Londinium I Lever Espresso Machine

Kelsey

Noice!! I like the sound of all that Lacehim, I'll be interested to see if they deliver.

Beanz

I have been watching this one as well, I spoke to Londinium a couple of weeks ago and everything was on track. It will be available from Londinium direct but not via distributors. I have dealt with Londinium before and would have no hesitation in recommending their service and support If it meets all the design objectives it will be hard to beat in it's market segment.

Brett_H

Beanz wrote:

I have been watching this one as well, I spoke to Londinium a couple of weeks ago and everything was on track. It will be available from Londinium direct but not via distributors. I have dealt with Londinium before and would have no hesitation in recommending their service and support If it meets all the design objectives it will be hard to beat in it's market segment.

That's a strong endorsement mate. Good to know, thanks.

Lwowiak

As a base it seems they are using a 2.3L boiler and mounting the group from a Bosco onto it. I am really interested in this, as looking at my Bosco, with its 6L boiler, I am curious how they will do it. Hopefully it will work. Judging it on specs only, it really fills a gap in the market. 1500 GBP [$AU2294] includes their VAT of 22%. Remove that, add 10% GST, plus at least 5% duty. Then add freight and insurance.... Still very affordable. Given its simplicity, warranty should not be much of an issue. As a suggestion, if a few members are interested in buying one, then a group deal might be possible to save some dollars in freight. Logistics would have to be worked out, but freight is always a killer when importing things into Australia.

Brett_H

Anger Management wrote:

YES... A buy up by one or two or more should allow some savings... And due to the nature of the beast and low tec in the electronics. Parts and support should be able to be managed. I would put my hand up for one and to manage local service in Qld :thumb:

Uh..uh..uh... I get the feeling very exciting times are ahead!!

Lacehim

Well I'm definately buying one, so if someone wants to set up a deal to save on shipping, let me know and we can arrange things. Haven't got a clue about importing stuff, but I'm sure someone can help us. It ticks all my boxes, and fingers crossed it has build quality up there with the best of them. I know there was some negative comments on chat about the fact that it's built in England, but really I think as long as it is done right, with the right materials & design it should be a nice machine. There are plenty Italian machines out there with badly thought out designs, materials and workmanship too!

Chris_Stuffa

I would be interested in one if a group order gets done. I'm currently in Tassie but will be moving to the central coast of NSW in about 5-6 weeks. Please PM me if a group buy gets going. Cheers Chris

Muscles

quietly watching topic with interest... :🙂

Kelsey

Quietly watching with the near-certainty that his wife would notice the difference if a lever machine appeared on the bench....

shape_shifter

I'm putting my hand up too, I'll find the money somewhere LOL :thumb:

ash

I thought I was getting over upgraditis. This looks seriously interesting and could be what I'd love to own, a 58mm lever that doesn't need to be plumbed in. Its ticking alot of the boxes. I'd be very interested in getting one as well. I think it's time to get around to selling the Giotto and Macap grinder, they could fund this machine nicely :coffee2:

galumay

Luckily my upgraditis is cured, well at least as far as coffee machines go!

Kelsey

I think you've just about reached the pinnacle mate, no whinging from you in this thread please! 😉

Beanz

The manufacturer of the Londinium 1 was selected based on their ability to manufacture a high quality product. I have been told this will be self-evident when pictures of the prototype appear on the blog. The Londinium 1 prototype will undergo extensive testing when it is delivered. The delivery should not be far away.

Beanz

I see there is an update on the blog

The prototype has been completed and is now being bench tested. Some key people on the project are taking holidays this week, so we look forward to their return. Exciting times indeed, and we'll post images and details as soon as we go to the factory to collect it. We'd like to think we are taking a page out of the book published by 37Signals called 'Rework'. We're building a product that solves a problem that we've struggled with - the best spring lever group in the world shoe-horned into a small chassis, without the need to be plumbed in. We also like things that are well made and built to last a lifetime, not thrown together We place a premium on simplicity too. As our customers are scattered all over the globe, this machine needs to be simple to ensure reliability, carefully inspected and checked before shipping, and easy to repair in a small remote town in the outback of western Australia without recourse to a specialist espresso technician We've spent time with highly proficient mechanical engineers with decades of experience in designing espresso machines to ensure the small details that make a big difference to the performance of a lever group are optimised for thermal stability, specifically how the group is attached to the boiler, and the design of the thermosiphon. If we were building a multi-group variant of this machine we might use the dipper version of this group as a thermo-siphon is vulnerable to scaling up if in the hands of an owner who can't be bothered to keep the limescale out of the machine. In our experience home users lavish so much time and attention on their espresso machines that we very much doubt that scaling of the thermosiphon will be an issue. Londinium I will have a thermosiphon as it will get the group up to operating temperature much more quickly so they can be used on a weekday in the rush to work in the morning rather than just at the weekends like so many machines seem to be. A thermosiphon will also ensure the group stays at a constant temperature when left on all day, but only used sporadically, which is the typical pattern of use for most home, bar, and restaurant espresso machines. For us the taste of espresso prepared on a commercial 58mm spring lever group is unparalleled Unlike a manual lever machine it is easy for your friends and family to use too, as the spring regulates the extraction. This ensures each espresso is made with the same pressure profile, which ensures a consistent result shot after shot So if you've been told that lever machines are difficult, cantankerous, inconsistent beasts to be avoided at all costs: Londinium I won't be. It has been designed from a clean sheet of paper to address all of those issues, whilst being small enough not to dominate your kitchen Unfortunately most people's experiences with lever machines are limited to the manual lever machines. These are much more challenging to master. The domestic spring lever machines that are already on the market generally have a gutless spring that prevents a real dense thick espresso from being created. The notable exception is the Quickmill Achille, which we have already brought to your attention in a recent blog post, and uses the same group as Bosco, Kees van der Westen's Idrocompresso, and Londinium I There is no reason why you won't be able to chose a Londinium I as your first espresso machine, providing you pair it with a high quality grinder, as is the case with any espresso machine

Brett_H

Beanz wrote:

I see there is an update on the blog Quote The prototype has been completed and is now being bench tested. Some key people on the project are taking holidays this week, so we look forward to their return. Exciting times indeed, and we'll post images and details as soon as we go to the factory to collect it. We'd like to think we are taking a page out of the book published by 37Signals called 'Rework'. We're building a product that solves a problem that we've struggled with - the best spring lever group in the world shoe-horned into a small chassis, without the need to be plumbed in. We also like things that are well made and built to last a lifetime, not thrown together We place a premium on simplicity too. As our customers are scattered all over the globe, this machine needs to be simple to ensure reliability, carefully inspected and checked before shipping, and easy to repair in a small remote town in the outback of western Australia without recourse to a specialist espresso technician We've spent time with highly proficient mechanical engineers with decades of experience in designing espresso machines to ensure the small details that make a big difference to the performance of a lever group are optimised for thermal stability, specifically how the group is attached to the boiler, and the design of the thermosiphon. If we were building a multi-group variant of this machine we might use the dipper version of this group as a thermo-siphon is vulnerable to scaling up if in the hands of an owner who can't be bothered to keep the limescale out of the machine. In our experience home users lavish so much time and attention on their espresso machines that we very much doubt that scaling of the thermosiphon will be an issue. Londinium I will have a thermosiphon as it will get the group up to operating temperature much more quickly so they can be used on a weekday in the rush to work in the morning rather than just at the weekends like so many machines seem to be. A thermosiphon will also ensure the group stays at a constant temperature when left on all day, but only used sporadically, which is the typical pattern of use for most home, bar, and restaurant espresso machines. For us the taste of espresso prepared on a commercial 58mm spring lever group is unparalleled Unlike a manual lever machine it is easy for your friends and family to use too, as the spring regulates the extraction. This ensures each espresso is made with the same pressure profile, which ensures a consistent result shot after shot So if you've been told that lever machines are difficult, cantankerous, inconsistent beasts to be avoided at all costs: Londinium I won't be. It has been designed from a clean sheet of paper to address all of those issues, whilst being small enough not to dominate your kitchen Unfortunately most people's experiences with lever machines are limited to the manual lever machines. These are much more challenging to master. The domestic spring lever machines that are already on the market generally have a gutless spring that prevents a real dense thick espresso from being created. The notable exception is the Quickmill Achille, which we have already brought to your attention in a recent blog post, and uses the same group as Bosco, Kees van der Westen's Idrocompresso, and Londinium I There is no reason why you won't be able to chose a Londinium I as your first espresso machine, providing you pair it with a high quality grinder, as is the case with any espresso machine

The thinking and product/market knowledge behind this project is certainly impressive. In electronic copy form it sure ticks a lot of boxes. Thanks for the continued updates guys. This is fascinating to watch and depending on price and availability, maybe even experience (Not me personally. Remember the head-band Monkey Magic used to wear around his head... my wife had one installed around my...)!

Koffee_Kosmo

Remember the head-band Monkey Magic used to wear around his head... my wife had one installed around my...)!

Kelsey

KK - I'm interested in your perspective on the 'gutless domestic springs' point.

Koffee_Kosmo

Kelsey wrote:

KK - I'm interested in your perspective on the 'gutless domestic springs' point.

The Strega uses a commercial head So the gutless spring comment doesn't apply KK

Kelsey

I thought as much. With the little I've used the machine (and the excellent coffees I've had out of it) I couldn't imagine that was true of the Strega.