Nothing should hold you back from an automatic espresso machine. Least of all the confusing differences between two competing choices like the Saeco Xelsis vs Jura S8.
Both are unique and powerful when considered individually but together, the Saeco Xelsis is the better winner. It works harder, so you don’t have to, to deliver rich and piping hot espressos – plus smooth and creamy milk.
The Jura S8 produces great-tasting coffee as well but with a slightly slower touchscreen interface and fewer cleaning tricks. Both offer impressive coffee customizations for an authentic and unparalleled home experience. Read their differences to find out more…
Saeco Xelsis vs Jura S8: Comparision Chart
Last update on 2023-03-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Saeco Xelsis vs Jura S8: Differences
The Saeco Xelsis wins 6 – 3 against the Jura S8 because it’s faster, longer-lasting, and more intuitive than the Jura S8. It offers dual brewing and steaming which is not possible in the Jura S8. And the Saeco Xelsis also has the proper tools in place to keep the machine clean with descaling!
1. Size
The Winner: Jura S8
The Jura S8 comes is 1.5 inches shorter than the Saeco Xelsis which comes up to 15 inches in height. The Jura S8 is 13.8 inches tall while the Saeco Xelsis is 15”.
Having said that, the Jura S8 comes in an 11 x 13.8 x 17.5 inches body while the Saeco Xelsis is 19.2 x 15 x 11 inches.
Despite their differences in height, both machines weigh 26.2 and 22 pounds respectively. Making the Jura S8 the lighter of the two.
2. Coffee / Milk Spouts
The Winner: Jura S8
The Jura S8 features two spouts, one for espresso and the other for milk. It has a hose that pulls in milk like a vacuum for frothing which then comes out of the milk spout straight into your cup once you place it under.
This is not as fast though considering that the Jura S8 uses a single Thermoblock heating system and the Saeco Xelsis uses dual. But it’s quite good and temperature-controlled.
The dual spout allows you to switch between milk and milk froth easily. And the coffee machine’s interface is organized well for you to not get confused between the espresso and milk adjustable settings.
The Saeco Xelsis does not feature a dual spout mechanism. It features one spout that delivers espresso and milk effectively. It’s easier to clean and takes up less space.
3. Bean Hopper
The Winner: Jura S8
The Jura S8’s stainless steel construction comes with a metal lid for the bean hopper with a rubber seal. This keeps the coffee beans fresh, no doubt, but it also prolongs the shelf life of the bean hopper.
Metal parts in place of plastic are always long-lasting and sturdier. Going by feel and appearance, the Jura’s coffee bean hopper looks a lot safer to use than the Saeco Xelsis. Considering that it has a standard plastic bean hopper with a lid.
Both espresso machines come with a stable by-pass doser. On the Jura S8, you can add up to 2 scoops while the Saeco Xelsis only permits a single scoop of pre-ground coffee. Similarly, the Saeco Xelsis features a 10-12 ounce bean hopper capacity and the Jura S8 features a 10 ounce. So there is no significant difference between the two.
4. Touchscreen
The Winner: Saeco Xelsis
Both machines have a touchscreen design that is large and intuitive to use. But the reason why the Saeco Xelsis is better is that it’s more responsive. There is no delayed response in its programmability which is the case for the Jura S8.
By design, the Saeco Xelsis is built with a smooth, intuitive, and user-friendly touchscreen display with TFT. So it performs faster, for sure, but it shows more colorful displays of coffee which makes it exciting for a new user to navigate.
The Jura S8 is slightly chunky with limited space between the functionalities. So it does feel like all the settings are cramped into a single screen with not enough room. This can make the programmability a bit more delayed.
5. Water Filtration
The Winner: Saeco Xelsis
Jura S8 features a powerful and effective maintenance system for cleaning the machine. This also includes the CLEARYL Smart water filter that sits inside the water tank and is easy to spot once you remove the tank from the main housing.
You can either install the water filter or descale the machine using Jura’s integrated cleaning system. Both methods are quick and yield superior results.
The Saeco Xelsis features a more advanced water filtration system that should keep you and your machine happy for longer, without descaling. It comes with the Aquaclean water filter that keeps the water clog-free, scale-free, and perfectly clean for up to 5,000 cups.
After which you need to replace the filter or descale the coffee machine. The Jura S8 has a short shelf life than the Saeco Xelsis.
6. Cleaning
The Winner: Saeco Xelsis
This also brings me to talk about the removable brew head of the Saeco Xelsis for quick and thorough cleaning. Having a removable brew head group is necessary because it ensures a smooth and lag-free performance.
The Jura S8’s brew head group is not removable. This complicates things a bit but it does come with cleaning tablets that, once you run a cleaning cycle, does the job perfectly well.
7. Coffee Grinder
The Winner: Saeco Xelsis
The number of grind settings in the Saeco Xelsis’s coffee grinder, which is a superior ceramic grinder is 12. It adjusts between fine to coarse coffee grounds quickly. Its grinding mechanism is fast and it doesn’t make a loud noise, no matter how many cups you brew.
The grinder comes with a seal to ensure freshness and a balanced espresso flavor.
Jura S8 features the Aroma G3 grinder with 5 settings. It’s not lacking in quality but it does offer a limited range of flexibility. Depending on what drink you make, the grind size alters the espresso’s intensity and aroma resulting in stronger or weaker coffee.
8. Drip Tray / Cup Warmer
The Winner: Saeco Xelsis
The Saeco Xelsis comes with a stable and useful cup warmer. This might not be a major factor of difference between the two but it’s an interesting feature to take advantage of. You can pre-heat your espresso cup, keep the coffee warm while you clean up, etc.
The Saeco Xelsis also features a sturdier drip tray with a stainless steel design and a magnetic lid to keep the drip tray in place. If you slide the drip tray out, you will also notice that there’s an indicator that lets you know when the drip tray is full.
The Jura S8 has a similar stainless steel drip tray with a scratch-resistant surface. But no magnetic lid or indicator for when the tray’s full. But it’s clear enough for you to see it by yourself and empty the drip tray before it overflows.
9. Milk
The Winner: Saeco Xelsis
There are 2 things about the milk frothing system that are worth mentioning.
First, that the Saeco Xelsis comes with a glass flask to store milk in. This simplifies things because you don’t have to pour into a milk jug or container like in the Jura S8. The built-in milk frother has accurate measurements at the side to let you know exactly how much milk you’re pouring into it.
The Jura S8 doesn’t feature a built-in milk frother. You have to purchase their milk jug which works perfectly as well.
Next, the Saeco Xelsis comes with an automatic hose cleaning system called the HygieSteam feature. This is like a Turbo setting which automatically cleans the milk frother and the hose by letting out hot steam. It cleans in seconds before you want your next drink prepared.
On the Jura S8, however, you have to manually remove the hose and soak it in soap water overnight. There is no automatic cleaning that cleans the hose with hot steam. Can take a bit more time but the hose gets clean effectively well after so you can use it the next morning.
Saeco Xelsis vs Jura S8: Similarities
If quick customizations and a fantastic touchscreen display are what you want, choosing between the Saeco Xelsis and the Jura S8 is a little more difficult. Because both machines offer incredible programmability via an intuitive touchscreen display.
With the Saeco Xelsis, you can choose between 15 different coffees and save up to 6 user profiles. The Saeco Xelsis features the Coffee Equalizer formula that lets you set different coffee characteristics such as intensity, volume, temperature, milk foam, and volume.
You can press and hold and program the Jura S8 with its 15 coffee customizations. It’s quick and straightforward. The 15 coffee specialties of the Jura S8 are my favorite. And both machines also let you brew two espressos simultaneously, be it a café latte, cappuccino, macchiato, or plain espressos.
Similarly, the Saeco Xelsis and Jura S8 feature 3 temperature settings with the same energy-efficient feature to save your money. You can expect the same taste and aroma of espresso and milk foam in both machines.
Quick Rundown Of Saeco Xelsis SM7684/04
- Note: 1)Too coarse a grind, too little coffee, or insufficiently tamping the grounds before brewing can all lead to inadequate pressure for a proper brew. 2)It is important to note that the amount of espresso extracted will vary depending on the grind size and amount and reprogramming may be needed when the size and amount are adjusted
- 15 coffee varieties at your fingertips: Explore the world of coffee - Espresso, cappuccino, macchiato, and a range of specialty drinks
- Personalized Preferences: Everyone’s custom coffee favorites can be saved in up to 6 user profiles for instant selection. Personalize each profile down to the finest detail
- LatteDuo System: Prepare and enjoy single or double serving of any coffee recipe with one touch, including Cappuccino or Latte Macchiato
- LattePerfetto: The external milk carafe creates a dense milk foam with a fine, silky texture
Last update on 2023-03-03 / 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 2023-02-13 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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References
- Jura S8 15212 from Jura https://sg.jura.com/en/homeproducts/Machines/S8-Chrom-INTA-15443
- Saeco Xelsis SM7864/04 from Saeco https://www.usa.philips.com/c-p/SM7684_04/xelsis-super-automatic-espresso-machine
I am a passionate coffee drinker. Since I left my job as a barista a few years back in 2012, I’ve been sharing my expertise on coffee and buying the best coffee equipment online. That’s how Wild Boar Coffee came to life.
I write about everything coffee-related under the sun. Where to buy the freshest coffee beans from? How to test coffee beans based on texture, aroma, and acidity?
I know all this from scratch – all thanks to my years and years of experience as a barista. So I’ve gotten real up-close-and-personal with coffee beans and different brewing techniques.