Eversys: Context, Impact, and Takeaways
Eversys espresso machines are revolutionizing coffee shop operations and profit margins at unicorn startup Blank Street Coffee, NYC staple Gregory's Coffee and newcomer Kyle's Soccer Cafe. Through an all-in-one unit, fully automated brewing process, detailed shot parameters and profiles, Eversys solves the twin challenge of pulling both fast/consistent shots and maintaining high quality extraction.
In this lesson
In this lesson we’ve put together a guide on Eversys’ lineup of espresso machines to help you learn the following:
- The difference between traditional and super-automatic espresso machines
- How Eversys machines improve barista efficiency, consistency, happiness and training.
- Why Eversys espresso machines alleviate common equipment concerns including opportunity and service costs.
By the end, you’ll know which Eversys espresso machine is the right choice for your shop—and how to get your hands on one.
Super-automatic vs. Traditional Espresso Machines: What’s the Difference?
Over the last two decades, coffee shops have defaulted to using semi-automatic espresso machines to prepare drinks. On paper, a semi-auto machine requires the barista to control only the beginning and end of the espresso brewing process but in reality it means so much more:
- Measure out the beans for each espresso shot
- Calibrate the grind size for the desired flavor extraction
- Prepare the portafilter according to proper brewing protocols
- Monitor brewing temperatures, pressure, and duration
- Manually steam milk according to drink specifications
(And that’s all for one customer’s drink.)
TLDR: While semi-auto machines give baristas complete control over the beverage, the process is labor-intensive, time-consuming and inconsistent. This approach also means business owners invest a disproportionate amount of time training and staffing for the busiest times of the day or week while investing in capital intensive peripherals like grinders, autotamps, milk pitchers etc.
Conversely, Eversys products completely expedite the brewing process by automating everything from grinding coffee beans to steaming milk, all in one machine--instead of several manual steps, baristas only need to push a button to brew a delicious premium cup of coffee or shot of espresso.
To those used to visiting coffee shops with semi-automatic machines, super-automatic espresso machines seem like a shortcut to drink production that maximize revenue without any regard for quality but this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Eliminating the Need for Multiple Parts and Excess Equipment
Every piece of brewing equipment has a price. New coffee shops can spend anywhere from $30,000–$75,000+ on brewing equipment alone, depending on the size, brand, and construction specifications:
- Semi-automatic espresso machine: $10,000–$30,000+
- Espresso grinders: $2,500–$5,000
- Tamper: $25–$150+
- Milk pitchers: $20–$60+
- Knockbox: $15–$60+
While you’ve likely budgeted for these expenditures, have you considered the cost of a cluttered bar or the opportunity cost associated with a slow or less than ideal customer experience. Relying on more equipment means relying on more complexity and an increased chance of things going sideways and, as you know, the worst opportunity cost of all are the customers you can't serve when your machines are down.
Using Data & Software to Brew Up Consistency
The super-automatic machines of today transcend their predecessors by using data and software to control, monitor, and continuously adjust brewing parameters according to your coffee shop’s recipes. Brewing technology like this has rapidly evolved with machines like Eversys becoming synonymous with coffee quality.
Eversys machines use Extraction Time Control (ETC), a software-based quality control system. Through this program, baristas can expertly manage your shop’s brewing standards by dialing in espresso recipe parameters. Using the ETC software and respective algorithm, the machine then learns to self-calibrate espresso extraction using the parameters provided. The benefit of this technology? Never having to worry about inconsistent espresso quality, no matter the circumstances.
Enhancing Barista Efficiency & Productivity
It’s no secret that being a barista is hard work. Traditional brewing methods require manual effort, an ongoing understanding of espresso theory, and unwavering focus—all before considering the demands of company policies and customer service experience.
The fully automatic nature of an Eversys espresso machine is also changing what it means to be a barista. Rather than spending 8+ hours a day fine-tuning an espresso recipe and churning out drink after drink, baristas can focus on:
- Creating a memorable experience for customers
- Converting first-time visitors into daily regulars
- Ensuring timely and accurate delivery of customer orders
- Completing internal tasks such as cleaning and stocking inventory
Eversys espresso machines also remedy a multitude of workforce concerns for business owners, including:
- Quicker barista training — Instead of spending months training new baristas to operate the espresso machine and brewing principles, the Eversys super auto makes it easy for new employees to start making drinks on day one.
- Reduced manual labor — Between standing for multiple hours a day to joint pain from repetitive espresso tamping, baristas’ bodies are under a great deal of stress. With a super-automatic espresso machine, baristas experience a virtually hands-free brewing process and reduced daily fatigue.
Promoting Espresso Flavor
At the end of the day, every new coffee shop is only successful if its coffee tastes great.
Traditional espresso machines may offer customers an artisanal coffee experience, but do not guarantee consistency. This approach relies on the sensory skills and experience of the barista, meaning the taste of your shop’s espresso may vary based on who calibrated it on that day.
Instead, assign your most senior barista to enter espresso parameters into the Eversys and the machine will produce a consistent espresso all day long. This functionality also promotes creativity among your staff by encouraging them to create new and exciting espresso recipes for Eversys to follow.
Alleviating Common Café Concerns With Super-Automatic Espresso Machines
Equipment breaks. Baristas move on to other jobs. Bills are due. As a business owner, it’s your responsibility to tackle those concerns as they arise. Fortunately, you can take preventative measures to safeguard your business from these concerns—and opting for a super-automatic machine such as an Eversys is where it all starts.
Staffing & Training Expenses
Hiring new baristas is a costly endeavor. Beyond hourly wages, the amount of overhead, inventory, and additional labor involved in training new employees adds up.
Super-automatic espresso machines reduce or eliminate the need for intensive training periods, effectively expediting an employee’s trajectory onto the bar and reducing overall training expenses.
Coffee Quality
Two factors influence a customer’s decision to return to your coffee shop: the coffee and their experience. With an Eversys espresso machine on the bar, your team of baristas can provide both coffee quality and a superior customer experience in one transaction.
No matter if it’s a busy Saturday morning rush or a quiet weekday afternoon, you’ll never worry about the quality of your coffee shop’s espresso drinks—freeing you up to focus on other pertinent areas of the business.
Equipment “Down Time”
Equipment will break. Whether it’s caused by overuse or a manufacturing issue, damage is inevitable. With traditional espresso setups, if one piece of equipment “goes down,” the entire process is halted, leaving your team scrambling for a solution. Worst of all, it often takes days or weeks for parts and service to arrive.
The modular design of an Eversys machine means espresso service can be back up and running in a matter of hours—not days.
Costly Maintenance
Traditional espresso machines must be regularly serviced every six months or so. However, this biannual service can be expensive, especially when a problem is detected.
Plus, espresso machines regularly run into problems due to old parts, improper brewing protocols, or a lack of regular cleaning. As a result, the ongoing cost of maintaining a semi-automatic or manual espresso machine can often exceed the initial value of the machine.
Super-automatic espresso machines don’t require endless maintenance, nor do they rely on intricate parts. Eversys’ modular design ensures that technicians and coffee shop owners alike can easily access, replace, and mitigate any problem that arises without the need for ongoing maintenance.
Will Eversys Espresso Machines Replace Baristas?
While super-automatic espresso machines such as Eversys can brew superior espresso, they still need the knowledge and skills of a barista to operate correctly.
Eversys machines need baristas to program recipes for the software to follow. The software then tells the machine how to brew based on these recipes, which can only be verified with a barista’s trained palate.
However, without the labor-intensive tasks required of traditional espresso brewing, the role of a barista evolves into a customer-centric job rather than a beverage-centric position. This provides baristas ample opportunities to engage in customer conversations, education, and other forms of meaningful interactions.
The Eversys Espresso Machine Lineup
Eversys machines merge the artisan approach of traditional espresso extraction with the technology and convenience needed in today’s coffee shops. The company’s lineup of super auto espresso machines is purposefully designed to address the needs of independent coffee shops, trucks, restaurants, hotels, and more.
Eversys Cameo
The Eversys Cameo introduced the specialty coffee world to the advantages of a super-automatic espresso machine. The Cameo is capable of brewing up to 175 espressos per hour, making it the perfect choice for smaller coffee shops, food trucks, and self-serve cafes.
The Cameo offers the following modifications:
- Classic, Core, or Super Traditional — Choose from three different submodels within the Cameo product line: the original model, the Classic; the stripped-down version, the Core; or an elevated model capable of handling a slightly higher volume of drinks, the Super Traditional.
- Milk or No Milk — The Cameo comes with three options for milk: C'2c, which does not have a steam wand and only produces coffee and/or tea; C'2s, which includes a steam wand for manual milk frothing; or C'2ms, which provides a fully automated milk frothing process.
Starting Cost: $17,350
Add an Eversys Cameo to your coffee shop today.
Eversys Enigma
If you anticipate a high volume of customers at your café, the Eversys Enigma can handle the demand. The Enigma comes with a multitude of variations, making it a versatile and customizable espresso machine for busy coffee shops in high-traffic areas.
The Enigma espresso machine boasts similar features to the Cameo, including the choice of Classic or Super Traditional models and milk frothing options with the following editions:
- E'2, E'4, or E'6 — Based on customer volume, machine owners can choose the Eversys Enigma model that meets their needs. The name of the model indicates how many drinks can be made at a time (i.e. E'2 can make up to 2 drinks at a time.) E'4 and E'6 models allow more than one barista to use the machine at a time.
Starting Cost: $30,600
Learn more about adding the Eversys Engima to your coffee shop.
Eversys Shotmaster
Don’t be dismayed by the small size of the Eversys Shotmaster. This fully automatic powerhouse is capable of brewing up to 350 espressos drinks per hour! The base model, the Shotmaster Classic, comes with the ability to brew four drinks simultaneously.
Similar to the Enigma and Cameo espresso machines, Shotmaster super autos offer the choice between a Classic or Super Traditional submodel and milk frothing options.
Staring Cost: $22,000
Check out the specifications on the Eversys Shotmaster.
Eversys Espresso Machine Accessories
Eversys espresso equipment is built with coffee shop customization in mind. Both Classic and Super Traditional models can be upgraded with the following accessories to meet the needs of your growing business.
- E'choco — Store and add chocolate or other flavored powders to espresso beverages.
- E'fridge — For models with milk frothing capabilities, this accessory adds another level of convenience with temperature-controlled milk storage inside the machine. The E'fridge can also accommodate up to two milk choices, enabling coffee shops to cater to alternative dairy drinkers.
- E'cup heater — Keep up to 180 espresso cups heated to four different temperatures, stored on three removable drawers inside the unit.
Eversys Key Design Features
Inside every Eversys espresso machine are innovative features designed to enhance the quality and flavor of coffee beverages while maintaining a high level of efficiency. These include:
- Self-calibration — Using the ETC technology, Eversys espresso machines work to guarantee repeatable results. Forced recalibration every morning helps baristas confirm flavor for an added layer of quality assurance.
- e'Levelling & Tamping — Traditional espresso brewing is prone to human error. Not enough pressure when tamping or a simple distribution error can lead to poorly brewed espresso. This technology shakes the brewing chamber to promote even distribution for more consistent flavor extraction.
- 1, 1.5, and 2-Step Programme — Coffee shops can choose to have a fully automated beverage preparation or a manual milk steaming approach with this feature.
- e'Connect — Monitor your Eversys machine’s performance remotely through auto-generated or requested reports.
- e'Connect API & e'API — By connecting Eversys to your company’s ERP and other operational software, you can remotely monitor coffee freshness and water filtration with alerts, keep track of inventory, and review location performance.
Modular Design Leads to the Ultimate Efficiency and Savings
Eversys espresso machines feature a modular design. This strategic decision allows for rapid access to various parts of the machine for replacement, reducing the amount of time the machine is down for maintenance.
Eversys modules include:
- Brewing unit — Able to hold up to 24 grams of coffee grounds per beverage, the brewing unit enables baristas to program a variety of brewing recipes.
- Grinder module — Eversys espresso machines contain two grinders within the module, giving baristas the ability to program two recipes at once. For coffee shops offering half-caf drinks, baristas can also dose grounds from both grinders with one of the grinders containing decaf beans.
- Milk module — Expertly frothed milk is produced and dispensed in either the 1, 1.5, or 2-step programme.
- Steam/water unit — Steam produced with constant pressure and temperature is imperative to proper espresso brewing. This module ensures a precise temperature, regardless of coffee shop volume.
- Hydraulic module — This module dedicates a single boiler for coffee extraction, ensuring that temperature remains stable for top-tier productivity all day long.