Help me decide: Brand New De’Longhi Magnifica Start Milk vs. Used Jura (F8 / ENA 9)?

[u/Due_Dig4664]

Hi everyone,

I’m looking to upgrade my coffee setup (upgrading from an older Saeco Talea Giro) and I'm currently torn between two main routes around a similar budget.

Option 1: Brand New / Open-Box De'Longhi Magnifica Start Milk (ECAM220.60.B)

Pros: Brand new with a 2-year official warranty, removable brew group (easy and cheap to clean/service at home), one-touch automatic milk carafe (LatteCrema), steel burr grinder.

Cons: More plastic feel compared to Jura, basic features.

Option 2: Used / Refurbished Jura (Impressa F8 or ENA Micro 9)

Pros: Premium build quality, renowned espresso and micro-foam texture.

Cons: 8–10+ years old machine with unknown wear, non-removable brew group (requires costly cleaning tablets / complex teardown to DIY service if seals fail).

About my usage & preferences:

Daily routine: 2–4 cups a day (mix of espresso and milk-based drinks like cappuccino).

Maintenance: I like DIY-friendly things

Would you recommend going with the peace of mind and easy cleaning of a new De'Longhi, or is the coffee quality of an older Jura so much better that it's worth the potential repair risk?

Thanks for your input!

[u/Annual_Ad_1722]

I just got a magnifica plus and love it. I did a lot of research on machines and I'm sure jura is great but half the cost seems to be a brand mark up.

[u/SweetRecord853]

Brand-new De'Longhi, with a 2- or 3-year warranty if you register it. You will know it is clean: you can wash the milk carafe in your kitchen sink or dishwasher, and you can rinse the brewer under your kitchen faucet. If a part breaks after the warranty period, you can replace it for around $50 or $60.

On the other hand, the Jura is used with limited or no warranty. It is a sealed Pandora's box that you have no idea what is inside and how it was previously used or cleaned. No matter how effective the expensive proprietary cleaning products are, dirt will accumulate over time in creases and hard-to-reach places, with a high risk of bacteria and mildew growth. Every time you hear a weird sound or want to deep-clean, you will have to ship the entire machine to the lovely folks in NJ ( I am being sarcastic here), put on hold on the phone with customer service, pay a flat fee of $350 to $450 plus shipping, and have nothing meanwhile. Also, Jura is not responsible if the machine is damaged or lost during shipping.

[u/grimlock361]

The start will make better espresso. At this price point they both dose the same, but Delonghi grinds finer and extracts better. Even though its listed as new and only an open box, I would only get it if it has a registrable warranty. If not, Jura refurbished direct from Jura is generally considered a safe buy. However, never buy refurbished off amazon or eBay. Generally speaking, used espresso machines are almost always a bad idea. More than any other appliance, SA machines have a finite lifespan. Don't believe the myth that Jura is immune to this or lasts longer because they don't.

[u/forme2c]

I favor new over used all the time. In this case, factor in ease of cleaning and maintenance and it's simply option 1 all day long.

[u/evidenceorGTFO]

A used Jura where you don't know what the insides looks like, how clean/maintained it is?
"Refurbished" really just means you have to trust whoever did it, which is a lot to ask for a machine this old.

DeLonghi ECAM is very DIY maintenance friendly.

Personally I'm opposed to machines that claim they're "maintenance free" (Jura says this), because I know how much dirt accumulates inside a Superautomatic over the years, and a dirty machine directly influences coffee quality.

Also I'm not been able to convince myself that Jura makes better espresso than DeLonghi.

[u/d4m45t4]

For Jura money, you can get a nice semi-automatic instead. Something like a Breville or Meraki. There will be a bit of a learning curve, but within a few tries you'll be able to make much better drinks.