A new coffee machine from Jura has now entered the market. The question, however, is whether it enriches it. Opinions are divided and discussions are lively. We tested the Ono and identified both its strengths and weaknesses. But first things first.
What kind of coffee machine is the Jura Ono?
Jura is known for its automatic coffee machines, which belong to the category of portafilter coffee machines. In these machines, a brewing group collects the ground coffee powder, and an infuser piston compacts the coffee. Then, brewing water is pressed through the group. The term "automatic" refers to the grinder integrated into the coffee machine: the coffee is ground directly into a dispensing chute or into the brewing group.
However, this exact automation is missing in the Jura Ono. The Ono deliberately foregoes the built-in grinder. Instead, externally ground coffee powder is placed directly into the chute, compacted with a rotating lever, and then the brewing process is initiated.
The Jura Ono is therefore a portafilter coffee machine without an integrated grinder. This is unusual not only for Jura. But what prompted the Swiss manufacturer from Niederbuchsiten to launch such a coffee machine?
Barista Moments and Capsule Alternative
Jura positions this machine in an interesting area of tension. On the one hand, the advertising slogan "One cup, no capsule" promises an alternative to capsule coffee. On the other hand, the Jura Ono aims to create "conscious barista moments." Capsule coffee and barista attitude seem irreconcilably far apart at first glance. But on closer inspection, Jura is moving away from the fully automatic coffee machine with the Ono and taking a step in both directions.
In recent years, we have come to appreciate the capsule machine as a bridge coffee machine. This may sound absurd at first, but it has a specific reason. For many coffee drinkers, capsule coffee made it visibly and tasteably clear for the first time that there are strong sensory differences between coffee varieties.
The color-coded capsules have already brought visual variety to the coffee game in offices and kitchens, portion by portion from orange to black, from Italian espresso blend to Ethiopian single origin. No espresso machine or fully automatic machine could do that as smoothly as the capsule.
The capsule became a transitional coffee machine to the portafilter. Once the variety of coffee was recognized, people wanted to unleash its full potential. The step to the portafilter followed.
A few years ago, you could exchange capsule coffee machines for Home Barista courses with us. A fairly successful campaign.
Jura Ono - Half Barista Way
The Jura Ono presents itself as a halfway point to the portafilter. It requires an external grinder. Pre-ground coffee would also work, but then we would rather recommend sticking with capsule coffee. With a good espresso grinder, ideally even a single-dosing grinder, the Jura Ono opens up interesting possibilities.
Single dosing grinders are coffee grinders that support grinding individual portions. They have little retention, as in residual old coffee powder. The desired amount is weighed beforehand and then ground precisely and with the correct grind size. Such a grinder is the perfect partner for the Jura Ono.
This interaction makes working with the Ono a pleasure. Grinding coffee, extracting coffee, switching to decaffeinated coffee and back again. Wonderful! If only the espresso didn't taste particularly good. In fact, the half-barista path stops at the wrong place. Measuring and direct contact with the grounds is nice. But the most important thing in preparing good espresso begins after choosing the right grind size: the even distribution of the grounds in the portafilter and the subsequent tamping.
This is precisely what the Jura Ono does not do well. It does not do it well, like all fully automatic coffee machines with a piston brewing group. The grounds lie clumsily in the grinding chamber and show numerous unevennesses. The rotary tamper of the Ono gives us the feeling that we are tamping, but it does not prepare the grounds correctly. As a result, we press the unevennesses together and provoke strong channeling, which affects the taste of the subsequent extraction.
How does the coffee from the Jura Ono taste?
Channeling is a phenomenon where the brewing water seeks the path of least resistance and flows through channels in the coffee grounds instead of extracting evenly. This problem occurs in almost all fully automatic machines, and the reason for it is the insufficient distribution and compaction of the coffee grounds. And precisely this problem also occurs with the Jura Ono.
Now, we could say: Well, all fully automatic coffee machines have this in common. But if Jura promises barista moments, I wonder why the barista isn't allowed to do exactly what they can do better than the fully automatic machine.
But how does the result taste? The espresso from the Jura is not good. According to our measurements, the brewing temperature is within the target range. It is difficult to accurately measure the temperature of fully automatic coffee machines. We placed a probe in the coffee grounds and obtained an average measured value of 84 degrees Celsius in the interaction of water and coffee powder. This indicates a temperature within the target range of 90 - 95 degrees.
The espresso cannot compete with espresso machines like the Delonghi Dedica or the Gaggia Classic.
For longer beverages, such as Café crème, the Jura delivered better results on average in blind tastings than the portafilter espresso machines. This is not surprising, as portafilter espresso machines are not strong in this area, and furthermore, due to the use of a larger amount of water, channeling is less pronounced.
It was noticeable that all beverages in the cup were not very hot. However, this seems to be less due to the brewing temperature and more due to the long path of the brewed coffee from the brewing group to the cup. The coffee cools down noticeably here, as Arne Preuss also notes in his review on Coffeeness.
The best thing about the Jura Ono: the cleaning option
I am open to all types of coffee machines and deal with all models both professionally and, inevitably, privately. I mainly have one problem with fully automatic coffee machines: they are often not clean. Even if sophisticated automatic cleaning systems are available, the "truth is also on the field" here. And unfortunately, it's often moldy, rancid, stale, damp, and full of spores.
Not so with the Jura Ono. Of course, we still have to clean it ourselves, but it's so easy. A turn of the rotary handle, pull to position 12, and the Jura Ono is open and ready to be cleaned in the most important places. I like that!
Facts and Price
We've seen the Jura Ono in Switzerland priced between 320 and 350 Swiss francs. In Germany and Austria, it costs roughly the same in euros. That's a lot of money for a piston coffee machine made of plastic and without a grinder. We'll discuss in the conclusion for whom this investment might still make sense.
- Housing material: Matte plastic
- Colors/designs: Black
- Display: Touchscreen
- Water tank: 0.95 l
- Minimum spout height: 10.5 cm
- Coffee beverages at the touch of a button: Coffee, Espresso. Quantities are programmable.
- Weight: 4.75 kg
- Dimensions (Height x Width x Depth): 32.0 x 24.3 x 46.1 cm
Exceptionally low energy consumption
Outstanding is the low energy consumption of the small built-in thermoblock. Here, the Jura Ono can compete with the best in the industry, namely capsule coffee machines. Only the water necessary for brewing is heated. So, when preparing a lungo, we consume 0.009 kWh, and when preparing an espresso, it's just 0.0115 kWh. That's a record-breaking figure!
Conclusion on the Jura Ono: Who is it suitable for?
I see a clear use case for the Jura Ono. It is particularly recommended for coffee aficionados who enjoy longer coffee beverages such as Schümli, Lungo, Café crème, or extended coffee. If a good coffee grinder is already available, the Jura Ono could be an interesting option. The long coffees taste excellent, and the ability to change coffee without having to remove beans from the automatic machine's bean hopper is a big plus.
Also from a hygiene perspective, I appreciate the separation of grinder and machine. Many automatic coffee machines resemble wetlands inside with pronounced mold growth. Old and new coffee grounds, spores, and the traces of time lead a life of their own in piston coffee machines. This is not the case with the Jura Ono. In addition to the separation of grinder and machine, the easy cleaning of the machine helps prevent mold growth. With a twist and a single movement, we can access the coffee chute and the brewing group. This is quite revolutionary for Jura, who otherwise do everything to prevent customers from reaching the inside of their machine.
However, the Jura Ono is less suitable for those who truly prefer espresso or want to experience "barista moments." What the Jura Ono does not allow us to do, namely distribute and tamp with the tamper, is not complicated, is fun, offers these barista moments and guarantees a better espresso than the Jura Ono.
However, by allowing you to choose the coffee quantity yourself and define the brewing ratio, the Jura Ono builds a bridge between fully automatic machines and portafilter machines. This makes sense, brings joy, and allows you to experiment with different brewing recipes.
The Jura Ono's energy consumption is exceptionally low, as only the water necessary for brewing is heated. This sets the machine apart from all machines with boilers.
A Machine for the Talkative
I see another application for the Jura Ono. The machine stands out from all categories, allows for manual preparation steps, provides room for coffee selection and beverage definition. It is not a capsule coffee machine nor a fully automatic machine, but rather an approximation of an espresso machine. I can imagine this machine in a kitchen, with a passionate hostess or an aspiring home barista talking about coffee, praising the machine's advantages, and celebrating hospitality.
The Jura Ono could also be an interesting coffee machine for anyone who appreciates certain automation advantages and still wants to stand out from the crowd of coffee machines with a different type of machine. The concept of the Jura Ono is unique and will probably not lead to a large market penetration as a machine type. Therefore, the machine will remain a unique splash of color in kitchens and living rooms for the time being. It offers an interesting alternative for those looking for something special and wanting to stand out from the norm.
