Jura Z10 review: The world’s first hot and cold brew automatic espresso machine

Where to buy

If you're looking for a super-automated coffee machine you've probably come across Jura. Known for making high-quality coffee machines with high price tags to match, the Swiss manufacturer released yet another premium coffee machine earlier this year.

The Jura Z10 has a lot of the features we've come to expect from Jura machines including a fully automatic bean-to-cup process, the ability to make more types of coffee than a single person could ever drink and customisable settings for every drink. However, the Z10 has an additional feature that is not only a Jura first, it's apparently a world first. The Jura Z10 is the only automated coffee machine that can make both hot and cold brewed coffee.

That's right, you can have a cafe-quality cold brewed coffee at home in just seconds. But how does it taste and is it worth the price tag of $4,150? We put it to the test for several months to find out.

Design

Image: Sarah Brandon/Finder

The Jura Z10 fits right in with Jura's lineup of modern-looking (if a bit boxy) appliances. Unlike most Jura coffee machines, you have 2 colour choices when it comes to the Z10: aluminium white or diamond black.

I tested the aluminium white model and I'm not sure where the "white" part of the name comes from, as the design is decidedly aluminium with black accents around the touchscreen. Both versions are sleek and should fit in with most kitchens. Like most stainless steel appliances, the aluminium version tends to show fingerprints, but it's easy enough to wipe down.

The front of the Z10 holds the dual coffee spouts that are adjustable both vertically (to fit a range of cup and mug sizes) and horizontally depending on if you want 1 double espresso or 2 single espressos. You can also find the hot water spout on the left side of this front unit.

Image: Sarah Brandon/Finder

If you use hot water and espresso in the same cup (which I highly recommend doing if you want to make a long black at home) you'll likely have to move the cup a bit to the right to capture the espresso after you use the water spout – unless you have mugs that are wide enough to capture both.

The front of the Z10 also holds the 4.3-inch touchscreen colour display, among the most important features of the Z10. Like with other Jura machines, if you take the time to adjust the settings to your preferred strength and temperature when you set up the machine, you'll be able to make your ideal coffee with the push of a single button in no time.

You can choose between 10 different coffee strengths, 10 different milk and milk foam temperatures, 3 different brewing temperatures and 3 different hot water temperatures to brew the perfect cup.

On the left side of the Z10, you'll find the 2.4L wave design water tank. It's big enough that you'll be able to make several coffees (or teas) before you have to refill it and it opens from the top so you can refill it without taking the whole thing off. Also, thanks to the rectangular shape, it doesn't add much bulk to the coffee machine. It covers almost the whole left side of the machine which helps disperse the volume of the water while only adding a few centimetres of width.

Speaking of width, the Z10 takes up a decent amount of counter space with dimensions of 32x38x45 cm. It's not a small machine, but it does have a built-in grinder so it takes up less space than a small coffee machine with a separate grinder.

Image: Sarah Brandon/Finder

The built-in grinder, referred to by Jura as the Product Recognising Grinder, automatically adjusts in seconds to the best grind consistency for a specific type of coffee. So if you want to make an espresso and then a cup of cold brew, you won't need to change any grinder settings in between. The Z10 handles it all for you.

The grinder (and bean container) are located at the top of the machine and hold 280g worth of beans.

Finally, the bottom of the machine houses a removable drip tray and a coffee grounds container that holds around 20 coffee pucks before it needs to be emptied.

As with all Jura units, the inside has just as much going on as the outside. Inside the Z10 is Jura's eighth-generation brewing unit. This brew unit passes water through the ground coffee at multiple levels, allowing for both hot and cold brew options. The brew unit isn't removable, but it can be cleaned easily during the automated cleaning cycle.

The Z10 has an energy-saving mode and a programmable shut-off time so it doesn't drain your electricity.

Performance

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The Jura Z10 makes a whopping 32 different kinds of drinks, including:

Setting up the Z10 is simple. Once you turn on the machine, you're walked through the process of adding the water filter, water and coffee grounds. Then you can start playing around with the settings and making coffee.

If you haven't owned a Jura machine before, it will take some trial and error before you find your perfect brew. But, if trial and error doesn't bother you, by owning a premium machine you can try things you wouldn't normally drink and it won't set you back cafe prices.

I tend to mostly drink espresso with a medium strength level, high hot water level, and a 35-second extraction process. My husband prefers a stronger espresso and a shorter extraction time so we created our own presets.

The 1 thing we do agree on is that nothing beats a cup of cold brew on a hot day. I'm originally from New York, a city that consumes cold brew year-round, and it wouldn't be unusual for me to carry a cup of iced coffee in my gloved hands even in the middle of winter. Imagine my shock when I moved to Sydney and discovered that most people drink hot coffee, even on the hottest summer days!

The good news is: a lot of cafes in Aussie cities offer cold brew options. The bad news is: it tends to be even more expensive than a typical cuppa.

That's where the Z10 really comes in handy. I tested it for several months stretching over winter and a rainy spring so I didn't get the joy of having a cup of iced coffee on a hot summer day, but even so, I heavily used the cold brew feature. It's just so fast and convenient.

Previously, if I wanted an iced coffee I tried to plan in advance and put my French press in the fridge overnight. If I forgot or if the day was warmer than expected, I'd have to head to a cafe. Now I can decide what kind of coffee I want seconds before I have it. I can even have a hot coffee first thing on a colder morning, and then a cold brew after lunch when it warms up.

How does the coffee taste?

Image: Sarah Brandon/Finder

All the bells and whistles of a coffee machine won't mean much if the coffee doesn't taste good. Fortunately, Jura has the coffee brewing process down to a science.

The Z10's eighth-generation brew unit produces cafe-quality espresso. It's rich and smooth with just the right amount of foamy crema.

Of course, the taste of your coffee will largely depend on the quality of your coffee beans. I get mine from a local roaster in Sydney and the coffee my Z10 makes tastes just as good as what I get at the cafe.

The biggest difference between barista-brewed coffee and coffee from the Z10 (and other automated machines) is that even though you can customise the milk settings, you won't get as much control over your milk and foam as you would with a wand.

Cleaning and maintenance

The Jura Z10 can be automatically cleaned by running the cleaning cycle and 1-touch milk cleaning system. The machine will prompt you when the general cleaning cycle is due, but if you make milky coffees, you should run the milk cleaning system at the end of each day to avoid build-up.

The drip tray and coffee grounds holder also need to be cleaned regularly, but there's no automated cleaning process for this. You'll have to take them out and wash them by hand (or dishwasher). There are quite a few nooks and crannies in the plastic drip tray so if you don't have a dishwasher, I recommend soaking it for a little while to loosen any hard-packed coffee grinds.

The water tank is designed to be used with a Jura Claris Smart Water Filter and these need to be replaced fairly regularly. The filters can be found at several retailers for around $20 per filter.

Should you buy the Jura Z10?

The Jura Z10 is among the more premium models in Jura's espresso machine lineup (only the Jura Giga 6 costs more). But if you won't take advantage of the features the Z10 has to offer, or if you're not a fan of cold brew, Jura has some more affordable options, including the Jura E6 and the Jura E8.

If you have the budget for it, you can't go wrong with a Jura coffee machine. They're extremely easy to use and make great-tasting coffee.

Check out our best coffee machines guide for more options for every budget.

Pricing and availability

Price

RRP: $4,150.00

Where to buy

From $4,099.00 to $4,607.50 at eBay

Check availability at Amazon

The Good Guys

How we tested

Jura provided us with the Jura Z10 for the purposes of this review. We tested it over several months, making a variety of espresso and milk-based coffees daily.

Specifications

Images: Sarah Brandon