Jura Ena Micro 1 Review: Is It Worth It?

If you love coffee as much as I do, then you’ll enjoy this Jura Ena Micro 1 review. The Jura Ena Micro 1 makes one absolutely perfect cup of espresso in three different sizes.

Although this machine isn’t inexpensive, it does contain the best of Swiss engineering and American design, thanks to the two companies that teamed to make it – JURA Inc, and Capresso. After reading my Jura Ena Micro 1 review, you might find yourself shopping for one.

Espresso is a type of coffee that’s very concentrated. It’s made by forcing a set amount of water through a specific quantity of very finely ground coffee in a very short period of time. The drink is known for its potency – it’s very caffeinated – and its use of extremely dark roast coffee beans.

Although some espressos can be lighter in color and contain a number of additional flavors (simply through the beans themselves), for the most part, this coffee drink is rather bitter.

With that said, there are a number of people (like myself) who love espresso and prefer to drink it over other types of coffee. Some people say that espresso is an acquired taste, but I believe that those people haven’t had a proper cup of it.

More Details About This Jura Coffee Maker

The Jura Ena is a useful coffee maker that is designed for espresso but can handle other types of coffee as well. It’s small in size and fits neatly on my counter. It works well and can produce a very nice cup of coffee.

However, the best thing about this Jura model is the fact that I get to point out just how easy this machine is to use. All that I need to do is change a few settings a press a button. It’s that easy, which is a relief since I don’t like to fiddle with things when I just want a single cup of espresso.

Let’s continue this review with a breakdown of some features and pros and cons.

Features of the Jura Ena Micro 1

• Weighs 19.4 pounds
• Measures 9.1 x 17.5 x 12.7 inches
• Made through a partnership with the U.S.-based Capresso company and JURA Inc. of Switzerland
• Makes one cup of espresso or coffee at a time
• Has three different cup size options
• Features an energy-saving mode and programmable on and off times
• Built-in coffee bean grinder
• The water tank holds 1.1 liters of water

Advantages

• The compact size of the machine
• The coffee grinder included in the machine ensures that your espresso is always made with freshly ground beans
• The machine is programmable and built to help cut down on your electricity costs
• There are three different cup size options, so you always get the perfect amount of espresso
• Makes multiple types of coffee, including espresso (which is what it’s designed for), regular coffee, and Ristretto, which is also known as a “short shot” of espresso
• Makes excellent tasting coffee, something that coffee purists will appreciate
• A complete state of the art machine that is comparable to a professional unit

Disadvantages

• The overall expense of buying the device
• It only makes one cup of espresso at a time
• It only holds a small amount of water
• It’s small in size but has plenty of working parts that may need to be serviced and replaced at some point in time
• The machine is heavy (almost 20 pounds) despite its small size
• Tough to clean and prone to leakage
• In order for the machine to be repaired, it must be sent back to Capresso in New Jersey

Comparison

It’s hard to find a proper comparison for this review, given the high level of technology built into the coffee maker and its price. However, in order for any review to be completed properly, a comparable model must be found.

The Jura Ena Micro 1 is a small, but heavy, single-cup coffee maker that has been designed to make what JURA and Capresso call “the perfect cup of espresso.”

All of this perfection isn’t cheap, as the device costs hundreds of dollars. You do get what you pay for though. The coffee that this machine makes is sublime, which is almost enough to overlook its small issues, like the fact that it’s prone to water leakage and hard to clean.

For this review, let’s compare it to another high-end coffee maker – the Saeco Chrome Espresso Machine. This device costs even more than the Jura but can make two cups of coffee at a time. It also has a milk frother, grinds its own beans, and even has a self-cleaning mode.

However, the Saeco Chrome Espresso Machine is known for “dumping” its coffee grounds (basically, you’ll find a pile of them under the machine after using it) and is rather difficult to use.

Verdict

Although this review points out how pricey the machine is, and makes note of its known issues (occasional leaking water, tough to clean), this coffee maker is indeed worth the price.

I think that it brews fantastic coffee, something worth noting, and that alone makes it absolutely worth the cost. I enjoy being able to grind my coffee beans in the same machine that brews the coffee. It’s great having one less item on my already-cluttered kitchen counter.

Although I do wish that this coffee maker made more than one cup at a time, the trade off for that excellent cup of coffee makes it all worth it. I hope that I’ve convinced you of the same.