Full Steam Ahead

Photo courtesy of General Espresso Equipment Corp.

Superautomatics are fast, but lever-styles may be fighting back

By Karen L. Wagner

Baristas beware! More sophisticated technology is making it easier and easier for even a novice to produce a good specialty coffee drink. The need for speed is prompting retailers to want espresso machines with features that reduce the amount of time involved in the drink-making process as specialty coffee drinks find their way into more and more outlets. Purists may pooh-pooh the increasing automation, but some specialty coffee retailers welcome any feature that cuts down on training time or allows baristas to multi-task and serve customers faster.

Manufacturers are also coming out with other features that offer convenience and design details that are more in tune with the space requirements of small retailers and coffee habits of the U.S. customer.

At the other end of the field, at least one purveyor is touting the return of the old lever machines, which are about as far from automated as a barista can get.

Photo courtesy of Cimbali USA, Inc.

Milk made easy
Superautomatic espresso machines, which grind the beans, dose the amount of ground beans, tamp and then brew the coffee with the push of a button, have been around for a while. The latest feature makes that button pushing even more powerful by automating the function of steaming milk. The machine is programmed to heat the milk to a desired temperature using a thermostatic sensor. Baristas simply put the pitcher of milk underneath the steam wand and push a button.

“And they don't even have to move the milk, and eventually the steamer will stop at the temperature you selected and gives a nice foam, maybe a little more air than I would like to have, but it works," says Augusto Bisani, president and CEO of Bravo-Systems International, Inc., North Hollywood, Calif., which offers a couple of models featuring the automatic steamer.

Most La Cimbali superautomatic and a few automatic machines include an automatic milk steamer, called the Turbosteam, which is patented. The M2 Barsystem Superturbo machine, which includes the Turbosteam arm, also has a 5 kilowatt boiler, which means milk can be steamed and frothed in about half the time of other machines, enabling a pitcher of milk to be ready in about 40 to 50 seconds, says Darcy Simonis, vice president of Cimbali USA, Chicago.

Simonis says large chains like The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® have been asking for a machine that can steam milk faster, “so they can get more customers through the line." She says the prevalence of drive-thru coffeehouses has also made the ability to steam milk faster more important.

Simonis says the M2 models will be coming out with some new features that will be introduced at the Host 2007 trade show this October in Milan.

The M1 Turbosteam and M1 Milk PS models were launched within the last eight months. Both are superautomatics and include the automatic steam function. The M1 machine, however, has a very small footprint. “It's only 13.8 inches wide," says Simonis. “So it's good for small spaces."

The M1 Milk PS features the patented milk precision system. “It's basically a pump system that makes it possible to produce hot and cold milk beverages. You can even do stratified drinks," Simonis says. “And, it enables you to free counter space because you can position the milk container below the [machine]."

Experienced baristas may snub the automatic steam wand, preferring instead to put their personal touch in the specialty beverage by creating decorations in the steamed milk, for example–something that can't be done by the machine.

Some specialty coffeehouse retailers, however, do like the convenience of the automatic steam function. The feature can be very helpful when a retailer is training a new barista or during peak periods, says Umberto Terrini, managing director of General Espresso Equipment Corp., Greensboro, N.C., which carries the Astoria brand espresso machine.

“Initially, it was optional,” says Terrini, referring to the automatic steam function, “and was probably something that was reserved only to the fully automatic machine. And now, there is a trend to have that installed with the traditional machine, as well."

Some machines serve both the convenience factor and the cool factor by including two steam wands, one automatic and one manual. Two baristas can be working on the same machine. A barista in training can use the automatic wand, while the more experienced barista can use the manual one, Terrini says, noting that some Astoria models offer the dual wands.

To the right degree
Recent technical innovations have helped make the Aurelia, Nuova Simonelli's most popular espresso machine, according to Robert Bresciani, president and CEO of the company's U.S. division, headquartered in Ferndale, Wash.

“We have achieved brew temperature stability," says Bresciani, “which is very, very important to get a consistent product."

The stable temperatures result from larger, hotter heating elements and heavier, 14-pound brewheads, which all contribute to the outcome of the brew, Bresciani explains.

Eight years in development, the temperature stability technology has been available for only about the past two years. “It's not the only thing that counts in a machine," he adds. “It's one factor that is very, very important to get under control."

A soft infusion system also helps to eliminate variation in tamping pressure, which makes for an inconsistent brew. “If one person tamps crooked or one person tamps a little bit harder than the other one, the machine compensates for that," he says.

Bresciani says the Aurelia also features an ergonomic design, which means there's less stress on the barista. The machine has special lighting and angles for an improved visual field, plus easy-touch buttons that require less force to function. The steam taps are lever-operated, requiring an easier push or pull movement, rather than the more strenuous twisting required of a knob. A soft engagement system on the Aurelia allows the portafilter to seal onto the grouphead with an easy movement rather than the twisting and cranking required of most machines, Bresciani says.

“There're a lot of [features] that just make it really, really easy to use," he says.

Photo courtesy of Cimbali USA, Inc.

Other details
For the most part these superautomatic espresso machines are popular with large chains. But espresso machine manufacturers say that the traditional automatic machine is still most popular with specialty coffeehouses.
“The best drinks are made in independent coffeehouses with traditional espresso machines," says Klif Borja, general manager of Visions Espresso Service, Inc., Seattle, which carries several brands including La Marzocco, Franke, Espressionistic Works and La Spaziale. “Paper cups and super-autos are great when you are on the go. But all the people I've spoken to about coffee have their favorite local café with great ambience and delicious beverages."

La Spaziale is a company that specializes in traditional machines with the goal of delivering a high-quality machine and high-quality support, all the while focusing on the changing needs of the marketplace. Laurel Bird of La Spaziale says that an electronic temperature control with the ability to provide temperature boosts during rush times is standard on all models. Options on other models include automatic milk steamers and service schedule control systems that will log into the service record and set reminders for regular maintenance.

Photo courtesy of Cimbali USA, Inc.

Bravo's most popular model is a conventional automatic model that includes programmed espresso shots and a manual steam wand, says Augusto Bisani. A model with the automatic steamer sells well, he says, but is not as popular as the conventional machine.

The automatic steaming function, however, is gaining...er, steam with some manufacturers. With Astoria, the Gloria SAE-2, a two-group automatic with an automatic steamer, is in high demand, according to Umberto Terrini. This model also has another feature that is seeing more requests. The grouphead is raised, meaning the distance between the tray and the spout of the grouphead is greater. When preparing double and triple shots baristas can use a taller cup, which the coffee pours directly into, rather than a shot glass.

“That is a feature that is saving some time," Terrini says.

Meanwhile, Cimbali's M39 Dosetron Turbosteam, only offered in the tall cup version in the United States, was scheduled to be offered in the short cup version this summer. “I know a lot of roasters prefer the short cup style even though most Americans like tall [sizes]," says Darcy Simonis. “They feel that because of the group, the thermal system and the design, it gives you more of a thermal balance." A thermal balance, which basically means the temperature is more stable, provides a more consistent quality, Simonis explains.

Photo courtesy of Rancilio North America, Inc.

La Marzocco has also worked on improving the thermal balance of its machines, according to Klif Borja. The manufacturer developed a “group cap" that is brew-valve and flow-meter mounted on top of the grouphead, Borja says.

“This drastically improves temperature stability by keeping the valve and flow meter the same temperature as the boiler," Borja says. “Brilliant!"

What goes around ...?
While the automation trend reaches towards increasingly sophisticated technology that attempts to perfect an espresso beverage, Don Berquist, western regional sales manager for Rancilio North America, Woodridge, Ill., sees another trend that harkens to the past.

“It's a resurgence actually of the lever machine," says Berquist, referring to espresso machines that have a long lever that manually controls the espresso shot. “It makes for an extremely high-quality espresso extraction, and it also reduces your service calls."

Photo courtesy of Rancilio North America, Inc.

Berquist says these manual-type machines were last used in the 1960s, but Rancilio distributors in Denver and San Diego are pushing the concept of “Let's go back to the lever."

“And, it's been extremely successful," says Berquist. “And, it's a badge of excellence...because if you can run the lever machine, you are a true purist."

Rancilio makes one-, two-, three- and four-grouphead lever machines. In addition to being easier to maintain because there are no electronics, just gaskets and seals, the machines are also about $1,000 to $2,000 less than automatic machines, Berquist says.

From lever machines to automatics to superautomatics, espresso machines, like cars, come in so many makes and models, and even colors, that it is often too confusing for the retailer to choose one over the other. With prices for machines appropriate for the independent coffeehouse ranging from $5,000 to nearly $20,000, the bottom line is often the deciding factor.

“The primary question to ask is: Are you going to be running the shop or are you going to be handing it off to someone who’s paid a lot less and has less than a vested interest?" Berquist says, adding that if employees will be in charge, then the next question is: “Do we want to give them more tools to help them make a more consistent and accurate drink?"