MILAN – At Host Milano, we met Rob Ward from the Mumac Academy Team. Rob has been involved in coffee for over 15 years working at Pret A Manger for over 7 years in charge of Coffee & Hot Drinks, then moving on to work with Cimbali both in the UK and Internationally.
Our conversation was focused on the S20 and S30, two models of superautomatic espresso machines.
The main point was how technology in these two models allows to fine-tune and tweak extraction parameters in order to get a consistent brew even when using specialty coffees.
At Host, at LaCimbali stand, you’ll offer tastings with superautomatic S20 and S30 models. They usually use standard coffee. Instead, you used specialty coffee. Why?
To showcase the versatility of a bean to cup machine particularly the S30 with its Perfect Grind System or PGS which monitors the flow rate set by the technician or barista and adjusts grind size and time accordingly. More commercial grade coffee with Robusta in and a darker roast has a slightly wider window of forgiveness on extraction with taste balance Speciality is more demanding and using some technology to keep extraction consistent really helps.
How are tastings with a superautomatic?
The coffees that we have run through from various specialty roasters are very comparable to a traditional machine, I would say a lot of the time consistency is improved.
Superautomatic machines have standardized settings. How can you force them to improve the result compared to what is programmed at the factory?
Cimbali technicians would program the machines in the field to the specific requirements of the customer, every coffee is different and that is where the experience of roaster, coffee specialist and technician work together to achieve a required flavour profile. In many ways not that different to fine tuning a traditional espresso machine.
What are the characteristics of the super-automatic LaCimbali that enhance the experience with specialty coffee?
The new grinders that we designed for the S20 and S30 are very accurate in terms of dose, particle size and keeping consistent, like any grinder wear of the grinder blades and temperature changes, age of coffee are the enemy but with the S30 and PGS we can combat this as well as electronics pre-infusion and the well designed hydraulic circuit.
What differences can you notice between S20 and S30?
The main one is the S20 doesn’t feature the PGS system which means that some grind adjustment intervention is needed periodically other than that our focus at Gruppo Cimbali is always looking at delivering a great tasting espresso, after all it’s the foundation for the majority of drinks that our customers serve.
