JURA is a Swiss coffee machine company that has been manufacturing machines since 1937. In Europe, it is quite a big deal, having made a name for itself in the last 80 odds years or so for eye- catching design and ergonomics. How big a name? Roger Federer is their spokesman.
Here’s the tennis great at a Jura-sponsored meet and greet in Montreal:
Of course, when you’re in the big leagues, you have big league prices, which the Jura brand certainly does. Still, there is always a market for high-end products, and that is what they’re hoping for in Montreal. To celebrate their entry into the Quebec market, the company held a launch at their newly opened Jura showroom and workshop on Thursday November 17th. Where would such a heavy hitting big name have their showroom? Downtown? Old Montreal? The Plateau? Er, not quite.
The Jura showroom and workshop is at 10118, boulevard St-Laurent. That’s near Sauve and Chabanel, which is not exactly a glitzy enclave of the city (I suppose there is some glamour to the crumbling remains of the once mighty garment industry in the area, but it’s not like you’re going to see many models hanging out here). To compensate for this, I think they may have gone a bit overboard with the launch. Sure, it’s nice to have high-end finger foods, champagne, a red-lit room and a DJ, but what does any of this have to do with coffee or coffee machines?
You would think that a company focused on quality coffee machines would, I don’t know, emphasize the machines. I fully expected to be punched in the nose with a coffee smell when we walked in, with baristas pumping out cafe all over the room. Instead, the smell of Java was nowhere to be found and coffee was only made when we asked to see how the machines worked.
The overall vibe of the launch was a bit strange and a misguided, in our opinion, unless of course the company is hoping to attract people who are more interested in style and appearance (say like coke-addicted dance club fanatics) than substance and function (everyone else).
In any case, this shouldn’t take away from what truly do seem to be a series of impressive coffee machines.
Jura Coffee Machines
The Jura machines offered come in a wide range, from those made for self-service professional environments to more basic models designed for home use. Most offer some measure of programmable settings, which allow for one-touch coffee making. They also make use of high-performance conical grinders, and a type of mini fridge to store milk. There is also a luxury model called the “Voice” which is, as you can imagine, voice activated. You simply have to say “cappuccino” and it spits one out for you. Eat that Siri. Of course, all of this comes at a premium, and the cheapest of these models hover around the $3500 mark.
At that price, you would expect attention to detail and fine customer service, and it seems like Jura is focused on that. We were given a tour of their specially made workshop, which is glassed-in and immaculate.
Is any of this reason to pop down the extra money for one? Not really, especially since the workshop at Saeco has a much friendlier vibe (if only because it’s loud, proud and absolutely drenched in the smell of coffee – like a workshop for caffeine-addled elves). But there’s no denying that some thought and effort went into Jura’s entry into Quebec. Whether or not their sleek approach works, however, is another question.
If you love your coffee, though, it’s worth your time to check out the Jura showroom. Who knows? You might be convinced by their space-aged machines. I was on the fence (but I could have just been thrown off by the champagne).
I like food too much.