2018 is looking very good.  Our plans are to reduce the number of non-core products that we offer.  The Compak E5 we see as our 'sensible shoes' grinder.  it isnt exotica that runs to several thousands of dollars, however, no one will buy it and struggle to obtain an espresso that is as good or better than their local cafe either.  we will hold this grinder in stock in both 240V & 110V variants and it will ship free when purchased with a machine.  we will only hold them in matt black, with the LED portafilter lights and the 300g hopper

late in january we hope to receive the glass hand blown hoppers for them from portugal too

january is also the month we expect Compak to release their long awaited PKR grinder to market, albeit without the grind to weight functionality which matters not a jot to us as we see it as a passing fade that will age badly.  in other words, even if the grind to weight version was beign released in january we would not be offering it

we will get the PKR and test it thoroughly ourselves, the plan being to benchmark it against the magic wand for light single origin roasts that is the Ek43 from Mahlkonig.  Bear in mind that that PKR comes with a sophisticated active cooling system and electronic timing, both features that the EK43 lacks.  we will also bench test both grinders side by side with a VST refractometer and generally give them both a workout

my expectation is that the PKR will be priced above the R120, and as a result i would not expect to sell the PKR in great numbers.  additionally, i would expect buyers at that price point to want to be able to choose their colour and any other customisation features that Compak make available.  So my plan for the PKR would be to place an order on the same day each month for grinders that have been custom ordered by our customers, colour, voltage, etc.  personally i am delighted that the PKR is arriving as whilst i love my R120 it is a big beast in anyones terms and as a result the costs of international shipping are high.  The PKR however uses the R100 chassis and this is a significant difference.  in round number off the top of my head the R120 weighs in the region of 37Kg whils the R100 weighs in the region of 24Kg and is also much smaller.  This immediately makes the PKR a much better match for the pecularities of our business model

i really hope our customers who order the PKR go to town on the colour selection and we end up with a gallery of PKR grinders in a full spectrum of colours.  I have very high hopes for the PKR as i believe it will be the tool that allows us to take on the competition at the very highest level of grinders.  after much consideration we have no plans to offer any other grinders, including the PKE and PKF; it is critical that we consider the fit of every product we sell in terms of how well it fits with our wider business objectives.  So E5 grinders are the very capable sensible choice and PKR will be our 'supercar' offering.

Additionally we are working hard to launch a new checkout in time for Xmas which will bring simplicity, speed, and flexibility to the checkout process

In 2018 offerings from third party vendors will be severely curtailed; it is simply too inefficient for the sort of business we are.  Expect to see all items of apparel disappear forever once sold.  VST baskets will be replaced by an IMS equivalent in January.  Espazzola will stay as i like to support new products that are good and the Espazzola is good.  Acaia scales will probably stay because even though the price is high and the margin low they sell well with our customers and whilst i still think it is an outrageous price for a set of scales and i think the software needs a complete rework, i have grown to really enjoy using mine over time and they have been completely reliable and i would buy them again

As machines age and people request different parts that are not currently listed on the website i will continue to add them - every part if available for all the machines we sell and there is a good deal of commonailty between the models.  it would be unusual if you did not receive your parts within one week from the time of ordering, wherever you are in the world, and out here in new zealand it is not unusual for people to wait 8, 9, 10 weeks for parts on other brands of espresso machine as the local reseller only places a shipment of parts 3 or 4 times a year and they often come sea freight.  parts hardly ever hit customs threshold values so i have never known an instance yet where they have been delayed passing thorugh customs

most of the work this year has gone on in the back office to improve the completeness accuracy and 'right first time' efficiency of our business processes.  this investment will allow us to do more with less next year and reduce the frustration and inconvenience experienced by too many customers prior to this when we have not shipped the correct goods on the first attempt

i am enormously pleased with the LR which is head an shoulders above the machine it replaces and a world first in that it delivers the architecture of our L1/2/3 cold fed heat exchanger & thermosiphon fed groups in a plug & play package.  it also unifies the architecture of our range, conveying our clear preference for pre-infusion pressure that is greater than boiler pressure.  the launch was not completely trouble free, but it has gone vastly better than i feared it might.  we look forward to a stable and productive 2018 with a focus on evaluating the PKR and taking it head to head with the competition in the first half of the year

thank you for your custom and support this year.  i apologise if we didnt send get your order right first time in the earlier part of this year in particular, but these issues have now been resolved.  we look forward to helping you take your lever espresso to the next level in 2018.  have yourself a well earned rest and enjoy the xmas season.  we are enjoying unseasonbly good pre-xmas weather which bodes well for a long hot summer on the water.  i will be contactable during the holiday season, and if i do not immediately response dont panic, i will check in daily at worst

merry xmas!

reiss.

ps - the factory only closes for the xmas-new year week, so it is very much business as usual in terms of order processing and getting product out the door; we have stock ready to ship of most items - if your order is time critical please ask before placing it

Are you considering a Tonino this Xmas?  If so drop me an email, or give me a call and i will work you out a special one time deal, especially where it forms part of a larger order

So what i hear you say

Well this small refinement will allow owners of our hard working commercial machines in particular to quickly and easily disassemble the end cap assembly

Why would they want to?  Well, in a high use commercial environment the ball end will wear its way out through the chromed brass end cap on the flick valve and fall off in your hand as it does with our competitor's machines, so we added a stainless steel bush to take the wear

But we screwed up slightly in not machining flats on the stem of the ball end stud, which are needed so you can put a 6mm wrench on the stem to stop it turning as you need to unscrew the wenge toggle hande in order to be able to change out the stainless bush when it wears

But now we have addressed it, as you can see in the accompanying image

Now you will no longer need to replace the entire end cap assembly, but just the inexpensive stainless bush and away you go again pulling shots and making money: the LONDINIUM difference

With LONDINIUM you will get to keep more of the fruits of your labours in retail coffee becuase our machines are more reliable and when they do need attention we can get you the parts anywhere DHL goes in less than a week and you dont need a factory technician to get your LONDINIUM back in service

There are so few critical service items in a LONDINIUM that it would completely practical for you to buy them in advance and have them in a drawer, ready for when they are needed

LONDINIUM: Exceptional coffee, exceptionally low total cost of ownership

Little by little we are getting everything just right