[[{“value”:”Image: Nuova Simonelli
With chain cafés expanding at pace globally, Nuova Simonelli has introduced an updated version of one of its most well-known espresso machines to offer speed, consistency, and quality across multiple venues.
When the Nuova Aurelia was first released in 2004, it represented a new wave of espresso machine technology that focused on lifting quality standards across the industry. In the two decades since, it has featured in the World Barista Championships not once but twice, and has continued to innovate in the espresso space as it has evolved.
At HostMilano in 2023, the Nuova Simonelli team unveiled the fourth generation in the Aurelia range, the reimagined Nuova Aurelia, which comes in four versions: MP (Maximum Performance), UX (featuring User Experience technology), Volumetric (with volumetric control), and Semi Automatic (the simplest version). The company’s newest machine is designed to meet the demands of the modern barista – whatever the setting in which they craft coffee.
Engineers behind the technology had a particular venue in mind when designing the new model: chain cafés. As coffee-shop groups with a focus on quality expand globally, Nuova Simonelli wanted to create an espresso machine that addresses the needs of these venues.
“The chain market is showing huge growth, not just in Europe but also in North America, the Middle East, and Asia. In China, for example, there has been remarkable growth of café, retail, and restaurant chains, reflecting the country’s rapid economic expansion and increasing consumer demand,” says Piergiorgio Cannara, Simonelli Group Asia-Pacific Sales Director.
“We know chain accounts are looking for simplicity, so we designed the new Nuova Aurelia to work for this market. The focus was to create a machine that could consistently produce a high standard of beverage in an ergonomic manner, without the need for extensive barista training.”
To fulfil this brief, the team has introduced a suite of automatic technologies to the new model, which they describe not as an espresso machine but a complete workstation.
“Our main focus was to have the best brewing quality for espresso and to ensure this can remain consistent, no matter the barista using the machine,” says Cannara.
“Like all Simonelli brewing groups, the Nuova Aurelia features our patented pre-and soft-infusion systems [through which the puck is moistened at low-pressure before being subjected to high pressure to avoid channelling], which results in a more consistent espresso while reducing the possibility of human error during tamping.”
According to Cannara, the pre- and soft-infusion systems, as well as the pulse jet technology available in the MP machine, can compensate for mistakes made by the barista in the brewing process.
“During the brewing phase, the pulse jet system gently pulses the water, which can generate different aromatic profiles and tastes according to the type of coffee used. This technology allows us to eliminate peaks of acidity and bitterness, making the extraction much more balanced,” he says.
Image: Nuova Simonelli.
The Nuova Aurelia’s C-Automation functionality is also designed to improve extraction condition and consistency while reducing waste. It connects the machine to the brand’s GX grinder series, monitoring extraction and adjusting grind size if necessary to improve consistency and speed up workflow.
“This ensures the dose is always consistent without requiring adjustments from staff, maintaining high quality without stopping workflow,” says Claudio Cingolani, Head of Research and Development and Technical Department at Nuova Simonelli.
“C-Automation also enables a recipe to be set for each portafilter. The grinder automatically recognises the portafilter when it is placed in the grinder and doses the exact amount of coffee required. When the portafilter is placed in the machine, it too will automatically recognise the recipe and brew accordingly.”
Another area the engineers realised could streamline workflow was the system’s milk steaming capabilities. Recognising that texturing a range of milk varieties was a skill that often required extensive training, they developed another recipe system to control consistency across the board.
“We’ve introduced E-Milk technology, which provides automatic texturing of milk or plant-based alternatives at a preset temperature and dose,” says Cingolani.
“The system enables the user to save up to nine different recipes on the touch-screen display, each tailored to a certain recipe or type of milk or milk alternative. Each recipe is stored on the steam knob featuring an electric display, which can simply be rotated to select the desired steaming preference.”
The steam wand, which is crafted from a specialised polymer that remains cool to touch to avoid user injury, features sensors that can detect when the wand is submerged in the milk and will automatically activate frothing as per the selected recipe.
“The combination of the C-Automation and E-Milk technologies not only saves the barista time but also means they don’t have to think about the recipe or process. This gives them more time to interact with their customers and build rapport,” he says.
Cingolani also highlights how these functionalities can improve the sustainability of the café, as the preset recipes can reduce waste. Another feature designed to minimise wastage is its AutoPurge function. When the portafilter is removed, the group head automatically purges to remove a step from the workflow, reduce the amount of maintenance required, and lower water usage.
This update aligns with Nuova Simonelli’s sustainability ethos, which is woven into the design process of all its espresso machines. As such, the new Nuova Aurelia features several updates designed to reduce its energy consumption and the carbon footprint of the machine itself.
“The MP system provides maximum energy saving potential. The MP technology requires less energy, allowing for smaller boilers since only necessary water is heated. The boilers are insulated with an innovative material that prevents heat loss and increases energy efficiency,” says Cingolani.
“The barista sets the temperature from the display and then the machine’s electronics do the rest to keep the temperature stable during the entire dispensing phase.”
Both Cingolani and Cannara believe the updated Nuova Aurelia is the ideal fit for busy chain cafés.
“Whether it’s peak or quiet time, the machine will produce a consistently excellent range of drinks. It’s a powerful machine that can produce up to 360 espressos per hour,” says Cannara.
“We have a lot of experience with very successful chains around the world. We therefore know what is needed for these types of businesses and believe the updated machine will help café groups reduce the need for training, speed up workflow, and maintain consistent quality.” CR
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This article was first published in the September/October 2024 edition of Global Coffee Report. Read more HERE.
The post Meet the reimagined Nuova Aurelia appeared first on Global Coffee Report.
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