If you hate heading down into peak traffic and then standing in an endless queue to get a decent shot of espresso at Starbucks, you should seriously consider getting an espresso machine like Jura ENA Micro 9. The Swiss are known for their chocolate and cheese, and with JURA company they added insanely easy to make and fantastic coffee.
There are, of course, not a lot of machines that can match an espresso that Starbucks makes. They are, after all, the biggest coffee chain in the world with the best equipment. Luckily, as you’ll see in the Jura ENA Micro 9 review, this espresso machine can match and even outmatch the equipment they have on the Starbucks counters.
How can the coffee be better than at Starbucks? The secret ingredient is the fine foam technology, here’s a short video of it [1:24]:
And before you furrow your brow, let me tell you that espresso machines are neither expensive nor a pain to handle like a lot of people assume.
You can sleepwalk out of bed, press a button and enjoy the most delicious tasting espresso, with crema, mind you. You don’t need to be an alchemist either who knows the right coffee ground size and the perfect pressure to get your decaf.
All you need is a super-automatic coffee machine (newsflash, Jura ENA Micro 9 is a super-automatic machine) that transforms the bean to your cup of espresso in seconds while you are standing there half-dreaming, trying to get a hold of your thoughts.
One of the best (and few) ones that can outmatch a Starbucks coffee is the Jura Ena 9 espresso maker.
Jura ENA Micro 9 Review – Swiss Simplicity
Some of the best super-automatic home espresso machines are made at the base of the Jura Mountains in picturesque Switzerland. Maybe as an ode to the terrain that they operate from, most of their machines are an aesthetic delight.
The Jura ENA Micro 9 is no exception. It has a delightfully compact footprint that will fit right into a snug corner on your counter without looking like an oversized coffee guzzling clunker.
Aquaspresso even calls it a ‘sexy beast’.
In fact, the ‘Micro’ is there because it’s actually the smallest 1-touch super-automatic espresso machine.
The ENA 9 is a 1-touch solution for four different types of drinks:
- Espresso that will outmatch Starbucks espresso.
- Regular coffee (black or with sugar).
- Cappuccino – the Jura ENA 9 froths the milk with fine foam technology.
- Latte Macchiato.
You can make the espresso, a regular cup of coffee, a cappuccino and a latte macchiato at the click of a button, which is located on the top side of the machine. Located in the center of the buttons, is a rotary dial that allows you to tailor the espresso according to your preferences (Strong, Mild, etc.).
Espressoperfecto did a fantastic job comparing all the Jura machines, including the review of Jura ENA Micro 9.
On the front of the machine is a height-adjustable dual spout which can be adjusted to just about any height between 3 and 5 inches. So, apart from travel mugs, you can pretty much put any cup or mug under it for your coffee.
Brewing An Espresso With ENA 9
The Ena 9 boasts of a 15-bar pressure system and Thermoblock heating that reduces the preheat time and gives you the espresso shot in less than a minute.
Inside the sleek exterior, is a 37-ounce water reservoir, a quarter pound bean hopper, a burr coffee grinder, and a grinder bypass button, in case you want to use pre-ground coffee instead of letting the machine grind it for you.
If you do not use enough ground coffee in it, a little-LED screen on the front of the machine alerts you that there’s not enough powder in it.
The best thing about the inbuilt grinder?
There are 5 settings to adjust the grind size.
To bypass the default brewing settings for the drink and to add a bit of signature customization, all you need to do is long-press the rotary dial and then select the appropriate button to adjust the temperature and the water. When it comes to milk-based drinks, you can adjust the volume of the milk too.
The espresso shots are perfect, with a rich crema and easily rival the one that’s served in your neighborhood coffee shop.
With a built-in fine foam technology, the milk-based drinks are refreshing and creamy.
And you do not even have to move your mug to get the milk/froth unlike other machines because the Juro Ena 9 uses two different pipes for the coffee and the milk.
How To Clean A Jura Espresso Machine?
For the mavens of cleanliness, the Ena 9 also features an in-built rinsing, cleaning and descaling function.
The slot for the pre-ground coffee also doubles up as a slot for the cleaning capsules and the machine will auto-clean once after every 200 cups of espresso that you brew or when you manually initiate the cleaning mode.
For more details, here is a quick link to Jura hygiene site.
What We Miss?
Despite being an ingeniously designed package, the Juro Ena 9 does have its flaws, albeit minor ones.
The water reservoir capacity is clearly not enough if you entertain a lot and consume more than 6-8 cups every day. If you use the water filter attachment, then it reduces the capacity even further.
Also, the brew temperature for cappuccinos is less than what’s considered ideal. A lot of customers feel that the best way to describe it would be ‘warm’.
Authentic espressos need to be served in warm cups and the lack of a cup warmer is another factor that needs to be weighed in if you are a fanatic who likes to do things right.
Best Features Of ENA Micro 9
But minor niggles aside, the Jura Ena 9 is one of the most versatile home coffee machines that we have ever reviewed. Here are some of the features that we loved.
- Compact sized and stylish looking unit.
- Intuitively placed control panel with one-touch buttons for most commonly used drinks.
- Height adjustable spout.
- In-built burr grinder.
- Manual grinder bypass.
- Pre-Brew Aroma System.
- Filter Cartridge.
- In-built cleaning and descaling.
- 15-bar pressure pump for the perfect espressos each time.
Jura Ena 9 Review: Final Words
If a super-automatic is what you are looking for, then the Jura Ena 9 rates among the finest.
It has a few inherent flaws. But overall, it is completely worth the price.
A lot of customers have used it for years without a problem and Jura has an excellent customer support team in case you have any problems with it. All in all, it’s a great buy.
