I work at a specialty cafe and something machines can't match to a good barista is showing a customer how everything works; how they appreciate the human contact, the show of craft that a pour over or latte art represent, small talk mixed along with some questions about how everything works and why every step is important is just unmatched. I believe super automatic machines could easily substitute (and some already do) cheap or uneducated labor, like fast food restaurants or airports cafes. This feels more like an overhaul that could now be good enough to substitute bad baristas, but in the **near** future, I feel I have relatively good market security.

There's a coffee shop in Times Square where the drinks are all made by a robot. It feels dystopian. There's no life or love involved. And it's always empty. The shop I work for really survives on regulars that come for quality coffee and a safe, Loving, human environment. I really hope that we don't lose that going forward.

We went to the Taiwan coffee show in Taipei back in November and, although all the commercial brands were present, it was overwhelmingly focused on the home market.

Reducing the human element in the coffee making has also reduced the human element in the customer service I have noticed as our local shops have installed automatic machines. It made me realize I was paying for overpriced coffee at a fast food restaurant. It used to be much more personal, which is odd considering a semi auto machine required more attention. I lost interest in going out, as someone who would go out multiple times a week

As someone who's managed teams of baristas, there always exists the struggle to understand that making coffee was a craft, not a passion. The best baristas were never the people who felt purpose behind the espresso machine but rather saw themselves as someone developing a skill, honing and building a multitude of talents to make a good coffee experience. I think the decline of skillful baristas exists simply because, well, it's too expensive. If I know I am a good barista, I wouldn't be happy with 12/hr, knowing I've spent 10+ years making 10k espressos, 2k pour overs, etc. Yes, tips help, but not enough. Most people tip, on average, 10%, so assuming coffee is $4 average, I'd need to make 300 drinks over 8 hours to make $200/day. That's exhausting. Also, coffee is too cheap to be a product that pays people well. No one (including myself) wants to pay $5 for an espresso. I know of a company that tried growing coffee in the states, and after harvest, resting, R&D, and roast, each cup costs $16, and yet the company needed to sell it for $25 just to break even. That's the cost of American labor, and who in the right mind would spend $16 every day for coffee? Maybe a cocktail, not a cup of Joe. So yes, raising coffee prices would help people get paid more and *maybe* tipped more, and maybe you could justify it by claiming it to be artisan, fair wages, fully traceable, and completely transparent in every way, but no one wanted to pay for that cup, ever. Finally, I've been to many shops with super-autos, and the coffees taste good enough, but they're not as exciting. There's nothing "special" about it, and while I'm happy with the drinks, I'm not happy with the engagement. People treat baristas like entry-level employees, and so they treat the job accordingly. It's like doing a math exam with a calculator. Yes, you passed the test, but as soon as you go to a different class, you'll realize you didn't learn enough to adapt to a new environment with different coffees. Superautomatics may make a better cup, but I'm not sure people develop a good knowledge about origin, roast, extraction, texture, temp, etc. if it's all done for you. TL:DR - coffee is (unfortunately) too cheap, and people are too expensive, rightfully so. Superautomatics make good coffee, not good baristas.

This is an interesting topic. I was in New York recently and visited La Cabra. I was super surprised to see that they were using fully automatic espresso machines in a very high end cafe setting. They were using these automatics to provide more customer focused experience and offer higher margin products like pour over.

La Marzocco isn’t a luxury brand, it is a commercial brand. Here in Australia, most McDonalds have a La Marzocco. They dominate commercial espresso in most of the world. I was in a truck stop recently, and the various businesses had 4 La Marzocco machines between them. If La Marzocco want to achieve that level within the US, they probably need capital. 10x or more scale requires cash and a lot of nerve. What is interesting is that the La Marzocco, Mythos, Puq Press, auto milk steamer combo has replaced automatic machines, even in fast food. Replacing the core automation with a human is economically sound.

Most customers walking in for the first time don't necessarily care how the coffee is made. They care about the end product. Same is true of most returning visitors. A small subset of both care about the craft. The people working connecting with the people buying and putting out a good product are the most important ingredients. I love crafting my own espresso with manual machines because it's a fun hobby. It's something I like to do everyday anyways like cooking. I enjoy the process and finding new coffees and products that make it better over time. There will be a market for it and a community of people that care about it. Even if we become the old classic car guys of the coffee world.

The death of commercial craft coffee has already happened. Outside of a few boutique coffee shops inside major cities, cafes have lagged behind experienced and passionate home baristas for some time now. As far as La Marzocco, cost cutting is always a risk for every brand who's reputation is built on quality. It happens to nearly all of them. I dont think the DeLonghi share purchase will accelerate or decelerate that. I think the main reason why DeLonghi wanted a large stake in LM is because they can realize additional profits from marketing campaigns. Meaning DeLonghi will sell you a cheap entry level machine and guide you into your next upgrade. Before this, DeLonghi would spend millions in advertising to get people in the door, then lose out on profit from large ticket sales when those same people upgrade to a better machine.

An interesting discussion. I don’t know what it means for cafes, but personally, even if a superauto could quickly and easily make shots just a delicious as my home lever machine. I wouldn’t consider switching. The process of making espresso, and especially the direct involvement with a lever, is such an enjoyable and satisfying experience I wouldn’t give that up.

Long live the E61! That thumbnail is awesome

I come from the hometown of La Marzocco and I always feel a sense of pride when I get the outstanding coffee from LM machines in cafés around the world. Now in London, I reached a point where I don't even enter a café that doesn't have one, because with LM I know exactly what I get and I can't say the same for the rest (but it's mostly meh... and don't let me start on Blank Street Coffee...). De Longhi becoming the controlling shareholder of LM to me is an absolutely devastating news. I could have understood a business partnership, akin to Leica and Huawei for example, where the Leica brand provides a more high-end feel to some Huawei flagship smartphones. But the other way round, where the cheap controls the luxe, is a recipe for disaster. Poorer quality control, shortcuts with cheaper assembly parts, loss of handicraft in favour of mass production, bad customer care... Terrible, terrible news.

People that get really into something and start doing it home quickly realize two things. 1) At a certain point you can do just as good if not better job at home. 2) it costs less then going to a shop. So the question is what can a shop offer that justifies a cup costing $4 ?(whatever it is now of days)? Good place? Good staff? Meet up for friends? A certain preparation that cannot happen at home? Maybe I am paying for just the seat and that is enough? This also happens with cocktail making. Why go to a bar for a great drink when I can do for less and made just as well at home.

I watched Matt’s video and the message I got is the message he does not want to give. Matt assures us that the future does not consist of soulless vending machines producing excellent coffee. But let’s face it: over time, machines,get better and employees get more expensive. in the future, really good coffee vending machines will shut down most coffee shops. -Toby

One very important point we coffee nerds often overlook is that the big masses of coffee drinkers don‘t care that much about how their coffee is prepared. They couldn‘t tell apart a perfect coffee made by a barista with state of the art equipment from one poured out a fully automatic machine, mostly because they have a big amount of milk, sugar or some sort of syrup in it. The interior design of the coffee shop and the stylishness of the cup play a much bigger role in attracting the masses. Therefore, those who bring the industry money are completely fine with automatic machines, which the industry of course knows. Makes me worry for the art of the barista…

I think this acquisition is comparable to Breville's of Lelit. Lelit for the most part remains untouched and operates separately. Fingers crossed in the same way De'Longhi looks at this acquisition as a way to gain a new revenue stream instead of expansion into a new product line.

Having worked in the investment banking space for a long time, although I have no detailed familiarity with this transaction, I can say your observations appear spot on. Thank you Georgio (love that thumbnail).

For what I read on a Reuters article De'Longhi Industrial already had a controlling stake in La Marzocco and De'Longhi SpA bought some of those shares from it's parent company and some more from minority stakeholders.

Delonghi bought most of that from its parent company Delonghi Industrial so in reality not much will have changed. Hopefully, any change will be positive like cross selling between the two companies, shared production, stronger purchasing power for parts etc.

I believe that Coffee shops will be Split ,Robot, Automatic Machine with human Baristas and "Old School" Craft espresso shops.

I'm so glad I'm into slow bars. I respect people who go great lengths to make great coffee. I basically brew coffee for my mental health now. And that's what I want to share with others. This world is just too chaotic for me, I need something to help me find peace and I found some of that with the ritual of taking your time to make coffee and being mindful to every aspect of the process. It also helped me stopped being anxious being left behind with the latest trend in the coffee industry.

Another M&A I didn't hear you mention is Breville acquiring both Baratza and Lelit. It certainly seems they're aiming at a next wave of all-in-one home machines as a Nespresso-type option for specialty coffee drinkers who aren't 'crafty'. As to the future of the craft itself, I'll use a different car analogy: Those of us tinkering with brew techniques and multiple machines will be like classic car enthusiasts. Nothing automatic, and the ability to feel out the process. The beauty and enjoyment will lie in the unique capacity for imperfections that result in the cup, and your personal interaction with the journey of getting there... Meanwhile the Tesla will make no sound, and fly past you, by a first time user simply pressing down a single button.

Covid I think has accelerated the shift out of the cafe to the home as well. Many of my favorite cafes in NYC closed and never came back. As a result I bought a Breville and then a La Marzocco GS3 MP. After two years I would never go to a cafe unless its to ask about a type of bean. My espresso is much better than what is around now but also it is not viable in a commercial setting.

Greatest thumbnail ever.

You're correct about pointing out the shift is likely to happen commercially. Individually, we've seen the huge comeback of vinyl back into homes, competing with a number of generational leaps: mp3, dvd, streaming with mp3 and eventually lossless formats. All this did not stop people from embracing the ritual part of music: owning the collection, taking care of it, having physical evidence of ownership, accepting the imperfections and possible loss of quality, deterioration, etc. The same is seen in car industry. Fully automate machines could eventually bring coffee culture closer to having just a caffeine pill, and that to me is the real nail in the coffin for coffee drinking. While such brands do acquisitions to be future proof, I'm not sure they got entirely everything figured out how would people react to ipad-like screen on their coffee machines. To me, more tactile, non-screen controls are fun to use. And that's where the question is raised: what is coffee going to be in the future, for what social-economic splits? I own LMLM + Niche but i doubt my tastes are shared among people that are glad with Starbucks, they, in their turn, look too fancy for those who are happy drinking instant coffee. cost cutting can potentially lure instant coffee drinkers to coffee shops for a cheaper espresso, that's where I guess the biggest divide / shift could be expected. Enthusiast at home will keep on having manual things. p.s. sometimes i wish minimalism had a good pushback in design in some fields and there would be gadgets that are emotion and thought provoking, with curves, less box looking, and less automated

Great video Asa 🙌 So great to see so many views and comments on a video not about machine reviews. It's a really tough position to be a specialty espresso bar, even in Australia, because so much of the narrative from the big players is about having cheap coffee and since caffeine nevers dissipates, but sugars and oils do, this means the "coffee fix" is always the main focus. Cheap coffee is where all the profits are made which unfortunately doesnt help specialty coffee but until the mass consumers are unwilling to accept cheap coffee, we will continue to see a push towards the mid. I did a video on why coffee shouldnt be cheap and compared it to how wine has evolved from drinking to get drunk on $5 bottles, to savouring the flavour with $30-50 bottles. Coffee is 3x more difficult to get from seed to cup and produces 1/6th of the volume (coffee trees vs grape vines) but until the value we place on coffee is raised to a similar level as wine/whiskey etc, we will continue to see companies profiteering off cheap and easy coffee production. But here's the real stitch, ask 100 people if they had to give up coffee or alcohol which one they would choose and see how many answer alcohol... I've got a video coming out about it and you might be surprised.

I think you're absolutely right about the death of the barista. Cafe owners who don't care about coffee want to cut down on training and retention costs for personnel. If a machine can automate away those costs and get them a consistent product they can sell to upscale customers then they are happy as business owners. The craft is absolutely going to survive in the home hobbyist market. You may see the odd specialty cafe for highly discerning customers but generally those people are becoming hobbyists who are too picky about their coffee to trust it to a cafe!

LM is an old school brand, and the dudes who sold are probably old school coffee drinkers who don't truly grasp the difference of coffee made on a super auto versus a commercial dual boiler and a skilled modern barista. It's not even close, and it will be a decade or several before there is a bean to cup that matches that. Furthermore there is no such thing as a consistent repeatable process with coffee. Every bean is different, the same bean changes as it ages, or you may want to highlight certain aspects of the bean's potential, and the quality of the final product is determined entirely by human subjectivity. There will always be baristas in the same sense that there will always be chefs. EVEN IF the machine handled everything perfectly from bean to cup, and you had perfect control over every variable along the way, there still has to be a guy there to see whether the espresso tastes way he wants it to taste, to manipulate said variables according to that.

Locally, we've gone from 3 Starbucks and a good coffee place to 3 Starbucks, 2-3 good places, and like 5 other big brands with super auto machines (Scooters, Dutch Bros, and 7Brew for example) The big issue I foresee is when everything is a button push, you lose some ability to customize. For example, at home I can steam to 150F, at Scooters they burn the milk every time (it's at least 180F). That said, as semi-auto leaves, I think it'll go the way of the lever instead of the way of the Dodo. Lever machines still exist, and can even be found in some cafés. They're just not the default recommendation anymore.

I do appreciate your YT video making approach. It's a thought provoking content and I like it very much. My take on this is that from the common coffee "drinker" not enthusiast nor passionate it doesn't really matter who is preparing a OKish coffee: barista or a coffee machine. I can see a lot that currently in 80-90% of coffee shops the coffee being served is just "average", prepared without proper controll over the process by not very well trained and not carrying a lot personnel (yes, I did not use the word barista). For that huge market of average coffee shops (let's call it mass coffee shops) such an automatization is a god sent offer. It reduces cost, improves consistency and increase operational margin. The real question is, how far in terms of quality in an cup that trend could go? I am still waiting for a good coffee cup from automatic machine... for me, for the moment it's like AI... people think it's great until you realy need something reliable from it. I am not an orthodox home barista... I don't have to do it manually but... for the moment automatic machines just cannot produce tasty enough coffee for me to give up my hobby :D

Haha that thumbnail. Now I understand the poll you did on IG 🤣

I have never had a really good cup of coffee from a fully automatic DeLonghi machine. That says it all

When companies are bought their fate really depends on whether the conglomerate buying it understands the culture or they are just trying to buy an "asset". If it's the latter, quality will decline and prices will rise, and eventually the company will be a relic. Already people question the performance of La Marzocco for the price, and lots of other machines already compete on performance for a much lower price. There will be change, but there will always be the craft - people like you will make sure of it by caring about the humanity of it. That's why a lot of people still love old muscle cars, and will continue to do so after self-driving cars are ubiquitous.

Majority will choose convenience and speed over anything else. If a super automatic can make coffee/latte close to our dual boilers/pumps at home then many will choose to do so, which is why Breville and Nespresso sells so many of their products. On the commercial side, like you said, at the end of the day, they're business owners, if a super automatic can make twice as much as a barista with your traditional espresso machine, why not? They're basically doubling their revenue with less man power, I'm pretty sure these coffee shops sells more to-go drinks than stay-in drinks.

Thought-provoking video. You could argue that super-automatic machines appeal to a market that would not buy a semi-automatic machine, and therefore are expanding the market not contracting it. My brother in-law bought a super automatic machine and loves it. The rub is that when companies buy other companies, the acquired company usually loses, in spite of what the bankers say.

I think it makes sense. As a coffee aficionado, I very, very rarely buy espresso based coffee at cafes. It’ll have to be a place that is very specific where I know they have something to offer me. Otherwise I’m only paying way too much for something I can do much better at home. So for the vast majority of cafe customers even now I don’t think this shift will matter very much.

since I bought a home machine I rarely go to coffee shops. Hopefully home market options continue to thrive

Lelit and la pavoni also bought out. I am terrified of the death of steel and the rise of tin and plastic in home machines

2017 Cimbali acquires controlling stake of Slayer 2021 Middleby acquires Synesso 2022 Breville acquires Lelit I would still love anyone of these machines and don’t think they have lost their craftsmanship post acquisition, am I wrong? All hope is not lost.

I used to work at Starbucks. I spent 3 years developing skills that made me different from my "partners". We all used the same super-automatic machines and still, there was a substancial difference between the baristas, because we all care about the construction of a beverage in different levels. Some of us would get obsessed in how to texture and integrate the milk to the espresso shots, to give costumer a nice tactile experience, whilst some others would't even calibrate the machine so the taste of the espresso wasn´t that bad. That being said, I do not believe the craftsmanship will die. Instead, it will make it easier for the costumers to spot who a truly barista is from those who, even with a fully automated machine, don't know nor care what they're doing.

The day my favourite coffee shops go super automated, is the day I stop going to them. But I don’t see independent specialist coffee shops going that way.

To me, the pairing of your video and the Squarespace ad tells the whole story. You're talking about coffee moving on into automation -- whihch has real benefits in that a consumer can buy a machine that makes good espresso right out of the box without the months-long learning curve of leaning the craft of makeing it themselves .What's the future going to look like? Squarespace -- they've taken the learning curve / craft of building a website and delivers it to naieve customers. There are still people building websites from scratch, but it's not required anymore if you just want a website. Good coffee with less skill or effort is a good thing on the whole, and it will happen. But it makes me sad because I learned it the old way, and I think something valuable will be lost in the shuffle. I guess the future for me is sitting on my porch with my hand-made latte screaming at the kids to get off my lawn.

Pretty sure that is the best thumbnail so far in the series. I actually thought it was that crazy alien guy. 🤣🤣

As an enthusiast with my own really good setup at home, I actually rarely go to cafes any more. Or when I do, it's only ones that I know or watch how they operate. Most modern day Barista's (if you can call them that) don't really have a passion or even understand what they are doing. I struggle with the idea of paying someone $5-$6 AUD for a coffee, that I can do better and far cheaper (not counting the machinery) at home. Plus I enjoy the process. I can deal with auto tamp, but auto milk is just next level cheating. For the most part I'm an espresso person and pour over at home. It is the coffee I really enjoy. When out at a cafe, I also feel paying $4 for a double espresso to be criminal, so I usually go the milk option, to make the barista actually do something for my money. But, for me, milk drinks are really covering up bad coffee anyway. Yes they have their place, but somewhat average coffee is easily covered up by milk. As some other commentators say, most cafe attendees are there for the social side of it, and a habit. They may not actually care for the process of how it arrives. They just want a good drink.

This is a Vanguard thing, they try to have o be the share holders for every thing

I am very passionate about watches and brand acquisition is one of the most controversial topic in the watch community. Its long and there might be a lot of comparison so I prefer summarizing it. La Marzocco, as long as DeLonghi kept their words, would be a very good thing in the long run. They would have more research budget and still have creative freedom. They also can have access to more technology that allows mass production and achieve cheaper production while keeping their quality(hopefully). If at some point there is a crisis, the losses would mostly be covered by delonghi. in regards on super auto espresso machine, it had been popping on a lot of cafes in my city recently. Its a large improvement of quality in coffee compared to what I used to get and its a win. However, something that you forgot is service is number 1 in specialty coffee. If there isn't much sentimental value to the craft of coffee, then people might just leave. However, that might just mean we had to rely on hipsters and coffee enthusiasts.

Excellent info. But the interpolation that this is going to ruin craft coffee in top cafes is not likely to

100%, the future of "the craft" is at home with hobbyists not at business where every dollar and second matters... at least in the USA

We gave used gbw grinders but have never jumped into the Eversys style of machines. We do use 3 decents in iur cafe and it takes some of the upfront manual aspects away from out baristas, but what it does add is the empowerment of trying everything under the sun for our customers. Our barisatas have to become more aware of so many different styles of brewing espresso, because we can brew it. However, since we have tablets, pressure profiling, and gbw grinders the up front process is reduced to plug and play as long as their puck prep is good and our roasts are consistent batch to batch

I had several things that I thought of through this video. Glad I watched the whole thing before commenting, you managed to express the same thoughts I had.

I’m a head barista for a specialty coffee chain in the uk and we are transitioning to the Eversys machines it’s genuinely taking the craft out of making coffee 😢

Actually I think it’s the opposite. The La Marzocco is outdated as well as most other semi automatic machines on the market. The commercial environment doesn’t allow the craft to grow since the cafe has to consider making coffee in a timely manner, machine limitations, training/retaining skilled employees, and other variables. At this point I see why many cafes go fully automatic since they are shortchanging the craft of making espresso anyway. However, the new breeds of semi auto machines that can replicate old school lever machines and new school recipes with automated pressure profiling and the like through technology, can and will give cafes the opportunity to return to a well crafted espresso while meeting business challenges that work against older semi auto machines

I find this guy in the thumbnail shockingly familiar, didn't know you also had a job at the history channel. Now i have to rewatch all your videos to find the hidden clues of an ancient civilisation.

Absolutely killed it with the thumbnail

There are still plenty of craft baristas, some are lucky to have them accessible, and some not. Thanks for the excellent commentary, it’ll be interesting to see how things progress in the industry. I agree with you, the home market I don’t think will change, but the commercial market is wide open. At the end of the day, the question is, does further technology and automation lower the quality of the cup?

Way I see it, the baristas who should be most worried are those who are least personally invested in the craft. Being a barista is like any other job, and the increase in demand for them means that you're as likely to get a mediocre person with the minimum credentials making your coffee, as you are likely to find a bad doctor or a bad lawyer. Super automatics will likely be able to displace the run-of-the-mill, and unfortunately a few passionate ones too. But the most well-trained and genuinely enthusiastic baristas will always have demand from those of us who go to cafes for a holistic experience, with real human interaction and the reassurance that the person who brews the coffee also knows about things like roast, origin, and flavors. Soulless tech may come to dominate the mainstream in just about anything, but niche enthusiasm always finds a way to survive, even in the world of businesses.

Living in northern burbs 40 miles north of Atlanta, I’ve seen 4 independents and numerous chains(SB, Dunkin, future Caribou, etc)survive in my area. Independent in the downtown area and chains on the outside. Glad to see the growth. It’s close by a private college. That being said, I still make better espresso with my fresh roasted beans from Brash that works well with my Breville Pro. The independents and chains are used for convenience on occasion. I go to the oldest independent coffee shop because of the price. It is always busy. Always wanted a LaMa, but it was out of my price point. DeLonghi never seemed to impress enough to buy one.

Funny how La Marzocco walked away from their Starbucks relationship rejecting the ask for 'more' automation, and now they're going to be smashed together with Eversys.

I don't care about the craft, the most important part for me is the result in the cup. If a machine can make a better shot consistently than me or a barista, I'm all for it.

I agree with the comments on consistency. Whenever I need a quick fix out and about and I don't know where to find a nice cafe, I will often get a Costa Coffee. But the way their baristas are trained means every coffee you get is different. I get much better luck having a decent one out of the automatic Costa Coffee machines in the supermarket than from their trained baristas.

I live in a small - midsize city most primarily known being the home to a major university. Demand for specialty coffee shops is high, but few cafes are able to serve consistently good coffee, mostly imo because of the transience of staff. Fully Automatic machines will be a welcome addition here.

So many people just want lattes & flavored drinks & not actual espresso & don’t appreciate it. I can see superautos taking over because a good one is $1600 & a nice semiautomatic is $2500 & way on up. I like making my own on my ECM but it may be overkill for just me at home. But I enjoy it!

I can see this creating 2 streams cafes. Those that lean towards automation and consistency and those that value well trained Baristas. Both could be seen as a selling point for different clientele. I can also see this pushing the “barista forward” cafes into some of the more intricate “home barista” methodologies. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Thumbnail is fire

Every company is just a tool to our needs - Most times I'm pretty sure you could achieve consistently the same quality of espresso with Prosumer brands like Profitec, Expobar, LeLit, Rocket, etc. without overpaying 3x for that same coffee quality.

I went to Europe 2 months ago (Berlin, Dessau and Prague). Most shops I went have the same super-autos, even "coffee shops" that sells primarily coffee and baked goods). Had to walk around a few times to find ones that had semi's.

No idea what the impact will be to the craft, but… I can’t think of a single merger/acquisition that’s made my life better.

Realistically a lot of people like good coffee, but not a lot of people want a new hobby. A faster and more convenient way to make great espresso will win out in the end

As a Cafe owner I would comfortably say super automatic machines are the future for all Coffee shops. They are efficient, consistent and the taste is just as good as semi automatic. I love semi automatic machines, but not in a commercial setting. Super auto are just better for a business, and it does not compromise much.

As a career IT professional of almost 40 years, Im not surprised. Automation, including AI, is on a fast track in most areas. We love the benefit but we bemoan the loss of the old ways. All my hobbies are seeing this. From coffee, to building hot rods. Gone are the local speed shops and even a good machine shop is hard to find for me. now, boutique hands on coffee shops. As a home roaster, espresso maker you may want to ensure you can lessen your reliance on any outside support to keep your hobby from becoming lost to time. I now weld, and have friends with end mills and lathes to ensure i can drive my gas guzzling american steel😂. I am glad i DIY'd my coffee journey. I dont need a cafe any longer. I make better coffee at home and fully enjoy the experience of roasting and extracting. If i lived in a warmer climate, i would grow my own😊.

There is always going to be a push to make a process more streamline and consistent for a large market. High end sports cars now have no clutch and you shift with paddles to make it easier…but true connection with the road will never be better than a 6 speed manual. Same thing here, can’t stop the fact that easier to use makes more money but the market for the enthusiast will never go away, it will just become more defined.

Another unintended consequences that might happened cause of this shift in the industry is that there will be more and more barista/brewer champions coming from developing countries, the global south if you will. The countries that actually produce coffees. I see a lot of recent finalist of barista, brewer, roaster, taster, etc coming from said countries. Baristas and other in these countries can still relatively compete and honing their craft without the disruption of auto machines. But that will also depends on the format of the competition.

The wonder is in the 'niche'. We work hard, save our money, and sometimes buy wonderful objects with that money - objects that have been crafted by people who are deeply committed to the beauty of that object. My Linea Mini represents a lovely object in my home - it contributes to my home - to the great feeling my home exudes. When we move from design and special - to pure utility - we lose something. let's see how it plays out ... time to go pull my shot for the day.

It really is just a shuffling of shares as Delonghi bought the shares in La Marzocca from Delonghi.

A superautomatic machine in a specialty coffeeshop will still certainly benefit from the experience, skills, and knowledge of a professional barista, but this shift could affect the pipeline of skilled, knowledgeable baristas through the less-advanced, 2nd-wave coffee shops (think of all the coffee shops with a hundred bottles of Monin syrups in every conceivable flavor) which would likely be happy to offer the same or better experience/consistency by replacing barista training with a machine. But, it might no longer be the case that experience working in a less-specialized coffee shop is required to work at a specialty coffee shop due to the rise of Coffee KZfaq and the accessibility of better, cheaper home coffee equipment. Heck, maybe it'd be easier to hire baristas with no cafe experience even at specialty coffee shops with high standards since new hires wouldn't have to be thrust onto the line to get drinks out, but instead they could manage a superautomatic during rush periods and learn the fundamentals and develop skills and knowledge during the lulls.

A human making the espresso, even if the result could theoretically be worse, will be more "romantic" and therefore attract more customers than someone just pushing a button. At the end of the day, most people going in a specialty cafe do it for the "vibes" and the "image" more than the absolute quality of the coffee. I have a hard time thinking a soulless café with super espresso everywhere will attract a lot of customers.

You didn’t mention that Delonghi actually already owned a large chunk of La Marzocco prior to this. I’m not sure of the exact details, but I believe Delonghi Industrial owned about 40% of LM which they sold to their coffee subsidiary Delonghi Spa. The other 20% acquisition has come from buying smaller shareholdings. So it’s actually not really new. You make some good points and provide a very balanced view. I think some people in the industry will have to get over themselves and realise that 99% of consumers care 0% about the ‘craft’ and just want a decent product delivered to them at a reasonable price in a fairly short amount of time.

I really doubt that there is be a huge shift to super-automatic machines in cafes. I'm sure these companies want that so they can sell more machines, but I don't see there being a real market that competes with existing café models. There's already minimal labor 'at the bar' in a café; it's not like there's a huge team of people running the place. It's usually only one or two at the coffee shops I go to. Additionally, the role of the barista is more than 'move the portafilter,' it's also make the rest of the drink, do the art on top, maintain the machines, add more beans to the hopper, refill the drip machines, clean, sell the pastries, make recommendations, etc... The one market I can see for these machines is a place that wants to replace the barista entirely and just serve drinks from a vending machine, but these types of installations would not compete with established cafes in a meaningful way, but would probably mainly be there to add a coffee option for another type of establishment. Even Starbucks wouldn't want that because the atmosphere of a café is a big reason why people go. I can go to a bar, or I cold buy 6-pack of beer and go home; there are very different experiences and cater to different customers and consumer needs. People go to a café to have a space to socialize, relax, or work and having a knowledgeable barista is a major part of that. To me, this smells more of 3D TV's. These consumer brands are pushing something hard but it's not something anyone really wants beyond specific niche situations/buyers. I think it will end up being more like VW buying luxy brands like Porsche, Bentley, Lamborghini, etc. There will be some use of parts/technologies but ultimately will remain separate businesses with unique brand reputations. If I'm a café owner and decide to buy a super-automatic machine, I'm still going to have to keep a employees on staff, I potentially cheapen my image , and I've now purchased a very expensive machine that will end up needing far more maintenance and down time if it breaks. Whatever reduction in waste or increase in consistency claimed are all theoretical. When customers need new drinks because the machine is out of calibration, or more money is spent on maintenance contracts or repairs, I think the gains go out the window. Having gravimetrics and such help the barista be more efficient through quicker dial-ins and easier multi-tasking, but to claim this means there's inevitable shift to full automation is, I think, untrue. There is a market for more automation, Starbucks has been using automated machines for years, but that doesn't reduce the need for workers and will inevitably lead to more issues with the added complexity. I don't' see why a 'real' café would be interested in a machine like that if they're not already using one.

I've been holding off on buying a Mini for a bit. Do you think I should buy now before Delonghi starts affecting the quality of the machines?

I work in a cafe that uses superautomatics. I personally love the craft of espresso and go through all the minutia of puck prep with my home set up, but I don’t get to do that at work. But it’s all the stuff you said - speed and consistency. The volume of identical drinks we can crank out would dwarf any cafe that uses less automatic machines. It’s not the experience I want, but I’m in the minority by far. For the vast amount of people, this is the way to a better, more consistent cafe experience. Those of us who do care about the craft will always have it, we’ll just be in the background a little more.

I can imagine that a majority of your average coffee shops would make the switch. Let's be honest, your average coffee shops (Basically the less "specialty" coffee shops) would likely gain an increase in the average quality of their coffee. Coffee machines would end up going the way of the horse - from the common use, to niche.

I am so ready for a super automatic expresso machine that doesn’t need skill for a good expresso at home a reasonable price.

It's sad to see how the trend of keeping a commercial brand alive has consumed one of my favourite brands in the world of coffee making. Sadly, this type of buy out coupled with introduction of new product is what could have been argued when they made the deal, that the brand of LM should stay relevant and if they want to survive, they need to create new products. And they played by the rules, which is to keep their thing going. It'd be extremely hard to digest how the automation will completely replace human touch behind the coffee bar.

We've already seen a global trend for the “hipster coffee shop” look (the Guardian had an article on this last month) so we're already losing some of the unique individuality you would experience when checking out different cafes around the world. Also, I was surprised to read that 75% of Starbucks drinks are now cold drinks so the market is changing, especially for Gen Z. I'm certainly not comparing Starbucks to 3rd wave cafes but if that trend continues to grow it will definitely reduce the need for high quality espresso. My expectation is that the semi-automatic and manual espresso machines will all but disappear in a commercial setting and most of those machines will be sold to the home market so it definitely makes sense for La Marzocco to sell now while they are doing well.

What does the acquisition mean? Dunno. Maybe they will take some of the tech from LM and integrate it for the lower tier machines, or maybe they'll make a LM Superauto. Regarding the superauto for the commercial market, I think it's a game changer. I was at the Specialty Coffee in Portland last year as a guest of a roaster/cafe owner friend of mine. We went to one of the commercial superauto booths, and made a drink. The precision and efficiency was amazing. There were different steam profiles to choose from, and the machine monitored every shot for consistency and automatically adjusted the grind and such. The latte that it produced was very, very good. I see the high-volume commercial trend to superautomatics as good for the consumer because of increased quality and consistency of the product. Furthermore, these machines can pump out the drinks much faster, so especially for drive-thrus, it means increased volume and potentially reduced labor needs. I don't see these coming to the specialty cafes, but for drive-thru, chain cafes and high volume settings. I see the only other variable is the bean/roast profile.

Thank you for the great video. I think that super-automated cafes and those with baristas can co-exist in the future. To me those with baristas could be for the high-end premium market where customers could be served espressos uniquely tailor to their taste. (connoisseurs) . Shops with automated espresso machines and check-outs could have no employees at all (massive retail chains).

As a former Starbucks barista turned home barista, bux has had superautos forever. If the machines get better & more consistent I don’t really care what all is going on behind the bar. There’s a reason Starbucks can crush a rush of 40 people with no problem meanwhile local cafes take forever to churn out 15 drinks.

I live near Onyx coffee. At the airport they have a robot that makes your Onyx coffee. Arguably one of the best roasters in the country.

Love the thumbnail. Prolly gonna be the best of 2024…

It could be that acquisition is more for Delonghi to make a very high-end home super automatic to compete with brands like Jura. That would be cool for some folks.

I think your predictions are accurate, the craft will be in the home market, and the coffee shops will have automated machines, at least for espresso. Fortunately, I enjoy a good pour-over, which I make at home. I get my beans from a local specialty roaster, that also does a good pour-over.

I always felt like La Marzocco was a money making brand, so it feels like a logical step. As for the point about consistency, it’s only good if the quality is there. Think about it, nobody is really interested in making bad coffee with consistency. We focus too much in the ability of those automatic machine to make automatic coffee, what about their ability to make good coffee, then good coffee automatically?

I started with a delonghi ecam22 then got myself a quickmill rubino, I love that thing too much to go back

I really like your Delonghi Gs3 😅 👌... the thumbnail is priceless 😂

The problem with automatization is, coffee extraction (specially espresso) have to many variables in action, some of them don't even have an specific explanation but it works, and every month theres a new variable. An automatic machine in shops will give you a better coffee but not the best, because we don't have everything figured out. An automatic machine will eliminate the human error and give us an average good coffee, but it needs to be really complex machine, but then again, there will be no place for improvement.

Very interesting video! Yup as we all are coming to terms with the reality that little by little AI and automation will replace most jobs. I’ll be a home barista all hands on until arthritis doesn’t let me lock in the portafilter 😅

I'm looking forward to picking up a De'Longhi Strada 1 EP tbh. I'll swap out the badges if need be.

For these global companies, profits are and always will be -prioritised over absolutely everything else . So it was probably inevitable that we would end up here. Coffee machine companies and café owners (like any other businesses) will get away with... whatever we let them get away with. Whether that be price of service / product. Location of manufacture / assembly. Headquarter / tax area (liability), ethics etc etc etc We have the power as consumers to simply vote with our feet and fund the businesses that align with our personal tastes. There will always be a market for business owners who want to rush to the bottom of the barrel, sell the cheapest coffee they can / but market it as premium. - STARBUCKS is a case in point. But there will always be people who are discerning consumers. who love the experience, Value it - and are will to pay for it. The two products are different and probably cant even be compared. I would never choose to go to a large scale coffee chain over an independent shop - because the quality is so much better. How do you learn to judge quality? By education, dialogue and experience. The more coffee is integrated and woven into the fabric of our society, the more it's discussed and the more influencers gain traction and reach - the more people will reject the bad stuff. Remember that McDonalds sells "Coffee" - but I don't see people rushing there to get it.

As a hobbyist I have to believe semi-automatic machines and the craft are going to stay. It's like how digital music files replaced physical music media for the most part, but people still decide to buy Vinyl for the feel of owning something and the ritual of playing it. Coffee nerds want to experiment and some will purchase lever machines just to have a tactical feel when brewing coffee. I can't imagine the majority of enthusiasts wanting to give up that control, even if super automatics start making coffee that is equal to coffee made from manual or semi-automatic machines by a barista.

Be careful what you wish for, as the saying goes. You just may get it. And then what? I remember helping an acquaintance set up a Keurig machine years ago. I laughed silently when I compared it to my own home setup. I prided myself in keeping my home espresso setup hands on and with pretty high standards (Breville, Delonghi, plastic parts free, fifteen (15) years) Who’s laughing now? When you seek to make and keep consumer items exclusive, difficult to purchase or procure. You may find success temporarily? When your goal is to dominate a market place and keep it sole source, savvy consumers as well as investors (the market place) will eventually find ways around you. Good baristas are like good servers, waiters, caterers, good service people in general. They make your experience enjoyable, educational and keep you looking forward to your next visit.