Jura Giga X3 vs. JURA Giga X7 vs Jura Giga X8: All the GIGA machines compared

Jura released its GIGA range of coffee machines in 2013 to solve the needs of “heavy usage users” and the commercial coffee market. The Jura GIGA automatic machine range consists of a selection of unbelievable machines however a GIGA is not the right choice for everyone. In this post we compare the GIGA x3 vs GIGA x7 vs GIGA x8 and we try to answer the two most popular questions we get from people looking for a commercial grade machine which are:

(1)    Is a JURA GIGA the best suited machine for me and if it is

(2)    Which is the right GIGA to choose

We will try to answer both of these questions in this post.

Is a JURA GIGA the right coffee machine for me?

The GIGA machines are all magnificent looking machines but there are smaller cheaper Jura machines which look just as nice and perform pretty similar tasks. What separates the GIGAs from the rest of the range is:

(1)    Their ability to do two cappuccinos at one time

(2)    Their ability to be plumbed in such a way that water filling is automatic AND the emptying of the grounds container is also automatic

(3)    All GIGA machines feature two hoppers which allows the user to use decaf beans and ordinary beans at one time or to use two different beans (both of which are not decaffeinated) and blend one’s own coffee by choosing what percentage of each bean to use in your coffee (only on the X5 upwards).

(4)    The GIGA machines feature 31 different options allowing the user to make anything from a ristretto to a flat white.

(5)    All GIGAs are built with ceramic grinders which differ to stainless steel grinders as ceramic grinders never blunt.

Who is a Jura GIGA not right for?

Well short answer a lot of people. Assuming you love your coffee and have a commercial requirement you are probably better suited with another machine if you are not in a hurry to make cappuccinos and if blending your own coffee isn’t a big deal. As great as GIGA machines are, they do come with a fancy price tag and if these two things aren’t a must for you, you are probably better off “settling” for the JURA XJ9 or JURA XS9.

What does the C stand for in the GIGA range?

The C in front of the number denotes plumbing. On all GIGAs you can either choose to use the large water tank and empty the grounds container yourself or you can choose to plumb the machine and have all this done automatically for you. The requirement for plumbing is that you need a fixed water line and there is an extra cost involved when choosing a C option.

Which GIGAs are available in South Africa?

There are 5 GIGA options produced worldwide. These are

• JURA GIGA X3c and GIGA X3
• JURA GIGA X5c and GIGA X5
• JURA GIGA X7c and GIGA X7
• JURA GIGA X8c and GIGA X8
• JURA GIGA X9c and GIGA X9

Only the GIGA X3 and GIGA X8 (and c versions) are available in South Africa Ex. Stock whilst the GIGA X7 is available on request.

GIGA x3 vs GIGA x7 vs GIGA x8: What are the differences?

All the GIGAs are fairly similar but there a handful of differences between models. The differences are:

JURA GIGA Cost comparison:

Jura Giga X3 – R54,500.00 Ex. VAT

Jura Giga X3c- R57,500.00 Ex. VAT

Jura Giga X7 – R65,400 Ex. VAT

Jura Giga X7c- R68,000.00 Ex. VAT

Jura Giga X8-R69,900.00 Ex. VAT

Jura Giga X8c-R73,400.00 Ex. VAT

Feature differences between the GIGA X3, GIGA X7 and GIGA X8

The Jura GIGA 3 is the only GIGA not to feature two hoppers. Two hoppers allow one to blend one’s own coffee and to use decaf beans concurrently with normal beans. All the other GIGA machines have this feature.

The GIGA X3 however can make 49 coffee specialties compared to 40 of the GIGA X7 and 29 of the GIGA X8.

The GIGA X7 is the only GIGA also that cannot make Barista recipes however the X7 does have speed function which enables it to make all coffee specialties including cappuccinos about 30 seconds quicker than the other GIGAs.

For a graphical view into the differences please click on the link: GIGA machines compared

Jura GIGA Videos

We have compiled a list of some of the best GIGA video domonstrations we could find to help you along your journey.

Verdict

All the coffee machines in the GIGA range are fabulous machines and comparing the GIGA X3 vs X7 vs X8 is not an easy task. As with all machines we say first decide on your budget and then choose the machine which fits best to your needs whether it is a JURA or not.