Buying guide · Used Jura
The Jura Buyer’s Checklist
Short answer: Before you pay, confirm the model, the cup count, the error history and the descaling history. On inspection, watch the brew cycle, check the grinder, milk system, sensors and the area under the machine, and see it make drinks. After you buy, clean it, descale it and fit a filter. Each check below says what a good answer looks like and when to walk away.
- 15 checks in three stages: before you buy, on inspection, after purchase.
- Ask the seller for a photo of the cup counter and the descaling history before you travel to see a machine.
- Brew unit, grinder and sensors are the parts that cost most when they have been neglected.
- Looking at an E8, S8, Z8 or Z10? See the model-by-model checks. Not sure which model you want? Take the two-minute Jura quiz.
- A refurbished Jura from a workshop covers these checks for you and carries a 12-month warranty on the rebuilt internals.
Before you buy
☐ 1. Confirm the model and generation
Match the model name to the type plate or the machine’s information menu, not just the listing title. Jura has made many generations, and features, displays and parts differ between them. Know exactly which one you are looking at before you pay.
Good sign: the type plate, the menu and the listing all name the same model. Walk away if: the seller will not show you the type plate. To see what a model should do, open its manual on the Jura manuals page.
☐ 2. Ask for the cup counter
Most Jura machines record the total number of drinks made in the information or service menu. Ask for a photo of that screen. A high count is not automatically a problem on a machine that has been serviced, but it should fit the age and use the seller describes.
Where to find it: the information or maintenance status menu. Your model’s manual shows the exact path. How to read it: judge the count together with the service history. A higher count with records of cleaning, descaling and servicing is a better buy than a low count with no history. Walk away if: the seller cannot or will not show it.
☐ 3. Ask for the error history
Ask whether the machine has shown error messages, such as brew unit, water or grinder messages, and what was done about them. Repeated errors usually mean something has not been properly fixed.
Good sign: no messages after the machine warms up, rinses and makes a few drinks. Walk away if: a message appears during your test that the seller cannot explain, or an error the seller says was fixed comes back.
☐ 4. Ask about water filter use
A machine run with a filter, or on soft water, scales up more slowly. Ask which filter was used and when it was last changed.
Good sign: the seller names the filter and roughly when it was last changed. If no filter was used: the descaling history in check 5 matters more, especially in a hard-water area.
☐ 5. Ask about descaling history
Ask when it was last descaled and with what product. No descaling history on a machine from a hard-water area is a warning sign, because scale damages boilers and valves.
Good sign: regular descaling with a named product, done when the machine asked for it. Warning sign: a cleaning or descaling message already showing on the display means maintenance is overdue. Allow for care products in your budget: the Jura Care Starter Kit ($45) has cleaning tablets, descaler and milk system cleaner.
☐ 6. Ask why it is being sold
An upgrade, a move or a machine that is no longer used are normal reasons. “It just stopped working” or a vague answer is a reason to ask more questions, or to walk away.
On inspection
☐ 7. Check the brew unit: movement and cleanliness
On Jura machines the brew unit sits inside the housing and is not designed to be removed by the owner, so judge it by how the machine behaves. Listen to a full brew cycle: it should run smoothly without knocking or stalling. Look at the used coffee in the grounds container: it should be firm and compact, not sloppy, and there should be no pooled water in the container. Ask when the brew unit was last serviced.
Good sign: a smooth, even cycle, firm grounds and a service record. Walk away if: the cycle knocks or stops, the grounds are wet and sloppy, or the machine shows brew unit messages, unless the price allows for a workshop service.
☐ 8. Listen to the grinder
Run a grind with beans in the hopper. The sound should be even. Rattling, grinding noise, or a machine that grinds but gives weak, watery coffee needs a closer look.
Tip: bring a handful of fresh beans so you are not judging the machine on stale ones. Walk away if: the grinder rattles, labours or stops, unless the price allows for a grinder repair.
☐ 9. Test the milk system
Make a milk drink. Check the milk is drawn evenly, the foam is consistent and the system rinses clean. Look at the milk hoses and connectors for staining, cracks or a sour smell.
Good sign: even foam from start to finish and a clean rinse. Stained hoses on their own are a cleaning issue. Walk away if: milk will not draw, or the foam stays weak, after the seller runs the milk system clean.
☐ 10. Test the drip tray and coffee grounds container sensors
Remove and refit the drip tray and the grounds container. The display should react each time. If it does not recognise them, there may be a sensor fault or a damaged contact.
Walk away if: the machine does not notice the tray or container being removed, or asks you to empty a container that is already empty.
☐ 11. Check the display and buttons
Press every button and touch area. The display should have no dead patches or lines, and the machine should move through its menus without freezing.
Walk away if: part of the display is dead, a button does not respond, or the machine freezes or restarts.
☐ 12. Look for leaks under the machine
After a few drinks and a rinse, check the drip tray area and the surface underneath. Pooled water or marks can show a slow leak.
Walk away if: you find pooled water under the machine. Water inside the housing can reach the electronics.
☐ 13. Test steam and hot water
Draw hot water and steam. The flow should be steady and hot, with no spitting, weak flow or unusual pump noise.
Note: functions differ between models. Check your model’s manual so you know which outlets it should have before you test.
After purchase
☐ 14. Run a first clean and descale
Even if the seller says it was done, clean and descale it yourself, using Jura-approved products and following the machine’s prompts. That gives you a known starting point.
The Jura Care Starter Kit ($45) covers the first clean, descale and milk system clean. Check your manual to confirm your model uses these products.
☐ 15. Fit a filter and know where to get parts and service
Fit a water filter if your water is hard and note the date. Decide who will service the machine and where parts will come from before something fails. Chameleon Coffee services and repairs Jura machines in Melbourne: see the repairs page.
What a refurbished Jura from a workshop includes
A workshop rebuild does most of the checks above for you. At Chameleon Coffee a refurbished Jura has:
- The brew unit replaced.
- Seals renewed.
- Pumps resealed and pressure tested.
- The grinder recalibrated.
- Boilers descaled and flushed.
- Testing with real coffee before sign-off.
- A 12-month warranty on the rebuilt internals. The external milk frother and externals such as the drip tray, tank and covers are not covered.
These are still used machines and they show wear. You see photos of the actual unit and a short video before dispatch.
Ways to save at chameleoncoffee.au
First refurbished Jura?
Code FIRSTCUP50 takes $50 off a refurbished Jura over $500 at chameleoncoffee.au.
Got a tired Jura?
$200 trade-in, working or not, off a refurbished Jura. Breville and DeLonghi automatics count too. One trade-in per purchase.
After you buy
A Starter Bundle (machine, 1 kg Heart of Gold beans and a Care Kit) saves $40. Already have a machine? The Jura Care Starter Kit is $45.
Not sure which Jura suits you?
Take the two-minute quiz, or browse the refurbished Jura range.
Take the Jura quizBrowse refurbished Jura machinesCall 0431 852 898
Frequently asked questions
Is a high cup count a reason not to buy a used Jura?
Not on its own. What matters is whether the machine has been cleaned, descaled and serviced to match that use. Look at the counter reading and the service history together.
Can I check the brew unit myself?
Not by removing it. On Jura machines the brew unit sits inside the housing and is cleaned with cleaning tablets through the machine’s cleaning program. You can judge it from the outside: a smooth brew cycle, firm used grounds and no water in the grounds container. Opening the housing is a job for a technician.
Do I need to descale a machine that was descaled by the seller?
It is a good idea. You cannot confirm what was done, so a clean and descale on day one gives you a known starting point.
Can I trade in a machine that does not work?
Yes. The $200 trade-in applies to a Jura, Breville or DeLonghi automatic, working or not, and comes off a refurbished Jura. One trade-in per purchase.
Is there a discount on a first refurbished Jura?
Yes. Code FIRSTCUP50 takes $50 off a refurbished Jura over $500 at chameleoncoffee.au.