What is your ideal espresso machine pick? If it looks anything like the Jura E8 vs Gaggia Babila, then you’re in for a treat!
While both machines are great players, the Jura E8 wins based on programmable dose control, coffee flavour, and overall brewing performance.
The Gaggia Babila can make espresso really well too. But with slightly less programmable drinks. But with a more rugged coffee grinder and versatile milk system. It is at the top of its game when it comes to turning coffee beans into the most delicious cup of coffee. And it doesn’t take very long to do so.
If you’re not familiar with any one of these choices, read more about how they compare against each other.
Jura E8 vs Gaggia Babila: Comparision Chart
Last update on 2024-12-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Jura E8 vs Gaggia Babila: Differences
The Jura E8 is the better competitor (4 – 2) at bringing you delicious coffee drinks than the Gaggia Babila. This in-depth comparison shows you why the Jura E8 is the recipe for the ultimate brewing experience at home.
1. Coffee Flavor
The Winner: Jura E8
Coffee Grinder
The Jura E8 features a steel conical burr grinder which starts off as sharper and quieter than any other type of grinder. But you can expect it to lose some of its precision and consistency over time. It is a 6-level grinder with aroma controls.
The Babila, on the other hand, features a ceramic burr grinder. More importantly, the grinder has 15 level adjustments – twice as much as the Jura E8, and then some.
While this allows more flexibility in favour of the Gaggia, it also means you have more options to select from between coarse and fine coffee powder. But which is the ideal for espresso?
Coffee lovers prefer a perfectly fine grind for bold espressos. If you want to drink coffee, black, plain and strong, a slightly coarser grind would do.
Coffee Strength
Between the Jura’s PEP controls and automatic pre-infusion, the Gaggia Babila seems a bit ordinary. And speaking of programmable strengths, the Jura E8 offers 8 strength settings and the Gaggia Babila 5 strength levels.
It is also here that the Jura E8 takes the prize for brewing richer espresso even after fine-tuning the coffee dose.
Heating System
Another way in which the Jura and Gaggia differ in altering the espresso flavour is the temperature controls. With the Jura E8, you have a faster heating system, in less than 25 seconds. And the Thermoblock heating system of the Jura also allows adjustable temperature settings, at the press of a button.
Jura’s pre-infusion and PEP are automatic, offering the optimal barista-style results you need.
On the Gaggia Babila, things are a bit different because you have to choose from low, normal, and high temperatures. My advice to you would be to stick to the highest temperature settings.
Or if you’re really interested, set it up to the low-temperature setting while brewing a dark espresso roast. And go for the highest temperature while brewing a light espresso roast.
With the Jura E8, you do not have to make this adjustment because the PEP technology takes care of that for you.
Brewing Technology
There is a difference here based on control as well. The Gaggia Babila gives you the opportunity to adjust the pre-infusion time from 2 to 4 seconds. The Jura E8 automatically detects the perfect time frame to extract maximum espresso flavour.
Some people prefer the control over pre-infusion time to brew a lighter or a stronger cuppa. This also depends on the type of espresso you want to make – i.e. for milk or not.
2. Dose Control
The Winner: Jura E8
Programmable Drinks
The Jura E8 you can make up to 12 different coffee drinks at the press of a button. Compared with the Jura E8, the Gaggia Babila offers only 4 – 8 programmable coffee buttons. For latte macchiato, cappuccino, flat white, espresso, and espresso macchiato. And then you have the milk button for frothing.
The espresso and milk drink options of the Jura E8 are far more superior to the Gaggia. This gives the Jura an edge so you can begin exploring more coffee options without losing time.
What the Gaggia lacks in programmable drink options, it makes up for in grind settings and pre-infusion controls. Meanwhile, the Jura E8 has larger programmability with the 8 coffee strengths and 12 programmable drinks.
Flow Control
This refers to the adjustable volume control on both espresso machines. While both do a great job of extracting espresso in the least amount of time, the Jura E8 features automatic flow control and 8 strength adjustments.
You can tweak the dose of the coffee grounds from 5g to 16g. The maximum dose on the Gaggia Babila is 11.5 grams.
The Gaggia Babila features a flow control dial that quickly adjusts how slow or fast you want to brew your coffee. It does not have the PEP process that is present in the Jura to take care of that for you.
Once you do get the hang of Babila’s scale of programmability, you can adjust the amount of espresso you want for small to larger cups.
The slight difference in dose control, even though both espresso machines make two drinks at the same time is that the Babila is capable of grinding the beans two times for two coffees, at the same time. And the Jura E8 grinds twice to brew double espressos in a single cycle. So the Babila is capable of producing slightly more coffee per cup than the Jura E8.
3. Milk System
The Winner: Gaggia Babila
You can choose to use the automatic milk frother on the Gaggia Babila or its steam wand. The attachable milk carafe acts as the perfect milk container for frothed milk.
Once you place your cup under the spout, the machine will pour both espresso and frothed milk right there. You can then place the carafe back into the refrigerator to store the milk in.
With the Jura E8, there’s only the automatic milk system with a spout. You can have access to the Jura carafe but you will need to buy that separately.
With regards to adjustments, the Jura E8 offers milk froth density adjustment right from the carafe. You cannot adjust the froth density on the Babila from the carafe.
The manual steam wand is my most favourite feature on the Gaggia Babila. It produces fibre milk foam that is barista-style. And another benefit of using the steam wand is that it gets the milk hotter than the automatic milk system on both machines!
There is a quick automatic rinse on both machines. This eliminates any milk residue or air bubbles from inside the milk spout or steam wand.
4. Ease of Cleaning
The Winner: Jura E8
The Gaggia Babila comes with a removable brew group. Just give the brew group a good rinse under running tap water, once a week, and it should work as good as new.
Unlike the Babila, the Jura E8 doesn’t have a removable brew group. To clean it, you will have to use Jura’s cleaning tablets. Drop one tablet in the by-pass doser and run a plain water cycle. This is enough to unclog and shine the machine from the inside out.
Gaggia Babila, unlike the Jura E8, uses high steam to clean its inner components. This includes the coffee spout, milk spout, carafe, and drip tray.
Speaking of the drip tray, the Jura E8’s drip tray is electronic. And the drip tray of the Gaggia Babila has two important parts which make cleaning easier.
While both machines have a water filter, the Jura E8 features RFID technology and the impressive CLEARYL filter. This intelligently detects when the filter needs to be changed and alerts you. And the best part about that is that you never have to descale the machine for as long as the RFID is installed as its water filter.
The Gaggia Babila’s water filter detects water hardness levels but you do have to descale the machine if you use it regularly.
5. Ergonomics
The Winner: It’s a Tie!
Adjustable Cup Height
The cup height for serving a taller drink of the Jura E8 is up to 4-1/2 inches only. While the Gaggia Babila lets you slide in a cup that is as tall as 6-6-1/2 inches. This includes the dual spout of both the espresso and milk carafe.
This gives the Gaggia Babila an edge because you can slide in a travel mug to brew directly.
Display
The colour display of the Jura E8 is brighter and more responsive than the monochrome palette of the Gaggia Babila. It even features a dial on the spout to adjust the milk foam density which is not available on the Babila.
If you’re looking for a more modern display, the Jura E8 is the one for you.
Material
The Jura E8 comes in an all-plastic design. So it is slightly less durable than the Gaggia Babila which is made of a stainless steel front and high-quality top panels. Even by design, the Gaggia Babila is taller but narrower than the E8, which makes it a better choice for compact spaces.
Jura E8 vs Gaggia Babila: Similarities
The Jura E8 and the Gaggia Babila can brew two cups of espresso at the same time. This means grinding the coffee in a double volume and brewing the double amount in a single brewing cycle as well.
Both espresso machines have a by-pass doser for pre-ground coffee. The crowning achievement of both espresso machines is that they are simple to use. You have direct access to some of the most-loved coffee drinks like a cappuccino, espresso, and latte.
And both machines also make use of burr grinders that is significantly better for home use than conventional, manual grinders. You can automatically select the grind you want or let the machine do that for you!
Quick Rundown Of Jura E8 15270
- Bundle Includes: Jura E8 Smart Espresso Coffee Machine (Piano Black) and Jura Glass Milk Container
- Jura E8 Espresso Machine: Makes the perfect espresso, latte macchiato, cappuccino and more!
- Aroma G3 Grinder: Grinds fresh coffee beans two times faster than conventional grinders.
- Extraction Process: Optimizes coffee bean extraction time intensity and breadth of aromas unlike ever before
- Intelligent Water System: RFID technology simplifies filter use easier, making it more effective and reliable
Last update on 2024-12-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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 2024-12-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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References
- Jura E8 15270 from Jura https://us.jura.com/en/homeproducts/machines/E8-NA-15270-Piano-Black/Specifications
- Gaggia Babila RI9700/64 from Gaggia https://gaggia.com/automatic-machines/babila/
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.