JURA ENA 4 Review (2023) - A Stunning Machine for Purists!
Summary
Pros
Cons
JURA ENA 4 Summary
The JURA ENA 4 makes truly outstanding espressos and black coffees, in style. It is perfect for the purist coffee drinker who wants a machine that can brew quality black coffee drinks quickly and effortlessly. It’s also perfect for the purist drinker who cares about design and would like to show off their automatic coffee machine. The ENA 4, delivers on that, excellently. However, a major oversight is the lack of a hot water dispenser. And compared to other espresso machines, this JURA is light on features considering its price.
Are you someone who loves coffee but not so much milk, and wants the convenience of super-automatic espresso machines?
The JURA ENA 4 could be perfect for you.
Simply press a single button and this gorgeous machine prepares exquisite espressos and coffees in no time. It is expensive though and lacks some features.
Read this JURA ENA 4 review to find out if this machine is for you!
Overview
At a Glance
- The JURA ENA 4 is one of the most beautiful automatic coffee machines on the market. It features an elegant, compact, and minimalistic design. The water tank looks like a crystal and the vents on the left side look like they belong on a sports car.
- Made of high build quality materials despite being made of plastic. All panels and moving pieces fit snugly.
- The ENA 4 is extremely easy to use thanks to its intuitive interface consisting of a screen and 4 buttons. You can make a coffee by pressing a single button.
- The ENA 4 comes with 2 pre-programmed drinks: espresso, and coffee.
- These two drinks can be prepared back-to-back (espresso doppio and café doppio). This is done by pressing the espresso or coffee buttons twice.
- There are 3 coffee strength levels and the water volume can be customized to up to 8 oz (237 mL).
- The Multi-level Aroma G3 conical burr grinder is one of the best in the market. It’s very quick and quiet.
- There is no milk frothing system. The JURA ENA 4 is made for purist users who don't care much for milk.
- The ENA 4 is very easy to clean and maintain since there is no milk system. Also, the CLEARYL Smart water filters eliminate the need for descaling.
- You may have issues fitting larger cups or mugs since the drip tray is narrow and the coffee spout height can only be adjusted to 4.1 inches (10.5 cm) in height.
- The ENA 4 does not have a hot water dispenser. You’ll have to use a water kettle for your Americano.
- The ENA 4 is compatible with the J.O.E. smartphone app and can even be controlled using Siri. However, the wireless adaptor must be purchased separately.
- This machine is expensive for the number of features. Features such as a cup warmer, user profiles, and as I noted, a hot water dispenser, are missing. The upshot is it effortlessly makes amazing espressos and coffees.
Some Useful Specs
- Model: JURA ENA 4
- Type: super-automatic espresso machine
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 10.7 x 12.7 x 17.5 inches (27.2 x 32.3 x 44.5 cm)
- Weight: 18.5 lbs (8.4 kg)
- Pump pressure: 15 bar
- Water tank capacity: 37.2 oz (1.1 L)
- Bean hopper capacity: 4.4 oz (125 g)
- Adjustable Spout Height: yes, 3.0 to 4.1 inches (7.5 to 10.5 cm)
- Grinder Type: Multi-level Aroma G3 conical burr grinder
- User Profiles: none
- Number of Pre-programmed Drinks: 2
- Hot water dispenser: none
- Display Type: LCD screen
- Brewing System: variable internal brew unit
- Milk Frothing System: none
- Ground coffee bypass: yes
- Warranty: 2 years or 6,000 drinks, whichever comes first
- Power Requirements: 1,450 W
Design and Build Quality
In my opinion, the JURA ENA 4 features one of the most attractive automatic espresso machine designs on the market. It’s luxurious, elegant, minimalistic, and compact.
At the time of writing, the ENA 4 comes in black or white colors, or as JURA likes to say, Full Metropolitan Black or Full Nordic White.
Measuring just 10.7 x 12.7 x 17.5 inches (27.2 x 32.3 x 44.5 cm) in width, height, and depth respectively, the ENA 4 is amongst the smallest JURA espresso makers. You should have no problem fitting it in on your kitchen counter (or bedroom nightstand, why not?!)
As with most JURA products, the design goes beyond being utilitarian. Details such as the crystal-like water reservoir (it is made of plastic) and the JURA logo at the back of the machine add to the beauty of this machine.
Even the pre-ground coffee by-pass chute, a feature that would seldom be used, has a cap that can be opened using a lever on the left side of the machine. The lever and cap feel snug and luxurious to use.
This espresso machine is operated using a screen with 4 buttons below it. The user interface is highly intuitive to use - no need to use the manual here to brew coffee.
What is not so intuitive is the settings menu. It has many symbols which require you to read the manual to understand what they mean.
The unique water tank is removable and can hold up to 37.2 oz (1.1 L) of water. It is relatively small, especially if you account for the extra space the CLEARYL filter takes. As such, we recommend you use this machine with a CLEARYL smart mini filter, instead of the larger one to save some water reservoir space.
However, since this machine does not feature a milk system you are likely to use less water since you will not be frothing and triggering milk system cleaning cycles.
The bean hopper is located on top of the machine and can hold 4.4 oz (125 g) of coffee beans.
Surrounding the hopper is a ring that can be rotated to adjust the Multi-level Aroma G3 grinder which is one of the quietest and quickest on the market.
The coffee spout is adjustable, spanning a vertical distance between 3 to 4.1 inches (7.5 to 10.5 cm)b It fits most mugs but you will have trouble fitting tall cups (e.g. if you want to make an iced drink). Further, the drip tray is a bit narrow for wide mugs, and the chrome finish easily scratches. We recommend placing a soft towel under your cup if a scratched drip tray will bother you.
In short, the JURA ENA 4 is a beautiful and compact espresso machine that will definitely enhance the looks of your kitchen. The design is not just aesthetically pleasing, it’s highly intuitive as well thanks to the decluttered control panel. My only complaint here is the narrow drip that is prone to scratches, and the 4.1-inch (10.5 cm) maximum coffee spout height.
Features and Ease of Use
If you are checking out this coffee maker, you most likely are a purist coffee drinker since this machine does not have a milk system. With the JURA 4, it’s all about black coffee drinks.
As we noted, making coffee is extremely easy. If you want an espresso, press the espresso button. If you want a coffee, press the coffee button. It cannot get simpler than this!
The brewing process is relatively quiet and speedy. You’ll have a cup of joe in no time.
If you like double shots, fear not. The JURA can easily dispense a double espresso or double coffees. It’s as simple as pressing the espresso or coffee buttons twice.
You can also easily customize your coffee drinks by changing the coffee strength and water volume.
There are 3 levels of coffee strength represented by coffee beans on the screen. Each level corresponds to 6, 8, and 10 grams of coffee per preparation, since the variable brewing unit can prepare between 6 to 10 grams of coffee at a time.
The water volume can also be adjusted to up to 8 oz (237 mL) using a continuous scale. To do so, press and hold the coffee button for 2 seconds, after which coffee will start flowing into your cup. Once you are satisfied with the amount of coffee, press any button to stop the flow. The JURA ENA 4 will automatically remember the set water volume for future preparations.
You can also customize your coffee by adjusting the Multi-level Aroma G3 grinder by rotating the grinding wheel, which is the ring around the coffee hopper. Although there are discrete grind size marks on the wheel, you can actually set the grind size in between these marks. This means the adjustment wheel can be continuously (read infinitely) adjusted between the coarsest and finest grind levels.
To activate the ground coffee function, press the coffee strength button (the one with the coffee bean symbol) until the ground coffee symbol shows up. Fit the funnel into the ground coffee chute, add one scoop of ground coffee, and press the espresso or coffee button. I assume this will only be used if you are trying to avoid caffeine. High-quality espresso beans are a must with this machine.
The JURA ENA 4 also offers some programmability. You can set your machine to switch off automatically after 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, or 4 hours of inactivity. However, you cannot set your machine to turn on automatically and prepare a cup of coffee to lure you away from bed.
This JURA is also compatible with the J.O.E. (Jura Operating Experience) app, which allows you to control your machine via your smartphone and even your Apple Watch. However, the wireless adaptor is not included and needs to be purchased separately.
In terms of missing features, there is no milk system, as we have mentioned. That is fine because this JURA is targeting a specific persona - the purist coffee aficionado.
However, there is no hot water dispenser which in my opinion is an oversight for those who love Americanos. This oversight is compounded by the lack of a cup warmer. To warm your espresso cups you will need to either cough up $249 for JURA’s cup warmer or use a water kettle to pour hot water into your espresso cups.
Additionally, you cannot adjust the water temperature but thankfully the coffee comes piping hot.
Finally, there aren’t any user profiles which could be an issue if different household members have different coffee preferences. You will need to constantly re-program your drinks.
In short, the JURA ENA 4 comes with the necessary features to easily and intuitively customize your black coffee drinks. However, there is no hot water dispenser - a feature we think is key for black coffee drinkers (many of us like Americanos). This also means you will not be able to warm your cups since there is no cup warmer. No user profiles could potentially mean constantly changing the settings if you have many coffee drinkers at home.
Coffee Drink Quality
This is where the JURA ENA 4 shines. In general, JURA can brag about their machines dispensing one of the best espresso shots amongst home automatic espresso makers.
The JURA ENA 4 is no exception here. It comes armed with JURA’s Pulse Extraction Process (P.E.P.) technology, which is the same technology as the higher-end JURA E8 and S8. The P.E.P. uses short bursts of high-pressure water to extract as many coffee flavors as possible from the coffee grounds.
Granted, the variable brew unit is not as capable as its bigger sisters, since it can handle 6 to 10 grams of coffee at once, compared to the 5 to 16 grams from the JURA E and S series.
As most coffee aficionados know, a quality grinder is of paramount importance for great coffee. The ENA 4 does not disappoint in the grinding department with its Multi-level Aroma G3 burr grinder with a continuous adjustment scale. Besides yielding a very uniform grind, this grinder is super quick and quiet.
Using the default settings the espresso shot was good, but once I increased the coffee strength and slightly adjusted the water volume, the espresso shot was divine. It was sweet, velvety, and had plenty of crema. I compared it to my portafilter espresso machine and the JURA ENA 4 was not so far behind.
The coffee drink was sweet and aromatic. In this case, I liked the JURA default settings and did not mess around with them too much.
Too bad the JURA ENA 4 does not have a hot water dispenser. It would have made heavenly Americanos.
In short, the JURA ENA 4 makes fantastic black coffee drinks that can easily be customizable. My only complaint here is the lack of a hot water dispenser. This is a missed opportunity because the Americanos would have been heavenly.
Ease of Cleaning and Maintenance
Cleaning and maintaining the JURA ENA 4 takes little effort. The main reason is the lack of a milk system. You will not have to worry about running purging cycles or disassembling and washing the milk system and milk carafe.
In addition, JURA has included cleaning and maintenance features to make the cleaning process even easier.
For example, the CLEARYL Smart / CLEARYL Smart Mini water filters, in conjunction with the Intelligent Water System (I.W.S.) - an automatic filter detection system - make descaling a thing of the past.
That’s right, JURA claims that if you use the CLEARYL filters you will never have to descale your JURA.
There are also helpful prompts that show up on the screen when your JURA needs some attention. There are icons that light up when your machine needs cleaning, the water tank is empty, the drip tray needs emptying, or the water filter needs to be replaced. There is even a descaling icon that lights up if you do not use the CLEARYL filters.
The drip tray comes up from the front and can be washed by rinsing. It’s even dishwasher safe (except for the drip tray insert).
Every time you turn your machine on and off, there is an automatic rinsing cycle that takes place, which is a nice feature if you are forgetful or you keep saying every day “I will run the cleaning cycle tomorrow.”
Note that the brew group cannot be removed. This is a trend for JURA espresso machines and you will have to trust their cleaning system. I am still a bit skeptical about this, but I’m not aware of any issues resulting from this design decision.
In short, the JURA ENA 4 is very easy to clean and maintain. There is no milk system to worry about and if you use the CLEARYL smart filter you can forget about the need for descaling. The cleaning prompts and available cleaning cycles will make sure you keep your machine in top shape. Also, the brew unit cannot be removed, so that is one less task for you.
Value for Money
Despite being one of the least expensive JURA espresso machines, the JURA ENA 4 still comes with a hefty price tag of around $1,000.
It’s cheaper than other JURA models because it omits a milk system, but it is still expensive compared to other similarly priced automatic espresso machines that do include a milk system. For example, many of the Breville Barista Series or the DeLonghi Magnifica have more features, and a milk system, for about the same price.
So does the JURA ENA 4 offer good value for money?
In my opinion, it does so, but only for a specific group of people.
These are people who love to drink quality black coffee drinks but don’t have the time to use traditional espresso machines. I emphasize the word quality here because if you don’t have a milk system, the espresso shot better be good since there is no hiding behind the milk sweet flavor!
The JURA ENA 4 also provides good value for money if you care about aesthetics and luxury. Some of the cost of your machine is obviously going towards its beautiful design, including its fancy diamond-like water reservoir.
To put the cost into perspective, a cup of coffee will cost about $3.00 at a coffee shop. If you purchase a daily cup of coffee, your yearly coffee consumption cost will be about $1,095.
In other words, if you purchase coffee daily, your JURA ENA 4 will pay for itself within 1 year, give or take a few months.
The 2-year warranty (or 6,000 brew preparation whichever comes first) does provide some peace of mind in case things go wrong!
In short, the JURA ENA 4 provides good value for money if you purchase daily black coffee drinks, want quality black coffee drinks, and care about the aesthetics and design of your machine. It will pay for itself within 1 year if you buy daily coffees.
Verdict
Summary
Pros
Cons
JURA ENA 4 Summary
The JURA ENA 4 makes truly outstanding espressos and black coffees, in style. It is perfect for the purist coffee drinker who wants a machine that can brew quality black coffee drinks quickly and effortlessly. It’s also perfect for the purist drinker who cares about design and would like to show off their automatic coffee machine. The ENA 4, delivers on that, excellently. However, a major oversight is the lack of a hot water dispenser. And compared to other espresso machines, this JURA is light on features considering its price.
Who is the JURA ENA 4 For?
The JURA ENA 4 is perfect for people who drink black coffee only and are seeking a luxurious, easy-to-operate machine that delivers café quality espressos and black coffees.
If you don't care for milk and want a compact coffee machine to show off, then the JURA ENA 4 is made for you.
Who Should Avoid the JURA ENA 4?
People who like espresso milky drinks such as lattes or cappuccinos should avoid the JURA ENA 4 since there is no milk frothing system.
If you don’t care much for luxury and looks and would like to save money, there are other automatic espresso machines that dispense delicious black coffee drinks and milky drinks - for about the same price as the ENA 4.
The DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM 3300 costs about $200-$300 less (it is sometimes discounted), comes with more coffee strength and volume settings and has a steam wand. It does look outdated, the design is over 20 years old. But it has outlasted newer Magnificas. This is a testament to the ESAM’s 3300 design.
If you do care about aesthetics and luxury but would like a machine with milk capabilities, we recommend the JURA ENA 8 for small spaces or the JURA E8 if you have room in your kitchen.
Finally, if you want even better coffee with the convenience of a home automatic espresso maker, then we recommend the Breville Oracle Touch. The Oracle has incorporated a portafilter into a super-automatic espresso machine and all you have to do is move the portafilter from the grind outlet to the coffee outlet.
Finally, if you’d like to improve your espresso-making skills, we recommend a beginner’s portafilter espresso machine such as the Bambino series.
Finally, check the following posts for more ideas. Feel free to send us a message if you have any questions!
- The Best Automatic Espresso Machines - Your Coffee and Tea Essentials
- Best Espresso Machine under $1000 - Your Coffee and Tea Essentials
- Best DeLonghi Espresso Machine - Your Coffee and Tea Essentials
- The Best Automatic Pour Over Coffee Maker - Your Coffee and Tea Essentials
- The Best Breville Espresso Machine - Your Coffee and Tea Essentials
What is the Difference between the JURA ENA 4 and the JURA A1?
The JURA ENA 4 and A1 are very similar machines. Here are the key differences:
- The JURA A1 is discontinued but you can still find it on Amazon or some non-US JURA stores. The JURA ENA 4 is a newer model that is widely available.
- The JURA A1 has 3 pre-programmed drinks (ristretto, espresso, and coffee) whereas the JURA ENA 4 has 2 pre-programmed drinks (espresso and coffee). The ENA 4 has a doppio option for these two drinks. These are simply back-to-back drinks (double portions).
- The A1 has 2 coffee strength settings whereas the ENA 4 has 3 coffee strength settings.
- The Jura A1 is slightly more compact. It measures 9.4 x 12.7 x 17.5 inches (23.9 x 32.2 x 44.5 cm) in width, height, and depth, respectively. The ENA 4 measures 10.7 x 12.7 x 17.5 inches (27.2 x 32.3 x 44.5 cm) in width, height, and depth respectively.
- The Jura A1 can fit taller cups. Its adjustable coffee spout can be adjusted from 2.3 to 5.6 inches (5.8 to 14.1 cm) whereas the Jura ENA 4’s adjustable coffee spout can be adjusted from 3.0 to 4.1 inches (7.5 to 10.5 cm).
- The Jura A1’s water tank is located behind the machine whereas the Jura ENA 4’s water tank is located on the right side of the machine, making the latter more convenient.
Frequently Asked Questions - JURA ENA 4
Does the Jura ENA 4 make regular coffee?
Yes, it does. The JURA ENA 4 makes espresso and regular coffee.
What drinks does the JURA ENA 4 make?
The JURA ENA 4 can make a total of four drinks: espresso, coffee, espresso doppio, and coffee doppio. The latter two are simply back-to-back preparations of the espresso and coffee drinks.
In addition, you can customize the JURA ENA 4 water volume to have long shots such as lungos. However, these are not pre-programmed drinks.
Does the Jura ENA 4 have a frother?
No, it does not. The JURA ENA 4 only makes black coffee drinks.
Does the Jura ENA 4 have WiFi compatibility?
Yes, you can connect your JURA ENA 4 to your home’s WiFi. It is also compatible with the J.O.E. and even your Apple smartwatch. However, the wireless adaptor is not included and must be purchased separately.
Does the JURA ENA 4 make Americanos?
No, it does not. The JURA ENA 4 does not have a hot water dispenser. You could make an Americano by using a water kettle.
Is the JURA ENA 4 easy to use?
Yes, it is! Its intuitive user interface is one of its highlights. However, you will need the user manual to figure out the more advanced functions such as the cleaning cycles.
Can you make lattes on the JURA ENA 4?
No, you cannot. The JURA ENA 4 does not have a milk frothing system.
What is the JURA ENA 4 warranty?
The JURA ENA 4 comes with a 2-year warranty (or up to 6,000 drinks, whichever comes first). It covers defects (materials or workmanship) as well as free transport to and from US repair facilities.
