Let’s talk about automation. 

It has gained a tremendous amount of popularity over the past year. And in cafés alone, we’ve seen various levels of automation, from full-blown “robot baristas” capable of steaming milk and pouring shots to more subtle, day-to-day machines that assist with repetitive or time-consuming tasks.

Because nothing can replace the personality of a human that you can actually interact with, we’re interested in the latter type of technology. Those machines that supplement and enhance (rather than fully overtake) the daily workflows of cafés, automating the remedial tasks which often draw the baristas’ attention away from the customer or other important matters.

In the Eight Ounce Coffee Club Cafe, we’ve started to see the benefits of automation behind the bar. With high-end products like the xBloom Coffee Machine, Fellow Electric Atmos Canisters, and CEADO Rev Espresso Grinders, it’s now possible to achieve consistently delicious coffee without queuing up customers.

Meanwhile, baristas like Jesse, who informed me on all of the products above and their benefits, can allocate more of their time to hospitality. To connect with you, the customer, on a more personal and human level. You won’t find any “robot baristas” here.

xBloom Studio Coffee Maker

When you walk into the Coffee Club Cafe, you’ll notice three very futuristic-looking machines sitting behind the bar. They won’t immediately come across as coffee makers, but that is, well, part of what they are.

Namely, the xBloom Studio is a 3-in-1 coffee maker, grinder, and scale composited into one seamless machine. I won’t go into the details and main features here (you can find everything you need to know on our xBloom product page), but I will explain how the xBloom has tremendously improved the efficiency of our coffee flight program. Again, thanks to Jesse’s input.

Our coffee flight program features a menu of specialty coffees curated in-house by our team, which is then brewed to order. The list is always rotating depending on what we’re enjoying and what’s available.

To make coffee flights, Jesse uses the xBloom pretty much every day. He’s also experienced brewing without it, and he attests that the xBloom’s automated features have helped cut down on the time attending to a pourover from 15 to 5 minutes. With the freedom to walk away from the process and trust the final result, he can spend that time on other drinks or assisting customers.

Because the coffee flights require dialling in multiple different roasts, the xBloom has helped the café significantly cut down on waste. Instead of brewing an entire batch to taste whether a recipe does or does not work, the xBloom allows them to brew small samples at a time.

Moreover, Jesse has found that the xBloom’s intriguing design is an excellent conversation piece, giving him the perfect opportunity to strike up interactions with customers who he notices are eyeing the machine out of curiosity.

While the xBloom automates a portion of coffee flights, real baristas like Jesse are still in charge of all the important tasks like choosing the best grind setting, dose, and water temperature for every coffee. So, the cup you end up with was actually crafted by a barista. Not the machine.

Fellow Electric Atmos Canister

Recently, the Eight Ounce Coffee Club swapped their Fellow Atmos canisters from manual to electric. Jesse explained how this simple move has saved him and his fellow baristas a lot of time and effort. Because when you’re dealing with café volumes, every second spent storing coffee beans counts.

The Manual Atmos Canister enables the user to create a vacuum by twisting the lid back and forth. The process generally takes seconds, which is great for a household where you’re storing coffee once or twice a week.

When you consider that the Electric Atmos automatically creates a vacuum through a single push of the button, you can begin to realize how essential that automation is for baristas who prep and store hundreds of grams of coffee beans per day.

The Electric Atmos Canisters have collectively saved Coffee Club baristas hours of the same repetitive action. It’s not a massive transition, but it is one which makes a huge impact on the daily workflow of the café.

CEADO Rev Zero Espresso Grinder

The Coffee Club was also recently equipped with CEADO’s Rev Zero Espresso grinder. Now, Jesse attests that it’s an Eight Ounce barista favourite for a few good reasons.

Most importantly, the CEADO Rev Zero has a “grind by weight” function. It grinds coffee directly into the portafilter while simultaneously weighing it, shutting off automatically once a preset dose has been reached.

This feature is not totally uncommon for commercial espresso grinders, but Jesse believes that the Rev Zero has a slight edge over the competition. In his experience, the calibration on most other grinders can be slightly off, anywhere from a fraction of a gram to multiple grams. When a barista needs to stop what they’re doing to manually double check the weight of each dose, it creates a huge jam in their workflow.

The consequence is that customers end up waiting longer for their coffee and are less likely to return, even if they are getting better consistency in the end.

The Rev Zero, according to Jesse, is extremely precise. When the grinder is set to dispense 19.3g into the portafilter, he’s certain that he is going to get 19.3g of coffee grounds every time.

He credits the “SweepOut Dual Spin” technology, which rotates the burrs in the opposite direction to clear out the last cycle’s coffee grounds. So, the extra .3 grams stuck in the burrs won’t end up inside the next dose.

Without needing to manually ground espresso, baristas can turn out consistent, high-quality shots in much less time.

Has Automation Improved the Café Experience?

According to Jesse, yes. It’s given him the freedom to involve himself in what he loves about operating a café: the coffee and the people.

Those feeling a bit hesitant towards mechanizing the entire espresso bar have a good reason for feeling that way. Specialty coffee simply needs people to exist.

You might be able to program a robot arm to pour latte art, but there is a certain human aspect to being in a coffee shop that just can’t be replaced. Like connecting with your barista, coworker, or friends over the joy and excitement of really good coffee.

That kind of experience is one we’re always looking to recreate. While you won’t find a latte-pouring robot arm at the Coffee Club Cafe, you will find some cutting-edge products that facilitate connections and allow baristas (like Jesse) to share their passion for coffee.

FAQs

How does the xBloom Studio Coffee Maker compare to other machine brands?

• The xBloom Studio is an automatic coffee maker, scale, and grinder integrated into one design. It's made to produce specialty coffee results with the convenience and hands-free operation of other automatic machines.
  The xBloom allows for varying levels of brew customization, from the Autopilot to Freesolo.
  Compared to the Fellow Aiden and Technivorm Moccamaster, The xBloom Studio works best for brewing one cup at a time (rather than large batch brews).

Does the xBloom Studio Coffee Maker come with any accessories?

• The xBloom Studio comes with the Omni Dripper 2, xPod Dock, magnetic dosing cup, recipe card, and cleaning brush included.
  You can also purchase some accessories separately, like the Omni Tea Brewer and a travel case.

What are the benefits of using a vacuum canister for coffee storage?

• Using a vacuum canister to store coffee beans significantly improves their shelf life by up to 50%, improving flavour and cutting down on waste.
  Oxygen is the enemy of fresh coffee beans, and while most coffee bags include a one-way valve to let C02 escape without oxygen seeping in, they aren't perfect.
  On the other hand, the Fellow Atmos Canister's lid is designed to remove oxygen and keep it out for 3-5 days.

What are the differences between CEADO Grinders and other brands?

• All CEADO Grinders and burr sets are manufactured and tested in Italy.
  While they design coffee grinders both for home and commercial use, CEADO is known for the robust quality and top-rated performance of their high-volume espresso grinders.
  Namely, the CEADO Rev Series (which is composed of the Steel, Titan, and Zero espresso grinders) excels in grind stability and low retention. Other common features across CEADO grinders include noise insulation and single-dose function.