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I have to say, I *love* my E8! I tried one at a store and, after a lot of research, settled on Jura Capresso because of the cleaning cycle feature (most others you have to remove the "brew group" once a week or so and manually clean it - I was *so* not going to do that!). I settled on the E8 versus other JC's because of the price and the features... the higher-end models' extra features (none of which directly affect the quality of a single cup) were worth the additional cost, especially since I live alone.
I've no complaint about the temperature of the coffee, as long as I pre-heat my cup. A little hot water out of the spiget does the trick. I use a decent coffee bean from a local store and have excellent results. I did have to play around with the grind settings, but I expected that.
The frother (I don't have the fancy add-on) does a better-than-decent job of frothing/foaming milk; however, it's not as good as a coffee-house machine wielded by a pro, with perfect-temperature milk and a cold pitcher. However, it works much better than any home-based espresso machine I've encountered, and much better than what one often gets from a disaffected coffee counter person.
The flavor is rich and full - like cafe crema or espresso ought to be. While, again, a true barista with a true pro machine and the best beans can indeed produce a better cup, this is far better than what I typically get in a high-end coffee shop. That's part of what originally sold me on it - I found out the store that I sampled it at used "cheap supermarket beans" (as they put it).
One does have to be careful with the beans; if they're oily, they'll cling to each other and not make their way down the hopper. The solution? Stick your finger in the beans and swirl once, or don't use oily beans (oily doesn't necessarily mean more flavor). I like the beans I use but they do stick slightly, and a little touch with my finger fixes the 'problem'. The manual, video, web site, and talking chicken that came with the product makes this very clear.
Cleaning is a breeze - every couple of days I empty the hopper that catches the pucks (grounds). Once a week or so I rinse out the drip tray. Every once in a while it alerts me that I need to run a cleaning cycle: in goes the tablet and that's it.
My only complaint - and I knew this going in - is that for $1000 it ought not be 100% plastic. The spigot that the coffee comes out is plastic, and raises/lowers. I'm always careful, because if something that I have control over is going to break, it's going to be this piece. More expensive models have metal for this piece, but I couldn't see adding $500+ dollars for this.
I was originally concerned not having a cup warmer might be an issue. It says it has a passive cup warmer in some of the online literature, but that's baloney - the top doesn't get any warmer than rooom temperature. However, it is no inconvenience (and I'm pretty lazy) to release some water from the spigot into the cup, and let it sit for a few seconds.
This is just about the best thing ever! I used to go to coffee shops and drop $7 - $10 a day. I figure I'll make that back after costs in about a year. It's not expensive - it's economical in my book!
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Product Description
The Impressa E8 is equipped with all the necessary hi-tech features for brewing superb espressos, cappuccinos, lattes and long crema coffees. The easy to read LED display will show you if you brew mild, regular or strong coffee and displays the cup size while the machine is brewing. With its silver metallic middle section, the stainless steel grid and the chrome plated auto-illuminating buttons the Impressa E8 makes a beautiful statement in any kitchen or small office.
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