Cosori Electric Glass Kettle review
The Cosori Electric Glass Kettle is affordable and incredibly easy to use. There are no bells and whistles, but that makes it perfect for your everyday boiling needs .
This kettle won't break the bank, so while it's not as impressive as the best electric kettles, it is a totally worry free option. It boils water in 4 minutes, and with the glass walls of the body you can watch your water boil, with the blue lights making quite the light show for you to enjoy.
However, you need to be careful when pouring the water out as the lid has a tendency to leak, and water is able to easily bypass the stainless steel filter, potentially letting impurities into your drink.
You can find out more in my full Cosori Electric Glass Kettle review.
Price
$27/£29
Capacity
1.5QT (U.S.)/1.3QT (U.K.)
Rated power
1500W (U.S.)/3000W (U.K.)
Colors
Black, Ivory White, Ruby Red, Subtle Green
Dimensions
9 x 6.3 x 10 inches
Weight
2.5lbs
Features
Stainless steel filter, Automatic shut-off, No plastic spout
The Cosori Electric Glass Kettle is available for $27 at Amazon U.S., and £29 at Amazon U.K. I tested the black colorway but it is also available in Ivory White, Ruby Red, and Subtle Green. If you want a color other than black though, the price climbs a little to $29, although they all seem to be discounted regularly on the Amazon U.S. site.
The U.S. and U.K. have slightly different models. While the dimensions are the same, the U.S. model has a capacity of 1.5QT and the U.K. version has a capacity of 1.3QT. The two models also operate from two different wattages and voltages due to the difference in domestic mains voltage between the two countries, so while the testing on this kettle was done in the U.K., results in the U.S. may be slightly different (i.e. a little slower).
The Cosori Electric Glass Kettle is pretty bulky, but its capacity makes up for that. It measures 9 x 6.3 x 10 inches so takes up a little more room on the counter top than the Smeg Electric Kettle which has a diameter of 8.9 inches and a 1.5QT capacity.
The body of the kettle is glass, which makes it pretty fun to watch, especially with the blue lights at the base which create a light show when the water is boiling. However, if you live in an area with hard water, you will see any limescale start to build as there's no hiding anything.
The spout of the kettle is a continuation of the glass body, and while it is funneled, the design slows the water enough to result in water pouring out from the lid. This caused spills and is a serious burn hazard.
The filter on the spout is stainless steel. I much prefer filters with a mesh basket as I feel like they catch more of the water's impurities — the steel filter on the Cosori has pretty large holes.
Despite being pretty wide, a lot of water was bypassing the edges of the steel filter when I was pouring the water. This makes it totally redundant and will not catch any impurities in the water.
The kettle has automatic shut-off when the water is boiling, to prevent any overheating, and has boil-dry protection to switch off the heating element when the kettle is empty.
I was very impressed by the performance of the Cosori Electric Glass Kettle. I wasn't able to test how long the kettle took to boil when filled to 1.5QT since I was testing the 1.3QT U.K. version. But I tested boil times for a variety of fill levels.
To put the boiling performance to the test, I filled the kettle to each capacity labelled on the side of the glass and timed how long it took for the kettle to initiate automatic shut-off, indicating it had reached boiling temperature.
Capacity
Boiling time
1.31QT/6 cups
4 minutes, 4 seconds
1.09QT/5 cups
3 minutes, 10 seconds
0.87QT/4 cups
2 minutes, 15 seconds
0.65QT/3 cups
1 minute, 51 seconds
0.43QT/2 cups
1 minute, 16 seconds
0.21QT/1 cup
55 seconds
I must also note that the U.K. and U.S. models operate using different wattages, and therefore the boiling times may vary in the U.S.. The U.K. version is 3000W while the U.S. version is 1500W, so you can expect the U.S. model to boil water more slowly.
Between two and four minutes is the typical time for a kettle to reach boiling point. When I took the temperature of the water it was 209.66°F, so not quite the 212°F needed for boiling water but pretty close.
The glass body of the kettle becomes hot to the touch after it is boiled, so you should make sure you only grab the plastic handle. That being said, the glass walls did a good job of keeping the water inside warm. After 20 minutes the water temperature was still 176.72°F. I tested again at 45 minutes and for a reading of 154.4°F, and after an hour the temperature had dropped to 130.6°F.
If you want a kettle that can hold specific temperatures for long periods of time, I would recommend a temperature controlled kettle like the Fellow Corvo EKG Kettle or Fellow Stagg EKG Kettle.
The Cosori was louder than other kettles we have tested. When rapidly boiling, I got a reading of 66-70dB on the Decibel X app. The Fellow Stagg EKG Kettle was only 51dB and the Ninja Precision Temperature Kettle was 50dB.
The Cosori Electric Glass Kettle is, as the name suggests, glass, so will require a little upkeep to ensure it stays sparkling. After only boiling six times there was visible limescale on the walls of the kettle, although I did my testing in Bath, England, which is a very hard water area.
Cosori advises regular cleaning by waiting for the kettle to cool and then wiping the outside with a damp cloth. It also says you should descale the kettle once a week. This can be done by adding the juice of half a lemon with two cups of water and boiling. You can then wipe the inside with a cloth to remove any stubborn mineral deposits.
Alternatively, you can use descaling tablets, which we would recommend keeping a supply of if you own one of the best espresso machines.
The Cosori Electric Glass Kettle is a very basic product. There are no bells and whistles like temperature control or temperature holding, but it boils quickly and you get a light show out of it as a bonus. It's incredibly easy to use and holds temperature very well.
Since the walls of the kettle are glass, any mineral build up will be very obvious, and in hard water areas it takes regular cleaning to stay looking good on your counter top. The kettle is also a lot louder than others on the market, so if you'd find that a sensory nightmare, then you may want to look in another direction.
But overall, it does a good job at boiling water efficiently. And at $27, you can't ask for more.
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Tom's Guide
3 days ago
- Tom's Guide
Cosori Electric Glass Kettle review
The Cosori Electric Glass Kettle is affordable and incredibly easy to use. There are no bells and whistles, but that makes it perfect for your everyday boiling needs . This kettle won't break the bank, so while it's not as impressive as the best electric kettles, it is a totally worry free option. It boils water in 4 minutes, and with the glass walls of the body you can watch your water boil, with the blue lights making quite the light show for you to enjoy. However, you need to be careful when pouring the water out as the lid has a tendency to leak, and water is able to easily bypass the stainless steel filter, potentially letting impurities into your drink. You can find out more in my full Cosori Electric Glass Kettle review. Price $27/£29 Capacity 1.5QT (U.S.)/1.3QT (U.K.) Rated power 1500W (U.S.)/3000W (U.K.) Colors Black, Ivory White, Ruby Red, Subtle Green Dimensions 9 x 6.3 x 10 inches Weight 2.5lbs Features Stainless steel filter, Automatic shut-off, No plastic spout The Cosori Electric Glass Kettle is available for $27 at Amazon U.S., and £29 at Amazon U.K. I tested the black colorway but it is also available in Ivory White, Ruby Red, and Subtle Green. If you want a color other than black though, the price climbs a little to $29, although they all seem to be discounted regularly on the Amazon U.S. site. The U.S. and U.K. have slightly different models. While the dimensions are the same, the U.S. model has a capacity of 1.5QT and the U.K. version has a capacity of 1.3QT. The two models also operate from two different wattages and voltages due to the difference in domestic mains voltage between the two countries, so while the testing on this kettle was done in the U.K., results in the U.S. may be slightly different (i.e. a little slower). The Cosori Electric Glass Kettle is pretty bulky, but its capacity makes up for that. It measures 9 x 6.3 x 10 inches so takes up a little more room on the counter top than the Smeg Electric Kettle which has a diameter of 8.9 inches and a 1.5QT capacity. The body of the kettle is glass, which makes it pretty fun to watch, especially with the blue lights at the base which create a light show when the water is boiling. However, if you live in an area with hard water, you will see any limescale start to build as there's no hiding anything. The spout of the kettle is a continuation of the glass body, and while it is funneled, the design slows the water enough to result in water pouring out from the lid. This caused spills and is a serious burn hazard. The filter on the spout is stainless steel. I much prefer filters with a mesh basket as I feel like they catch more of the water's impurities — the steel filter on the Cosori has pretty large holes. Despite being pretty wide, a lot of water was bypassing the edges of the steel filter when I was pouring the water. This makes it totally redundant and will not catch any impurities in the water. The kettle has automatic shut-off when the water is boiling, to prevent any overheating, and has boil-dry protection to switch off the heating element when the kettle is empty. I was very impressed by the performance of the Cosori Electric Glass Kettle. I wasn't able to test how long the kettle took to boil when filled to 1.5QT since I was testing the 1.3QT U.K. version. But I tested boil times for a variety of fill levels. To put the boiling performance to the test, I filled the kettle to each capacity labelled on the side of the glass and timed how long it took for the kettle to initiate automatic shut-off, indicating it had reached boiling temperature. Capacity Boiling time 1.31QT/6 cups 4 minutes, 4 seconds 1.09QT/5 cups 3 minutes, 10 seconds 0.87QT/4 cups 2 minutes, 15 seconds 0.65QT/3 cups 1 minute, 51 seconds 0.43QT/2 cups 1 minute, 16 seconds 0.21QT/1 cup 55 seconds I must also note that the U.K. and U.S. models operate using different wattages, and therefore the boiling times may vary in the U.S.. The U.K. version is 3000W while the U.S. version is 1500W, so you can expect the U.S. model to boil water more slowly. Between two and four minutes is the typical time for a kettle to reach boiling point. When I took the temperature of the water it was 209.66°F, so not quite the 212°F needed for boiling water but pretty close. The glass body of the kettle becomes hot to the touch after it is boiled, so you should make sure you only grab the plastic handle. That being said, the glass walls did a good job of keeping the water inside warm. After 20 minutes the water temperature was still 176.72°F. I tested again at 45 minutes and for a reading of 154.4°F, and after an hour the temperature had dropped to 130.6°F. If you want a kettle that can hold specific temperatures for long periods of time, I would recommend a temperature controlled kettle like the Fellow Corvo EKG Kettle or Fellow Stagg EKG Kettle. The Cosori was louder than other kettles we have tested. When rapidly boiling, I got a reading of 66-70dB on the Decibel X app. The Fellow Stagg EKG Kettle was only 51dB and the Ninja Precision Temperature Kettle was 50dB. The Cosori Electric Glass Kettle is, as the name suggests, glass, so will require a little upkeep to ensure it stays sparkling. After only boiling six times there was visible limescale on the walls of the kettle, although I did my testing in Bath, England, which is a very hard water area. Cosori advises regular cleaning by waiting for the kettle to cool and then wiping the outside with a damp cloth. It also says you should descale the kettle once a week. This can be done by adding the juice of half a lemon with two cups of water and boiling. You can then wipe the inside with a cloth to remove any stubborn mineral deposits. Alternatively, you can use descaling tablets, which we would recommend keeping a supply of if you own one of the best espresso machines. The Cosori Electric Glass Kettle is a very basic product. There are no bells and whistles like temperature control or temperature holding, but it boils quickly and you get a light show out of it as a bonus. It's incredibly easy to use and holds temperature very well. Since the walls of the kettle are glass, any mineral build up will be very obvious, and in hard water areas it takes regular cleaning to stay looking good on your counter top. The kettle is also a lot louder than others on the market, so if you'd find that a sensory nightmare, then you may want to look in another direction. But overall, it does a good job at boiling water efficiently. And at $27, you can't ask for more.
Tom's Guide
3 days ago
- Tom's Guide
I just tested these Skullcandy x Bose earbuds, and my 2008 emo heart is happy
Some of the best earbuds are sleek and inconspicuous. The Skullcandy Method 360 ANC earbuds — made in collaboration with high-fidelity brand Bose — are not one of them. The Method 360 ANC earbuds are slap-you-in-the-face nostalgia, complete with a carrying case destined for low-slung skater pants. Besides being a blast from the past, the Method 360 ANC earbuds really benefit from this Bose sound. The bass is pumping, loud enough to be destined for the sticky dancefloors of yore. Don't think the bass overpowers detail, though — not at all. With a little EQ tweak, these earbuds can provide both electric bass and sharp detail. While they have a few connectivity annoyances, for just $129, these earbuds are most definitely underpriced. I'd get them now before Skullcandy realises and bumps up the cost. I'll discuss everything in extensive detail in this Skullcandy Method 360 ANC review. Price $129 / £99 Connectivity Bluetooth 5.3 ANC Yes Durability IPX4 Battery 9/32 hours (ANC) 11/40 hours (No ANC) Weight 2.7 ounces Drivers 12mm Dimensions 3.5 x 1.9 x 2 inches Colors Black, white, red, beige, leopard Compatibility iOS, Android The Skullcandy Method 360 ANC earbuds are extremely cheap considering their sound quality: just $129 from Amazon U.S. and £99 from Amazon U.K.. This makes them some of the cheapest earbuds I've tested, but oh boy, they do not sound like it. They're miles better than the $129 Soundcore Liberty 5 and not even in the same ballpark as the relatively impressive $99 EarFun Air Pro 4. I was actually gobsmacked when I found out how affordable these earbuds are. As I wrote above, the sound quality performs like earbuds double the price, if you can overlook the semi-cheugy design. At $129, they're the priciest earbuds on Skullcandy's roster (the Sesh and Rail buds are $69), but still very cheap when compared to rivals. Complete with a carabiner ring, these Skullcandy earbuds are destined to be clipped to low-slung skater pants. Their home is a belt loop inhabited by a chain belt and the waistband of boxers that've seen better days. If you're wearing the Method 360 ANC earbuds and not listening to Limp Bizkit, what are you doing? As someone who grew up on Fred Durst & crew, coloring my entire eyelid with a crumbly black pencil, and spending my allowance on spiky jelly earrings and fingerless gloves, the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC earbuds remind me of that simpler time. I think for me, the design of these buds is incredibly nostalgic and comforting, but for others, the design could be a major con. On the side of each bud is a cute little skull (Skullcandy's logo, of course), which matches the logo on the charging case itself. The earbuds are a little big, so if you have super small ears, I'd recommend something dinkier like the AirPods 4. My ears err on the side of small and they were a little snug, but not uncomfortable. I switched out the ear tips for the smallest size, which helped with the snugness. Now, the charging case. Probably the Method 360 ANC's most… unique feature. Some people might love this case, and others might hate it. I'm somewhere in the middle. I am prone to losing things — I sewed a pouch on the inside of my bag to prevent misplacing my AirPods — so for other absentminded folk, this overly large case could be a breath of fresh air. For others, however, it's bulky and counterintuitive. Our Audio Editor, Tammy, was not a fan of the bulk. The case is a pretty massive 3.5 inches long, which is easy to find in a bag, but also not possible to fit in a pocket. Unless you've got super baggy skater pants, of course. While controls have been an issue with other budget earbuds I've tried in the past, I had no headaches with the Method 360 ANC. I was able to customize my controls completely in the Skull-IQ app, including adding a volume control. Although most of the Method 360 ANC's features are excellent, I'm going to discuss my one issue first. As with other non-native gear, I found the earbuds a little annoying to switch between devices, even after setting up multi-point connectivity. When I removed the earbuds and did something else for a few minutes, once I put the earbuds back in, they didn't connect to my laptop or phone. I had to return the buds to the charging case, and then reinsert them. This is a little annoying, I suppose, but I also assume you're supposed to return the earbuds to the charging case after taking them out every time anyway. Another minor annoyance is the lack of single-ear wear detection. Skullcandy claims that the Method 360 ANC have wear detection, and that's only half accurate. Yes, if you take out one earbud, that earbud pauses. But the other one doesn't. Only the removed earbud pauses, which is kind of pointless. My AirPods pause my music entirely when I remove one earbud. While this isn't unheard of for $129/£99 earbuds, I'd like to see this as a toggleable feature on future versions. Now that's out of the way, I'll discuss everything I do like about the Skullcandy Method 360 ANCs. Firstly, these earbuds have IPX4, which means they'll be able to withstand mild water like gentle rain or sweat. However, they're not completely waterproof so don't go dunking them in the sink. Other cheaper earbuds have IPX5, like the EarFun Air 2 ($49) and EarFun Air 2 NC ($69), but this is really a negligible difference. The ANC is very good; I couldn't hear any street noise or ambient office sounds like typing and talking. There are 'Stay aware on', 'Stay aware off', and 'ANC'. I wish Stay aware was a little more, well, aware. When I tried to have a conversation with this ANC mode, I couldn't hear properly and had to remove the earbuds. Finally, there's a range of features in the app, like EQ customization Spotify Tap. Spotify Tap — hold down a touch control to launch Spotify and pick up where you last left off — is a great feature in a pinch, but I found myself gravitating towards manually selecting music myself. Also, of course, this won't work with Tidal, Apple Music or the like. There's also a pretty bizarre feature: Take a Photo. This feature allows you to transform the earbuds into a remote control for your phone's camera. I have no wish to do this so never made use of it, but I suppose it's a good option to have… maybe. As the Method 360 ANC earbuds are made in collaboration with Bose, I had high hopes about the music quality. And, thankfully, I was not disappointed at all. To test the Method 360 ANC earbuds, I listened to a wide variety of music on Qobuz, our best streaming service for audiophiles. Right off the bat, I could tell that these earbuds were very bassy. I fiddled with the EQ settings in the SkullcandyIQ app, and reduced the low end and increased the mids to counteract this. Of course, if you love bass, then this step is unnecessary, but I wanted to get the most detail out of my music as possible. I listened to 'Fallen Alien' by FKA Twigs, which is an atmospheric, layered track with immersive percussion and almost cinematic synths. The choral sections were clear and seemed to surround my ears. I could hear every piece of audio detail, from the inflections in the lead vocal to the discordant bass and mids. The $129 earbuds did a fantastic job of both separating the instruments and detail, and also making the track sound harmonious. Afterwards, I switched genre. I played '3AM (LA LA LA)' by Confidence Man, a track with an all-consuming, heady '90s synth and pulsing bass. The bass was insistent and strong, although there was a little tinniness in the mids. To fix this, I adjusted the EQ ever so slightly. This made the kick drum crackle a touch, but really not bad considering these are $129 earbuds. To give the earbuds a thorough test, I wanted to play something really gritty and gristly. I opted for 'Endless, Nameless' by Nirvana, because what else? The bass growled in my left ear and the lead guitar screeched in my right. Neither instrument clipped or warped, and I could feel the raw vocal in my eardrums. I'm sure you already know, but 'Bad Guy' by Billie Eilish has a really intimate, breathy vocal, where Billie's voice feels like it's right next to you. None of this detail was lost on the Method 360 ANC earbuds, and I could hear all the layers of bass that are often lost on inferior earbuds. Where the Method 360 ANC earbuds excel is, of course, bass, but that doesn't mean they lack detail. I was never left longing for missed detail, and I could discern multiple layers of instruments in quite immersive tracks. To test the Method 360 ANC earbuds, I tested them out on a work call. The earbuds have 2 mics within each earbud, so 4 overall, and Skullcandy's 'Clear Voice Smart Mic', which is described as an 'AI-enabled' feature that isolates voices. My colleagues reported that I sounded crisp and clear, very similar to how I sound when I wear my usual AirPods Pro 2. I think for just $129/£99, this is an incredibly affordable way to get excellent call quality. Unlike the Skullcandy Crusher Evo headphones ($199), which use the Skullcandy app, the Method 360 ANC earbuds are compatible with the Skull-ID app. This app is very pleasant to use: it has an attractive UI and it's easy to navigate. There's an easily accessible range of features on the homepage, including firmware updates. Here's a screenshot from the app. The Skull-ID app is one of the better budget companion apps. It's more modern than the JBL app, but not as unique as the Soundcore app. With ANC off, the Method 360 ANC earbuds will play for 11 hours, and then an extra 29 with the case, so 40 hours overall. With ANC off, the battery life reduces to 9 hours in the buds and another 24 in the case, so 33 hours overall. In reality, I found that the battery was a little better than this. After listening for 5 hours, the earbuds only dropped to 75% battery. This battery life is the same as the EarFun Air Pro 4 ($99). While the Soundcore Liberty 5 earbuds are supposed to have 8 hours in the buds, in reality this was more like 5 hours. As a result, the Method 360 ANC earbuds are more reliable than the Soundcore offering. Considering the Method 360 ANC earbuds are just $129, I think they're absolutely fantastic. Obviously they're not perfect — hence the 4-star rating — but they perform well above their price tag. On top of having thrumming, powerful Bose bass, the earbuds are capable of translating precise audio detail, too. Softer, airy vocals and high-frequency sound effects were still audible, and only improved by my custom EQ. I think Skullcandy has absolutely nailed the sound quality here, and for just $129? It's a steal. If you can look past the slight connectivity issues and overly large charging case, then there's no reason why the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC earbuds can't be some of the best value wireless earbuds on the market today.
Tom's Guide
3 days ago
- Tom's Guide
I just tested one of Jura's entry-level automatic coffee machines — it nails what others miss
More often than not, automatic coffee machines are ignored when coffee lovers get together and discuss the best espresso machines on the market. There's a very good reason for that: automatic coffee machines just can't make 'proper' espresso. Brewing espresso is an art, from the dosing, the grinding, the tamping, and the extracting — things that automation simply can't replace. I'm often disappointed by automatic espresso, but not from the Jura ENA 4. The ENA 4 actually brews deliciously balanced, yet complex espresso, and I found myself drinking multiple cups of a day. However, it's not perfect, thanks to its lack of milk functionality and almost unbelievable price tag. But could it be a shoe-in for espresso lovers who want convenience over anything else? Find out in this Jura ENA 4 review. Price $999 / £765 Weight 18.5 lbs Grinder Yes Dimensions 10.7 x 12.7 x 17.5 inches Heating system Thermoblock Pressure 15 bar Water tank capacity 37.2 fluid ounces Accessories None The Jura ENA 4 is a pretty massive $999 from Amazon U.S. and $999 on Amazon U.K.. On Jura's U.K. site, it's a more palatable £765 but the same $999 on Jura U.S.. While the ENA 4 appears to be suitable for office use, Jura recommends the ENA 4 is only used in 'private domestic' dwellings. Jura has a range of professional options on its website, including the 200-cups-a-day Giga X. This is an extremely high price for a coffee machine that only makes two drinks. For the same $999, you could get a Breville Bambino Plus, as well as one of the best coffee grinders (like the affordable Baratza Encore ESP), and still have $300 left over for pounds and pounds of coffee. However, I guess you're paying a premium for uber-convenience, and that's what the ENA 4 is here for. It's to ensure you can have hot espresso at the touch of a button. Considering the De'Longhi Rivelia is just £749 in the U.K. and does everything the ENA 4 can and more, I'd recommend the De'Longhi for U.K. customers. If you really want a Jura, the U.K.-only (as of right now) Jura C8 is £899 and it makes milk drinks, so I'd recommend that. The ENA 4 feels considerably smaller than other Jura machines. It's just 10.7 x 12.7 x 17.5 inches, which makes it about 0.3 inches smaller than the C8. This doesn't sound like much, I know but the ENA 4 looked considerably smaller than the C8 and the E8 (a pretty hefty 13.8 inches wide) on my kitchen counter. My favorite design aspect of the ENA 4 is the diamond-faceted water tank. It's pretty small, at just 37 fluid ounces, but this is fine if you're happy to refill it every 7 drinks or so. I found that the ENA 4 alerted me to refill the tank when it had about 10% remaining. Comparatively, the C8's water tank is 54 ounces. Although still not a touchscreen, the ENA 4's LED screen is much more user-friendly than the C8's. The ENA 4's screen is brighter and easier to navigate, although it took me a few tries to figure out which button was 'yes' and which was 'no'. However, after just a few minutes fiddling with the machine, I had this sorted. Like the C8, the ENA 4 can take both ground and wholebean coffee. As it's intended primarily to be used with wholebeans, the grinder hopper is larger than the grounds funnel. You also use the grounds funnel to insert cleaning tablets, which I'll discuss later on. The grinder itself is Jura's own 'Professional Aroma Grinder'. Now, I've tested my fair share of coffee grinders, and I feel like I know what's what when it comes to crushing coffee, but this description feels arbitrary, and raises the 'marketing jargon' red flag. There are no specifics here: no claim of the grinder being a burr or blade (although I can tell from appearance it's a burr) and no assertion of material. The grinder is simply an average bean-to-cup grinder. You can adjust the grind size with a tactile ring around the hopper. My machine came on notch three, and I never had to change this for the beans used in testing, as the espresso tasted great. Mileage will vary depending on the beans/roast used. Lastly, I'll discuss the drip tray and grounds drawer. I'll discuss this more in detail in the 'Storage & maintenance' section below, but the long and short of it is that I needed to empty the drip tray about once every 6 drinks. The drip tray is angled so the water funnels out at the far end, which makes cleanup very easy. So the ENA 4 can't make milk-based drinks, which means its sole purpose is to craft black coffee and espresso. Thankfully, it performs that one job really well. While the Jura C8 makes milk drinks and black coffee, the coffee tasted very average. It was overly bitter and burnt, even when using specialty light-roasted beans. This was probably due to overdosing shots or extracting the espresso with overly-hot water. The ENA 4 was able to extract delicious, balanced coffee. The shots were powerful yet nuanced, and I was surprised by how delicate the overall flavor was. All my colleagues said their coffees were great, which was a major success after they weren't huge fans of coffee made by other automatic machines. Unlike the C8 and the E8 machines, the ENA 4 only has three intensity levels. Personally, I think the coffee tasted best on the weakest intensity as I was able to enjoy the coffee flavor without being overwhelmed by bitterness. Although there's not really much visual difference between the three intensities, here are three photos of the ENA 4's shots from weakest to strongest. As you can see, the shots look creamy and thick, with a nice layer of crema on top. The black heart of the shot is small, which suggests the coffee will taste sweet, with the perfect amount of acidity and bitterness to balance it out. Although the ENA 4 only makes two drinks, espresso and coffee, both of these drinks were delicious. The default amount of 'coffee' is about half a mug, which threw me the first few times I used the machine. However, all is not lost. It's very easy to manually adjust the amount of coffee dosed. I just held down the 'coffee' button until the cup was full and the ENA 4 remembered this measure. It's possible to adjust this amount infinitely, so you'll always have enough to fill a cup regardless of cup size. There's also the option to fill the machine with ground coffee (for example, if you want decaf), but I didn't use this as wholebeans tend to give a much more pleasant flavor. The De'Longhi Rivelia has two interchangeable bean hoppers for easy switching of wholebeans, so you can have freshly ground caffeinated and decaf coffee. While the ENA 4 doesn't brew espresso delicate and complex enough to impress coffee aficionados, this is a machine that places convenience above everything else (affordability included). As a result, the ENA 4 excels at its job: make coffee after coffee in quick succession. It just won't be winning any flavor awards. If that's what you want from your coffee machine, then this is a great option — easily the best espresso of any Jura machine I've tried thus far. As I touched on earlier, I'll discuss the drip tray and grounds drawer in full detail here. The drip tray is very long; it stretches all the length of the machine itself. This means it can hold a pretty large amount of water. There's no red tab that pops up when the tray needs emptying; the machine tells you on the screen. Emptying is easy as the water is funnelled out of a small opening at the rear of the tray. The grounds drawer is just behind the exterior mesh, and sits nice and flush in the tray itself. I found it easy to clean with hot running water, but it's made of plastic, so might be quite easily tarnished. However, I only had this machine on a short loan so I unfortunately can't test long-term usage. Jura recommends (well, demands) that you only use Jura-branded cleaning tablets. These cleaning tablets are quite expensive: $21 for 6 tablets on Jura's website, $20 for one water filter on Jura's website, and $20 for 6 descaling tablets on Jura's website. Jura recommends changing the water filter every 2 months, cleaning the water tank with multiple descaling tablets every 2 months. The machine will prompt cleaning tablet usage depending on how often you use it — minimum once a month. These continuing costs will make daily machine operation quite expensive, so it's worth accounting for these charges when figuring out if you should buy the ENA 4 or not. If these costs seem a little too high, then I recommend the De'Longhi Rivelia automatic machine. De'Longhi sells a maintenance kit for $45 on its website, which includes a water filter, descaler, and a coffee machine cleaner as well as a microfiber cloth, but this should be repurchased every few months so the price difference could be negligible. If money is no object to you and you just want quick, fresh coffee, then I think the ENA 4 is one of Jura's most adept machines. It makes delicious espresso that is much sweeter and more drinkable than other Jura machines. However, it is very expensive for what it is. It's $999 and all it does is make espresso and black coffee. That's it. It doesn't steam milk, and it certainly doesn't add syrups. For such a large product (albeit smaller than other Jura machines), you'd hope it would do something else. The De'Longhi Rivelia is far more versatile. In the U.S., it's a pretty hefty $1,299, compared to the more palatable £749 U.K. price. I think it's a worthwhile investment seeing as it can make 13 drinks, compared to the $999 ENA 4's meager 2. For serious automatic coffee machine lovers, I can recommend the Terra Kafe TK-02 ($1,599) which can make a seemingly infinite amount of recipes in the Terra Kafe app. If you want the best of the best, opt for that instead. If you want just black coffee and don't care that you're spending $$$ for easy espresso, then the ENA 4 won't let you down. The Jura ENA 4 has one customer in mind, and it looks after that one customer well. If you want hot, fresh espresso multiple times a day and you're happy to pay a premium price for convenience, then the ENA 4 is your perfect choice. Just don't expect it to start brewing lattes and cappuccinos, because, well, it's physically incapable. However, if you do want a machine to make milk drinks, I'd recommend the De'Longhi Rivelia or the Terra Kafe TK-02 I mentioned earlier. The ENA 4 simply is not designed to prepare milk. Even so, the ENA 4 definitely has a place. It's easy to adjust coffee intensity so it would be good for a family or small office where people have different tastes. I'd just recommend getting a milk frother to go with it.
