The GIGA 5 from Jura is a super-automatic coffee maker and one of the most expensive machines on the market. This piece, which creates gorgeous specialty drinks, features advanced technologies, and sets new standards in aesthetics, is a must-have for a high-traffic office or a large household, which has several thousand dollars extra to spend on this gizmo.
The amazing coffee beverages that it makes are a real treat for the eyes! Can you imagine the taste? Read this Jura GIGA 5 review to understand if this stunning model can fulfill any dream of a true coffee lover.
Design and Main Parts of Jura GIGA 5 Coffee Center
The first thing that will impress you is the size of the machine – it’s massive! This coffee monster takes up a lot of space on the countertop. If your kitchen desktop is not limited, you will put up with its dimensions after you realize the range of its incredible features and operations. Analyze this table and make your first impression of the GIGA 5.
Product Feature | Feature Parameters |
---|---|
Height | 16.3’’ (41.5 cm) |
Depth | 18.9’’ (48 cm) |
Width | 12.6’’ (32 cm) |
Weight | 39.7 pounds (18 kg) |
Water tank capacity | 87.9 oz. (2.6 L) |
Bean container capacity | 2 x 9.88 oz. (2 x 280 g) |
Material | Aluminium/ABS plastic |
Color | Aluminium, Chrome, Piano Black |
Temperature settings | 3 (low, normal, high) |
Wattage | 1250 W |
Voltage | 120 Volts |
Warranty | 2 years |
The GIGA 5 has a very sleek and industrial-grade design. In its metallic finish, it looks cosmic. Dressed in silver, the device mixes various types of materials: an aluminium front surface and black plastic sides. The machine is rather heavy with 40 pounds of functionality.
Coffee spigots
Its front panel accommodates 3 spouts. One spout on the left is for delivering hot water to brew tea, make hot chocolate and other specialty drinks.
The dual telescopic spouts on the right are for dispensing coffee. They can be height- and width-adjusted to hold various cup sizes. Moving them up and down, you can accommodate mugs from 2.5’’ to 6’’ tall. They can be used separately to brew two different drinks or as one mechanism to make a single coffee drink. These spouts have 4 outlets and are able to dispense hot milk, coffee, and hot froth simultaneously.
Operation functions
The top of the machine is also magnificent. It includes the ON/OFF button, a circular switch, and a program button. In addition, the ON/OFF button turns on an internal fan (located behind these buttons) that serves 2 purposes: to cool the device and to circulate the coffee aroma around the house. The rotary switch is fun to use. It helps navigate the menu.
Behind the ventilation slots, there is a compartment for ground coffee, if the owners of the machine don’t want to use whole beans.
Water reservoir
To the left from this section, you’ll find a top-loading water reservoir that holds 87 oz. of liquid. It features a handle and can be easily removed from the appliance.
The tank comes with 2 separate pumps and uses a filter clipped to the water container. Using the filter is optional. If you do use it, this eliminates the necessity of descaling the machine.
To the right, there is a compartment with a hidden plastic coffee scoop.
Bean hoppers and grinders
Closer to the backside of the device, there are 2 integrated canisters for coffee beans. This is very convenient if you want to use various bean types or make a combo (flavored, caf/decaf, and others). The bean hoppers are top-loading and have solid lids specially sealed to preserve the beans’ aroma.
The size of these coffee chambers is paired with a huge water tank. They hold 9.88 oz. of coffee beans each. An enormous capacity! The cutting discs made of wear-free ceramic ensure quick and silent grinding. Indeed, the appliance makes little noise. The ceramic knives don’t heat up unlike stainless steel and can’t burn the grounds. Both grinders have 5 grind settings.
Boiler system
The GIGA 5 is equipped with 2 aluminium boilers that use the Thermoblock technology for fast heating. The primary benefit of this double system is speed. The device features an outstanding ability to brew coffee and froth milk simultaneously.
Control system
The color TFT display is obviously the most amazing feature that makes all the magic. It is not a touchscreen, and the users should press silver buttons to select an option.
The screen offers millions of settings. You can adjust your coffee strength, grinder, drink volume, water temperature, milk froth, etc.
The display offers multiple recipes and uses texts and images to guide you through all preparation stages. The menu is so branched and extensive that a user gets trapped in an endless cycle. Press the “P” when it appears on the screen. This symbol works as the “Back” button.
Advice for Using GIGA 5 Coffee Machine
Using the GIGA 5 is very simple. Just take it out of the box, plug it into the outlet, and switch on the power button on the backside of the device. All tutorial videos that describe its maintenance are only 5-8 minutes long.
Programming
The control system is easy to understand, and the menu is very intuitive. Start operation with usual options as choosing the language, adjusting an auto shut-off timer, setting the time and date, etc.
You can program the machine for each day of the week and set its custom autostart time. Customize the main screen and put your favorite drinks on the front panel. Use the circle dial to choose a drink. The names of some of the beverages sound really exotic, for example, “Pepresso” (an espresso with black pepper and chocolate), “Shakerato,” “Red Cool,” “Winter Magic,” “Mango Lassi,” etc.
Grinding and brewing
Your own barista inside the appliance is always ready to serve you. You can order a combined shot that will mix coffee beans from both grinders in the requested potions (25% and 75%, 50% and 50%, and others).
The 15-bar pump ensures the best possible coffee extraction. The brew system uses pre-infusion to make the coffee flavor more saturated.
Thanks to separate brewing chambers, the device can prepare two different beverages at the same time. Its customization options are fantastic!
Milk frothing
The 2-stage frothing system of the GIGA 5 is also unique. It produces quality steamed and frothed milk. The users are free to change the amount of foam and milk.
The machine doesn’t come with a separate milk frother and uses an auto-frother. As the milk carafe is not provided by the manufacturer (which is not good), milk is kept in the user’s own container. If you need frothed milk for your beverage, attach the included tube to the side of the double spout and put its other end in your milk reservoir.
Jura offers multiple branded frothing pitchers to store and froth milk that can be purchased individually.
Miscellaneous
The machine does all the job for you. Just choose the option, place your cup under the spout, and press the button.
The device takes only one minute to make a regular espresso. Its beverages taste rather strong, but you can add hot water to dilute.
Making two drinks simultaneously is a bit challenging and requires some experience. After all, you can make the second cup in 60 seconds after the first cup is ready.
How Easy Is It to Clean?
The coffee machine is surprisingly easy to clean. This is a self-cleaning device equipped with automatic cleaning and descaling cycles.
The process is completely hands-free, and you don’t need to remove any part. The menu settings will lead you through all the steps on how to set a cleaning process, and the device will inform you about the necessity of descaling. If a water filter is used, the descaling can be performed less frequently.
Manual maintenance implies changing a water filter periodically. Your smart machine will tell you when it is time to change it.
Daily cleaning involves emptying a drip tray and a dregs’ container with used grounds. The frothing tube requires thorough daily rinsing and cannot be placed in a dishwasher. Its cleaning will take only 30 seconds. If the hose builds up some milk residue, this will be a task to get rid of it.
Perform a deeper cleaning once a week. The only routine procedure is to pop in a cleansing tablet. An additional cleaning should be performed after 200 cups of coffee made.
Other Key Details You Need to Know
Only a few features about this coffee maker are left untouched:
- If you use a water filter, it should be activated. Surf the menu and confirm the corresponding information.
- The machine can be programmed to remember your water hardness.
- The welcome kit that comes with the appliance includes a water filter cartridge, 2 milk tubes with a connector, a plastic splash guard, 2 cleaning tabs, a cappuccino cleaner, a water hardness testing strip, a coffee scoop, and some other items.
- When the grinders are in work, the users see illuminated red circles on the top cover around the base of the bean hoppers. This is a mesmerizing spectacle that reminds a UFO.
You see, this espresso machine has a lot of things to appreciate.
Advantages and Disadvantages
As this review shows, the GIGA 5 from Jura has multiple functions to admire. The following list of its benefits and drawbacks provides the objective characteristic of the coffee maker.
- Very fast grinding and brewing operations
- Silent performance
- Makes superquality drinks
- Numerous coffee choices in the menu
- Very powerful due to 2 grinders and 2 heaters
- The original Jura self-cleaning system for complete hygiene
- A revolutionary technology for creating finely textured milk froth
- Has an option of using a water filter
- A huge water reservoir
- Generously-sized bean hoppers
- Froths milk and brews coffee at the same time
- Due to a butterfly action, the coffee spouts can accommodate wide cups
- Nearly all spare parts can be purchased from the manufacturer
- There is no cup warming tray
- Heavyweight
- Very expensive
- Doesn’t come with a separate milk carafe
- The plastic hose used in the milk frothing process doesn’t look aesthetic
- Not suitable for small kitchens and not recommended for casual users
- Cannot be used with oily beans that may clog the cutting knives
- Cannot offer more than 5 grind settings
With all its weakest and strongest points in mind, this will be easier to make your purchase decision.
Jura GIGA 5 Troubleshooting Tips
This table features the most common problems that customers may face using the GIGA 5.
Problem | Solution |
---|---|
The milk frother produces insufficient foam. | The double spout may be dirty. Rinse and clean it according to the manual. |
The “Fill bean container” alarm doesn’t appear on the screen although the container is empty. | Clean the bean hoppers so that the machine can monitor the number of beans properly. |
The “Empty drip tray” alarm always appears on the screen. | The metal contacts of the catch tray may be wet or dirty. Clean and dry the contacts on the backside of the tray. |
The “Fill water tank” alarm appears on the screen although the reservoir is full. | The water float is blocked. The machine requires descaling. |
The coffee is dripping through the spouts. |
|
“Error 2” appears on the screen. | The device was exposed to the cold, and the mechanism was disabled for safety reasons. Let the machine warm at room temperature. |
Other “Error” notifications appear on the screen. | Unplug the machine and contact the service center. |
If your case is not listed here, address the Jura customer support service.
Where to Buy GIGA 5 Automatic Coffee Center by Jura?
If its high price tag is not a deal breaker, the GIGA 5 is a purchase variant that is hard to beat. This factory-refurbished model is available on the official Jura website. It can also be purchased from large online stores like Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Bed Bath and Beyond, Costco, Williams Sonoma, Best Buy and traditional brick-and-mortar shops that sell kitchenware.
All sales locations provide the same warranty period as Jura does — 2 years.
Final Thoughts
No doubt, this Jura model is an incredible automatic coffee center, but it is not for everyone. If you don’t have multiple drinkers, or you search for a budget machine, consider buying a more affordable device. If this highest rated super-duper appliance doesn’t scare you with its cost, dimensions, and capacities, you will not be disappointed. You will get a real Starbucks coffee house in your kitchen. The machine grinds beans, brews espresso shots, froths milk, and cleans itself automatically. Maybe this stunning functionality worth the investment?
References
- GIGA 5 Black Official Website – https://www.shopjura.com/
- Jura GIGA 5 Parts and Repair – https://www.jura-parts.com/
- GIGA 5 Instructions for Use – https://us.jura.com/