Today in espresso school, the tech department pulled out an open housed Expobar Brewtus IV-Rotary Pump Espresso Machine. At first, it looked like an unsolved Rubik’s Cube to me as it had all the various parts of the internals labeled in different colors for demonstration purposes. I immediately became nervous because obviously our tech department had done their homework ahead of time and I had not (just like high school!).

Professor Todd Salzman took his time thoroughly explaining to us in great detail the engineering and operation of this dual boiler machine. We of course compared this model and its components to similar espresso machines like the Rocket Espresso R58 and the Izzo Alex Duetto II. This information was very enlightening and will enable me to give better answers and information to the many customers who call in inquiring about these espresso machines. Customers have very detailed, (mechanically speaking), questions about technical features that I now feel more confident answering after today’s lecture. For example, we discussed how the Expobar has a larger brew boiler than other dual boiler machines allowing for better temperature control. So I guess bigger is better after all!

We also examined the functionality of the E-61 group head and how the circular flow of this system is beneficial to the art of brewing espresso with consistent temperatures. When examining the PID, (Proportional-Integral-Differential), controller of this machine, we looked specifically at how the solid state relay plays an important role in the temperature stability process by sending pulsating electrical currents to the heating element allowing for consistency. Whoa! I’m starting to sound like one of them now. I may not be a true tech geek but after today’s lesson, I have become a lot closer with my new understanding of how these machines function. Beam me up Scotty!

I have always been fascinated by machines and have come to appreciate painstaking workmanship and carefully engineered and tested designs. Finding the very best quality design and craftsmanship at a reasonable cost in an espresso machine can be a daunting task. In some cases the beauty and quality is only skin deep and doesn’t extend beyond the polished metal finish, as the structure and type of components can be affected by the manufacturers desire to be cost competitive.

In a quest to find a really good espresso machine one must first think about what makes a great shot of espresso. Clean water, correctly ground beans, careful preparation of the grounds and very precise control of the brew-water temperature and brewing dwell-time along with plenty of steam for milk drinks. Once you find a machine that will help you meet the criteria for great espresso you are well on the way to being a gratified espresso machine owner. And in the case of the class of machines known as semi-automatic it comes down to filtering the water, and controlling water temperature, pressure, volume, and dwell-time for brewing and making steam for milk additions.

The best of breed for controlling water temperature for both brewing and steaming are machines with dual boilers. One boiler is dedicated to making a large volume of hot water and steam for making americanos and frothing and heating milk for lattes and cappuccinos. The second, and by the nature of its job, smaller boiler is dedicated to producing precisely temperature-controlled water for brewing shots of espresso. With this dual boiler plumbing arrangement many features can be added to keep critical temperature needs monitored and controlled.

Thinking about these facts I admire two machines in this class, the Breville BES900XL Dual Boiler and the LaSpaziale Mini Vivaldi II Espresso machines. Both machines have programmable controls and pay very careful attention to the brew temperature. Breville as a manufacturer has earned consumer respect for producing very high quality appliances for the home, and the Breville espresso machine is a modern sleek looking design with a great deal of carefully engineered features under the skin. LaSpaziale has a respected Italian heritage, commercial quality components, and very good craftsmanship. And by looking at buyer reviews of the LaSpaziale it is clear that it has a rock solid reputation for steady performance and a growing fan base.

When you get ready to become an espresso machine owner and avail yourself of great coffee drinks either at home or in the office, it would be worth your effort to take a careful look at both of these machines and to compare them to any others in their class.

What I Like About The Brewtus

Double Boiler The Brewtus has a double boiler. What this means is you have one boiler for steam and another boiler for brewing espresso. The great thing about a double boiler is it gives you great temperature stability for brewing espresso. It is interesting to note how the espresso taste can change when brewing at different temperatures, The Brewtus with a double boiler allows you to brew at exact temperatures shot after shot. The double boiler is one of the most coveted features among espresso fanatics and is found on only the best machines.

PID The PID is what gives the Brew boiler the ability to brew to exact temperatures. PID stands for Proportional, Integral, and Derivative. Here is a simple explanation of what it does in regards to the brew boiler: a PID is a computerized, digital thermostat. It monitors and learns how your boiler heats. It then will accurately control any temperature you want it to maintain. The advantage is it is a variable you can control as you learn to make repeatable great shots.

E61 - The Brewtus IV is outfitted with a chrome-plated brass E-61 Brew Group. This type of group head is well known for its ability to help maintain exact or in this case calculated temperature stability. It does this by using a thermo siphon system that circulates hot water from the boiler to maintain group head temperature. The Expobar Brewtus IV machine now offers a concave pre-infusion chamber that allows the user the ability to control pre-infusion by using the lever. Many people feel that by experimenting with the pre-infusion you can really control the taste of the coffee.

Plumbing options We felt it was important to give the Brewtus IV many options for plumbing. We have covered all the bases. You can use it as a pour over with the vibration pump reservoir model. You can hook a water line directly to it with the Rotary pump model. This model is quieter and also will let you attach a water softener/filter system to protect your machine. You also have the option in a reservoir model that can be plumbed or you can use it as a plumb in version. So with this model you can use it either way and it is fitted with a vibration pump.

Construction and Durability We are very proud of all the positive feedback we get in regards to how much people love their Brewtus. Many of these people use their machine multiple times a day and love not only the great shots they get but also how well the machine works and holds up. We have done a great job of constantly improving the machine realizing that one of the most important things is the reliability and durability of the machine. We are proud of our efforts and how well the Brewtus line has held up for us.

What I would improve:

Size- The Machine especially in the plumbed in version may be a little larger in size and heavier then people expect.

Larger Cup Size Right now the Expobar IV It fits a 4 and inch cup underneath the spouts. It would be nice if it could fit a larger cup say about 7 inches for a larger travel cup or a 16 ounce cup. But it certainly is not a deal breaker because if it is made to take a taller cup it may not fit under a normal counter.

Recommended users:
Those at-home baristas that want to use a commercial style machine with commercial style quality. Also for those that entertain often. I really think is the machine for people who never want to suffer from upgradeitis or espresso machine envy as this is the best of the best for a home machine. I also think this is the machine for espresso lovers that treat espresso like wine. They want to taste, compare, experiment and maybe even rate. No matter how well the espresso rates this machine gets high marks from all who are fortunate enough to have purchased one.

So, you have decided to start a coffee shop! Congratulations! First of all, do yourself a favor and do not buy any used equipment unless it is from a factory-authorized outlet. I am only referring to anything with a motor or compressor. Used sinks, tables, counters, etc are fine as long as they are in decent shape. All other refurbished equipment, should be purchased through a reputable retailer.

We have a stringent inspection and repair process in place, at Whole Latte Love, to ensure that you won’t be buying someone else’s headache.

You should purchase different types of equipment based on the size of your café. When choosing equipment, you’ll want to base your decision on your drink volume. I owned four cafes for over ten years and would like to offer my candid advice on the equipment selection process.

Equipment Needs

Espresso Machine

This is the core of the whole business; do not skimp on it. However, having said that going overboard isn’t necessary either. Two-group machines are adequate for many moderately sized coffee shops. Three or four group machines are nice to have if you get a big rush or people during peak periods. With a busy coffee shop you’ll want a three-group machine one person to pull shots and another to steam milk. Most often, you do not need more than one person pulling shots and making the espresso drinks anyway. Two of the four stores I owned had two-group machines and they were producing about 25 cups an hour at peak times. You’ll have no problem keeping up with a two-group espresso machine, as long as you’re doing fewer than 50 drinks an hour. In my experience using a four-group machine is only needed if you’re expecting to do a 100 cups or more an hour.

There are two basic types of espresso machines: semi-automatic and super automatic units. Most commercial semi-automatic machines are programed to always dispense the same amount of water when pulling espresso shots. My choice is always the semi-automatic because you can program the shots to shut off at 25 to 28 seconds, or whatever you choose but still be able to do it manually. The semi-automatic, require manual shut off by the operator. A super automatic machine will grind the beans, tamp, pull the shot, shut it off and even discard the used grounds. I would recommend for a small café that’s doing about a 100 drinks or so a day, that you look at a semi automatic two group espresso machine.

The boiler capacity should be large enough for a big rush, 9-14 liters should be sufficient. With a smaller boiler you could run out of steam or hot water in a rush. Trust me, you don’t want that to happen!

Buy a machine based on availability to get parts and service. Do not buy based on price alone. Features will not mean anything if you cannot get quality service on your machine. We offer technical support and service here, at Whole Latte Love. That was one of the hardest things as an owner, to have your equipment go down and have no one there to help you with service.

The coffee your espresso machine produces is only as good as the water that goes into it. Having top quality beverages is critical to any business serving high-end coffee. As far as water softeners, go, the choice to get a water softener system is going to depend on how hard the water is where you are located. You’ll need a filtering system wherever you are. Adding a softener and filtering system will also increase the life of your espresso machine.

Espresso Grinders

You will need one grinder for decaf and another for regular espresso. There are several manufacturers and models out there to choose from. I would choose a grinder based on the ease of training your staff. We have both doser and doserless grinders, available.

The doser grinder will grind espresso into a hoper and dose out of the hopper. This is good when you have a rush of people in line and you need to pull a lot of shots quickly. When it’s slow you should only grind your espresso to order. Most commercial grinders will work for either a small or busy café. Here is a link to a doser grinder I would recommend.

The doserless grinder will dose directly into the portafilter. Although this is, an easier process, in a rush you’ll have a hard time keeping up with the customers needs. These machines are programmable and dose one shot at a time. The doserless grinder is great when training employees on how to pull shots.

In the set of blogs I’ll be talking about other commercial equipment needed to start up a small to mid-size Café.

Let me know if you need help with choosing a commercial espresso machine or grinder.

Using a double boiler machine can be about as much fun as you can have with an espresso machine. I have had the privilege, or should I say the thrill, of using many double boiler machines. I really like a great espresso and can think of no better way to make one than to use a double boiler machine. We have some really good ones available here at Whole Latte Love. I really enjoy playing around with the grind, tamp, the temperature and shot timing for each espresso. It is such an interesting trip to take to try and get the best tasting shot out of each espresso. All of the factors are important and each espresso will suffer or improve by playing around with all the parameters in the brewing process. The great thing about a double boiler is you can consistently generate the same temperature during the brewing process. It is so much fun and also rewarding to know you can create a great shot each time and the best way to do that is with a machine meant to be consistent. That ultimately is the advantage of a double boiler: the consistency of the shot brewed.

I get no better satisfaction then seeing that shot pouring out of the machine and knowing I have dialed everything in to make that shot truly remarkable. Just sitting here typing this I am looking forward to making another great shot soon. I have had many years working with a double boiler commercial machine and that was a lot of fun now that I have been able to use some of the machines that we have here such as the Brewtus, the Dalla Corte or the La Marzocco GS/3.

I can understand why so many people are willing to part with their hard earned money to get one of these machines. I can see these people using the machines at home to satisfy their own great coffee desires or making great drinks for friends and family. More then any other type of machine, it gives you the ability to create a drink that is good as any you can get at any great coffee shop. Plus you have the added satisfaction of being able to make that drink in your pajamas, in your own home, whenever the mood arises.

Every coffee lover that starts to make espresso-based beverages soon starts to feel the urge to create remarkable espresso. The double boiler machine, along with a superior grinder, can really get you into some great espresso shots. The double boiler machines are built specifically to help you create that shot that you may not be able to get anywhere else. I can think of no better way to start my day then by pouring a truly remarkable shot from a beautiful espresso machine that was designed solely with the purpose of giving you the ability to create a great shot consistently.