The Linea PB is a next-generation model that builds on the legacy of the Linea Classic (which has been in production for nearly 25 years) as a dependable, rugged workhorse that delivers results in the highest-volume café settings.

The Vulcano Swift is a conical burr grinder due to go into production later this year that features the Swift technology of grind, volumetric dose, and tamp.

We couldn’t be more excited about our new products and look forward to introducing them to you!

As always, we’re open Monday through Friday, from 9-5pm, and everyone is welcome. If you’re hoping for some dedicated time with your coffee on a specific piece of La Marzocco equipment, be sure to reserve a time, but you’re also welcome to drop by for a visit, a quick demo, and a coffee.

In addition to being available on a reserved basis, we have some exciting events planned in the Learning Lab over the coming months, so be sure to check back, or stay tuned via Twitter and Facebook about what’s coming up.

First up, we have a public cupping event with Olympia Coffee Roasters this Friday, May 17th 10:00-11:30.  Also on deck are coffee showcases from some of our customers from near and far. Be sure to come by to try some things you might not find every day in Seattle!

We’re also working on few educational and coffee science events, coming late spring/early summer.

If you have an idea you’d like to bring to the La Marzocco Learning Lab, or if there’s a topic you hope we’ll cover, we’re all ears – drop us a line at training@lamarzoccousa.com to start the conversation.

If you have interest in being a guest educator, using our community space for training, or just want to visit for a hands-on product demo please contact:

Sarah Dooley at training@lamarzoccousa.com

We look forward to seeing you soon!

We saw many of you in Boston, but there were many more who weren’t able to join us at the event. Be sure to check out Kent Bakke’s presentation of the machine on the first day of the show.

Today, the Linea PB is back in Seattle and up and running in our showroom; you are invited to stop by and experience it for yourself. Schedule time and bring in your coffee to get a personalized tour: send an email to training@lamarzoccousa.com to find a time that works best. Come see how much control the Linea PB offers for steaming milk, or play with different levels of programmable pre-infusion. Get more familiar with a new tool for baristas: the flowmeter pulse.

Even if you just happen to be passing through the neighborhood, feel free to stop by for a quick espresso made on the Linea PB.

The Linea Classic has always been a friend to baristas everywhere. Come get acquainted with the Linea PB; we’re sure you’ll make fast friends.

training@lamarzoccousa.com
1553 NW Ballard Way
Seattle, WA 98107
206-706-9104 x124

We are very excited to host a number of those customers in our booth during the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s annual Expo in Boston, MA, this week: April 12-14.

Our booth is number 518 and will feature several models of espresso machines, grinders, and hot water solutions. We cordially invite you to come join us for an espresso from any of the roasters in our schedule below.

Friday, April 12, 2013
11-1PM
Onyx Coffee
Ceremony Coffee Roasters
Black Coffee
Counter Culture Coffee Roasters

1-3PM
Batdorf & Bronson
Klatch Coffee Roasters
Cuvee Coffee Roasters

3-5PM
Metropolis Coffee Roasters
Barismo
George Howell Coffee
Ladro Roasting

Saturday, April 13, 2013
11-1PM
Handsome Coffee Roasters
Buddy Brew Coffee Roasters
Kuma Coffee
New Harvest

1-3PM
Deeper Roots Coffee
Toby’s Estate Coffee
La Colombe
Stumptown Coffee Roasters

3-5PM
Kuma Coffee
Temple Coffee
Panther Coffee Roasters
Handsome Coffee Roasters

Sunday, April 14, 2013
11-1PM
Ladro Roasting
Toby’s Estate Coffee
George Howell Coffee
Great Lakes Coffee Roasters

1-3PM
Olympia Coffee Roasters
Great Lakes Coffee Roasters

We look forward to seeing you in Boston. If you want to share about your experience at our booth at SCAA, tweet @lamarzocco #LMBar.

In advance of the big reveal, we wanted to give you another sneak peak at some of the features you’ll see on the Linea PB. Last week we shared some information on the electronics that power the Linea PB AV and a dynamic measurement that will give baristas more insight into the extraction process: the flowmeter pulse.

This week we want to tell you a bit about the barista interface features of the Linea PB. We’re introducing a number of new features that draw on technology advances over the last 25 years, as well as input we’ve heard from our customers over time. Take a look:

• Buttons: the Linea PB buttons are silicone membrane actuators capped by mirror-finished button caps, backlit with LED lights. A broad button cap ensures that the barista can engage the group at an arm’s length. The button pad has four points of engagement, ensuring that the group is activated regardless of where the barista touches the button.  When touched, the button offers satisfying, tactile feedback, ensuring the barista knows the button has engaged, even if she is not looking directly at the button.

• Barista Lights: LED Barista lights are included standard on the Linea PB, making for a well-lit work area so the barista can monitor the progress of their coffee as it extracts and changes color.
• Steam Valve: The newly designed Linea PB steam valve opens in a half turn, making it easier to use, and putting less strain on the barista over time. A unique diamond-shaped knob allows for ergonomic rolling action. The valve is unique to the Linea PB, but the rebuild kit is compatible with the GB/5.

• Drain Tray: The Linea PB features a larger drain tray. The workspace below the group heads is increased by 32% over the Linea Classic. In addition, the tray itself has been changed to be more like the tray of the La Marzocco Strada – with fewer sharp edges that will make it safer for the barista to handle and clean the tray.

We’re excited to show you all of the new features of the Linea PB in just a few days. For those of you who are not able to join us, be sure to check www.lamarzocco.com after 4pm Eastern on April 12^th to see a video of Kent’s presentation of the Linea PB at SCAA. And check back here on launch day to see photos of the machine and learn more!

We’re not to April 12^th just yet, but we wanted to give you a little sneak peek at some of the technology you’ll see on our newest addition.

Last week we shared some of Ben Kaminsky’s thoughts on volumetrics after reviewing some testing results we conducted in the La Marzocco Lab. His analysis made his opinion clear:

“In practical application, in a bar setting, baristas utilizing flowmeters are nearly 50% faster than those pulling shots without.”

The La Marzocco Linea has come to be known as a workhorse of a machine: a durable, dependable classic that performs in the highest-volume settings. The Linea PB has been designed to continue this tradition, while also giving the barista new tools to prepare coffee more consistently.

As the specialty coffee community has taken a more in-depth approach to extracting espresso, we have come to more fully appreciate the value of flowmeters, and we believe flowmeters offer a path to providing the barista a dynamic measurement of espresso extraction. As such, we are excited to introduce the Linea PB AV.

The auto-volumetric system of the Linea PB will introduce a new feature, never before seen on an espresso machine. With a built in display, the barista will have the choice to view either the time of the extraction (just like the La Marzocco GB/5) or to see the number of cycles (pulses) moved through the flowmeter. Each count on a flowmeter is similar to .5 ml of water. Using this method, a barista will be able to see how much water has traveled into the portafilter. As Linea PB users become more familiar with the machine, they will be able to tell if their espresso is extracting too fast or too slow by how quickly the pulses count through the flowmeter. For the first time, the barista will have a dynamic measurement to understand the rate of extraction – rather than just time or volume. Ultimately, this new unit of measure will further put baristas in control of their extractions.

Each group head of the Linea PB has three buttons. Two buttons are programmable to a certain number of flowmeter cycles. The other button is a manual brew button, giving the barista the same start/stop control of a semi-automatic (EE) espresso machine. These buttons are silicone membrane switches, and are backlit with LED lights. Each switch has a life span of over a million cycles.

There are many other features of the Linea PB that we look forward to sharing with you over the coming weeks. We hope to see you in Boston (Booth #519), but if we don’t, be sure to check back here for more updates as we reveal the next generation of a classic.

We recently invited Ben Kaminsky to team up with the La Marzocco USA Lab crew in Seattle to investigate volumetrics, and to see whether better consistency is achieved by having an experienced barista prepare espresso on a semi-automatic espresso machine, or if more consistent results are achieved through volumetrics. 

The following is Ben’s write-up on the testing and the results.

It’s certainly no secret that in the business of specialty coffee (or really any business for that matter), consistency is king. Yet, for all our talk within the coffee industry of being consistent and using the best possible tools to achieve consistency in quality, how much do we actually do to enable baristas to be consistent?

Whether you choose to subscribe to the SCAA’s guidelines on extraction or not, one thing is for sure–whatever you do like, the goal is to repeat it over and over again in order to deliver the same coffee experience to each customer. That, in scientific terms, means repeating every extraction yield, on every espresso brewed and served, potentially hundreds of times in a day in rapid succession.

Some of you may have seen the video published by Matt Perger of St. Ali in Melbourne or previously read the words and recommendations of Scott Rao in the Professional Barista’s Handbook. Inspired by these works, we decided to do some simple testing of our own at La Marzocco USA, in Seattle.

The testing was very straight-forward. Using a dose of approximately 20 grams of ground espresso in the portafilter^{1 2 3}, and producing 40 grams of liquid espresso in the cup, we aimed to achieve a beverage strength of 9.25% total dissolved solids (TDS), with a resulting extraction yield of 18.5%⁴. The aim was to try to achieve an extraction yield that was within +-.5% of our target yield of 18.5%. (The minimum yield within the aim was 18% and the maximum 19%.)

Next, we conducted four tests:

Test one allowed for the barista to use only one set time. In this test, the barista dialed in to achieve a beverage weight of 40 grams and a yield of 18.5% in 28 seconds. Once the test began, the barista continued pulling shots exclusively at 28 seconds. “Normal”⁵ bar-style dosing conditions were applied in this test, and also in tests two and three.

Test two allowed for the barista to use both time and sight (visual appearance of espresso in a shot glass) to dictate when they would stop their extraction. Today, many La Marzocco USA customers train their wholesale customers to prepare espresso using this method.

Test three utilized volumetric flowmeters⁶, again with “normal” dosing conditions (the barista dosed the coffee going into the portafilter with a combination of grinder dose and a controlled leveling process).

Test four utilized volumetric flowmeters with a coffee dose that was controlled within a tenth (0.1) of one gram for every extraction, using a scale to weigh the portafilter prior to brewing.

Prior to each of the four tests, our barista adjusted grind and time of extraction in order to achieve an 18.5% extraction yield, using a scale for dose to 20.0 grams and separate scale for beverage weight of 40 grams.

The data was staggeringly decisive. Let’s take a look…

Test Results & Analysis
For each test, the highest and lowest outliers were removed.

Test one results & analysis
In the first test, using only time as a metric, the barista fell outside the aim in every category: beverage weight, brew ratio, TDS, and extraction yield. Not surprising, really, given even the tiniest of variances in dose, we see that consistency was completely lost when relying only on time as a metric.

Test two results & analysis
At a glance, the Sight and Time test (test two) produced intriguing results. The average extraction (18.30%) falls within the target range (18.00-19.00%), but only as a technicality of the average. Looking further at the results, it’s clear that the minimum and maximum extractions were in-fact well outside of the aim. A standard deviation of 0.52 tells us that the shot-to-shot variance was pretty enormous.

Test three results & analysis
The third test used the flowmeter, with the barista dosing the coffee by grooming out of the portafilter. This category performed reasonably well, falling within the aims of extraction and minimum extraction, though even after the outliers were removed there remained some high-yielding extractions that fell outside of the target 19.00% maximum. Note here that even with a varying dose, the brew ratio remained very close to our target of 50%.

Test four results & analysis
Comparatively, test 4 demonstrates astounding consistency in all aspects, beating, or falling nearly dead-on the target. Extraction yield (18.54%) and minimum yield (18.03%) both beat the aim (18.00%). The maximum yield is 19.04% – just .04 beyond the target maximum. The range is just .01 above the target. The standard deviation (0.30) really says it all in this round, essentially decimating the others from a statistical perspective and beating the target by a full tenth (0.40).

Conclusions
There are a number of additional factors to consider. One key element at play here not shown in the data set, that really shouldn’t be underestimated, is speed.

In practical application, in a bar setting, baristas utilizing flowmeters are nearly 50% faster than those pulling shots without. Baristas not utilizing volumetric measurement are essentially forced to watch the entire duration of the espresso extraction in anticipation of its conclusion. For most shops, that means about 25-30 seconds where someone is being paid to watch espresso pour into a cup. While some shops employ multiple baristas to enable a better, faster workflow and more skilled baristas are generally able to handle some additional multitasking, I can tell you from all my experience traveling to espresso bars around the world, I have never seen a faster workflow, while surpassing my personal expectations for consistency, than one employing volumetric flowmeters.

On average from data that I’ve collected empirically as well as in this testing, for drink preparation alone, I would argue most specialty coffee bars run between 40-70 seconds per espresso drink in the queue; a wide margin, but one that the vast majority fall in… A very fast bar would get that number down to between 30-40 seconds. Using two baristas, timed grinders, and a volumetric machine with multiple groups, I’ve seen as fast as nearly 20 seconds per customer per drink. This enabled a very small cafe I visited to do an admirable and otherwise impossible number of drinks per hour.

The performance of the flowmeter does, of course, degrade over time. All parts eventually fail and need to be maintained or replaced, especially those in constant contact with water. In all likelihood, you live in a place that has water that is softer or harder than is ideal for the performance of the espresso machine, the flowmeter, and the flavor and extraction of the coffee.

Generally, near-ideal water has approximately between 65-85ppm in CaCO₃ as a subset of total water hardness. That translates to between 4-5 grains per gallon if you’re in the United States, and just about the same number of German degrees hardness if you’re anywhere else7. This is definitely something to keep in mind when using a volumetric espresso machine, as hard, untreated water will rapidly degrade the performance of a flowmeter by formation of scale within the system.

Over the last four years, as coffee professionals have started to take a serious look at espresso measurement, I can’t help but think of all the conversations I’ve had in which someone inevitably said, “If you could pull every espresso within a gram, you’d probably have the most consistent espresso bar in the world.” I wholeheartedly believe this is actually true. Flowmeters absolutely prove themselves to be a reliable tool to help move in that direction.

You can review the raw data from the four tests here; I’ve also included a graph of each shot measured in the data set for those of you who are keen to dig deeper. I sincerely recommend it.

-Ben Kaminsky

1. We employed a 20g ridgeless VST basket for the purpose of this testing. This is also the WBC spec portafilter basket. We also used a 58.4mm flat tamper.

2. We allowed for some variation in dose to mimic that of “real-world” conditions.

3. Ground coffee was groomed once out of the portafilter to try and maintain accuracy and consistency in dose.

4. All shots were measured using a VST Lab II refractometer and syringe filtered for clarification.

5. “Normal” for the sake of the test is defined as a groomed dose out of a Mazzer Robur E timer-based espresso grinder. The target ground coffee dose was 20g for every shot pulled.

6. The flowmeter is a paddlewheel-like device that measures the volume of water passing from the coffee boiler to the coffee cake.

7. 1 grain/US gallon = 0.958 German degrees = 1.71 French degrees.

La Marzocco will be providing nine different espresso machines, multiple Mazzer grinders as well as Marco precision hot water delivery systems at TED this year. This is the largest annual equipment showcase for the company, second only to SCAA’s Exposition, The Event, which takes place annually in April.

SCAA’s goal is to provide over 3,000 TED and TEDActive attendees a deeper experience of coffee delivering the caffeine that fuels conversations along with insights about coffee’s role as a culinary treasure and unique economic web that connects farmers, artisans, and coffee lovers all over the world. In addition to the Barista Guild bringing in 38 of the best coffee professionals from around the world to lead the experience, and actual service of coffee bars throughout the campuses, there will also be a slow bar where attendees may work hands-on with La Marzocco espresso machines and with one-on-one guidance from a Barista Guild representative to prepare an espresso beverage. There will also be heavy emphasis on sharing stories with TED attendees to grow their understanding of the world of specialty coffee: the processes that contribute to the finished cup; the economic web of coffee as an important world commodity.

Bringing these stories to the consumer is a key focus for La Marzocco; the company is honored to participate and help provide the finest technology and tools to help facilitate the learning experience for TED attendees. La Marzocco finds it important and exciting that TED attendees this year will be able to work directly on their machines and equipment. “TED is such a unique experiential learning opportunity. In our past participation we’ve found that attendees are curious and hungry to learn more about coffee and the equipment used to prepare coffee. We look forward to providing that experience again in 2013,” says Kent Bakke, CEO of La Marzocco International.

TED, SCAA and La Marzocco share the same business value of collaboration and dissemination of knowledge and skill. This important program being offered at TED will help reinforce the idea of relationships between farmers, artisans and coffee lovers across the world.

TED and TEDActive run from February 25-March 1, 2013. For more information on TED, go to www.TED.com

About La Marzocco

Named after the symbol of Florence, Italy – the lion – La Marzocco has been the leader in espresso machine innovations since 1927 – with the first dual boiler, the first saturated grouphead, the first commercial use of PID controllers, and the first to introduce fully programmable pressure profiling. All La Marzocco espresso machines are assembled by hand in Florence, Italy. Since the 1980’s, La Marzocco has helped to build the specialty coffee community into the robust, quality-driven industry it is today. La Marzocco USA, based in Seattle, WA, distributes La Marzocco, Marco, and Mazzer coffee equipment, offering sales, technical support, training, and highest level of customer satisfaction one can expect from the industry leader. www.larmarzoccousa.com  @lamarzocco

About  SCAA
The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), is a non-profit trade organization and the world recognized leader in coffee knowledge development. With over 9,000 members located in more than 40 countries, including member companies and their employees, SCAA members represent every segment of the specialty coffee industry, including producers, roasters, importers/exporters, retailers, manufacturers, baristas and other industry professionals. For over 30 years, the SCAA has been dedicated to creating a vibrant specialty coffee community, recognizing, developing and promoting specialty coffee by setting and maintaining quality standards for the industry; conducting research on coffee consumption, brewing and perfection of craft; and providing education, training, resources and business services for its members. Visit www.scaa.org. @specialtycoffee

For La Marzocco USA press inquiries, please contact Diana Bianchini, Di Moda Public Relations, 310.288.0077, diana@dimodapr.com .

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The La Marzocco Linea has been an icon of specialty coffee since its release in 1990. It has grown up with specialty coffee, and continues to be the steadfast workhorse in leading cafes across the US and around the world.

Piero Bambi, son of Giuseppe Bambi and nephew of Bruno Bambi, the brothers who founded La Marzocco in 1927, has spent much of his life carrying on his father and his uncle’s legacy of building the finest-quality espresso machines. Piero has had a hand in the design and engineering of every La Marzocco espresso machine currently in production. The Linea Classic was the first machine for which Piero led design.

And so, as we release the first major design update to the Linea, we are naming this new machine in Piero Bambi’s honor: the La Marzocco Linea PB.

This will be the first full update to the technical and stylistic workings of the Linea in the nearly 25 years it has been in production. The Linea PB carries the Linea line forward in a way that is familiar, yet also fresh and new.

Over the coming months we will share more news about the Linea PB as we prepare to share the finished machine with the world in Boston in April. In addition to the unveiling at the SCAA Expo, simultaneous remote launch events will be hosted at La Marzocco offices worldwide.

To recognize this important milestone in the history of the La Marzocco Linea, La Marzocco USA is launching the Linea Love Campaign. For many people, the Linea holds a great deal of nostalgia – it may have been the first espresso machine they learned to prepare espresso on, or it was the first machine they purchased, or they have incredible stories about the Linea’s ability to deliver in the highest-volume situations. The Linea Love Campaign invites the specialty coffee community to share their fondest memories, and what the Linea means to them.

We’d love to hear your story, and share it as part of the campaign. You’re free to use whatever medium helps tell your story best: writing, drawing, video, a picture, a song – anything. Submissions will be showcased at www.LineaLove.com, in social media, and at SCAA in Boston.

So what’s your story? To share it with us, submit it via www.LineaLove.com or by sending it to info@lamarzoccousa.com. Follow the campaign with the hashtag #LineaLove.

To thank you for sharing your story, people who submit their memories will receive a gift that commemorates this special milestone in the history of the La Marzocco Linea. More details are available at www.LineaLove.com.

The La Marzocco Linea would not be what it is without the talented people who use it to practice their craft – every day, year-in and year-out. The story of the Linea is your story; we look forward to hearing it, sharing it, and to celebrating the milestone of the release of the La Marzocco Linea PB with you in 2013.

La Marzocco USA is pleased to announce the four-city event series “Pressure + Flow,” taking place in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Chicago in February and March 2013.

Each event will feature a day of learning, with presentations and hands-on guided learning experiences on emerging coffee topics:

PRESSURE: A guided hands-on learning experience with the Strada EP. Hear about how the Strada EP came to be, what we’ve learned about brewing coffee using the Strada EP as a platform, then spend time with the machine.

FLOW: This session will give an overview of water science, the interaction of coffee and water, and leave participants with information on how to test their water and make informed water conditioning purchase decisions.

The events will also feature a fun, interactive “Espresso Machine Loveline” session hosted by a special guest in each city, with answers by Dr. Scott Guglielmino. Bring all of those questions you’ve been too embarrassed to ask; no question is off limits!

The agenda for each event is:

10:00-12:00 & 2:00-4:00: PRESSURE: Guided hands-on learning with the Strada EP (session content presented twice)

4:00-5:00: Espresso Machine Loveline

5:30-7:00: FLOW: Water science 101 with comparative espresso tasting featuring waters from around the US

Catch Pressure + Flow on these dates in these cities:

February 13^th: Los Angeles, Siren Studios

February 16^th: San Francisco, Guerrero Gallery

March 6^th: New York, Attic Studios

March 9^th: Chicago, Ravenswood Events Center

Each event is free and open to the public; registration is encouraged. Participants who register in advance will receive a special La Marzocco gift.

Register HERE and choose the ticket type for your city’s event.

A large thank you goes out to our coffee and small wares sponsors: Atlas Coffee Importers and Espresso Parts.

Piero is the son of Giuseppi Bambi, who, along with Piero’s uncle Bruno, started La Marzocco in 1927. Piero has spent much of his life carrying on his father and his uncle’s legacy of building the finest quality espresso machines. Piero has had a hand in the design of every La Marzocco espresso machine that is currently in production. If you ever visit the La Marzocco factory in Scarperia, just outside of Florence, Italy, you’ll find that Piero still goes into work every day, and is still actively participates in design and engineering projects and meetings.”

With a lineup of espresso machines that includes Linea, GB/5, FB/80, GS/3, and Strada models, we often get questions from our customers and the people who use our equipment about what the names mean.

Our machines are generally named for members of the Bambi family – our founders and our heritage; for important milestones in our history; or for new technological advancements introduced by La Marzocco.

FB Series
In 1997, La Marzocco celebrated its 70th anniversary. In honor of the occasion, La Marzocco introduced an alternate body style that could be installed on the Linea – the only La Marzocco espresso machine that was in production at the time. This special body style was made of resin, and was offered in custom colors of the customer’s choice. To honor the Bambi family, the machine was named the FB/70, or Fratelli Bambi 70 (The brothers Bambi).

The FB/80 is named for the 80th anniversary of La Marzocco. It was designed, built, and released just ahead of the anniversary. Like the FB/70, it features a curvy resin body style that is available in custom colors. The features of the FB/80 are the same as those found in the GB/5.

GB/5
The GB/5 was designed primarily by Piero Bambi, and was released in 2005. The GB/5 features a number of technologies that come together to provide superior temperature stability and control. In 2005, as the time came to release the machine, Piero chose to name it for his wife, Giovanna Bambi. Thus, the name was GB and 5 for 2005, the year it was introduced.

GS/3
The design of the La Marzocco GS/3, introduced in 2007, draws inspiration from the iconic GS series of commercial espresso machines that were in production 1970-1991. The La Marzocco GS was the first dual-boiler espresso machine, and featured saturated groups (“GS” stands for “gruppo saturo”).

Today, the GS series remains iconic for its low profile, classic styling, and as the source of the original paddle group. The styling has endured and is a symbol of what makes La Marzocco so classic. The body style of the GS/3 is reminiscent of the GS series, however, it occupies a smaller footprint, intended for the home or for light commercial uses.

Each La Marzocco espresso machine is named to recognize or pay tribute to our past, our family, and our traditions. We look forward to sharing more as we introduce new products in the future!