va 388 black eagle gravimetric espresso machine

gravimetric va388 black eagle espresso machine, which is the flagship of victorio arduino at the rimini-sigep 2018 coffee&gelato fair, was a primary espresso machine for me.

kaminsky found that in cafe settings, target brew ratios and extraction yields were more consistent when the shot was cut automatically after a certain volume of water was dispensed, versus cutting the shot by time and/or by by eyeing the consistency and color of the stream. although the flow meters used in espresso machines aren't super accurate or consistent, evidently they're more consistent than the average barista.

but, i do not think like that. 

9 years ago, dick green wrote that : 

"personally, i believe the best method is to use a scale to weigh the beverage and to eyeball the flow. kaminsky didn't test that method, most likely because it isn't practical in a cafe setting. i'm still waiting for the equipment folks to give us an espresso machine with a built-in shot scale that can stop the brew cycle when the target weight is reached".

now this dream has come true and there is a gravimetric opinion for some lucky baristas.

gravimetric machines are based on an integrated precision scale. this method produces espresso on consistent weight in cup. this gravimetric model terminates the brewing process by closing the flow valve, once the specified cup weight is reached. this is the essence of the gravity philosophy.
with gravimetric technology, the weight of the liquid extracted is measured directly in the cup. the data, generated by the scale build inside the drip tray, is therefore much more precise and, more importantly, is not effected by other factors, such as the shape of the filter, the tamping force on the coffee, the condition of the showerheads and more. the barista always has full control of each delivery, the quantity in the cup is always programmed and any difference between one delivery and the next is eliminated.

the brew ratio is the relationship between the weight of ground coffee and the liquid in the cup. there is no ideal brew ratio. it varies for each coffee and depends on the baristas goal.

in the va 388 black eagle means espresso can consistently be made with the same brew ratio.

gravimetric technology guarantees a perfect espresso coffee made with maximum precision by ensuring total control at all stages of extraction. the barista just has to set the weight of the liquid in the cup for each blend.

2007 wbc champion james hofmann says that for me the va388 black eagle is the ideal machine to control the weight of liquid in the cup to get the right consistency of espresso and ensure maximum flavour in the cup".

i have linked success at the balancing game of rancillo classe 11 xcelcius to microboiler which installed in the group heads. the va388 black eagle managed to achieve this with a unit named t3, which it assigned to each group. unfortunately, victorio aurdino didn't emphasize this feature enough.

the machine’s t3 technology gives the user the ability to program the temperature of each individual group head, the pressure, and now, the volume of water by weight.

with t3, you can also control the water temperature per group, so you can load the settings to emphasize the acidity at any group, while you can load the balance to the other grouphead. good trick.

in this article, i came up with some of the most important features of this machine. but remember that va 388 black eagle's success depends on the brewing profile for each coffee bean. barista has to set the weight in cup that he/she wants to see for every different coffee kind.

this youtube video includes the views of the owner of 3fe in dublin, colin harmon, about this machine.

for more joyful interpretation of va388 black eagle, i also recommend watching gwilym davies's experiences, who is 2007 world barista champion.

“we built this technology to simplify the job of the barista”. (maurizio giuli, nuova simonelli marketing manager).