How Does It Compare?
Jura’s well-known for their strong espresso produced from their machines, so we knew we needed to put the Jura A9 up against a comparable superautomatic, the Miele CM6310. The A9, as with most Jura models, have more grams per shot than other superautomatics. However, the Miele’s first espresso shot was hot and rich in flavor, giving the Jura a run for its money. Jura’s also well-respected for the durability of their products, so when the Miele’s built-in rinse cycles kicked in before and after brewing we knew the Miele and Jura face-off was going to be a great comparison.
[caption id="attachment_12940" align="alignnone" width="474"] The Miele CM6310 features lights underneath the brew group to make getting a morning cup easy on the eyes.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_12951" align="alignnone" width="474"] We love the clean face of the Jura A9.[/caption]Shot
The Miele CM6310 comes equipped with a 60.8-ounce water tank and 16.9-ounce bean hopper—that’s over a pound of beans, coffee friends—that can make lattes and cappuccinos for days. The Jura A9 has a smaller tank at 37.2-ounce and a 4.4-ounce bean hopper, but that’s about a quarter pound of beans and plenty to get multiple cups of coffee. Of course, we know Jura’s strong espresso is thanks to the build of their machines that adds more grams of coffee per shot, so we can expect to go through coffee quicker. That said, in a side-by-side taste test between the Jura A9 and the Miele CM6310, we thought both flavors were exceptional for a superautomatic with the Jura A9 only slightly stronger.
[caption id="attachment_12950" align="alignnone" width="474"] Jura is known for serving more grams of coffee per shot, so we weren't surprised by the strength of our espresso.[/caption]On the Jura, there’s no access to the brew group, which we’ve seen featured with competitors like Saeco, DeLonghi and Miele. Jura durability and impressive automatic maintenance mean less work for you, coffee lovers. If you’re thinking about cozying the Miele up against appliances, you’re going to want to measure the space first. The Miele’s brew group is accessed behind a door on the right side of the machine along with the grind setting, which can be a hindrance if you want to dial in your grind to make the most of your coffee. Jura’s grind dial is easily accessed on the top of the machine alongside the touchscreen display.
[caption id="attachment_12939" align="alignnone" width="474"] The Miele's right side door opens up to access the second milk hose, brew group and grind setting.[/caption]Both superautomatics are true one-touch machines that’ll whip up a latte or espresso straight into your cup. Both feature digital displays that are smooth to navigate and make selecting and customizing your drink preferences effortless. We’ll dive into the aesthetics of the displays later, however, grabbing a cup on the Miele CM6310 is completely different from the Jura A9. Miele features intuitive icons on the front of the machine with an LCD screen for other drink options. The A9 features an LCD touchscreen that you scroll through to select one of their many drink options, including two new coffee selections called the latte macchiato doppio and cappuccino doppio.
Steam
Latte macchiato, anyone? No problem! These one-touch superautos will froth up the perfect milk for a latte or even hot chocolate. Getting that right milk texture with a superautomatic is tough to come by, so we did a subjective test to see just how different these two would perform. The density of the foam looked a bit better on the Jura A9—perfect for a cappuccino! When we tested the temperature—using Gail’s as our thermometer—it was clear the Miele outdid the Jura A9. The temperature on the Miele is something we noted when we first introduced this machine to our line up. We’re glad it was able to stand up against other superautomatics that have been around longer.
[caption id="attachment_12941" align="alignnone" width="474"] The Miele CM6310 comes with a stainless steel carafe to store and keep milk cool.[/caption]Equipped with a stainless steel thermal carafe, the Miele’s steaming accessories get the thumbs up from us. The Miele also comes with a second hose to directly siphon milk from a container, if you wish. Now that’s smart thinking. The second hose is also stored away next to the brew group. The Jura A9 only has the option to use the hose in an outside container, so you could use a frothing pitcher or milk carton, but either way, it’s less convenient than the Miele.
[caption id="attachment_12954" align="alignnone" width="474"] The Jura A9 features a 37.2-ounce reservoir.[/caption]Another feature we noticed is the Miele CM6310 performs an automatic “rinse milk pipework” cycle that thoroughly cleans the hoses. The hoses come with a nozzle that’s inserted into the drip tray during cleaning where it then flushes out any lingering milk—thank you, Miele! The Jura A9, however, doesn’t have the option to clean the hoses, which means you’re responsible for rinsing it. If you’ve ever cleaned a straw, you know just how annoying it is to clean and with milk, you don’t want leftovers curdling in your machine. We think it’s safe to say that the steaming and maintenance features on the Miele CM6310 definitely won us over.
Style
[caption id="attachment_12942" align="alignnone" width="474"] The stainless steel milk carafe attaches with a hose on the side of the Miele's brew group.[/caption]It’s not often we see a full touchscreen option on espresso machines and it’s even less often that they work so well. The Jura A9’s touchscreen flawlessly scrolls with no long delays and features intuitive pictures and names of drinks. Perhaps the one downside of the Miele’s icons is that there are no names associated with them, so it’s likely you’ll need to consult the manual the first time. The Miele also has a screen but it’s navigated by buttons off to the right side. Once you get a feel for the Miele, the icons are intuitive to the functionality and we didn’t have a problem customizing our favorite drinks.
The Jura A9 features a touchscreen that makes grabbing a cup of coffee a snap.Measuring in at 17.25 inches deep, the Jura A9 is surprisingly longer than the Miele by half an inch. However, the Miele is wider and taller than the Jura A9 and looking at them straight up that extra width makes the Miele appear larger. If you’re thinking about placing one of these under a cabinet, the height and depth on the A9 benefit the use of this machine since the touchscreen is located on top. While the Jura A9 has a clean face, we frankly would have preferred the touchscreen front and center and easier to access—we got tired of craning our necks just to pick out a drink. Depending on your cabinet height and depth, you might not be able to access the Jura’s interface. So while we applaud to Jura A9’s smaller footprint, there’s a lot to consider when fitting it into your home. The Miele’s got a large footprint, too, but fortunately, you only need a couple inches on top to remove the water tank and about a foot of space on the right side for the brew group, extra milk hose and grind settings.
[caption id="attachment_12953" align="alignnone" width="474"] The Jura A9's footprint is a bit smaller than the Miele CM6310.[/caption]Conclusion
Both superautomatics are ergonomically designed with sleek edges to make the most of their larger footprint. The Jura A9’s intuitive touchscreen was probably the highlight of the machine style and we're disappointed that it wasn’t easier on our necks to look at—perhaps this is a machine for us taller folk? Without a doubt, we were impressed that both machine’s delivered excellent, hot and smooth espresso for a superautomatic. However, the Miele CM6310 outshined the competition with it’s incredible pipe cleaning system and overall hotter milk temperature. If you’re going to be mostly drinking milk-based drinks, we would recommend the Miele because of its performance and convenient features.