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Jura Giga 5 vs. Jura Z9 Impressa, What’s Best for you?
Nothing is easier than a super-automatic machine.
Take that a step further and buy a Jura, and when it comes to espresso, nothing could be easier or better executed.
Jura is a Swiss brand known for making the most modern, well-engineered automatic espresso machines on the market. They specialize in all-in-one brewing with maximum convenience and quality.
The Final Shot: The Giga 5 is the biggest and best Jura has to offer. With two ceramic burr grinders, a crazy range of programming and settings options AND a double milk spout for simultaneous espresso and froth dispensing, it really takes home espresso to a new level of convenience and quality. It’s pretty mind-blowing.
So what’s really on offer? A full range of milk-based and espresso-only drinks at the touch of a button, with no need to grind, tamp or control the flow of water through a portafilter. You won’t even be steaming the milk yourself. Jura uses a fine foam technology system to froth and steam for latte macchiatos and cappuccinos.
The Jura Giga 5 and Z9 Impressa are two of the upper level machines in their line-up and they comes with an impressive array of features and precision controls to create coffee that really does rival the talents of a highly trained craft shop barista.
At first glance, it’s not easy to see what sets them apart at first. Both machines are similar in appearance and include quality features customers have come to expect from the brand.
We’ve set them head to head to help you find which one will best suit your morning rituals.
While these two are some of the most impressive machines that Jura offers, I have a 6000+ word guide on all 18 machines. It is a must see for anyone interested in purchasing a Jura.
Contents
Jura Z9 Impressa vs. Jura Giga 5 Head to Head
 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Jura Impressa Z9 | Jura Giga 5 |
 Color Options | Black and Aluminum | Black |
 Size (L x W x H) | 13 x 17 x 15 in | 20 x 17 x 13 in |
 Weight | 35 lbs | 40 lbs |
 Display | Yes | Yes |
 Frothing | Yes | Yes |
 Water Tank | 70.3 oz | 87 oz |
Similarities
Both the Giga 5 and the Z9 sport a sleek, clean design. If you’re investing in one of these machine for your business, they’ll send a message of professionalism and style. If it’s hallmarked for your kitchen, you’re just going to really love having it on your countertop.
Both machines offer a simple, easy to navigate user interface, with a digital color display so it’s as intuitive as possible to select the coffee you want.
Both displays also offer a good deal of programming, so you can pre-establish your favorite drink combinations for strength (5 settings), volume, aroma level and temp (3 levels). This is a really crazy amount of personalization, but it makes the process so smooth and the results are consistent and predictable.
The Giga and Z9 also have a double spout for coffee, meaning you can prepare two espressos simultaneously. This added convenience makes it easy to prepare two drinks at once, especially if you’re a couple with busy morning schedules.
The dispensing spout is also mobile and can be slid up or down to adjust to the size of the cup you are using. This is a lifesaver if you’re brewing directly into a travel mug before leaving the house.
These machines are also designed to steam and froth milk using jura’s fine foam technology for a serious barista-like experience for anything from a latte macchiato to a cappuccino.
The internal mechanisms and functionalities of the machines are also really similar. They both have dual thermoblock heating systems for quick, simultaneous heat up times for brewing and milk frothing and Jura’s Intelligent Pre-Brew Aroma System which douses the beans early to extract to full aroma and flavor before initiating the full brewing process.
Both machines, like the rest of the Jura line-up, also have a 15 bar pressure pump for optimal extraction and built-in grinders with hoppers around 9 ounces. We will talk a little more about the grinder types in the differences section.
When it comes to cleaning and maintenance, both machines have built-in alerts and monitoring for everything from the bean hopper to the drip tray and water reservoir to make sure you never forget to clean. Both water tanks also include filtering systems and automatic de-scaling processes.
Both these machines are tested by Jura individually before shipping. This means you might find some grinds in your machine when you open it, but this is a good sign. It means the machine has been carefully checked and is in perfect working order before it’s sent out to you.
Shared Features:
- Clean modern design
- 15 bar pump
- Thermoblock heating system
- Intelligent Pre-Brewing Aroma Technology
- Built-In grinders with approx 9 ounce hoppers
- Color TFT display
- Good energy efficiency rating
- Double spout
- Fine foam technology
Differences
Grinder
The grinder is one of the bigger points of difference between the two machines.
The Jura Giga 5 comes with a ceramic burr grinder. This is the Rolls Royce of the breaking down beans game. The advantage of a ceramic grinder is its durability. Ceramic grinders maintain their original sharpness better over time than any other kind of grinder. Although, they’re not as sharp initially as a steel burr grinder would be, this only really become a factor when you need the super-fine grind for making Turkish coffee- not really an issue for an automatic machine.
The Jura Impressa Z9 includes Jura’s Aroma+ grinder, which is a metal burr grinder that is also a solid quality design, but might not quite have the longevity at it’s A-game of the Jura Giga 5’s ceramic burr grinder. When you’re making an investment in a machine of this size and quality, you want it to last as long as possible in its ‘as new’ condition.
It’s also important to note that the Giga has 2 grinders and 2 separate hoppers for loading two types of beans you can switch back and forth between while brewing.
In this category, the Giga 5 is the winner.
Settings
The Jura Impressa Z9 offers you programmability for up to 12 different drink options, but the Jura Giga 5 takes it a little further with a whopping 17 combinations. Of course, you’ll need to consider how many of these options you really need. If all you’re interested in is zipping out the occasional cappuccino or espresso without much daily variation, this isn’t as big of a deal.
They also have different coffee “Specialties” with the Giga at 12 and the Impressa at 9.
Size
It’s no good investing in a stunning new machine if you don’t have the space to accommodate it. The Jura Impressa Z9 is the more streamlined of the two machines, measuring: 16.5 x 12.5 x 14 inches compared to the Jura Giga 5 that measures in at: 20 x 17 x 13 inches.
The Jura Impressa Z9 is just a few pounds lighter than the Jura Giga 5. Weighing 37 pounds rather than 40. This is a pretty small difference and won’t really come into play during your use fo the machine.
Color
There aren’t a ton of color options for Jura’s range but the Giga comes in both piano black and a brushed stainless steel while the Impressa is available in piano black only at the moment.
Frothing Functionality
While both machines offer Jura’s fine foam technology for top level latte making, they dispense and process the milk a bit differently.
The Jura Giga 5 includes a double milk spout, meaning that when making a latte the coffee and milk flows into your cup at the same time from the two spouts, giving you a perfectly blended drink. This has been a feature previously reserved for professional machines like the ones you find in cafes and restaurants, and makes for great tasting, perfectly blended drinks.
The milk compartment has a larger capacity than on the Jura Impressa Z9 too, which means less pesky refilling and less waiting around for your coffee.
Multi-tasking
We know that both machines can make two espressos at the same time, but the Giga 5 can go one better.
With two milk spouts, you’re able to prepare two of any of the options in this machine’s 17 strong list of drink options simultaneously. This is really convenient if you’re bringing this machine into a busy environment, like an office or a household with lot’s of coffee drinkers.
Price
There’s a pretty big price jump between the Jura Impressa Z9 and the Jura Giga 5, which for customers who need to stick to a budget could be a game changer. You’ll need to be sure that you need to the extra functions available with the Jura Giga 5 before you take the plunge and make the investment, which is between $500 and $1,000 depending on where/when you purchase.
Summary
When it comes down to it, the Jura Giga 5 is a generation ahead of the Jura Impressa Z9 and has some functionality and improvements that weren’t available for the Z9.
With better burr materials in the grinder, a second grinder for another bean type, a dual pouring system for milk-based drinks, and a wider array of drink options, it can simply do more than its counterpart. The integrated milk compartment on this machine brings a feature usually reserved for commercial machines into your home by blending the milk and coffee simultaneously.
But, these upgrades are reflected in the price difference between these two models. If budget isn’t an issue, splurge for the Giga, it will change your life. If you are looking for an upgrade, but want to keep it more reasonable, the Z9 is still going to blow whatever you have been using before out of the water.
Questions? Leave a comment below!
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4-Week Free Espresso E-mail Course!
Week 1 - Home Espresso Machines
Week 2 - Coffee Beans
Week 3 - Types of Drinks
Week 4 - Advanced Brewing
Join Mike (me) and learn all the basics of making great tasting espresso!
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About the Author Michael York
I am a die-hard espresso fan. I love every form of the drink from straight espresso shots to lattes and cappuccinos. I currently use a Breville BES870XL Barista, it is an awesome machine. BUT, my dream machine is definitely an Italian Quickmill Andreja. Those bad boys make badass espresso. I love answering your questions, leave a comment or question below!
