the quality of the coffee.

[@lukedgos]

@@Roulandus-le-Fartere Any opinion on where Jura stands vs semi-autos?

[@doctorrobert60]

I was a happy Jura owner buying Jura E6 when on sale at Costco. Worked great for 6 months then started to not dispense coffee. Would grind and start the brew process but few drops would come out with liquid in the puck container. I ran clean cycle even though not prompted and not helpful. Changed the filter even though not needed. This helped for half a cup then problem returned. I was going to contact Jura but since bought at Costco just cleaned up the machine and returned to Costco. Thanks for the return policy Costco refunded my purchase price. I do not abuse Costco return policy but did not want to deal with sending the machine in for repair. I think 6 months to start failure was not good and I did do all the maintenance required and still have large number of Jura cleaning pucks and few of the filters. If I get the courage I may give them another shot.

[@CL-yp1bs]

Agreed. As someone who has owned espresso machines as well as fully automatic machines.. the ability to get 80% of the experience for 10% of the effort is worth it, especially when you are time limited.

[@Showmetheevidence-]

These reviews and coffee advice are awesome. No bias (from what I can tell) & just nice clear advice on how to have nicer coffee. Thanks! 😊

[@svenwilliger5386]

The Siemens actually has a true dual grinder - not just dual hopper. So no mixture of coffee. The milk tank can go into the fridge and you can buy an milk package adapter if you want.

[@ainnelrosirrosias3338]

seems like a rushed video.

[@replynotificationsdisabled]

@ 2:19 he states he's not going too much into detail on every machine. Stay Alert Stay Alive

[@GHE98]

I have a Siemens, makes way better coffee than most other brands that are 2-3x expensiver..

[@robertof.5283]

We use the eq9 with single grinder (s700 i think) and the McDonald's Espresso roast. We Love it. Surely not the best quality Coffee but we Love the Taste with the eq9. And what i think is the best Part on the Siemens. She is absolute easy to Handle and cleaning. All parts are ready to build Out and can be cleaned. Most parts in the dishwasher. The Machine can Show when the next cleaning process is expected. All process is with an step by step Manuel in the Machine and in the Manuel. It has an integrated water decalcer. I love this Machine. Its no real Espresso Machine but for us, she is quite perfect

[@AlvenmodFoto]

@@robertof.5283 We have the same with the single grinder and I concur, coffee is great, lattes and espressos too, we use very dark roasts though. But the cleaning is so simple on this compared to other machines we've had before, couldn't quite believe how easy it was to clean both the brewing unit and the inside. It's also one of the most quiet machines we had. Heaven!!

[@vindieter]

I coincidentally bought the Jura two weeks ago. So seeing your review is quite pleasing. The machine, once you figured out all it’s ins and outs, is fantastic. It’s summer in South Africa and the cold brew it delivers is something quite astonishing. The flat white is proper quality that is better than a lot of average “coffee shops”

[@EngineerZX]

We need another video for 2024

[@clemlowes9417]

I've had my Jura Z6 for over a decade now and I am very pleased with my purchase. The Jura shop in my area asked if I wanted to "upgrade" my Jura for a new one. Turned down the offer as my older model apparently has a very good boiler where as newer ones coffee/espresso does not come out as hot.

[@PaulVanHaver]

What a fab review James. Really enjoyed it. I have owned Juras for 10+ years and now have an E8 and it serves me well but always wondered how the other brands were. So fabulous to see the comparison and as always with your reviews I love your structured approach to it all and honesty!!

[@bendekimpe35]

James his review about "cean to cup machines", is by far the best that I have seen, the most other reviews on youtube don't tell anything about the coffee quality or with less details, James can tell in a very interesting way what to expect. James tells in a fascinating way, really took your attention, critical in pleasant way.

[@spoonface5880]

I love coffee! i hate people telling like "this is the only good way to drink coffee"..just hate it! But you are the first person in a long while that actually talks about every aspect of the coffee and how to approach it, thanks for all the knowlegde i now start to learn from you 1 video at the time! got alot to go, but daimn is is amusing/informative! love the content!

[@CyanOgilvie]

I've had an older Jura machine (the Ena3) for about 14 years now and I've been impressed with it. Normally I hate UIs that are basically a single multi function button, but this one does it well, and seems to appreciate that its primary place in the world is to solve the first coffee problem, so just turning it on and slapping the big button will give you coffee. Accessing the other functions through The Button is handled by making it a jog dial with clear detents, and feedback on a simple single line LCD, which works well for me: no recall needed so it solves the normal problem with single button interfaces. It is also still easy to service occasionally with the local agents all these years later, and has survived being pulled off the kitchen counter onto it's face by an angry baboon with barely a scratch to show for it (I live in an interesting place). So for me, although cheaper machines have feature parity I've been happy I paid more for this one as I'd almost certainly have gone through at least two of the cheaper machines in this timeframe.

[@kaysi6605]

My aunt has Jura machines for years and loves a cappuccino, she actually considers not having a container a feature as she just sticks it in the container, closes it up and back into the fridge.

[@ericb8985]

Completely agree. We've been using our Z5 for years and only used the milk container once at the very beginning. There is just no argument for filling a container as it needs to be emptied and cleaned afterwards. I'd say it's the right call to sell it separately because even those people using it can just keep one for any future machine.

[@bEjk21O]

Agreed. We use ours mainly for espresso and when we want to make some milk drink, we just take a carton of milk out of the fridge and make it. No need to clean anything afterwards :)

[@phil291254]

My Jura the same I used a screw top jam jar and just made hole in top for silicon tube as I rarely use auto cappuccino program and I can keep jar in fridge when I do between uses 🤣

[@interchris]

Agree too. Good not to have to wash another container. Just a little hose.

[@patsilverfang]

I agree as well. I’d guess James is thinking of the expense = luxury but most people in this market are busy and the fewer dishes the better.

[@sakuzaku5966]

Thank you for your expert insight James - glad that the wait for your review wasn’t that long! Have been interested in automatic machines for daily use and a Hario or manual espresso for the weekend to cultivate my coffee experience.

[@drmarxx]

Hi James, my father made one of his first trips to Italy in the early early 70s. He brought back his first espresso machine (no clue of what the name was). Seems like he kept going back and buying more machines. He always had one at home and one at his office. I got all of his hand me downs. So I have had espresso machines since probably 1973. I had 2 Quick Mills Super Automatic machines, with the filter basket of 7 g and an upgraded one with 9 g. Look them up. I have owned an assortment of single boiler machines heat exchangers since my early 20s. To name a few I have had multiples: Electra, Pavoni, Pasquini Livietta, Quick Mill Anita, and I am currently rocking a dual boiler, what you would call a Sage (Breville in the US). Freshly roasted double shot cappuccino first thing in the morning for 45 years! The funny thing is that in those early days I had almost no clue on how to get good reputable shots until guys like you came along and explained it all. Thank you for your contribution…

[@incognitofelon]

Bosch Siemens actually has other newer models with milk pipe going into the carton as well and I think it's brilliant. No need to store a separate container in the fridge or clean and the milk never remains in the container and goes bad. I love my Bosch machine.

[@wouterkolkman]

We have a slightly cheaper Delonghi, similar style and built quality. Even after 4 years of daily use several times a day it produces tasty coffee - not proper espresso, but it does not claim it would. Thank you for your test and insight James!

[@parastie]

I've got the Delonghi that's roughly half the price of the one he's reviewing and I'm certain it's exactly the same on the inside. Same touch-screen interface and everything. I love it, and to have him say he likes the coffee means I have not wasted my money. 😄

[@ilmt]

When my in-laws bought the exact delonghi as in the video they gave me and my wife older delonghi which is at least 7, more like 8 years old (it has over 20000 or so cups of coffee under its belt) . The pucks coming from the machine are as dry as they were when it was new and I was able to dial very tasty coffee from it. I am very impressed by delonghi. My in-laws gave it to us because it had electronic issues and when send to service they told them that to repair it it would cost like half a price of a new one. So they bought the new one. Given it was more or less working they gave it to us and turned out no problems so far occurred and we have it like 6 months. I suspect a solar power plant on my in-laws house is in fault as that might have created instability in the outlets. For final comparison my parents had a Bosh for like 8 years also and that was giving out wet slush instead of pucks for the last 2 years (and what was worse a tasteless brown water instead of coffee) so they (and that is total coincidance) bought the delonghi from the video as well.

[@Jules-bass]

Yes! as someone who restored a fair amount of delonghi's; ALL OF THEM HAVE THE SAME INTERNALS. the only main differences being having an extra heating element for automatic steaming models and different design with different recipes. The ecam 21.112b has being going strong with my parents for 5 years now. I recently refurbished it and it still works fine. Only downside to an semi-auto espresso machine is that superauto's get really dirty over time, and this is the case with all machines even if they say they are ''automatic cleaning''

[@andrewstorm8240]

Model?

[@SBBUK]

I have the entry level delonghi etam 29.510.sb (what a mouthful) and the grinder knob looks identical to the delonghi machine featured. I love it, it has had daily use for 3 years and has never missed a beat. Only downside to me is it does waste a lot of water cleaning itself before and after making coffee but it's not the end of the world. Would recommend one for sure.

[@teasels10]

Thanks James. Really love watching your videos. I'm a newbie in the world of the espresso machines. I own a Delonghi Autentica, so below this price range, but for my level of experience it works for me.

[@lennonfinney]

I'm so glad someone finally reviewed the Miele! I've only seen the cheaper variants and we have this exact one! Thanks for the vid

[@jockspice]

Would like to say, on behalf of my wife who watched this with me, that the cups and glasses that you use in this video are all beautiful! She isn't sold on a B2C machine yet, she is very happy with what I produce from my Gaggia Classic. Very interesting and informative video.

[@martijnvanbuel6842]

I have the Melitta, and you are right about the buttons. It"s difficult to adjust the buttons but i usually use the personal buttons, so you don't need to adjust the buttons. Pretty decent machine for the money

[@lhapilot75]

Now I feel relief about owning a Jura Z10 after this review of automatics Bean To Cup coffee machines by James. I love the convenience of just pressing a button and getting a coffee without all the prep flow. One thing it wasn't mentioned is that with the Jura Z10 you can also do cold brews. I totally agree it does not beat a good grinder and Espresso machine. When I feel the urge for real espresso, I just fire up my E65s GbW grinder and VA EP1 to enjoy the best espresso shop experience.

[@dlyon9673]

A thorough and thoroughly enjoyable review. My favorite remark, "I don’t always want granularity. I often want to get to coffee as quickly as I can.”

[@sdyoungii]

I've had 3 Juras over the years and a Melitta. The Melitta was great but the home model couldn't keep up with production and eventually quit. The Juras are workhorses for the office and home. They produce great coffee and milk drinks and are easy to use. Worth the extra money.

[@ScarsOfAFracturedSou]

Popcorn!!! Popcorn!!! I need to relax on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and just soak this all in! I love these in depth comparison/reviews, and how James goes in depth, in ways I never imagined.

[@lr2147]

I am mechanical engineer and your descriptions of fail designed features made me laugh a lot. My top 5 of funniest points: 1. the moving thing (why?? 😂) 2. the violent steam finish (wtf!) 3. choice-buttons too tight at each other (oops, now I have to drink cappuccino instead of espresso 🤷🏻‍♂️😄) 4. noisy fans 5. the upstanding cover of bean hopper

[@brontec9769]

violent steam finish !🤣

[@GoProDodge]

I bought a delonghi based on this review and we are very happy with it. Took a bit to dial in some custom settings, but I think that is par for the course. Thank you.

[@JoeyBeeFit]

Hello, I'm interested in this machine as well and was wondering if you have had any issues over the time that you have owned it. I am being put off from purchasing it based on some reviews that said that it dies very quickly. Thank you!

[@logicvs.everything7230]

This just makes me happy for my Breville Barista Express I got 5 years ago. I control it and adjust based on how stale my coffee has become and steam my own milk, saved $500 and better espresso for my work, which thanks to practice is fairly consistent and quick. I can pamper my loved ones and make them smile with some basic foam art too, which is missing here so it just depends on what you're looking for.

[@offsideundo]

I keep a small (12 oz ) stainless milk frothing pitcher to hold the milk for my Jura machine. That way it can go in and out of the refrigerator as needed. I usually only make 3 or 4 café latte per day so that way the milk is protected from spoiling. I found that putting the milk tube directly into a bigger milk box or jug had the potential of spoiling the larger quantity of milk through cross-contamination. Also, my Jura machine ( Impressa A9) has been completely reliable for the 6 years that I've owned it. It's been serviced once but keeps chugging along.

[@stumarcusvideo]

I have the Delonghi in the comparison. I know the mobile apps were not part of the review but the app allows fine-tuning the output by ml. Very easy to adjust and save preferences. Also the container is quite easy to clean which was important to me. Thanks for the review.

[@PadyEos]

I have a lower level of the Delonghi. Have to second your positive for the container with a plus that it fits in the fridge in the door. Also all the feeding of water, milk, emptying is done from the front which is a huge plus point on the usual kitchen counter where there is other stuff to the sides of the machine and cabinet above it. Have to give it high marks for ergonomics and mechanical useability.

[@nickwatson64]

Pppp

[@heatherbell5306]

Thank you James for doing this comparison that included the DeLonghi model that we purchased a few months ago. It was a brand new model that, at the time of purchase, had not been reviewed comparatively like this. Armed with the info I could find and what we were willing to afford, this was the model I chose. I previously had a Breville Bambino and a good grinder, and was thoroughly enjoying my espresso-making journey (learning much from you! 😊), working to perfect my milk foam, etc. The move to a bean to cup machine was fraught but, ultimately, we made the right decision for US. We go to bed looking forward to our morning coffee, and I’ve finally stopped missing the coffee-making morning ballet of grinding, tamping, pulling and frothing. No clean-up is a total bonus! One serious drawback to this machine is the bypass “chute” for a different coffee... You can only put one distinct measure of ground coffee into it for one cup at a time. Annoying. Other than that, I’m very happy with it and am glad that, from your point of view, we didn’t waste our money. Thanks again!

[@olivercox2565]

Well this came at a perfect time! I’ve been looking for a machine for months now. The Melitta it is!

[@simengfu7352]

I have a Delonghi worked continuously in my small restaurant, I think the model is magnifica S. It is not a coffee restaurant per se but 30+ cups of coffee per day is for sure. 10 years, it has been making coffee, and still going strong.

[@KokkiePiet]

My advice to you is sell more coffee, margins on a cup of coffee are much higher than on anything else in restaurant/gastronomic business

[@konfunable]

Magnifica S is a legend. I have had it in most of the offices I worked in. Never disapoints, and the coffee is reasonably descent for such cheap machine.

[@onemanfran]

We have a refurbished magnifica S in our house, has made 2700 coffees in 4 years and still working great

[@La_sagne]

in line with french fries ​@@KokkiePiet

[@limer4330]

We have a Jura E8 and love it. I maintain it and it works well. If I wasn't married, I would have a manual setup but I work from home and can't leave my desk to make my wife a flat white every time she wants one and she's unwilling to learn how to do it manually. I'm thankful for the super auto.

[@mr.mortem3134]

My parents bought a DeLonghi Dinamica (the base model, not the Plus) about four years ago. That machine is what got me drinking coffee in the first place, and it's still going strong to this day. While I agree that the milk frothing on it isn't great and I sometimes miss my setup when I go home to visit, it makes nice coffee incredibly quickly and conveniently. We all love it! Edit: I meant Dinamica, not Dedica

[@georgevp]

For the most part, my folks have had De'Longhi machines and for the most part they are very good machines. We had one with the milk attachment that never made scalding milk and eventually died, but it still brewed on.

[@MKDaMan1818]

I have the Delonghi Dinamica Plus and I really like it. For milk drinks, I do the cappucino mix, which does coffee first then milk, which mixes the beverage a lot better. Also, with the app you can actually easily increase the dosage and volume.

[@harryhatzi]

what kind of? 85 or 95 please?

[@GenSaiyan]

Yeah it is a nice machine! Technically Coffee first drinks are more traditionally that of a latte. Cappuccino's are milk first then espresso so that you can a "cap" of foam on top.

[@thebackyardbrewer5611]

I purchased a semi automatic coffee machine 8 years ago. I went with the Deloghi magnifica S because it offered me control over the milk side and I figured that that would help me to get the best coffee from a relatively cheap machine. I like it, I get decent coffee

[@La_La_La3]

Happy to see Jura comes out on top because that's the one I would recommend to people that want a good bean to cup machine.

[@marylousherman5471]

I have owned a Jura Capressa E8 for 15 years and the cup I brewed this am is just as good as the first one I ever made with it. I use purifier water only and I use fresh beans, and not 'flavored' beans. Also, I go through the cleaning cycle with the Jura tablets when the machine prompts me to do so. I paid $1200 for it back then and it has been worth every cent!

[@thedigitalemotion]

Not as good as going to Starbucks though where the professionals make them

[@wpod9763]

When mine finally died it had over 37,000 brew cycles over 17 years.

[@toomignon]

We've been using our Jura ENA9 since I got it for my husband several years ago. Big splurge but it ended up paying for itself easily - my husband stopped going to Starbucks daily. I've got to say that Jura's service center is the absolute best of any that I've ever experienced with any company, ever.

[@rxonmymind8362]

I can buy any espresso machine. Can't buy the customer service dept. Thank you for sharing the good about this company. May look into Jura.

[@catguy64]

I keep reading the exact opposite on multiple sites. 🤔 Bad customer service is a deal breaker for me.

[@toomignon]

@@catguy64 I can only speak from my experience over many years. Jura has given me the best customer service I have ever received for any product, much less for a kitchen appliance. My cleaning service broke the Jura by shoving parts back all incorrectly which jammed the machine (not a simple jam when you forget the grounds hopper which is the typical jam and solved by a sequence of buttons over the phone). Sent it to Jura and the reconditioned it (for a fee that my cleaning service paid for) and fixed it and sent it back - I swear its better than it was new. I bought this about 10 years ago and still going strong!!

[@deborahspanic9730]

2nd - we've had Jura for 15+ years and I have been consistently impressed with their customer service. I've recommended Jura to friends + family and they also have not been disappointed. Would not buy any other machine.

[@davidlazenby5442]

I own the Delonghi, there is an app with it which allows you to control the water and everything else. Thanks for the review

[@comancheflyer4903]

I have a Sprada Futura that I bought new in 2004. I recently had it serviced for the first time since new. It needed a refurbished brewing unit, a new grinder and draining valve after 10412 cups of coffee. Very happy with the quality coffee it produces.

[@seanc3334]

Love my Melitta connect. Been a couple of years since owning it now and it’s not let me down yet. As someone else has mentioned, the app is actually really good. Though I use my automated settings for daily espresso and the app for milk drinks on the weekend. I paid ~£800 so they must have gone up in price.

[@chrisdunaway2562]

I have the Delonghi Magnifica xs, it has been a pretty solid machine. (IMO) I've owned it for about 5 years and it has been working great.

[@aligray9161]

Thanks for doing these reviews, it's been something I've thought about getting once I get my kitchen done. The only review I except is a James Hoffman review ☺️ I don't except any others!

[@jacob-vt4wg]

I love my gaggia accademia. It's nice to wake up in the morning, press 1 button and the drink is made. And the ability to froth your own milk (which I'm learning) was the selling point for me. It's a great machine!

[@homelyharpy2jqc]

He didn’t mention the flow control. Is this a feature you use, and how important is it to its performance or capabilities?

[@t0mn8r35]

Excellent review. All of your reviews are excellent.

[@cometor1]

I had a Delonghi for around 900€. After around 5 Years we changed the bewing group, At the end of its life after around 13 Years it brewed around 25.000 cups of coffee, you can check that in the internal menu. So 900€ for the machine and for 100€ you could get all important replacement parts. I always recommend a Delonghi. I think they have a pretty good value. And the same goes for all my friends and realtives that had a Delonghi. Everyone that had a Miele or Jura had quite a few problems and they were harder to repair.

[@mdgow]

We have a Delonghi Magnifica in the office. We've owned it fully 14 years and we flog it mercilessly without any thought for basic responsible maintenance. A few years back the main motor shorted so we replaced it DIY with used eBay parts DIY. Over the last year, rather than replacing seals or even checking them, we just kept pounding out coffees and ignoring minor leaks as they slowly escalated. Finally the boiler couldn't hold pressure and leaks abounded. We pulled a used boiler from a junk machine we found and it's back in business like new. Such a beast! I think our Delonghi will outlive me!

[@rikbobbaers946]

@@mdgow i hate them too...mine is 10 years old, made 10k coffees. It broke down a few months ago (linkswitch blew up). I spent 4 euros and 2 hours on researching and soldering. Works like a charm again... I WANT a new one, but i cant find a reason!

[@petervansan1054]

I would rather take semi auto machine. Feels better to make your own better coffee

[@cometor1]

@@petervansan1054 maybe you want it, but most people don't. And that's what this video was about. I also use a profitec 500, but for everyone who just wants coffee, DeLonghi is my recommendation.

[@ddj11]

​@@mdgowmodel?

[@hectormorales9428]

“Why did that move!” - really got a chuckle out of that one

[@jimloughin9756]

"milk was ... fine. Unspectacular but kind of decent" James provides some of the best and most honest descriptions you'll find.

[@ryszardlaskowski2688]

Thank you for doing this. I was really hoping for it.

[@TomMaynard--TCM--]

Thank you, James. I've waited for these superauto tips/reviews for a long time. You do not disappoint. Hopefully you'll do another, with comparable machines at similar price points. But these are great.

[@ryancarduner800]

We had an older Jura in the office that made about 30-60 shots every day. It was beat to hell but made excellent coffee with an outstanding crema for many years and I've been enamoured with Jura's ever since.

[@MotoCat91]

Agreed. My partner was always buying coffees, sometimes leaving home to go through the Maccas drive through (of all things) because he hated instant, and didn't want to faff about with espresso machines. So armed with just a couple hundred Australian dollarydoos I searched around and found a local appliance wholesaler that also did refurbs and factory seconds - where they had a used Jura ENA Micro 90, pretty banged up on the outside but they cleaned out and replaced the inner parts where necessary to freshen it up. Was previously in a small office lunch room. We've since had it for over 3 years, multiple cups a day and never once missed a beat. Every few weeks it goes through a self clean cycle with fancy little tablets (takes like 20 mins and is all automated), and swap out the water filter a few times a year + hand wash the removable parts.. saved us soooooo much money, I love it

[@brunoenten5274]

@@MotoCat91 Yeah that's something that's impossible to test on a bench: how long will it keep making good coffee without breaking? That's where the price difference between the Delonghi and Jura will start to make sense, when the swiss made machine soldiers on 10 years after the other one has broken down.

[@coryh9731]

I've had my jura for over 7 years. Never replaced anything. Has always worked and tasted great! I have always used the exact same coffee beans for 7 years *Lavazza* and I noticed it started to taste sour last year. So I watched a KZbin video on how to disassemble and clean it. It's basically a space ship on the inside and after extreme care of disassembling the very small parts and deep cleaning and soaking components, it's basically brand new again. It's not hard to work on these. Just very small and important parts in there. If anything were to break, parts are expensive and honestly I would maybe just buy a new machine.

[@Buntybill1]

​@@coryh9731I have a jura z8. So after you cleaned it the coffee tasted better again? I spoke to jura and if you send it to them they do a total refurb of all internal parts that need replacing for around 400 aud$.

[@meggymoo5496]

We had a Jura ena 9 have had it for 14 years still going but recently up graded to Jura s8 because we got near new less than a year old been recently service. Anyway I’m in love it has so many features we didn’t have in the older model 🖤☕️

[@Epinardscaramel]

I was thinking about buying a machine of this type, been waiting for this video! 🤩

[@YuMYuMDucK42]

Firstly, I love your videos and have been watching them for some time now, even if they are not relevant to the coffee I make and the tools I use. Secondly, I was in the market for a new machine a few months ago and was looking at a semi-auto Breville machine. The missus convinced me to look at the Jura Z10 as there happened to be an in store demo while we were there. After much consideration and research, which included this video, we purchased the Z10. Luckily for me there was a deal at the time where I saved AUD$1,800 by getting the retailer to price match, and I have to say I have never looked back! It is a huge step up from the very old Baby Gaggia I was previously using. I never thought I would get an automatic machine, yet here I am. The additional milk canister/fridge was a good buy also as it is now all basically self-contained. I love that I can program my own coffee and make it how I like it with a simple push of a button, or tap on the screen in this case. Makes those 3:00am coffees much simpler to make. Also, the cold brew function is a cool thing to have and I find it works pretty well.

[@mattslegg8121]

Great video as always. I'd like to see a comparison of lower end bean to cup machines. Delonghi Magnifica, Gaggia Brerra and a Melitta Cafe Solo etc. Keep up the excellent videos James.

[@TheWellott]

I have the Melitta Barista T-Smart (not the TS shown) and I must say that the app is a great 'companion' and really helps to get the machine dialled in. You can set up multiple (up to 4) profiles which then make all the drink buttons 'one touch' to retrieve your preferred recipes. It does a really good job in accurately re-creating what you've programmed, and an advantage in the milk containers and easy cleaning is that I bought a spare milk container for my other half as she is non-dairy. Looking forward to dialling in the dose and ratio when my next order of beans arrives. We got the machine on promotion and it is really great value for money!

[@ryant2568]

I am a Latte man myself and have had a Miele CM6350 for the last few years. A fantastic machine with a great self-cleaning function for milk drinks.

[@cristianpena1964]

James, your videos are fenomenal. I'm laughing on my own while learning about coffee.🤣😂🤣

[@krombopulosmichael6162]

James: “It’s monstrous, it’s huge, it’s two and a half thousand pounds!” Me: “It doesn’t look like it weighs that much 🤔” ……”oh!” 😄

[@lastsolfa]

I'm not an espresso expert by any means but I do have a machine at home. Recently they put a jura in our workplace and I was really surprised by the quality. Not that it's fantastic but I never imagined coffee coming from these "Kaffeevollautomat"s, as they are called in German, would be drinkable. Good to see you that you found it decent in comparison to others as well.

[@maybeinoregon]

I really appreciated your testing of these machines! Well done! We ended up purchasing the Dinamica Plus (we own two), and so far (~400 drinks between them), they’ve done what we’ve asked of them. I really like the ability to experiment through the app on my iPad when it comes to making different drinks. In addition, once we find a drink we really like, the app makes setting the drink up on the second machine a breeze. I can see us eventually moving on to more of a manual process…but for now, we are enjoying the convenience.

[@gavrilobozovic]

I can't comment for the other ones, but Jura has incredible longevity. Mine is 20 years old, and was my company's before I took it home, so it made a LOT of coffee. And it's still running more or less as on day one. That's good value for money IMO.

[@YoramPomer]

Miele are known for having an unconventional user interface. It’s seen in many domestic devices. This coffee machine seems from the size and controls, more like an office machine that a technician will set up and the people at the office only need to press a button for making a cup of coffee. This also explains why it has such a flexibility in the grinding as well as the cup size. The automatic cup height adjustment tries to solve a problem that you see in many kitchen offices as the coffee area gets very dirty because people are too lazy to adjust the coffee outlet. Last remark - Miele devices are known for their durability and ease of service. This can something come on the expensive of compactness a build design.

[@rikipatel4340]

Yep the issue with bulk reviews, is the glossing over the target demographic and brand philosophy.

[@ElZamo92]

I had one of those counter mounted Mieles, and I HATED it… it broke down FIVE TIMES in the two years I owned it and the shots it made were average at best… so we just kept using our old Jura instead.

[@philindeblanc]

We had a Miele built in and it sucked. got rid of it in a remodel, and now using a manual setup with joy.@@ElZamo92

[@Atheluin]

As a former Miele employee this kind of pains me - one of the smaller and cheaper Miele coffee machines with much smaller footprint would have been nice as a comparison (we had one until Dec23, when we upgraded our 800€ Miele from 207 for an Ascaso Duo Steel PID and a Eureka Mignon Oro). FYI: The coffee machines are one of the few products Miele does not produce itself, but just does the engineering for to let others build it for them (same with their fridges, which are 1:1 Liebherr fridges). Also: Miele does more and more cost cutting, which also seems to impact product longevity. I am not really sure that this is the sustainable way forward for the company

[@moodyk1979]

I’m so glad you’re viewing these options too, so awesome to get a huge variations of all machines, great 👍

[@deliciouscontemplations7217]

I just want to say that I was introduced to your channel a few days ago and have binged through tons of your videos. Thanks so much, this is great!

[@nibotz]

I have owned Jura machines for about 18 years now, first one was the original E8 I sold after 4 year, second one was the F9 which i ran until i needed new burrs after 10 years, 3rd is the new E8 which i absolutely love. I have tried Delonghi and Saeco early models, but those early models were very poor builds and brews which made me switch back to Jura and stay with them. the E8 is about half the price of the Z10, but has many of the UI but with manual grinder adjustment. The only alternative i have ever considered was the Oracle Touch, so i cant wait for that comparison

[@MrFizzarale]

Once you go to a machine like a Jura you can never go back.

[@rimasl.5645]

@@MrFizzarale Not sure about that, my friend has jura and i purchased Delonghi it is no comparison, Delonghi pores much better espresso then jura. I think is depends on what model you get.

[@MrFizzarale]

@@rimasl.5645 With me having no experience with Delonghi products I cannot speak to their quality. So I cannot embrace this debate as much as I would like.

[@filipkostka3053]

And how do you cope with unremovable brew unit? From a maintenance perspective it can cost a fortune…

[@aaronw1375]

Idk, I tried several Juras (E8 and Z6) recently and really didn't like them. Milk wasn't hot enough and coffee shots were really small even after ajusting all the settings. I bought an Oracle Touch, and it's much, much better. It's not a super automatic though so you still have to rinse parts after.

[@SpondonSporsho]

Awesome review! It's great to hear that some of the coffee machines deliver great results. It's a shame that some of the models are not yet available in some Asian countries , but hopefully, they will become available soon. 🤞

[@AaronMartinColby]

I had a Jura Z5 for years and was able to get excellent milk foam by playing with the mixing valve WHILE it was steaming. I poured my first latte art with that machine.

[@martijnstam6186]

Recently purchased the DeLonghi Magnifica Evo with milk reservoir for €500 and I'm 100% satisfied with the machine. It's quite basic but does what it must do perfectly.

[@CreepsMcPasta]

thank you for answering questions I never knew to ask

[@richardfrink]

I have a Delonghi Eletta. It has various sizes, strengths, milk, and temperature options. It actually makes pucks, and is shockingly quite great considering it is all automatic.

[@anthony64632]

£1000 plus is too much. What is best price for a reasonable bean to cup machine ? £300 or more ?

[@aaronm425]

I have the same, the setting for cappuccinos is all the way to the right instead of down the middle for adjusting milk foam. I wonder if that would've made a difference in James' assessment of milk quality, or using regular milk.

[@kuba6344]

@@anthony64632 1000 is actually pretty reasonable. For a good espresso machine you need about 300, for a good grinder aprox 400, that makes 700. Add 300 for making it automatic and you have 1000. When I was low on budget and still wanted tasty coffee I used not-so-bad grinder and moccha pot. In my opinon is the best way to make espresso-like drink at low cost.

[@anthony64632]

@@kuba6344, if I had £1000, then I would go for it . But I don't have it. So what the rock bottom proce for a good bean to cup machine. I have had delomgi manual expresso machine worth £200 ,broke down in 2 years.

[@Aubury]

@@anthony64632 Which gives the Beko bean to cup a good write up. At £250 .. Beko CEG5301X

[@jermainemason3352]

Damn I been looking for these for a minute thank you

[@davidsteckler9871]

Great review and I’m especially pumped to hear the Jura Z10 got high honors, especially as I’m receiving this machine, hopefully today, from Whole Latte Love as their December contest winner🙂

[@RealZenno]

James: Reviewing expensive coffee machines that cost £1000+. Me: Watching James reviewing machines that cost more than my monthly rent while drinking Folgers Classic Roast pre ground coffee, made in a Mr. Coffee drip brewer I got @ Walmart for $20 and drinking from 16oz Dunkin' Donuts mug. And enjoying the video regardless.

[@gillesvanleeuwen]

This is the way.

[@alastaircowley3997]

Thanks for the video James! I have the Melitta, it's great to hear your recommendations on dosing, grind, temperature, etc. On the user interface - 1. It has an app to help set up and save drinks, which is very easy to use - 2. You only have to set up a drink once, next time you can just press a button - 3. It has user profiles that are simple to select, in case your setup isn't the same as someone else. Hope that helps!

[@christianvolk5182]

We have also the Melitta as new family automated Barista member. Coming from capsules it was a big step forward and we are very happy. Target was to have two hoppers, because my wife tended to have a smoother coffee, me some stronger notes. In the meantime we use the same coffee from one hopper, daughter some other from the 2nd. We are so pleased with the quality of the brew, the taste of the (speciality) coffee, as well the recipes for the milk drinks. Maybe also to mention, that this machine uses the right (Italian) order of milk vs. coffee (Cappuccino Coffee first, caffè latte milk first). Also the milk system cleaning is a much cleaner process, then the competitors shown, which may push the foam out of the Glass with the shot of steam after the process. The Melitta drains the hot cleaning water into the drain pan. overall we wouldn’t change the machine anymore. I became a real coffee junkie with this.

[@quinnthompson]

My dad has a Jura. It's been making coffee regularly for over 10 years & gone in for maintenance only once or twice- that fun fact alone is why I'd prefer a Jura.

[@servicesphere3164]

Hi James, Great Review - Keep Up the Good Work!

[@MightierThanTheGun]

I've gotten to use a Jura S9, and with my experience with that and seeing other Jura machines, I think there's a fairly good case to be made that they're meant as premium office machines rather than creating the best possible at-home espresso. They're meant to be maintained by a core set of people while being able to pump out decent espresso on demand all day - hence the 'hidden' drink settings. Jim in the end cube isn't going to muck up everyone's coffee by putting it on some random setting that only he likes.

[@michaelschneider-]

+1 … Our Jura Impressa S9 has been a workhorse for more than a decade or more. Great strength coffee. .. PS., we luv our Miele appliances D/W, Drier, Washer, Oven etc.

[@jpkatz1435]

Jim always mucks stuff up.

[@robinisathakur]

Yes, the cleaning requirements for Juras when using milk drinks really put me off the brand as a home machine.

[@LinA-it9vd]

@@robinisathakur The Meile is worst by far.

[@brunoenten5274]

There's a reason every office uses a Jura. Everybody starts by buying a cheaper machine. Then another one when it breaks after 3 months of punishing use. Then, after the second unit also breaks, they understand that it makes more economic sense to get a heavy duty Jura machine that will be good for years.

[@nrdesign1991]

I really like my DeLonghi Magnifica - it's an older style machine that is as bare-bones as it gets by todays standards. No display, no menus, just a few LEDs and buttons, two dials to set the amount of water and the aroma setting (grind time). It self-calibrates puck size and grind time and gets surprisingly consistent if you don't vary the grinder setting or type of beans too much. Most DeLongthis re-use parts from previous generations, so it's a continuing evolution, often just the same machine in a new case with a fancy menu screen added.

[@JosephTMeiroseIV]

Thank you for sharing the pricing at the beginning of this video. I'll see myself out before I waste anyone's time.

[@zahirmulla6715]

I have a Jura E8 new one for about 18months and have loved it, and been to Italy for a week and had cappuccinos 3 times a day from different places, I realised I could dial in some sizes and strengths to actually copy what I was drinking in Italy from coffee shops, bought some Italian cups and made little cappuccinos in the Jura e8 and it’s indistinguishable from what I got in Italy, makes me happier to have purchased this machine. One thing that makes a difference is not using cows milk in the UK cos it’s garbage, use goats milk or something else

[@malenky4057]

James: makes a whole video on what the word 'strong' even means in coffee. Also James: 'coffee not particularly strong".

[@jamesnb]

I've owned the Jura Z10 for few months and I would definitely say, it's worth it. The consistency of the coffees and ease of use. I have found my best settings (grind/amount of milk/water/coffee strength) and save it. Then I use Siri to make the coffee! Worked perfect so far

[@oceanaxim]

Wait... did you say Siri can make the coffee?! I didn't know that! I would love to see that!

[@BeyondNarratives]

@@oceanaxim yup , you can save custom settings to a Siri action

[@lynnem8991]

Can you please share your settings, Ive just purchased. Z10, havent set it up yet, we drink lattes & caps. thank you :)

[@peggyjones392]

I’ve enjoyed having a Jura bean to cup machine for over 20 yrs. My 13 yr old machine just broke. Since I don’t really drink cold brews, I just ordered the J8 (2022 model) that was recently released in the US. The grind is adjustable manually, but the program suggests the grind to set the machine for each type of coffee. It is 1K USD less than the Z10.

[@TheSecurityAgency]

How is the voice assistant helpfull if you have to go to the kitchen anyway or there is an option to acquire an electromechanical cup dispenser that can speed up the coffee delivery process? Otherwise, I don't see any productivity gain if you still have to put a cup into the coffee machine yourself, so that you have a nice touchscreen in front of your mug, I mean face.

[@spiced32]

Good review here 👍 I've the Delonghi Primadonna Soul, and with a bit of a tinkering at the start, it works really well. Lots of different drinks that are fully adjustable through the app.

[@7cycles]

Great review, and I appreciate how you broke into 3 segments key to buyer of this kind of machine. I have had a Jura S9 Avant Garde for 17yrs and it just died a week ago... I got a nice trade-in credit with Jura and will "re-load" with the Z10... clearly I am please to see your review had overall favorable view of the machine as the one to get for those of us too lazy to grind, prod, tamp and brew... Cheers

[@techtravelpanda]

Got myself a Jura S8 for those moments when I want a fast espresso or coffee with a push of a button. The best super automatic machine of all I used. I had a Delonghi, Melita, Philips, Saeco. None comes close to Jura. 😊

[@salsaestonia]

The price difference is of course also massive, so no wonder the experience matches that

[@roddenshaw]

I have a Miele CM5500 which is also obsessed with rinsing. This is definitely frustrating at first, but after a couple of years and 1600+ coffees brewed I have come to see it as a virtue. With very little effort on my part my machine is spotlessly clean. This contrasts sharply with the two Delonghi machines I previously owned which I had to laboriously clean every few months since the brew unit would merrily fling ground coffee around the interior. The milk hose cleaning is also excellent, so the original hose looks as clean as it did the day the machine was delivered.

[@LaSombraa]

Shame about the build quality though. It should be FULL stainless steel, not an ounce of plastic on the exterior. The Breville Oracle Touch, while a slightly different coffee machine is full stainless steel with a plethora of better features. Heck, even a Rocket Apartmentto is cheaper and full stainless steel build. Miele kind of disappointed here to be honest, especially considering that their brand is supposed to be prestigious, hence the price point.

[@roddenshaw]

@@LaSombraa that would be nice. The CM5500 offers pretty much the same functionality and uses the same brew unit. I paid around £500 for it so I was perfectly happy with a plastic exterior.

[@imsteevin]

My parents have a jura and swap milk types, keeping both in the fridge which works very well for them. Theyve had the same machine for a decade at least and its still going strong.

[@Gregoire0]

Using Jura E8 over the year I can confirm how fantastic it is, delicious coffee ☕, well built. Cannot drink coffee shops coffee anymore. ✌️

[@grannath]

Thanks for the great review! I'm a little disappointed though you didn't mention cleaning with the UX. We used to have a Siemens machine, and keeping the mold out was a ton of work. There is moisture everywhere, so after a week you get mold. The grinder sits above the brew unit, so moisture goes up into it as well. We had the simple tube into milk container system, which made our milk go bad real quick since the tube is never really clean. Overall, it's the category IMHO that will make or break things in the long run.

[@josephtrevino8771]

Another outstanding video from James. I bought the Delonghi DP after spending hours reviewing Breville, Gaggia, Saeco, Miele, Phillips, Jura. I reviewed maintenance, taste, # of recipes and ability to create custom recipes with milk based drinks. I did not buy based on foaming milk substitute. James really should have said that most, if not all, bean to cup auto foamers will struggle w/ milk substitutes. However, a couple of highly respected sites like ECS Coffee, Seattle Coffee Gear, Whole Latte Love, have positively commented Delonghi's ability to foam and work with alternative creamers. I've personally tried almond, almond coconut, soy, oat and there's NO SUB for 1/2 & 1/2, Whole or Heavy cream Cow's milk. Sure those alternatives have some calorie savings, but in no way, do they offer taste that's within 80% of Cow's milk creamer. The aftertaste and blah, meh cream texture just doesn't cut it. So if he tried Cow's milk cream w/ the Delonghi he would have gotten microfoam, and various heights of cream, which their LatteCrema system offers that others don't. Lastly, I did buy it because of Brad Pitt's commercial!!! How could you not want to buy it after watching Perfetto from Brad? LOL.

[@JoeyBeeFit]

Hello, thanks for this comment. I'm actually very interested in this machine and I was wondering how long you've had it now and if you've had any issues. I've been put off from buying it due to reviews saying that it breaks very quickly. Thank you in advance for any help you can give me!

[@jimreinert3806]

you are a phenomenal watch my dude. Thank you

[@Live20today]

Thanks James this comparison was very informative. I’m in the market for a new bean to cup machine and have narrowed it down to the DeLonghi and the Jura. I prefer the Jura but I’m trying to justify the big price tag. 😬

[@neil0659]

James. Great review. I bought the Melitta 3 weeks ago, previously making coffee in a cafetiere using a basic grinder. I love the machine. Your point about the UI is spot on, but I use the app exclusively. The app is a little buggy, particularly when 'there has been an error sending the data'. However, I have started drinking (and enjoying) milky coffee for the first time in 25 years (Rebel Mylk, obvs). I'm really pleased with my purchase!