Customer Reviews

Jura 13423 Impressa S9 One Touch Automatic Coffee-and-Espresso Center, Platinum

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

We've had the S9 for over 5 years now. The customer service is pretty good when you have a maintenance question. Makes the most of a good coffee bean by ensuring you get a hot espresso with a lot of real crema. Use strong non-oily beans for the best coffee in the world. Brands I have used include Intelligentsia, Lutz, Kimbo, Lavazza, and other good espresso beans. What I really like about this machine is you can make other coffee (in addition to the beans you have loaded in the machine). It has a one button function to override the beans you already have loaded and lets you add grounds to a compartment at the front of the machine. For example, I have Dunkin Donuts decaf grounds on hand for folks that want a decaf coffee. I also have decaf espresso grounds.

Keep up with the maintenance on this machine and it will take care of you. It's pricey, so just keep up with the maintenance to get your money's worth. The machine will let you know when it's time to change the water filter, clean using the tablets, and de-calcify.

After having a coffee from this machine, we never go to Starbucks or any other coffee shop for coffee. There stuff will not compete. Maybe over 5 years, we broke even on this machine by the $$ we saved by not spending 4-5 bucks on double lattes. Good luck with your choice.

Have had this a little over a year now and no issues at all, even though I use it all throughout the day, every day.

I always do all maintenance and replace filters as scheduled, and I use the cleaning tablets about once every week and a half because the coffee is noticeably better (I can taste when it's time to do this, even though it's much more often that Jura suggests).

The only coffee beans I use in it are Sumatra (from Peet's or Starbucks) because they're rich tasting without being too oily (which will affect how often the machine needs to be serviced). I have tried other brands like Illy Caffe and just don't like them (in anything, not just in this machine).

People who complain of the coffee not tasting good are not using the right beans and not adjusting the grind and so on until they discover what works best.

There's really not a thing I'd change about this machine. I also think it's the best looking of the Jura machines.

Prior to purchasing the Impressa S9 I owned a Capresso C1000 for 12 years. The C1000 was a fully automatic coffee and espresso machine with a manual frothing system. I have to admit that I was very much a doubter that the FrothXpress system would actually work. However after owning and using the Impressa S9 for the past four months, I can say that it has lived up to the hype and then some.

The FrothXpress system performs as advertised and makes perfect froth every time. The S9 also makes an excellent quality shot of espresso. The one touch buttons and adjustments are extremely easy to use and customize. The extended siphoning hose allows for siphoning milk directly from the carton, eliminating the need for a separate milk container.

I can say that I have been pleasantly surprised by this machine and it was worth every penny.

Jura-Capresso 13423 Impressa S9 One Touch Automatic Coffee-and-Espresso Center, Platinum

I have been using a Jura product for well over 10 years. I started with the Capresso 3000 and then moved on to the Jura Impressa S9.

This makes the best coffee and espresso drinks by far. I like my lattes better than Starbucks. You can make regular lattes, skinny lattes, soy lattes and any kind you can think of with the Torani syrups.

You can also make coffee fresh one cup at a time so that it is always fresh and has not been sitting in a heated pot.

My friends always love coming to my house so I can make them a latte just the way they want it.

It is very easy to use and their customer service is outstanding. They always answer the phone and will walk you through any issues. Over the 10 years, I think I had 2 repair with the machine, but they immediately, sent me a return label and either fixed the issue or replaced it, even when it was out of warranty.

I very enthusiastically recommend the Jura S9 enough especially if you love to have a daily latte.

It's a bit pricey, but it makes a delicious coffee, cappuccino, espresso and pot of tea!

This was originally ordered for a gift but was delivered on the second day despite my payment for one-day shipping. (To be fair to Amazon, it was ordered just minutes before "next day delivery" closed.)

Despite the fact that this gift could not be given because of its late arrival - after the intended recipient (visiting family) had returned home - I was able to convince my wife that this would be an ideal birthday present for me. I had always wanted a machine where the touch of one button gave me an excellent latte or cappuccino, which I mostly prefer to shots of espresso.

Prior to buying this I had spent a considerable amount of time on the web researching other super-automatics from Jura-Capresso and many other manufacturers. The Jura-Capresso Z5 was my preference but the features of this model appeared to be almost as good for some $600 less. The quality of frothed milk dispensed for a cappuccino on the Z5 looked impressive on a video I checked out.

I expected this model to perform similarly, but what I got was froth of very poor quality and too cold. It had many 1/2" bubbles on the surface if I moved the froth selector closer to the "steam only" position to get warmer milk.

This model will give a 16 oz coffee at the press of one button, but what you get is very weak, bitter and undrinkable. Even a 7oz cup brewed to maximum strength was somewhat weak and bitter, since the entire 7 oz was passed through the coffee until it ran clear towards the end. I had expected 2 or 3 (possibly 4) oz of espresso topped up automatically with hot water to the selected quantity rather than over-extraction to this extent. The finest grind seemed rather coarse when I examined the dregs tray. Maybe these are set up for people who like Megabucks-type charred coffee, so the oily beans don't gum up the grinder. My preference for medium roast could certainly benefit from finer grinding.

Tea or soup made with hot water from the dispenser would be a similar disappointment since the temperature of 8 oz of water hovered little more than 150 degrees (after pre-heating the cup).

On the positive side, espressos of 1 or 2 oz were acceptable, though definitely not the quality of a semi-automatic machine.

After some 24 hours during which I tried maybe 30 brews, changing many of the variables, I finally decided that this machine does not cut it. My inexpensive Capresso Ultima regularly produces better cappuccinos and I prefer the "espressos" produced by my stove-top Mokka pots.

Thankfully Amazon has a good return policy. I have previously returned only one item (which had a flaw and was replaced to my complete satisfaction). This item is currently on its way back to Amazon. I shall treat myself to a vacuum brewer and keep looking for the perfect super automatic.

This machine makes great coffee and good espresso...when it works.
Mine however has been returned for repairs multiple times now. Very poor product quality for such a very expensive machine.

once you learn how to use the machine it is simple. we love it!! can't wait for coffee each morning. we change the filter about monthly. we have hard water though. much easier than cleaning our grind and brew everyday. makes awesome coffee. worth the price. we've had it for 4 months. no problems yet.

I spent hours researching Automatic Espresso machines. After reading the specs and reviews, the S9 seemed like it was the Gold Standard of espresso machines. But is it?...

I used the machine for an average of 2-4 espressos per day.

Construction- Everything you see and touch on the machine is plastic except the cup warming tray on top of the machine, and the tray under the espresso/coffee cup. For over $2,000 I think everything that looks stainless...should be. The machine itself is heavy so there must be metal inside.

Foam- the foam produced with the foam attachment is sub-par. Although not large, the foam bubbles are not micro. As the nozzle is used over time (approx. 3 months), you will notice the bubbles become progressively larger. Dis-assembly and cleaning helps but they are still too large. I believe the machine does not produce adequate steam pressure to make "coffee house" style foam. You will not be making any foam designs with this machine!

Steam- As mentioned, it's not sufficient. It's slow to produce.

Coffee- The coffee is not drinkable. No matter what settings are used it just tastes like watered down bitter coffee. Almost any $20 drip coffee maker is better. If I included the coffee quality in the rating, it would have to drop one more star.

Espresso- I could not adjust the grinder to a setting much smaller than medium because of a design fault. If the grinder is adjusted too small (espresso size), the coffee beans will not flow. It has nothing to do with the coffee bean oil. After using the machine for 6 months, coffee bean oil did cause the machine to indicate beans must be added when there were still beans in the hopper. It is easy to rectify, just keep extra beans in the hopper. After adjusting the grind size to medium, it works. It uses more beans than it should but, I love the espresso! I am spoiled now. I can't drink regular coffee because I love latte's from this machine. This is why my rating on the machine is higher than 1 star.

Electronics- Really cool. This machine indicates when it needs cleaning, beans, water, descaling, old grinds removed etc. It comes with a 1 time use stick to test water hardness. Once i set the hardness the machine indicates when it needs to be decalcified. All steamers need this done at some point. For me, it's every 3 months. I don't have soft water nor really hard water from the tap but I use filtered water which is a not hard at all.

Service- Within the first 6 months the machine quit. I followed the troubleshooting guide in the book without positive results. I called customer service, they sent me a shipping box with return postage. I didn't pay for any shipping to or from New York. I'm in California. They said they refurbished the machine. All Free! That was great customer service! Within 2 months steam progressively got worse and worse with less and less steam until finally it didn't foam at all. And it began leaking. Mostly it leaked into the coffee tray but sometimes it leaked under the tray. My mistake was waiting. I did not want to do without my latte for 6 weeks again. Because it was now outside the 1 year warranty period, I had to pay $275 to have Jura fix the problem they created with their repair! I argued with the service person to no avail.

Miscellaneous- Due to the "duel heating element" I thought I could make one espresso while I steamed milk. Not so. The machine will only allow one function at a time. The machine is loud! People have to yell for me to hear them when speaking in the same room.

Conclusion- I do not recommend this automatic espresso machine. I doubt any automatic machine will match the local espresso house's manual machine. For the almost $3,000 I paid for the machine, I should have bought a cheaper manual machine and spent the rest on a mini vacation.

Update: The machine is now about 3 yrs old. It quit again. The fancy electronic brain is telling me the tray needs to be emptied even though it was just emptied. Of course the machine is out of warrantee and after sending it back for repairs 2 times already, I'm done! Customer service says I need to return it again for "refurbishing". I am not spending another $275 to have them "refurbish" the machine again. I just did it 6 months ago. Their "refurbished" warrantee is only 3 months. That's a rediculous joke! You may have figured it out, I am not happy!

New Update: I talked to a "Jura Capressi Guru" I found on the internet. He said to clean the electric tabs in the back of the waste tray with soap and a toothbrush. It worked! I've got my machine working again. Why couldn't customer service make the suggestion. Maybe they wanted another $275?

I have used capresso coffee makers for 10 years, starting with the basis C1000. The quality of the coffee is outstanding. I have had the impressa S9 for about 7 years. My problem is the repair record.

My husband and I average 6 cups of coffee per day for the two of us. I follow the maintenance instructions scrupulously, i.e. change the Claris filter and use the cleaning tablet on schedule.(I might add that the filters cost $16 and need to be changed monthly. I also use filtered water.

However, on a yearly basis there is a function failure of one kind or another and I need to send it to the factory in Closter, New Jersey. The flat rate for the Impressa is $275. The warranty on the service is for about 60 days. I have been unable to find a local repair service that will repair it. The last minor function failure was about 5 months ago and it was returned to my home within 4 days after I mailed it. This tells me the repair is limited to the particular problem and there is not a general inspection for further potential problems. Now, 5 months later< I am getting a "Malfunction 4" message and I am unable to make coffee. The response of the company? You guessed it- the fee will be another $275.

I decided to give up on my beloved Impressa and find another product.