Jura Capresso ENA Micro 1 Review

The Jura Capresso ENA Micro 1 Automatic Espresso Machine is an entry level Coffee Center from the fine folks at Jura Capresso.  If you haven’t read any of our other articles on their incredible line of Super Automatic Espresso Machines you should… Here is a link to a search for Jura Capresso on our website. The Jura Capresso ENA Micro 1 Super Automatic Espresso and Coffee Center is one of the most compact machines available on the market.  Coming in around 12 inches tall and about 9 inches wide it can fit on just about any counter without hogging up all that valuable kitchen real estate.

It doesn’t make all the different specialty one-touch barista drinks that some of the other Jura Capresso machines do like the Jura Capresso Impressa J9 or the Jura Capresso z7, but it does do one thing and one thing absolutely well.  It makes a great cup of espresso or coffee. (Did I say one thing? I meant two <grin>).

It has touch panel features that are easy to read and illuminated icons that show you when it is time to clean, descale, or change out the water filter.  It will also let you know when to fill the water tank, empty the grounds and empty the drip tray. it has a professional grade conical burr grinder that has 5 settings ranging from course to fine. (Remember not to put dark oily beans in ANY (not just Jura) machine that is set to grind fine or you will have issues with clogging.)  The Jura Capresso ENA Micro 1 sports a bean hopper that will hold a little more than a quarter pound of coffee beans.  The hopper has a special aroma preservation seal to keep things nice and fresh.

Unlike some of the other coffee machines you have likely had in your home the Jura Capresso machine brews the coffee under 15 bars of pressure.  When done right, and in harmony with things like the perfect brew temperature this will make the best coffee that you have ever had… limited only to the quality of beans you use.  The water tank in the back of the ENA Micro 1 holds 37 oz of water and is removal.  It has a slot inside the tank that accommodates a Clearyl water filter.  You pour the water into the tank, and the water is filtered as it is drawn into the ENA Micro 1 by the Clearyl filter.  The filter removes things like particles, and chlorine, various other elements that can effect taste.  It is also good at removing the minerals which will build up over time and require decalcification after a time.  So if you are using the Clearyl filters, and change them out when you are supposed to, you will never have to spend time decalcifying your ENA Micro 1.

Cleaning is a breeze, when it tells you that it needs to be cleaned you follow the directions, add a some solution into the tank, and let it run.  About 10 minutes later your machine is clean and ready to be used.  Decalcification is about the same, takes quite a bit longer but the process is very straight forward.

It has a ground coffee funnel so you can use flavored beans by grinding them in an external grinder and adding the flavored grounds into the funnel.  Another use is for those of you that like decaf at night or after a certain time.  You don’t want to use flavored beans in your hopper as they have a lot of oil on them, and running them through your machine’s burr grinder is not recommended by the manufacturer.

Coming in at just under 20 pounds, the Jura Capresso ENA Micro 1 is a remarkable machine.  It has a 2 year warranty.  I’ve called Jura Capresso and talked to their warranty people on several occasions over the years and always been services quickly and efficiently. All in all I would rate this Jura Capresso ENA Micro 1 with our full 5 star ranking. We are also giving it the 2012 Reviewboard Magazine Best Buy Award, along with the entire line.  It’s a good solid work-horse of a machine that will keep your coffee and espresso flowing for years.

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• Looks – Great looking Black and Stainless Look – Minimalistic design, very appealing.
• Functionality - It makes two beverages the way it says it does.  Perfect.
• Price Point -  MSRP is about $1200 bucks.  Most of these units offered by other manufacturers are also over $1100 and Jura is in my opinion the best of the bunch. Resale value is outstanding on Jura Capresso in the used market, so you can likely use this machine for 2 years, upgrade and get 70% of your money back.  That’s value retention.
• Build Quality – This is a solid machine, it takes a decent amount of abuse and over use.
• Support & Warranty – 2 year warranty and great support, they have the whole package.

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If you are looking for a good deal on one of these machines we found one from 1stincoffee.com for less than $900 with free shipping! In addition 1stincoffee.com is throwing in a free Capresso Milk frother which will let you make a number of beverages with your ENA Micro 1.  So if you are interested in that deal you can click here. (*note we are not participating in an affiliate program, it’s just a good deal)