German tech firm Loewe has debuted aura.matic, a fully automatic coffee machine with a very clever trick inside. It boasts two separate stainless-steel conical grinders with separate bean compartments.
We’ve seen separate hoppers before on machines such as the De’Longhi Magnifica Duo and we’ve experienced swappable hoppers, too. But this fine setup means you can switch between two types of beans and keep the whole grinding process entirely separate. Of course this would normally be caffeinated and decaffeinated, but it doesn’t have to be. Loewe adds that should you wish, you can even combine the beans together, presumably for a less caffeinated blend.
Loewe clearly has a lot of espresso know-how from the company’s previous luxe machine – the very distinctive aura.pure – but this latest model is a lot more versatile for those of us who prefer a bit more variety.
At Loewe’s launch event in Paris recently I saw the aura.matic in action. It’s certainly a looker, but the price is rather eye-watering at £5,000/€5,000 (around $6,625) when you consider prices for semi-automatic and machines have been declining over recent years. For that price, you do get a rather stunning, well-crafted machine that demands a front-and-centre place in your social area rather than being banished to an ancillary space.
The main aluminium and glass body is encased in wood, with a 7in control display on the front. A sliding glass door can also seal off the dispensing area when not in use, part of something Loewe calls 360° styling.
The aura.matic can produce 18 types of drinks – the lack of cold brew is a real drawback though at this price when an increasing number of machines are adopting it but on the flip side it has an integrated milk system, so you don’t need to attach an unsightly extra flask or steam in a jug.
It also has app connectivity. The jury’s out on whether app connectivity is a bonus for appliances like this, but if you’re after an espresso as soon as you get downstairs and the cup is in place the night before then – why not? There are some nice tech touches such as cup-detection, which a lot of rivals just don’t have – who hasn’t forgotten to put a cup in place at some point? Illuminated dispensing is also welcome, as is up to six user profiles so people can choose their preferred drinks.
As with many fully automatics, the 20g brewing unit can be removed for cleaning. It’s uses dual thermoblock heating meaning that one is used to extract the coffee while another is dedicated to steam and hot water – essentially it means these things can happen at the same time rather than one after another and more precise temperatures can be applied.
The Loewe aura.matic will be available later this year.
