Buying a commercial espresso maker can be a tricky task as there are multiple factors to consider. You need something that is able to handle the high volume at your ‘peak hour’ and is convenient enough to be operated by two people at a time.
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However, if you are just starting out or run a low volume café, as espresso maker that consistently gets the job done would be good enough.
Finally, if you are looking for a solution for your office, you need something that is fast and convenient. Super Automatics are obviously the most recommended espresso makers for office settings. And most importantly, you need to think of all of that and keep it under your budget.
#4 Recommendation – Nuova Simonelli Aurelia II Volumetric 2 Group Espresso Machine
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The official espresso maker for the World Barista Championship, the Aurelia II is in a league of its own. It has all the muscle and power to handle large volume each day and with tons of features, you have complete control over brewing. Here is our review of the Nuova Simonelli Aurelia II –
Pros
- Espresso can be extracted from the two group heads at the same time, thanks to the powerful dual boilers. (Helpful when you are swamped with orders).
- Complete control to the barista over temperature and pressure for the perfect extraction. (Can be varied according to different drinks).
- Super fast operation – a shot of espresso is pulled in under 10 seconds, while it takes about 15 seconds to froth milk.
- Volumetric control gives you the option to program the volume of espresso extracted for single as well as double shots. (Gives you the option to control espresso volume for custom speciality drinks)
- Built like a tank where each element including the steam nozzle, housing and the dual boilers are built to handle large volume daily. (With daily cleaning and regular maintenance, this will last for years).
Cons
- Cleaning and maintenance go hand in hand with the Aurelia II. (Be prepared to spend 30 odd minutes for cleaning after you close down)
- This machine isn’t clearly for everyone, and if you are not expecting large volume every single day, then you should go for cheaper options. (But for a busy café, this virtually pays for itself)
Quality Espresso – Every Single Time
If you are all about maintaining quality and providing the best taste to your customers, then the Aurelia II will be your knight in shining armour. This baby pulls out consistent shots of espresso every time you make one.
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There are three things that make it possible –
- The powerful dual boilers are made of industry grade copper which is built to consistently heat water for steaming and espresso extraction.
- The soft infusion system controls water flow before it is passed through the grounds, and is engineered to provide rich espresso with a beautiful layer of crema. (This works even if your coffee grounds were not tamped properly)
- And finally the PID technology ensures that the temperature and pressure are accurate to the T. (This is key for speciality drinks)
Also, you can operate the two group heads at the same time, so if you are swamped with orders this machine will pull out the same quality espresso shots from both the group heads.
Volumetric Controls
With the volumetric version of the Aurelia II, you can control the volume of espresso pulled with dedicated buttons. This is helpful for café with different kinds of espresso based drinks.
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Over each group head, you get 5 dedicated buttons which can be programmed. This helps you to control the espresso volume for both single and double shots drinks. This is even helpful to automate for different sizes of drinks like medium and large. This is basically a convenience feature, and if you are offering several drinks is your coffee shop with different sizes, these options help to automate things.
Secondly, you can easily change the pressure and the temperature. The factory settings come with the recommended and standard value but if you have your own recipe or want to experiment, then the Aurelia 2 gives you all the options.
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Steaming and Other features
Steaming on this is super fast and convenient. Since it is powered by dual boilers it takes about 15 seconds to generate a rich layer of froth and it can be done even when espresso is being pulled.
Another nifty feature is the LED lights, which come in super handy if you are working in a dark environment. There is one directly over the steaming wand (on both group heads) and this lets you see and monitor the froth.
Finally, it comes with the standard security features and the steaming wand is equipped with cold touch technology which prevents any burns and makes cleaning super easy.
Maintenance and Cleaning
With any commercial grade espresso machine, cleaning is a must and this is also the case with Aurelia II.
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We recommend rinsing the water out with a cleaning solution every day after the café is closed. This helps in cleaning the leftover grounds and also releases all the oil that comes with espresso extraction. Apart from that, the cleaning the wand and portafilter to remove any deposits is also recommended daily.
Once a week you can go for deep cleaning by removing the screws from the group head and cleaning it from the inside.
With the instruction manual you get with the machine, you are told about all the recommended cleaning needs and it is recommended to go through them before installation.
Freshpresso Rating – Is it worth it?
Nuova Simonelli Aurelia II can be regarded as the Ferrari of coffee machines. And its true power can be realised only if it is allowed to flex its muscles. What we mean by this is this espresso machine finds its place only in high-end café shops where the demand is always high.
If you are brewing 300-500 cups a day, then this machine is a must have. It has all the bells and whistles to give the barista complete control over extraction, convenient features help in automatic speciality and different sized drinks and with its industrial grade construction, it can handle everything you throw at it.
If you decide to get it, make sure you invest in a quality coffee grinder. For this model, we will recommend Nuova Simonelli MDX manual coffee grinder.
