Espresso training took centre stage in the course of the pandemic, and customers have solely continued to develop into extra educated within the years since, reshaping the at-home espresso market. Based on the most recent Nationwide Espresso Information Developments report, 81% of past-day drinkers within the US had ready espresso at dwelling, in comparison with 36% of past-day drinkers having espresso outdoors it.
Dwelling baristas are extra passionate than ever about making high-quality espresso. This has given technique to the rise of the “prosumer”: expert and educated customers who put money into premium beans and gear. Their expectations have by no means been greater, and so they’re more and more on the lookout for machines that mirror the efficiency of business gear.
In response, producers have shifted their focus onto the rising prosumer market, creating extra superior single-group espresso machines for dwelling use.
I spoke to Tommy Gallagher, model and product supervisor at SLAYER Espresso, and Christopher Flechtner, the lead designer at Christopher Flechtner Inc and SLAYER’s lead designer to learn the way prosumer espresso machines have elevated the at-home specialty espresso expertise.
You might also like our article on why the espresso machine needs to be the centrepiece of a espresso store.
The growth within the dwelling espresso machine market
Prosumers occupy a distinct segment house within the espresso neighborhood. Sitting someplace between an {industry} skilled and an knowledgeable client, they take the time period “dwelling barista” to the subsequent stage, investing in premium gear to recreate a café-quality expertise at dwelling.
Historically, prosumers typically needed to modify and even invent their very own instruments if present dwelling espresso gear didn’t meet their expectations. This sparked vital innovation in each the house {and professional} machine house, with producers pushed to satisfy ever-evolving wants.
Tommy Gallagher is the model and product supervisor at premium espresso gear producer SLAYER Espresso. Though prosumers account for a small proportion of the general market, he says they’ve had a big affect on tendencies over the past 15 years.
“The primary business Proportional Integral By-product (or PID) managed machines and bare portafilters have been developed as a result of severe dwelling baristas would modify their gear,” he explains. “They believed that the gear on provide was inadequate, in order that they needed to create their very own options.
“Producers like SLAYER Espresso and different industry-leading corporations have launched ready-made instruments that don’t require modifications to attain distinctive outcomes,” he provides.
Quick ahead to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the expansion of the prosumer market exploded. As lockdowns halted out-of-home espresso consumption, increasingly more folks began recreating café-quality drinks at dwelling. Schooling performed a key position on this, however investing in premium gear was equally vital.
To cater to this burgeoning market, producers elevated their concentrate on dwelling espresso machines designed to yield the identical outcomes as business fashions.
How dwelling espresso machines have develop into extra superior
The fast development of the espresso prosumer market is driving vital modifications in dwelling espresso machine expertise. Producers are more and more prioritising these customers’ wants, incorporating extra superior options and expertise than ever earlier than. Many prosumer espresso machines now carry out at a really related (if not the identical) stage as their business counterparts – revolutionising the at-home espresso expertise.
Tommy explains that SLAYER Espresso launched its Single Group machine in 2013, designed for the house {and professional} settings. Nonetheless, because it requires a plumbing system, the machine is extra appropriate for business use.
“SLAYER was based by baristas, roasters, café house owners, and technicians who wanted to get extra from the instruments that have been accessible to them,” he says. “So we needed to make a business, professional-calibre machine that may be utilized in a house setting.”
Launched at World of Espresso Copenhagen in June 2024, the brand new Steam Single machine – a one-grouphead model of its business Steam LP mannequin – is designed particularly for prosumers and customers.
Tommy says the machine is SLAYER’s first-ever mannequin to incorporate an inner 2.5-litre reservoir for plug-and-play set up with out the necessity for direct plumbing.
“The Steam product vary helps make our gear extra accessible to a broader viewers,” he tells me. “Including an inner reservoir was a pure step on this course.”
Constructed-in reservoirs and detachable drain trays enable dwelling baristas to take pleasure in café-quality machine efficiency with out advanced set up. With machines just like the Steam Single, nevertheless, customers nonetheless have the choice to plumb their gear in – accommodating a variety of wants.
The necessity for extra management
A typical difficulty with conventional dwelling machines is that they typically embrace a single boiler. This will restrict the power to tug pictures and steam milk on the identical time, slowing down efficiency and impeding the person expertise.
To handle these points, extra dwelling espresso machines just like the Steam Single now embrace a number of boilers, much like business fashions. Dwelling baristas can then extract espresso and steam milk on the identical time – saving them time and higher replicating the at-home café expertise.
Just like {industry} professionals, expert and educated dwelling baristas search extra management over completely different extraction variables like strain, circulation price, and group head temperature to organize glorious espresso. In response, gear manufacturers are equipping their dwelling espresso machines with extra superior options that emphasise precision and consistency.
Tommy tells me that the Steam Single incorporates the identical business options because the Steam LP, together with a devoted pre-infusion water circuit, commercial-style pumps, and a report and playback operate. This enables dwelling baristas to regulate brewing variables and save these settings to attain constant outcomes.
“There are two distinct circulation charges to modify between, which permit the person to vary parameters simply,” he explains. “When you pull a shot you like, you possibly can rapidly save the recipe and use it as typically as you need.”
Moreover, he says the Steam Single contains a dashboard so customers can see and alter brewing parameters in actual time, in addition to a shot mirror and lightweight that enable customers to watch extraction and make any essential modifications.
The evolution of prosumer machine design
Past options and performance, dwelling espresso machine design has developed considerably lately. As influencers have develop into extra outstanding in specialty espresso, curiosity in curating aesthetic dwelling espresso setups has elevated.
Christopher Flechtner is the lead designer at Christopher Flechtner Inc., the inventive studio accountable for the design of all SLAYER merchandise because the firm’s founding in 2007. He says that design is a key a part of making machines each useful and interesting.
“Folks eat with their eyes first, and when you’ve gotten a powerful design that’s purpose-built to make unbelievable espresso, each the person and buyer are assured that they are going to have a superb expertise,” he says. “A well-designed person interface encourages the skilled or dwelling barista to be actually engaged with the machine and offers them the main target they should put together nice espresso.”
Christopher explains that cutting down the design of business machines to dwelling fashions could be difficult however needs to be a precedence for producers to copy the café expertise.
“You’ll be able to’t compromise efficiency for match and end, however you want a machine to show heads,” he says. “We needed the Steam Single to appear to be the Steam LP, particularly the enduring ‘wings’ design characteristic.”
Prioritising measurement and sturdiness
As a part of a concentrate on elevating general design, ergonomics and sustainability have develop into more and more vital to prosumer machine producers. Fashionable dwelling espresso machines typically characteristic eco-friendly supplies and energy-efficient elements designed with sturdiness in thoughts.
“Business gear is constructed to final, however that is typically missing within the dwelling equipment market,” Tommy says. “Machines needs to be designed to final for years to come back and never be destined for landfill, and so they should look the half, too.
Machine measurement can be a constraint in a house setting. Prosumer machines have to be compact sufficient to suit on kitchen counter tops, however a smaller measurement can’t compromise efficiency or the person expertise.
Christopher explains that this comes with its personal set of challenges. “Including the water reservoir meant the machine needed to sit straight on the counter with out extra house beneath,” he says.
“With the unique Steam LP, my eyes are instantly drawn to the swish of the ‘wings’ and the way they circulation into the cup rail on high,” he provides. “Given the bigger measurement of this machine, it was difficult to recreate it for the smaller Steam Single, but it surely pushed us to be extra revolutionary and inventive with its design.”
Why extra espresso retailers are investing in prosumer machines
In comparison with dwelling barista setups, espresso retailers inevitably put together many extra drinks every day. To maintain up with prospects’ orders, cafés have to put money into machines with a number of group heads to optimise barista workflow and keep worthwhile.
Lately, nevertheless, extra specialty espresso retailers have been investing in prosumer machines for quite a few causes. As these fashions provide the identical stage of high quality and efficiency as their business counterparts, they could be a extra reasonably priced and accessible choice for smaller-sized espresso companies with decrease footfall.
Tommy explains that busier cafés are additionally incorporating single-group machines into their enterprise methods to supply differentiated experiences.
“You’ll be able to provide two distinct kinds of espresso service,” he says. For instance, he tells me {that a} major bar with a multi-group machine can deal with the majority of orders, whereas a single-group mannequin could be a part of a “gradual bar” expertise the place service is extra intentional and curated.
“Many companies additionally obtain requests for catered gigs or pop-ups to copy their café expertise at occasions, so having a single-group machine available is helpful,” he provides.
Barista coaching
Implementing efficient coaching programmes is one other key purpose for investing in compact prosumer machines.
“Utilizing a scaled-down reproduction of your café’s espresso machine in a devoted employees space is a a lot better place for coaching than on the bar throughout service,” Tommy says. “The Steam Single has the identical interface and touchpoints because the Steam LP, so it’s simpler for workers to straight switch their abilities and data from every machine.”
Moreover, roasters can use single-group espresso machines to check pattern roasts with out investing in a multi-group business mannequin, which could be a extra reasonably priced choice for micro and different smaller-sized roasters.
Dwelling espresso machines have made large strides lately, each when it comes to design and performance. Prosumers have undoubtedly pushed this stage of innovation, and we are able to anticipate to see extra sooner or later.
Trying forward, producers will proceed to develop single-group variations of their business machines to satisfy each efficiency and aesthetic expectations. By doing so, dwelling baristas and prosumers can elevate their at-home espresso experiences, and occasional retailers can use smaller-sized machines to their benefit.
Loved this? Then learn our article on how the house espresso machine market is evolving.
Picture credit: SLAYER Espresso
Good Day by day Grind
Please observe: SLAYER Espresso is a sponsor of Good Day by day Grind.
Wish to learn extra articles like this? Join our publication!
