Summary
Pros
- Aroma+ Grinder
- Very hot espresso
- TFT (Thin Film Transistor) display
- Large Water Chamber
- Customizable and savable settings
- Fine Froth Technology
- Coffee Strength Programs
- Energy Saving Mode
- Easy to Set Up and Use
Cons
- Low Milk Temperature
- No Touch Screen Buttons
- The Price
Jura Impressa F8 Overview
If you have read our articles about other Jura bean-to-cup coffee machines, then you no doubt know that we are big fans.
They make exceptional machines that do not disappoint. Yet, they are always striving to make each successive addition to their line-up of espresso machines better.
The Jura Impressa F8 takes all the great elements of its predecessors and improves upon them. In this Jura Impressa F8 overview you will learn that when a company like Jura strives for perfection, we all win.
The biggest improvement that comes with the Jura Impressa F8 is also the most subtle. The coffee mill, called the Aroma+Grinder, has an improved cutting angle inside the cone.
This makes for a more precise grind that maximises the ability to extract the essence of the bean. It’s also much more quiet, and grinds the beans in half the time.
That’s only one of the improvements featured. Let’s talk more in depth about what a great bean-to-cup machine this is.
Features of the Jura Impressa F8 Espresso Maker
Aroma+ Grinder
A common complaint against bean-to-cup coffee machines is how loud the grinder can be. If you live in a small apartment you will likely disturb your flatmates or partner.
Jura took that into consideration and tweaked their grinder cone to be much more quiet. One of the quietest grinders on the market, in fact.
Besides the obvious benefit of having a quiet grinder, they also improved how the coffee tastes by changing the cutting angle. The grind of the coffee gives it more of a surface area to allow the water to absorb more of the coffee bean’s essential oil, making for a far richer brew.
To increase the extraction of the bean’s oils even further, the grind is infused with hot water before the actual extraction takes place.
TFT Display
The new display for the Jura Impressa F8 shows very crisp and realistic graphics to highlight your selection.
A rotary dial will help you scroll through your options to quickly select your preferred brew.
Coffee Strength Programs
The Impressa F8 will adjust the dose depending on how strong you like your coffee. Choose from four different strength presets depending on how potent you prefer.
Customizable Coffees
After experimenting with the brews, you can keep saved versions of your favorite coffees. From coffee strength, to the type of coffee you want to prepare. Choose from:
- Espresso
- Ristretto
- Lungo
- Espresso Macchiato
- Latte Macchiato
- Cappuccino
- Americano
- Plus, make 2 cups of your beverage at the same time
Coffee temperature is also adjustable. You may want your coffee tepid enough that you can down it in one shot or you may want a very hot espresso to make a cappuccino.
Fine Foam
Not all coffee beverages should have the same foam. A cappuccino needs a nice frothy milk that stands up. A latte just needs a heated milk with just a little bit of foam. And if you want to make a hot chocolate, the foam should be very fine to make for a smooth drinking cocoa.
It’s all easily customizable on your TFT display. Just select the beverage and the Impressa F8 will adjust the fineness of the foam accordingly.
The downside is that the foam does not dispense warm enough milk. That is very common with automatic milk frothers, and , certainly is not unique to the Jura Impressa F8. Keep in mind that a separate milk container is necessary and must be purchased separately.
Name Your Coffee
Having some preset settings for your coffee makes it a one touch operation to prepare your favorites. If you and your house mate both like espresso first thing in the morning, but you like yours hot and ristretto and they like theirs lungo and tepid, then saving the settings with your names.
Now you just find your version on the display and hit the button. Your ideal coffee will be ready for you in no time and with no effort.
The reason to buy a bean-to-cup espresso machine is to have an exceptional cup of coffee with little to no fussing about.
The Jura Impressa F8 excels in that department.
Right out of the box it only takes a few minutes to set up. Simply add your whole beans to the hopper, fill the water tank and go through the coffee settings.
Once you have everything configured you don’t have to touch the settings again unless you want to change them. This is likely since you may have to experiment with your ideal temperature and dosage, for example.
Once your settings are saved you will have your ideal cup at the touch of a button.
The coffee is dispensed and the milk foamed right into your cup. A cappuccino can be selected and you can walk away from the machine. No need to froth the milk separately and then move the cup to the espresso dispenser.
Your spent coffee dregs are discharged into a chamber that removes from the front of the machine for easy cleaning.
The nozzles are adjustable if you want to make a large cup of coffee and the drip tray is also removable in case you need to fill a tumbler. The drip tray is made of a durable stainless steel and is easy to wipe clean.
Many features and details are well thought out. From the water chamber being located on the side of the machine to the bean hopper being flush with the top to fit under most cabinets.
Another nice feature is having alarms to alert you when you need to descale and clean the machine. Your machine will remind you to flush the milk frother with water after each cappuccino or macchiato is prepared. It’s important to do this immediately to prevent a build up of milk in the dispenser.
But, how is the coffee?
In a word, superb.
The perfection of their grinder, combined with the infusion process of the grinds create an exceptional brew of espresso. Having the ability to customize the coffee based on your personal tastes will ensure that it makes an ideal cup exactly how you like it.
An espresso machine is only as good as its last cup. If you maintain your machine it will give you a coffee that is as good today as the first one you made when you got the machine.
How to get the most out of your Jura Impressa F8
Keeping your machine clean is the key to a great tasting coffee every time. There are filters that can be purchased separately to ensure that the water you use doesn’t impart any impurities to your espresso.
If you don’t use a filter, then you will need to have descaling tablets. Your machine will alert you to when you need to descale. It’s as simple as it gets. Simply pop a tablet into the chamber on top of the machine and press the start button. It will take care of everything else.
After each use of the milk frother make sure you are flushing it with water. Place the hose into some hot water and place a mug under the frother dispenser and the machine will use the water to clean out the inner workings of the frother. Also, make sure you are rinsing your hose out with warm soapy water to kill any potential bacteria that may be present from the milk.
If you don’t use your machine often, dump out the water in the chamber occasionally so it doesn’t stagnate. If you’re using your machine everyday, then you only need to refill it when it alerts you that the chamber is low. If you use it once a week, then you may want to fill the chamber when you plan to use it.
What else can you make with the Jura Impressa F8?
The Impressa F8 is not just for coffee!
You can make a wonderful hot chocolate with it by using the milk frother. It will dispense a very fine foam that makes for a rich cup of hot chocolate.
A hot water dispenser discharges hot water at your selected temperature to brew a cup of tea. You can use loose leaf or a bag by placing either your mug or a tea pot directly under the milk frother and selecting the hot water option.
FAQ about the Jura Impressa F8
Q: What are the dimensions of the Jura Impressa F8?
A: 17.5 x 14 x 11.2 inches or 45cm x 35.5 x 28.48
Q: What is the capacity of the bean hopper?
A: You can get 310 grams of whole beans in the hopper. How many coffees that can make depends on the dosage you select.
Q: Can I use pre ground coffee in my Jura Impressa F8?
A: Yes. There is a chute that allows for two scoops of your choice of pre ground coffee. The machine automatically senses the ground coffee and will prepare your coffee. Of course, we always recommend using whole beans to make the most flavorful coffee.
The Pros of the Jura Impressa F9
Aroma+ Grinder
Grinds beans in half the time, more quietly and extracts more flavor
Very hot espresso
Espresso is delivered at around 83 degrees
TFT (Thin Film Transistor) display
Looks great and is very easy to understand
Large Water Chamber
Fills to 1.89 Liters for dozens of espresso shots before needing to be refilled
Convenient location on side of machine
Customizable and savable settings
Name your favorite coffee and save the settings for easy, one-touch dispensing
Fine Froth Technology
Automatic steamed milk dispenses with adjustable settings for fine or frothy milk
Coffee Strength Programs
Four different settings allow for customizing your preferred coffee strength
Energy Saving Mode
Switches off automatically after a set period of time
Easy to Set Up and Use
Out of the box set up takes only a few minutes to customize your settings. After you’ve saved your settings, everything happens with the press of a button.
Wireless Capability
You can have your milk frother set up to tell your machine when you need more milk.
Pros and Cons of the Jura Impressa F8 Espresso Machine
Pros:
Aroma+ Grinder
Grinds beans in half the time, more quietly and extracts more flavor
Very hot espresso
Espresso is delivered at around 83 degrees
TFT (Thin Film Transistor) display
Looks great and is very easy to understand
Large Water Chamber
Fills to 1.89 Liters for dozens of espresso shots before needing to be refilled
Convenient location on side of machine
Customizable and savable settings
Name your favorite coffee and save the settings for easy, one-touch dispensing
Fine Froth Technology
Automatic steamed milk dispenses with adjustable settings for fine or frothy milk
Coffee Strength Programs
Four different settings allow for customizing your preferred coffee strength
Energy Saving Mode
Switches off automatically after a set period of time
Easy to Set Up and Use
Out of the box set up takes only a few minutes to customize your settings. After you’ve saved your settings, everything happens with the press of a button.
Cons:
Low Milk Temperature
Common with automatic frothers, the temperature of the milk is not very hot
No Touch Screen Buttons
The TFT display is lovely and easy to understand, but could be improved with a touch screen type of display
Final Thoughts on the Jura Impressa F8
The Jura Impressa F8 makes as close to a perfect coffee as you can get from a bean-to-cup one touch coffee maker.
Jura made sure to engineer this machine to take all of the guesswork out of the hands of the user and make the machine do what it takes to maximize the flavor extraction from the beans.
You can’t really ask for more from an automatic machine that does all the hard work for you. If you don’t want to learn how to make a great cup of espresso or use a machine that puts the process in your hands, then you would be hard pressed to find a better coffee machine.
If this overview of the Impressa F8 has taught you anything, I hope that it is the lesson that you can have an exceptional coffee without any effort. You don’t have to compromise coffee quality with ease of use. With the Impressa F8 you can easily achieve both!
- TFT display with Rotary Selection
- Inspiring range of beverages
- Aroma plus grinder now twice as fast
- Revolutionary fine foam technology
- Treat yourself to a great-tasting cup of coffee