Victoria Arduino Hatches Single-Group Eagle One Called E1 Prima

The Victoria Arduino E1 Prima. All images courtesy of Victoria Arduino.

Simonelli Group brand Victoria Arduino has revealed a new single-group version of its Eagle One espresso machine called the E1 Prima.

The Eagle One, which started selling in March of this year, is the Italian manufacturer’s latest and most eco-minded of its high-tech commercial espresso equipment line.

The E1 Prima is presented as offering the same technologies, energy efficiency and flexible aesthetics of its two-and three-group forebears, but in a more compact footprint. There is also the flexibility of an on-board 1.5-liter water reservoir that frees the machine from the necessity to be plumbed in.

In a series of videos published during an online unveiling of the new machine last Friday, pitches from various Victoria Arduino representatives alongside industry spokespeople Dale Harris and James Hoffmann sought to position the E1 Prima as equally appropriate for professional startups and pop-ups, home users, roasteries, mobile set-ups and boutique settings in which coffee may not be the primary business.

In addition to such Eagle One features as electronic steam actuator paddles, thermal stability, grouphead-embedded digital displays and the energy savings provided by a host of strategic under-the-hood refinements that the company has collectively dubbed NEO (New Engine Optimization), the E1 Prima comes equipped out of the box with the Victoria Arduino E1 app, which also works with Eagle One 2-3 group machines.

The app allows users to monitor machine performance, turn machines on and off from afar, adjust brew and steam temperatures and more. It also stores and shares machine settings, brew ratios and cup characteristics for a networked library of espresso recipes.

“This ability to share is particularly valuable to a specialty roaster,” Harris said in his video presentation. “The fact that the E1 Prima’s group is just as stable as those of a large multi-boiler machine means that the configuration you added to the library can become the starting point for your clients or baristas to use when they first receive a new origin or blend for you. Through the app and Bluetooth connectivity, you can share a recipe with a site using a 3-group Eagle One, or with a hundred small offices all using a Prima in their kitchens, and instantly remove a whole series of variables.”

For his part, Hoffmann emphasized that while the mobile app allows users to go deeper into control, analysis and networking, all the basics for use and adjustment are available on the machine itself; no one has to manipulate a smartphone just to make coffee in the morning. Hoffmann also underscored the energy savings of the Eagle line as a critical component.

Victoria Arduino E1 Prima espresso.

“We believe in a future where we must be less wasteful, we must be more efficient, and that idea drives this machine,” said Hoffmann. “It’s built into it from the ground up. The material choices inside, the technologies, the user experience, it’s all there to help you pull better shots, and ultimately to help you build a more sustainable business, or enjoy a more sustainable coffee experience at home.”

The machine is available in six different colors, while its exterior body panels, like the Eagle One’s, are also designed for easy removal and replacement for customization. The company told Daily Coffee News the first E1 Prima machines will be ready for shipment worldwide starting in November. The price has not been made public.