Londinium I Lever Espresso Machine

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.

Koffee_Kosmo

Kelsey wrote:

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.

Add to that the Strega is available in three versions Just to cover all scenarios A boiler fill (no pump) model to fill the cylinder is available, for the purists amonst us I have no issues with the vibe pump model I own and originally thought that I would KK

Brett_H

Koffee Kosmo wrote:

Add to that the Strega is available in three versions Just to cover all scenarios A boiler fill (no pump) model to fill the cylinder is available, for the purists amonst us I have no issues with the vibe pump model I own and originally thought that I would KK

Am I also right in thinking that the Strega is an electrically heated group as opposed to a thermosyphon?

Koffee_Kosmo

Brett H wrote:

Am I also right in thinking that the Strega is an electrically heated group as opposed to a thermosyphon?

That is correct Electrically heated head method is also used on many commercial machines Weather one is better than the other is entirely a personal preference KK

Beanz

As alluded to in earlier posts, we're not claiming that Londinium I has new technology. Londinium I is simply a refinement or a bringing together of many elements that already exist on a standalone basis, or have been poorly executed. The spring lever group used by Bosco, KVDW, and Quickmill is the best in the world. The double spring gives it some extra shove, the internal shoulder bearings mean that a group cap is not required, and the cam profile ensures an absolutely perfect extraction every time. Whilst you might look on a spring lever group as 'low-tech' it is worth bearing in mind that it is the product of at least 60 years of accumulated research and development; tens of thousands of hours of human effort in total. The Londinium I project pairs this superb spring lever group with a copper boiler that I hope you will appreciate the beauty of when you see it. The group will be mated to the boiler in exactly the right manner for a thermosiphon (different from a dipper), and the engineering will be exact; with respect to the optimal distance between the boiler and group, and material selection With the Bosco we've really grown to enjoy having a hot water tap on the machine. Its useful for pre-warming cups, and is more energy efficient in the sense that you can make tea, hot chocolate, soup, or even just hot water without having to boil the kettle. As soon as you decide to include a hot water tap in the design you have committed to moving from a simple closed boiler design, like the Cremina, to a more complex reservoir fed boiler. So we are sacrificing some simplicity, but it results in a product that is going to appeal to a broader audience. For the safety conscious you are likely to prefer being able to add water to the reservoir in much the same way as you do for your car's radiator, rather than having to wait for the radiator to cool before gingerly easing open the radiator cap. Additionally we have been advised in the strongest terms that thermal protection, as found on the Cremina, will often not trip fast enough to prevent the boiler element from burning out. This is consistent with our experience. So again, we will sacrifice a little simplicity and include electronic low water protection sensors that can be relied upon to turn off the boiler element as soon as the water in the boiler falls below the sensor. The primary motivating factor for bringing the Londinium I into being is our love of levers. Secondly, in our experience a lot of people don't ever master manual lever espresso machines; a commercial spring lever brings ease of use and consistency. One of the design criteria for Londinium I is that everyone who wishes to make an espresso feels comfortable using the Londinium I and is rewarded with high performance espresso for their efforts. Thirdly, it should be small enough not to dominate a small kitchen. The single group commercial lever machines on offer all have dimensions around 500mm cube, or 20" cube if you prefer. An espresso machine of these dimensions looks a bit out of place in most kitchens, so one of the tasks is to shrink the dimensions down as far as we can. To address this we have used a 2.3 litre boiler in an upright position, rather than the more common horizontal position. A small boiler paired with a large element means we can get the machine up to operating temperature rapidly. This has a secondary benefit which is important; we want Londinium I to be something that is used everyday in your household. With a rapid start up time we really hope to hear that you are using this machine every single day, not just at the weekends. Londinium I will be built to take the rigours of everyday use as we really want you to get the maximum amount of enjoyment from your purchase. Finally, although such issues are highly subjective and you may find yourself vehemently disagreeing, in purely aesthetic terms we are trying to move on from what we would call 'the stainless steel box'. The stainless box design has served the market well for decades, but we can't help but wonder if it can't be improved on. We're not sure you'll like what we have done, but we hope that you'll at least acknowledge that we haven't followed the crowd. In summary the Londinium I project will bring you the ultimate single group lever espresso machine; one that makes it easy to achieve consistently exceptional espresso.

Lacehim

First piccy of the new machine. Looks lovely and compact. 🙂 Check out the latest updates on the blog! http://londiniumespresso.com/blogs/londinium-espresso-blog