When you think of all things Swiss, you probably think of precision. Engineering. Clean lines. Efficiency. Oh, and really good coffee machines. Founded in 1931, the Jura company makes serious machines for serious coffee drinkers. This definitely applies to the Jura 15068 Impressa C65 Automatic Coffee Machine.
The Jura company doesn’t produce the cheapest machines, but they are long-lasting and very well-designed. If you drink a lot of coffee, this machine will pay for itself very quickly.
Jura Impressa C65 Review
This “super automatic” model has numerous features that make it ultra-easy to whip up an authentic espresso, luscious latte, or creative cappuccino. It’s well-designed, attractive, and sturdy, yet surprisingly compact. It’s easy to use, offers you a choice of using whole coffee beans or pre-ground coffee, and comes with an integrated milk frother.
The machine has a relatively “retro” look: almost like a tiny, perfect jukebox. You can make two coffees at once, and while there are a few quirks, this machine is very easy to use, clean and maintain. Jura recommends this machine for domestic use, but with its 64-ounce water tank it would not look too incongruous in a small workplace either.
Features And Benefits
This coffee maker is delightfully simple to operate. The left hand-button has several smaller touch screen buttons clustered around it. The machine makes great use of the one-switch operating via a simple rotary switch.
All you need to do is add your coffee: whole beans in the hopper on the right hand, or pre-ground coffee in the hopper on the top. Then just turn the rotary switch, press, and wait for your drink.
The Quality Of Coffee
The crema that this machine produces is consistently very decent, although some users didn’t find it particularly spectacular. This machine is also relatively quiet. It also machine grinds your coffee beans just how you like them, which is largely due to the high-performance conical grinder.
The Jura has an excellent filtration system, meaning it can cope well with hard water and still produce a great-tasting cup of coffee every time. The item ships with a strip to allow you to test the hardness of the water so you can decide if you need to add the filters in from the very beginning.
Which Coffee Beans Should You Use?
This machine allows you to control the temperature, strength and cup size and you can brew two cups of coffee at once. The default coffee cup size is very small. While whole coffee beans of the oily type are not recommended, if you absolutely can’t live without your stronger, oilier blends, then using a pre-ground variety in the hopper might be an option.
One of the best features of this machine is that you can choose to use either whole beans or pre-ground coffee. It is best to use beans that aren’t too oily, however. You’ll get the best authentic cortados, espressos, lattes, and even coffee from this machine if you use less oily beans. Lavazza super crema is one of the blends that should work well.
The machine incorporates special fine foam technology so the froth produced is consistently light as a feather. It lets you add an extra special touch to cappuccinos and lattes. This Jura model comes with a standard frothing attachment, which works really well. You can also buy a separate, more specialized accessory frother if you frequently heat milk.
Technical Specifications
There’s a 15-bar high-performance pump. This machine also has an energy-saving mode. It’s a surprisingly compact machine, given how powerful it is, and you need just 16.1 by 11 by 13.6 inches of space to house this coffee maker. It weighs a solid 22 pounds (23.6 when you add shipping materials). The height of the coffee spouts can be adjusted from 2.6 to 4.4 inches so just about any size of cup will slot under there.
Not only are the instructions clear and easily legible, but you also get a choice of eleven languages. The display does have something of the classic look of a science fiction script about it, but it is very distinctive and we love the high contrast look of the lettering.
Care And Maintenance
This machine guides you through when it’s ready to brew, when to empty the used grounds and drip tray and when to run the cleaning cycle. Keep it in tip-top condition by always using clean, fresh water, either bottled, tap, spring or reverse osmosis.
The Jura Impressa C65 automatically runs a “rinse” cycle each time it brews at both the beginning and the end of the sequence. It’s a good idea, therefore, to make sure you have something under the spout after you’ve made your coffee to catch any drips.
You do need to obey the instructions on cleaning cycles, however, as after 200 cups the machine won’t run until the cycle has been run. This machine is, however, very easy to clean. Just pop a cleaning tablet in the grinder and off it goes on its merry way, ensuring the machine gets a thorough cleansing. The cycle takes around 20 minutes to run through from start to finish.
We just have one final comment about the setup and use of this machine. You probably will want to have the manual close to hand, especially when you and your Jura are first getting acquainted.
Pros & Cons
✔ Swiss engineering from a market leader
✔ Great retro look with clean lines and clear colors
✔ Super-easy to set up, program, maintain and clean
✔ Choice of using whole beans or pre-ground coffee
✔ Very customizable
✗ The default cup size is on the small side even for an espresso
✗ Sometimes when the machine says “touch” it really means “tap and hold”, not just “tap”
✗ It is relatively pricey
Buying a Jura coffee machine isn’t something that’s done lightly. Once they’ve wangled their way into your home or workplace, it’s likely they’ll always be a favorite. Customer reviews of the Jura 15068 Impressa C65 Automatic Coffee Machine reflect this, with around three-quarters of users describing extremely positive experiences.
Many happy owners talk about the quality of the crema, the ease of programming and the fact that the cleaning cycle is very easy to run, helping to lengthen the life of the machine and, most importantly, the coffee tastes great. The filtration system also comes in for praise, especially from those in hard water areas.
Jura C65 Alternatives
We know you want to make sure that you get the most suitable coffee machine, so we always like to check out the opposition, as it were. So we’ve checked out three alternatives, just to help you be sure that the C65 is, or isn’t, right for you.
The DeLonghi ECAM is usually a little pricier than the Jura C65, and a little more complex than the Jura. It incorporates a professional burr grinder and there are 13 adjustable settings. Like the Jura C65, the machine offers the user a choice of using pre-ground coffee or whole coffee beans.
The water capacity of this machine is 60 fluid ounces; it heats up in under 60 seconds, and the bean container holds 8.8 ounces of coffee. De Longhi machines are also well-known for their ease of maintenance and the short duration of their cleaning cycles. This model ships with a manual frothing wand.
You can adjust the cup size, temperature, and drink strength, and the optimum temperature control means you can brew one cup after another very quickly. This machine isn’t quite as distinctive looking as the Jura C65, although it is still attractive and would not look out of place in any kitchen.
Our second alternative to the Jura C65, the Barista Express BES870XL, is around the same price as the Jura model, and it’s especially good for excellent espresso. If you’d rather whip up lattes and cappuccinos it does include a steaming wand. The amount of grind can be varied easily and a very appealing feature of this machine is the digital temperature control.
In general, this machine is controlled via analog buttons. It weighs 23 pounds, or just under 29 pounds with shipping, and measures 13.25 x 12.5 x 15.75 inches. This machine comes with a very good range of accessories, including single and dual wall filter baskets and a coffee scoop; a razor dose trimming tool; a 54-millimeter stainless steel filter; cleaning disc, brush and tablets; Allen key; a water filter and holder; and a stainless steel milk jug.
The final machine in our comparison with the Jura C65, the Rancilio Silvia Espresso Machine with Iron Frame and Stainless Steel Side Panels, is in the same price category as the Jura. It’s cleverly designed, with the compact shape integrating the serving spout and the articulating steam wand well. Steam is quite a feature with this machine: as well as the articulating wand, there’s also a professional steaming knob to control the pressure of the steam with great precision.
This machine is slightly heavier than the others we looked at, weighing in at 30.8 pounds without shipping. It includes a good selection of accessories, including tamper, water container, and cover, drain and under overflow pans. The machine also ships with a coffee basket or handle, as well as both a single and double shot interior cup.
Though if you would like to stick to Jura exceptional quality, we have also created a roundup review of the best Jura coffee machines of 2023.
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Conclusion And Rating
The Jura Impressa C65 is recommended for domestic settings but would also work well in small to medium workplaces. We could definitely see this machine adding a little customer comfort to a salon setting, or a car dealership, a barrister’s office, or a recruitment agency, for instance.
The machine is easy to use, well-thought-out and even lets you know what needs emptying. So if you have a household or workplace with a mix of espresso, latte, cappuccino and even coffee drinkers, this is a solid choice – which is why we’ve given it a robust 4.5 stars.
Hi my name is Larry, a coffee aficionado from the US. I have already visited Colombia, Sumatra, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Ethiopia and Jamaica in my pursuit of finding the best-tasting coffee beans. I currently write from Bali and enjoy the relaxed life that you can only find in Canggu. Welcome to my coffee world!
Last update on 2023-06-02 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API.