Note:  The machine being reviewed here is known by a variety of names in different parts of the world.  In the US, it is the Expobar Brewtus, in Europe it is the Office Leva and in Australia it is the Minore.  For the purposes of this review, I will be calling it the Brewtus, as I first came to discover this machine through a US-based Internet retailer and a variety of US-based specialty coffee enthusiast websites.

First introduced in 2004, the Expobar Brewtus quickly found itself considered to be one of the best home espresso machines on the market.  Developed by Expobar in Spain, this machine caught the attention of a popular specialty coffee machine retailer in the US called WholeLatteLove.com.  Right back from the Brewtus I, WLL marketed this machine at the home coffee enthusiast and with the specification on offer and great price point, captured a great deal of interest and recognition from CoffeeGeek.com, HomeBarista.com and David Schomer of Espresso Vivace in Seattle.  Considering that many of the alternative home espresso machines on the market at that time were still only offering a small single boiler, unpredictable temperature control and weak milk-steaming capabilities, the Brewtus has and continues to stand head and shoulders above the competition.

While the first version of the Brewtus generated some excitement in the coffee world, WholeLatteLove listened to customer feedback and worked with Expobar to come up with the Brewtus II, blowing everyone away with an almost perfect specification at the time.  I was using a PID’d Rancilio Silvia and having read numerous positive reviews online, decided to purchase one through CuppaChoice, Expobar’s reseller here in Singapore.  It boasted, amongst other things:

• An industry-respected E61 group-head;
• Commercial quality 58mm portafilter;
• Brew lever control – putting the home barista, and not the electronics, in control of the machine;
• Manual pre-infusion – by moving brew lever half-way;
• Two 1.5 litre boilers – one for brewing and the other for steam and hot water;
• Electronic boiler refill mechanism, with safety shut-off when water supply is interrupted;
• Fully adjustable and stable temperature control;
• User controllable water pressure – via an adjustable pressure relief valve;
• Brew boiler and steam pressure gauges;
• Water reservoir (with integrated water softener) or plumb-in options;
• Vibratory pump – noting that the later Brewtus III offered a much quieter rotary pump as an option;
• Three way brew pressure release valve;
• No-burn steam wand and hot water wand;
• Large drip tray;
• Passive cup warmer.

The Brewtus is extremely well built, weighing in at a respectable 20kg and is easy to use, clean and maintain.  Constructed from copper, brass and heavy gauge stainless steel (very little plastic parts used), the machine fits well under most kitchen wall cupboards.  For home baristas like me, migrating from the likes of the Silvia, the Brewtus feels like a true professional machine.  It quickly brings to an end, frustrating temperature surfing, constant drip tray emptying and the hassles associated with brewing and steaming using a small, single boiler machine.  Try to brew six cappuccinos on a Silvia when guests visit for dinner and you could be standing for more than half an hour, making two drinks at a time, constantly waiting for the machine to hit optimal brew or steam temperature, while running backwards and forwards to the kitchen to refill the small water reservoir and empty the tiny drip tray.

Fast forward to 2011 and I am extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to conduct a hands-on test of the latest incarnation, the Brewtus IV.  Having been a long-term user of the Brewtus II, this has offered me the rare opportunity to do a direct comparison between the two machines and validate (or challenge) the changes and improvements made to the latest model.

The first thing that strikes you when you compare the latest version of the Brewtus to the earlier model, is that it offers two on/off switches to control power to the brew and steam boilers independantly.  This helps to improve warm-up time and reduce power consumption if the machine is only required to make espressos.  I have, on occasion, found myself a little frustrated with this feature, when I had only switched on the brew boiler to make an espresso for myself.  As soon as the aroma of freshly ground coffee hit my wife, she’d ask for a cappuccino and I was unable to oblige due to the steam boiler being stone cold.  Nice idea, but can have its downsides.

One major improvement to the Brewtus IV is that it now boasts an impressive industry-leading Gicar PID (Proportional Integral Derivative) temperature controller, allowing the home barista to demand absolute precision in brew temperature.  Combine this with an already impressive large double boiler system and you have an incredibly stable temperature at the grouphead.

While the Brewtus IV boasts the same rock-solid contruction as its predecessors, I do feel that the drip tray (manufactured by cold-pressing into a mould) doesn’t appear as solid as the one on my Brewtus II.  It is difficult to tell whether thinner materials have been used, but the drip tray does seem to rattle quite a bit – particularly when banging out a spent coffee puck into the knockbox sitting nearby.  While the drip tray construction is not up to the same high quality as the rest of the machine, it is by no means a disaster.  It is easy to empty and clean, showing no signs of wear from regular usage.  The fit and quality of the tray is one of only two gripes that I have with this machine and I would suggest that Expobar look at improvements here in future.

I really liked the steam tip on the latest Brewtus.  It seems to allow for even better microfoam than my older machine and while I am no latte art expert, allows me to produce beautifully smooth steamed milk to create delicious cappuccinos and lattes.  My measure of success (apart from my own personal taste test) has been the constant stream of commendations coming from my family and visitors to my home, who are always delighted with the high quality coffee that I serve – particularly when compared to their regular espresso bar.

The Brewtus IV that I have been reviewing has a rather rare finish, with the sides and rear panel being finished in black powder-coat instead of the standard brushed stainless steel.  This black finish contrasts nicely with the polished stainless steel adorning the rest of the machine and is an option that I really like, and would probably choose if I was in the market for a new machine.

The Brewtus IV that I have been reviewing comes with a rotary pump and plumb-in only specification.  The water supply can come from a water bottle, so you don’t have to install a Flojet pump or hire a plumber to route a water supply to the machine, but you will need to provide a pressurised water feed if you want manual preinfusion.  The rotary pump is silky smooth compared to the much louder vibratory pump of my older machine and has allowed my family to get more sleep in the morning when I’m brewing my daily post-breakfast espresso shots.  This certainly gets a huge thumbs up for overall usability.

The second of my two issues with the Brewtus is that on paper, the machine is supposed to offer the home barista easy access to the pressure release valve, ensuring that the water pressure at the group head is optimal for espresso, which is widely accepted to be 9-10bar of pressure.  There is a small opening behing the trip tray, which is designed to allow access to the OPV (over pressure valve) screw, offering minute adjustments to the water pressure.  Unfortunately, on both the Brewtus II and latest IV models, there is nothing behind the opening.  You have to take the back and sides off the machine in order to access the OPV screw and as this adjustment requires the machine to be switched on to test the change in water pressure, you have to be very careful not to burn yourself.  The factory setting on both machines was higher than the recommended 9-10bar and so even though this process is likely to be a one-off event, there appears to be a construction oversight here.  WLL have a YouTube video introducing the Brewtus IV and the OPV adjustment feature is clearly demonstrated on their model⁽¹⁾.  Annoying, but as with the drip tray quality, not a complete disaster.  Again, a small improvement in Expobar’s quality control department would work wonders.

Getting down to the less important design elements, but demonstrating Expobar’s drive for constant improvement, I am pleased to note that the feet design on the latest Brewtus is much better than its predecessors.  Four very solid feet allow the machine to sit up off the counter by a couple of inches, making for simple and effective cleanup of coffee grinds and the occasional spill.  This also has the advantage that the machine has a very clean look to it, with the power cable, the water feed and drain pipes all coming out from the bottom of the machine.  Out of sight, out of mind.  The Brewtus IV is an attractive addition to the kitchen counter and would fit in with almost any kitchen or dining room design or colour scheme.  It’s certainly a regular talking point for guests at my home.

In summary, the Brewtus IV is a very easy machine to live with.  It looks great, is simple to use, is built as solid as any other machine on the market, makes fantastic coffee and can be tuned to the optimal temperature for any particular blend at the press of a button.  Whether or not you can taste the difference with an espresso shot brewed a few degrees hotter or cooler, this machine will be recognised as an amazing performer, producing more than its fair share of nicely bittersweet and flavoursome drinks.  Expobar is clearly an innovative company and in touch with their customers.  To introduce three notable updates to their original design over the past 6 or 7 years demonstrates that the company is driven to constantly exceed customer expectations, delivering a very high quality and innovative machine at a very attractive price.

What would I recommend instead of a Brewtus IV?  Well, not much at the same price point.  With a significantly higher budget (and I am talking three times more here), I’d suggest that the options to consider would be the respectable La Marzocco GS/3 or the gorgeous Kees van der Westen Speedster (which is what I am personally investing in very soon).

In short … the Brewtus IV comes highly, highly recommended.

⁽¹⁾ For OPV adjustment video, click on this link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3IUqHdEkR0,Seach on YouTube for ‘Expobar Brewtus IV’ by wholelattelovetv if the link doesn’t work.  Fast forward to 8.55 mins into the video.  Actually, I’d recommend that you watch the whole video, as it is a very interesting introduction to the machine.

Nespresso Pixie launches in Singapore

I just got back from Red Dot Design Museum where Nespresso has just launched their smallest Nespresso machine named the Nespresso Pixie. Read this post for the Previous Nespresso Experience.

A new limited edition Nespresso capsule called the Onirio accompanied the Nespresso Pixie’s launch as well. Before I tasted the Onirio, I was introduced to the coffee by the Nespresso staff, who explained the Onirio is made up of a blend of Ethiopian Sidamo and Yrgacheffe. They also reassured me it’s espresso.

Tasting Notes of the Nespresso Onirio
Bitter. Thin bodied. A bit hot on the tongue. Zero florals, opposite of what would have been expected from a blend of Ethiopian Sidamo and Yrgacheffe.

Verdict:

TCBE. Again. This Can’t Be Espresso.  If any nespresso fan is reading this, please head to the nearest Oriole Cafe, either the Somerset outlet or the Republic Plaza outlet and order an espresso. If Nespresso is reading this, do all of us a favour and stop marketing it as espresso. It gives Ethiopian Sidamo and Yrgacheffe a misrepresentation.

As bad as the espresso tasting went, fortunately, the decor for the launch was done up tastefully by Weber Shandwick, Nespresso’s PR agency and the people who invited me to this Nespresso event. I also have them and Nespresso to thank for a wonderful set of espresso demitasse cups. One of the highlights of the evening was the presence of Swissotel The Stamford’s Beverage Operations Manager and Mixologist, Richard Gillam who crafted a whole slew of signature Nespresso beverages. I tried his Oniru-zu made up of Onirio with ginger liqueur served in a champagne flute topped with a cloud of yuzu foam. Because of the thin bodied Onirio, the dominant taste went to the fluffy yuzu cloud. I could not discern the ginger liqueur.  I also tried another creation of Gillam’s – Nescesity, made up of Onirio with cranberry juice and orange water. Again, the dominant flavours were the cranberry juice and orange water. There were also some canapes made by Chef Janice Wong from 2am Dessert Bar, but I didn’t get the chance to try any. What I really wanted to try was another Gillam creation called D.N.A., made up of “a strand of Arpeggio espresso in a clear cacao and hazelnut suspension flecked with gold.”

An interesting fact brought up this evening was that there is a staggering amount of 12,300 cups of nespresso consumed every minute, or 17.7 million cups of nespresso consumed every day. Most of these Nespresso people obviously took the upgrade path from that of a Krups / Braun to a Nespresso. That is not an upgrade. It’s more of a downgrade, especially if they were buying freshly roasted beans for their Krups / Braun and then taking the misinformed jump to a Nespresso pre-ground coffee capsule. The Dark Side of Convenience.

CGSG G4: Steve, Kai Seng, Melvin, Colin (L to R)

The gathering was called up as I’ve procured a bag of quite-fresh roasted beans from Intelligentsia@Venice, CA courtesy of Sean Bonner. I met Sean on the chat session moderated by Nick Cho during this year’s WBC. We happened to be the only 2 in Singapore awake at an ungodly hour trying to catch glimpses from  a laggy stream of our favourite baristas in action. One thing led to another, and Sean, who’s a regular at Intelli Venice, bought me a bag of Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Adado on his trip back to Singapore. On a side note, Sean also introduced me Intelli Venice’s Chris & M’lissa Owens (both of them renowned coffee greats) when they were in town for F1.

Kai Seng was the first to arrive as he had tickets to F1 finals that very day, and was in a rush to drink his fill and leave. I assured him that was not going to happen. Sure enough, the other 2 arrived late. We were all dying to try Intelli’s Yirgacheffe, which I’ve decided to save for this gathering. Steve brought his roast of Metropolis Coffee’s Green Line, which is an unroasted version of their popular Red Line. It was roasted to Full City +. Given that it’s home turf, I was the designated barista of the day and proceeded to pull shots for us all.

This CGSG gathering was unlike the previous ones we’ve been having. While CGSG was formed out of our love for coffee, we found that each of us had a common love for steaks, grills, wine, prosciutto, home baked breads, gourmet french butter, blue cheese and all these could be had at Kai Seng’s. (Un)fortunately, this Sunday gathering had none of these distractions and our discussion went back to our first love, coffee. We shared views on über coffeegeek, Mark Prince’s articles on the state of coffee and his call out to bring back spro downs instead of latte art throwdowns. Steve and I both remarked that we’ve become less anal retentive in our home barista routines. I’ve switched from using the Espro clicker tamper to a Reg Barber (which John Ting helped me get from WBC 2010 in London). Both Steve and I have stopped weighing the beans and have replaced the bottomless portafilters with La Marzocco portafilters, I’ve stopped taking infinte photos of the naked portafilter pours as well.

Specially for this Sunday gathering, I went back to using the Espro tamper as I wanted to minimise the variables in our taste tests for Steve’s Green Line and Intelligentsia’s Yirgacheffe. Since all of us were familiar with Yirgacheffe, we decided to prolong Kai Seng’s agonizing wait and pulled the Green Line first. Fortunately, the grind setting on my Compak K-6 was suitable for both coffees. The pull was started at 197.5°F on Eric’s Thermometer. The scent for Green Line espresso was tobacco, and the finish was caramel. Enjoyable indeed. The following picture has the taste notes from Metropolis Coffee.

Then came the Intelligentsia Organic Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Adado. The pull was also at 197.5°F. And wow! The scent was floral, and upon sipping the espresso, we all felt the lemony notes. While 99% of the time on most espresso with this type of taste profile, lemony notes go into overdrive and the taste gives way to brightness and acidity. This time, it was different. Very different. It was a first for all of us. The lemony notes pulled back. We couldn’t quite put our finger on what it reminded us of. Steve mentioned lemon cheesecake. I said lemon meringue or lemon cream. It was the defining moment of a Godshot for all of us. On the bag’s taste notes, it describes the Yirgacheffe as “Jasmine atop lime candy, lemongrass and bergamot.” The 2nd shot was quite consistent with the first. Same lemony notes that never had a chance to go beyond.

While our steakouts (what I call our wining and dining at Kai Seng’s for now) are both satisfying and sinful, I do miss our home barista jam sessions. I hope we get to do one more before the end of this year as soon as Steve can get his new place in order.

On display were 2 very sought after machines of mine.

This is a La Marzocco GS3 Paddle Group with clear side panels. The clear side panels are an exhibition only feature as the original GS3 comes with black side panels. This one time model is also on sale for a very good price of S$9000. I was told that there will be a price hike for La Marzocco soon.

And the winning espresso machine of FHA 2010 this year would be the La Marzocco FB80 Paddle Group. This machine is a beauty to behold. We could see that the 3 groups all had individual PIDs, with temperatures set at 94.8°C, 96.6°C and 95.5°C. As the temperatures show, it would mean the PIDs could be configured in steps of 0.1 degree. WOW!

This FB80 model comes with LED lights too. Note also the matte black steam wands. Sleek!

That’s one less trip to Ikea to get the LED strips.

Paired with the 2 La Marzocco espresso machines is the La Marzocco Swift, a grinder with auto-dosing and auto-tamping.

The real feature the FB80 and the GS3 had that attracted the both of us were the paddle groups and the ability of pressure profiling. So many of the other espresso machines found at FHA this year were mostly boasting Green-Save-The-Environment features. These paddle group machines meant that we could control the amount of pre-infusion time and the amount of pressure manually. The paadle group lever goes smoothly from right to left. As I gradually moved the lever to the center position, I could see that the pressure went to 3 bars steadily, and as I moved the lever to the left, the pressure began to climb to 9 bars.

With the La Marzocco Swift ensuring the tamping and dosing variable would remain constant throughout, we could easily put the FB80 to the test. I went first. I chose to use the 95.5°C grouphead and proceeded to flush the grouphead with the portafilter attached. I then detached the portafilter, gave it a good wipe and locked it into the Swift. The coffee provided was Oriole Cafe’s freshly roasted Espresso blend, another good match to the machine. After the Swift’s dosing and tamping ended, I unlocked the portafilter and locked it back into the FB80. I gradually moved the lever to the center position and then waited for the first drops. Just as I did that, I knew that Kai Seng would probably be thinking the same thing as I was at the time. This experience would be perfect if I had brought along my naked portafilter. After about 7 seconds, the first dark chocolate coloured drops appeared in the cup. I let it drip for about 4 seconds before gradually moving the lever the the left, bringing the pressure up to 9 bars. The pour was superb, the colours went from dark chocolate to lighter dark chocolate. The crema in the cup was so spectacular. At the first sign of very slight bloding, I moved the lever back to the right to stop the pour. The espresso was heavenly. I could taste the wide complex taste spectrum of the espresso. No bitters at all, some chocolates, a buttery mouthfeel. At 95.5°C, I was in 7th heaven with Oriole Cafe’s espresso blend.

Darn! I’m late for work. I will finish this review when I return later in another 11 hours’ time. Stay tuned. Meanwhile, please attend FHA 2010 even if it means paying the $80 at the door. Wineberry will not be having the FB80 for long. I’ve heard that the unit already has a buyer.

P.S.  The only odd feature we didin’t like was the fact that there was only 1 pressure gauge shared between all 3 groups. I turned on the 3 individual groups at different times and it seemed that the pressure gauge displayed the highest pressure at any one time.

And looking at my own notes, I’m always roasting the few same coffees, Ethiopian Sidamo, Yrgacheffe, Panama Gesha, and of course, who can forget the evergreen Brazil Formosa, and my favourite Sweet Maria’s Italian Espresso Blend and Espresso Vivace’s Dolce.

I hope you readers (however few – sorry about the inferiority complex, it’s a growing trend) can help me out by listing in the comments below about the coffees you’ve had the pleasure of tasting, good and bad (listing here means on this blog, not on Facebook, not on Twitter.)  No holds barred. It could be the Nespresso Ristretto you just had in the office a few hours ago, or the godshot made from your Silvia, or the great cup you’ve just had in Blue Bottle or Intelligentsia or Ritual or even at a corner of a flower market in London. Or 15th Ave Coffee & Tea. Whatever. Please state where you had it. This could be seen as a survey of what my readers drink. To help you out on your tasting notes, I’ve included a taste wheel below. Please push your senses.

It was an ominous feeling to have heard Steve say those words. You just had to be there.

We talked about the Aeropress. About how good a cup of coffee it makes. But it just was not espresso, the way Aeropress had marketed it as.

And then, Steve introduced the N word into our lives and we never looked at him the same again.

Steve talked about how good Nespresso really was at its price point. And then he mentioned the Nespresso ristretto as a must-try. And of course, the convenience of it all. I started going over Steve’s history of machines in my head. A whole series of Braun-Krups-Krap before the transition to the Rancilio Silvia/Rocky combo, and then, now the Expobar Brewtus. And this same guy who’s speaking to us now about the wonders of Nespresso also did tell me in a phone conversation a few months earlier of his next fictional if any, upgrade-itis which was to be the La Marzocco GS3, instead of the Kees Van Der Westen Speedster, mainly because of support issues. This seems to be the upgrade path most home baristi take after the E-61′s I believe.

And then, we called it a day, and we left. And no, Melvin, my journey towards the Dark Side did not end outside Steve’s gates. After you dropped me off, I eventually ended up at ION ORCHARD. Well, it was the path I took to get home anyway. Waitaminute, doesn’t ION ORCHARD also have a Nespresso Boutique?

THE NESPRESSO EXPERIENCE

I walked into the Nespresso Boutique. Wow! It’s a beautiful sight. If you’ve ever walked into a Nespresso Boutique, you’ll know what I mean. Wall to wall packed with Nespresso bricks of different Pantone colours. A whole line of Nespresso coffee pods in different colour shades. Right smack in the centre of the store is an island, where they have demo machines, and all the flavours of Nespresso with it.

Wait, the journey to the Dark Side cannot be complete until I’ve had a taste of, what did Steve recommend. . . “oh! Ristretto please?”

A saleslady made me one by dropping in a pod, and pushing the button. It was served in a clear plastic demitasse. I took a sip, and . . . .

TCBE

This Can’t Be Espresso. This Will Never Be Espresso. BUT, it wasn’t really swill either. I can detect very very slight hints of spice. . . tobacco maybe. It was under the temperature though, slightly warmer than room temperature. It was thin coffee.

The saleslady told me of the convenience factor, about how you could just plug in a Nespresso unit and just churn out coffee without having to wait for a warm-up period. Even my old Gaggia thermoblock required at least a 15 minute start up time. But that did make a different class of espresso as well.

In all fairness, the Nespresso is simple to use, doesn’t make a mess. It makes ok coffee for its price point and for the amount of effort put in. But just like our discussion on the Aeropress, I feel you cannot call this espresso. It’s just convenience coffee.

There is a wall-mounted mirror to show off the barista at work on the machine, which is a La Pavoni Bar 3L (shown below). Geek Terminal has what I call an excellent cafe etiquette. The coffee beans are ground to order, leaving no stale grounds in the dosing chamber of the grinder. Portafilters are locked into the grouphead when idle. There’ll be a definite improvement if they ever use freshly roasted beans.

Free wifi for diners. The network is not password protected, so hooking up is as simple as selecting the geek_terminal network. And if you do need A/C power, fret not. Geek Terminal has installed this revolutionary power outlet system called the Eubiq System. It consists of these rubber tracks that run along the floors, and the walls. To plug your laptop or device to the system, you just have to ask for the adaptor from the staff. These adaptors plug anywhere along the tracks. Where there’s track, there’s power. Ingenious! While there is often the lack of power outlets in most other cafes, this one beckons you to use their wonderful facilities.

I would highly recommend this place if you’re ever in the area. Geek Terminal raises the bar for cafes in Singapore with their open-handed approach.