As a home roaster, I like fresh ground coffee. But I don't consider myself at that extreme 'snob' level. So I could not go to the trouble of grinding and tamping to make a shot. Also, when I'm half asleep in the morning, I like a full mug of java. So for me, this is the perfect machine.
It comes on at 6AM and heats up before I get out of bed. I stumble in to the kitchen and hit the RINSE button. about 30 seconds later I replace my pitcher with a ceramic mug. A full size 12 oz mug fit's easily under the spout.
For my morning cup, I hit the 2 shot button and set the dial to 5 oz. This gives me a plenty strong 10 oz mug of coffee in about 30 more seconds. My daughter opts for a 6 oz single shot at medium strength - she prefers her Cafe Americano a little less strong.
For those that find the shot from this too weak, I do understand their point. When you tamp 20 grams of super fine ground coffee into a manual machine, your going to get a shot that melts the enamel of your teeth. If that's what you require, then a super-auto probably isn't for you. When I'm using one of Sweet Maria's Espresso blends, I find the cup or shot plenty strong. If I'm using a straight Bolivian or Mexican, I expect a much milder cup. If necessary, one can opt for 2 singles instead of 1 double to get that extra kick.
For other drinks, you can adjust it down to a 1 oz ristretto, if you like. For an afternoon drink, my wife likes a 3 oz shot over a squirt of whipped cream, with a dash of shaved chocolate. Experimenting is easy, since you aren't tamping and grinding.
As far as the frother, it works well enough for me. I know others have complained about it. It just doesn't get a lot of use in this house.
I give it a 7 on Aesthetics because of its size. It's a big boxy thing. Very nice looking from the front, with it's soft blue LED and chrome drip tray. But it is big. I have a lot of counterspace, but if you have a small kitchen and low cabinets you better measure first.
I replaced the rubber feet with plastic 'sliders' so I can move it around the counter without picking it up. I think it weighs about 25 lbs.
On to Maintenance: I use the mineral filter, even though I have soft water. I'm convinced that this contributes to my trouble free experience. I replace the filter about half as often as they recommend, however.
Every 14 shots (approx.), the F7 tells you to empty the puck bin. When I do that, I rinse the parts with warm water, wipe the oil scum off the bottom collection pan, and MOST IMPORTANT - wipe the brewhead with a damp microfiber cloth. This isn't part of their instructions, but it makes for trouble free brewing. Especially with certain beans. Brazilian, for example, seem to get stuck in brewhead more than other origins (I have no idea why).
Well, almost every time. If I'm in the middle of doing a couple of brews, I just dump the bin and go.
I run a cleaning cycle every weekend - about every 30 shots. I use a cleaning tab about every other cycle. The cleaning cycle takes about 15 minutes, I guess. After you add the tab you walk away. Come back later and it's done. Rinse and wipe the parts and your all set.
By the way, get the Cafiza tabs in the big bottle and pay about 1/10th the price of the Jura tabs.
This may sound like a lot, but the whole rinse, wipe, reassemble task takes less than a minute.
It's been all worth it - 4,000 shots(yes, it keeps track) and counting, with only one not so small problem.
The one not so small problem: I took the F7 to the beach this summer. A member of my extended family poured water in the grinder instead of the water tank. Gummed it up real bad. But, at 3700 shots, it was probably due for a cleaning. Taking it apart and cleaning it is not for the faint-hearted. But I'm not a factory service kind of guy. It took an entire Saturday, but I took it apart, cleaned it, and got it back together. With the grinder and chute cleaned out, it's working great again. If you decide to try this, take lots of notes, take digital photos, and label everything, even the screws. There are 3 little springs and ball bearings that fly out and get lost if you're not careful. Also, mark the grinder adjustment gears . They have to be put back exactly right or you'll be taking it apart 6 times until you get it adjusted (trust me on this). |
