When trying out the Gaggia Babila vs Jura S8, I found that the Babila was the clear winner. It offers much more customizability, has a better heating system, and accepts whole bean and ground coffee. This robust automatic espresso machine is a great choice for any coffee-lover looking to make top-quality espresso shots in the comfort of their own home.
One thing the Jura S8 offered though is convenience. The design, interface, and layout of the machine make it very easy to brew a quality espresso or coffee drink. In fact, all you have to do is press a button and wait for the machine to do all the work for you. On top of that, it came with a great milk system perfect for making fine froth milk foam, allowing you to brew cappuccinos and lattes as well.
Gaggia Babila vs Jura S8: Specs & Features Comparison Chart
Last update on 2024-11-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Gaggia Babila vs Jura S8: Differences
One of the best ways to see which is the better option is to compare their differences. And when doing this with these two machines, the Gaggia Babila beat out the Jura S8 by 4-3. As you can tell, it was a pretty close battle, but in the end, the Babila won because of a superior coffee flavor and great utilities to make the brewing process much easier.
1. Flavor
The Winner: Gaggia Babila
When comparing the different grinders, heating system, and extraction process of the machines and pairing it with my own trials, I found that the Gaggia Babila hands down produced the best coffee flavor.
Grinder
Since both of these machines are automatic, they both have built-in grinders. The Babila is equipped with a ceramic burr grinder, while the Jura S8 is equipped with the Aroma G3 grinder. The Aroma G3 grinder features a conical burr, just like the Babila. The difference, however, is in the material. The Aroma G3 blades are made of stainless steel while the Babila is made of ceramic. For automatic machines and pulling espressos, ceramic is the preferred material. While stainless steel grinders work great, they are best for manual extraction where the user has full control over every single aspect.
With that said, the Aroma G3 is still one of the better conical burr grinders out there. It is designed to extract as much flavor from the coffee as possible, giving you bold and flavorful espresso shots. However, when compared to the Babila’s ceramic grinder, the Aroma G3 falls short.
Heating System
When comparing the heating systems, the Babila was an obvious winner because it has a dual boiler system. This means that there are two boilers built into the machine: one for steam and one for espresso. When you have two boilers, you don’t have to wait when switching between pulling an espresso and steaming milk. On top of that, boilers offer a much more stable and consistent temperature, allowing for a much purer and bolder flavor.
The Jura S8 only uses a Thermoblock heating system. The advantage to this is that you have to wait less time for the water to heat up. However, these systems tend to offer inconsistent temperatures, and since the right combination of temperature and pressure is crucial in controlling the flavor of your coffee, the Babila’s system is better for coffee lovers. One downside to both machines, however, is that there is no built-in PID system. If you want PID temperature control with either of the machines, you need to find ways to install it yourself or hire a professional to do the job.
Pre-Infusion & Extraction Process
Pre-infusion is another key feature of the brewing process where the Babila beats out the Jura S8. Both of the machines have a pre-infusion process, but the Babila offers more control. Pre-infusion is the process of wetting the coffee grounds before applying pressure and forcing hot water through, to allow for a more even flavor distribution. The pre-infusion process on the S8 is very fast and you cannot change the time at all. With the Babila, you can’t directly control the pre-infusion, but choosing between delicate, balanced, and intense flavor profiles allows you to adjust pre-infusion. The more intense the flavor of your coffee, the longer the pre-infusion time. When brewing coffee with the Babila, you can tweak the temperature, strength, and flow rate of your coffee. Having this much control over the extraction process makes it easier to brew coffee that is specifically suited to your tastes and needs.
While you don’t have this much control and programmability over the extraction process of the S8, it does have a Pulse Extraction Process, or P.E.P. This is one of Jura’s most popular features, and it allows for a very smooth and consistent flavor. But at the end of the day, all the different control parameters and the better heating system of the Babila makes it the better option by miles when it comes to flavor.
2. Milk System
The Winner: Jura S8
Another key difference between these two machines is the milk systems. The S8 sports the HP3 milk system. This frother is designed for coffees with milk and milk foam. Any latte or macchiato you make with this frother will have a creamy and fine-textured foam that impresses you every time.
The S8 uses a tube to take the milk and then feed it to the frothing device inside the spout. You can either put the milk spout in a container or get one of the Jura accessories designed for milk. Beside the milk spout is an extra coffee spout, so if you’re making milk drinks, you don’t have to move your cup. The milk spout features a dial that you can use to tweak the density of the froth which gives you a bit more control.
On the flip side, the Babila uses a standard attachable milk carafe. To steam milk with the Babila, simply put the spout into the milk carafe and it will froth the milk for you. However, unlike the S8, the Babila doesn’t have a dial that allows you to adjust the density of the froth.
Both machines feature a self-cleaning milk system. If you enjoy coffee drinks with milk, then the advanced frothing system and customizability of the S8 might be just what you need.
3. Type of Drinks
The Winner: Tie
The Gaggia Babila has more options than the S8 when it comes to drinks, but not by a lot. On the Babila, you can choose between 8 different drinks, while the S8 only allows for 7. With that said, it’s not a big difference as the only extra drink you get with the Babila is espresso lungo, which isn’t too big a sacrifice. You can also make double shots of espresso with a touch of a button when you use the S8, which gives you a bit more convenience when selecting the right drink to start your day.
4. Cleaning & Maintenance
The Winner: Gaggia Babila
When it comes to cleaning the brew group, the Babila is the more convenient machine. The brew group is removable, and you can clean it with a quick rinse with tap water. On the flip side, the S8’s brew group can’t be removed, and you have to clean it with a tablet that you insert through the pre-ground coffee bypass doser.
While both machines are fairly easy to clean, removing the brew group and rinsing it with tap water can be much easier than cleaning it with a tablet, which is why I gave this point to the Babila.
5. Other Utilities
The Winner: Tie
Both of these machines were designed with convenience in mind, which is why when it comes to utilities, it is a definite tie. Both of these machines have displays that show you the different drinks available and all the customization options. The only difference between the machines is that the S8 has a colored touch screen, while the Babila only has a simple black and white display, so the S8 arguably has the better display between the two.
However, with that said, the Babila does offer more control over the final output of your shot. While the S8 only allows you to adjust the strength. Granted, the machine has 10 different strength settings, which gives you a fair amount of control, but you can tweak more parameters on the Babila.
When using the Babila, you can customize the strength, temperature, and flow rate of the coffee. While it doesn’t offer as many strength settings as the S8, it does allow you to tweak more parameters.
Gaggia Babila Vs Jura S8: Similarities
Since these two are the same type of coffee machine, they have a fair amount of things in common. For starters, they both allow for one touch drinks, which can make your time in the kitchen much more convenient. This is one of the biggest advantages of choosing an automatic coffee machine for your kitchen.
Another similarity I noticed is that they both have built-in grinders with a bean hopper. However, keep in mind that while bean hoppers are convenient most experts don’t recommend keeping too many coffee beans in there as it doesn’t preserve the flavor that well.
Quick Rundown Of Gaggia Babila RI9700/64
- One touch brewing and frothing: bean-to-cup feature. Milk carafe includes automatic milk frothing for cappuccinos, and milk froth. Manual steam wand doubles as a hot water dispenser
- ACCESSORIES INCLUDED: 1 bottle of Gaggia Descaler, 1 AquaClean Water Filter, 1 Water Hardness Test Strip, 1 Tube of Brew Group Lubricant, 1 Brew Group Brush, 1 Coffee Scoop/Grinder Key
- PROGRAMMABLE: 8 Programmable brewing options for espressos, espresso lungos, coffee, ristrettos, lattes, cappuccinos, macchiato, flat whites and milk foam
- Easy access to water reservoir: features a top Loading removable 50.7oz water reservoir; Brew Boiler Wattage: 1400
Last update on 2024-11-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Quick Rundown of Jura S8 15212
- ONE TOUCH: Prepare 15 barista quality specialties including espresso, coffee, cappuccino, flat white and latte macchiato at the touch of a button
- PERFECT ESPRESSO: Ultimate coffee quality thanks to JURA's exclusive Pulse Extraction Process
- CONICAL BURR GRINDER: Fast and precise AromaG3 grinder grinds whole beans to the optimum fineness
- ECO FRIENDLY: JURA is always freshly ground, not capsuled - fresh taste with very limited waste - single serve machine
- CAPACITY: 64 ounce water tank, 10 ounce bean container
Last update on 2024-11-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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References
- Gaggia Babila RI9700/64 from Gaggia https://gaggia.com/automatic-machines/babila/#
- Jura S8 15212 from Jura https://www.jura.com/en/homeproducts/automatic-coffee-machines/S8-Chrom-INT-15228/Specifications#tabs
Felix Hendricks is a skilled barista with over 12 years of experience. He excels in crafting coffee and has a strong foundation in coffee machine mechanics. Felix holds a Coffee Machine Maintenance Certification from the Coffee Equipment Technical Institute, showcasing his ability to diagnose and repair coffee machines. He’s also worked as a quality control specialist, selecting premium coffee beans for optimal flavor. Felix has a diverse work history, including stints at renowned coffee spots like Café Euphoria & Starbucks. His expertise in both brewing and machine maintenance makes him a respected figure in the coffee industry.