As we noted back in April after the SCA Expo in Portland, an emerging trend in commercial brewing is equipment with the ability to heat fresh water on demand, removing the need for continuously heated and bulky boilers.
At least four boiler-free solutions for commercial brewing — including one prototype that would bring the solution to espresso — popped up in 2023.
Beyond the boiler, many other innovations appeared in new machines this year, catering not only to traditional espresso and batch brew, but also to concentrates and cold brewing. The year also saw numerous legacy machines brought up to date through more advanced touchscreen interfaces, wifi capabilities and advanced automations.
These developments and more are found in the list of new machines below. As we continue our 2023 Year in Review, here’s a look at some of the newest releases for commercial espresso, drip and cold brew coffee equipment.
Commercial Drip Coffee Equipment News
The New Ground Control Machine Achieves Liftoff
Liquids brewed by the machine accumulate in a transparent, dual walled Ground Control Smart Dispenser equipped with sensors that collect data about the coffee as it is brewed and dispensed. A system of color-changing LED lights embedded in the clear walls of the dispenser add visual flair to the process while shifting in patterns and shades to indicate the machine’s status while brewing… read more
Fetco Launching its Next-Generation Batch Brewer, the NG
A clear distinguishing feature is the NG’s capacitive 3.5-inch touchscreen display, which Fetco Chief Technology Officer Michael Lassota told Daily Coffee News “dramatically” improves upon the resistive touchscreens available on Fetco XTS models… read more
Hiroia Targets Cafes with the Samantha II Automatic Pourover Machine
Unlike the original, the Samantha II connects directly to plumbing for replenishment to a built-in reservoir. It also can heat up automatically and remain hot between brews. The II’s water tank was redesigned for greater durability, and to include an automatic draining feature. A new “Quick Alignment System” ensures alignment of the spout and brew bed… read more
Tone Unveils the Touch 04 Boiler-Free Batch Brewer
The new machine includes a larger showerhead, as well as two internal heating elements, as compared to the single heater inside the Touch 03. With dual 3,500-watt elements devoted to heating water on demand, the Touch 04 is ready to brew within seconds of hitting a button. By not continuously heating an idle boiler throughout the day, the Touch 04 consumes a fraction of the energy of a traditional tank-oriented brewer… read more
Poursteady Launches the Boiler-Free PS2 Pourover Machine
The PS2’s embedded in-line heater offers flexibility regarding placement of the machine, as well as substantial energy savings compared to boiler-dependent units. The nimble performance of the heater additionally opens new doors to recipe control, as water temperatures can be changed for back-to-back brews and even within individual brews… read more
Portland’s Ratio Coffee Unveils its First Commercial Brewer, the Ratio Four+
The Ratio Four+ completes its multi-cup brews in as little as four minutes, including continuous, back-to-back brews for the extended periods required of a commercial cafe or mobile bar setup, according to the company. Control over variables such as water temperature, total volume and the timing and volume of individual pours will be accessible through an upcoming iPhone or Android app. The machine maintains Ratio’s hallmark single-button interface and screen-free design… read more
Cold Brew Equipment News
Marco is Rolling Out the Coldbru Commercial Brewing System
A steel filter at the base of the upper chamber alleviates the need for paper filters. Through the unit’s digital interface, users can control the amount of water dispensed per pour, as well as the total number of pours, up to a maximum of 10 liters of water per brew. Users can further tailor brews based on the dose and grind of coffee… read more
Brew Bomb Adds to Cold Drink Explosion with New Dispenser and BIB Adapter
Cold brew coffee equipment company Brew Bomb is hoping to ignite the cold espresso-based drink category with what it calls Espresso Replacement Concentrate (ERC) as an alternative to traditional hot espresso for use in cold drinks in commercial settings. To support it, the company recently rolled out a bag-in-box (BIB) adapter kit for its single-shop-focused Ace brewer, as well as a counter-mounted quick-dose dispenser for the ERC… read more
Commercial Espresso Machine News
Victoria Arduino Picking Up the Pace with the Eagle Tempo
Like the White Eagle before it, the Eagle Tempo emphasizes productivity, with automation and volumetric features designed for fast, consistent drink creation in high-volume commercial settings… read more
Barista Attitude Pilot Espresso Machine Cleared for Takeoff
The new machine maintains much of the outward styling of the Tempesta and Storm models while offering simplified interior components and a more straightforward user experience for baristas… read more
Iberital Looks Ahead With the Vista Espresso Machine
The new machine, marketed towards specialty coffee shops, houses dedicated steam and brew boilers within an angular case that cuts a low profile in order to allow barista and guest interactions… read more
La Marzocco Launches Next-Generation Strada X and S Machines
With updated exterior styling, the next-generation Strada machines include the wrist-friendlier straight-in portafilter connection mechanism that La Marzocco introduced three years ago with the KB90, plus an entirely new software platform enabling two new features referred to by the brand as “smart saturation” and “mass-based profiling.”… read more
Tone Unveils First Espresso Machine Prototype, the Tone Touch E
The Tone Touch E is designed with no boiler. Water destined for each of the prototype’s 58-millimeter groups is flash heated on demand. Tone Managing Director Jörg Krahl told Daily Coffee News the Touch E is capable both pressure and flow profiling, programmable pre-infusion and low-pressure brewing for “coffee shot” and other creative extractions in commercial environments… read more
Nuova Simonelli Unveils the Next-Generation Nuova Aurelia Line
The Nuova Aurelia line adds a variety of high-tech automation features to the existing Aurelia platform, which is now in its 20th year of production. Like its predecessors, the Nuova Aurelia is designed for high-volume drink-making environments… read more
Ascaso Unveils Barista T Plus 2024 Espresso Machine, H64 Grinder
With a more angular, utilitarian aesthetic than the brand’s flagship professional espresso machine, the Big Dream T, the new Barista T Plus introduces a set of individually heated and insulated groups, a 4.2-inch capacitive LCD touch screen, fully insulated pipes and boilers, and a backlit logo on the back of its case… read more
Professional Espresso Tools & Accessories
E&B Lab Launches All In One Basket for Espresso, Filter-Style Coffee and Tea
The new basket is designed for making espresso extractions, filter-style coffee, tea or cascara brews on any flow- or pressure-controllable espresso machine with a 58-millimeter group… read more
Kruve’s Newest Creation is a Three-Spouted Latte Art Pitcher
The funky-shaped triple threat that is the Create pitcher features a trio of pouring spouts that provide either a narrow, extra-wide and or happy medium “traditional” flow of milk. The purpose of the different spouts is to assist baristas in creating different latte art designs by easily enabling various thicknesses for greater flexibility and control of lines, curves and shapes… read more
Handheld Auto-Tamper BOSeTamper Makes an Impression
Available in multiple colors with a 58.5-millimeter diameter flat steel tamping surface, the wireless, battery-powered auto-tamper applies between 25-30 pounds of downward pressure to a maximum depth of approximately 20 millimeters into a portafilter basket. Users can adjust the depth, speed and number of tamps per activation… read more
Victoria Arduino Launches ‘Virtual Intelligent Scale’ for Eagle One
Incorporating a digital algorithm that requires no physical scale or other external hardware, the VIS utilizes data from the Eagle One’s flow meter to estimate the weight of a finished brew, based on volume. Baristas can then automate water delivery to each group based on final outputs, as measured in grams… read more
