Recently some commentators have lumped Slayer into a category with La Marzocco and Synesso.  I don’t really mind this, because the comparison reflects the fact that Slayer defines a new category of equipment: ultra-traditionals.  These other machines play in the premium range, but Slayer is perhaps the first purpose-built machine for the Third Wave.  It is by design the ultimate traditional barista machine.

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Prior to SCAA, I had anticipated that we would be somewhat busy with everyone wanting to actually see & play with this machine that they’ve read about. However there is no way that I could have dreamt that things would be as insane as they were. We arrived at 10:00 each moring to set up and would immedieatly have people coming by and when the show floor opend at noon things went mental until well after 6:00.

To say that I was overwhelmed with the number of people who took me up on the offer to bring their coffee is an understatement. I had such a great time pulling shots with all you guys – and tasted some of the best espressos in my life! I can’t imagine that there will be another espresso ‘perfect storm’ with the SCAA & the WBC & the launching of a cool new barista espresso machine all happening at the same time. This resulted in our 10×20 foot booth being packed with easily 50 people. Several people said that they had to come back 3 or 4 times just to get close enough to the machine to take pictures & pull shots…and this was the first time (since 1993) that I have not walked the SCAA floor, I just didn’t have time.

Thank you everyone, who came to hang out at our booth!!  If you didn’t make it to SCAA, check out the video that Chris took with his little camera. It was shot opening day between 12:00 and 2:30.

Cheers

Jason

Coming to terms–finding the right words!

Espresso machine manufacturers like to lay claim to a tradition of hand-made espresso machine manufacturing.  Maybe you’ve noticed this too.

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I’m posting this picture of Dan Urwiler posing behind the proto-Slayer:  Slayer’s prototype.  The fit and finish of this pre-production machine is far less refined than the production version.  The proto-Slayer was almost 100% handmade, and went through numerous iterations before reaching the version shown here.  Like most prototypes, proto-Slayer reflects many  tweaks and changes made along the way.

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Dear Reader, 

When you share your thoughts on this blog, we sit up and take notice. We love hearing your musings, answering your questions, and listening to your wise words of advice.  

In fact when I think about it, there is really only one thing that makes us happier. This is your Art. . . 

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Ever notice how projects that you’ve been working on for a long time can seem to reach their conclusion in a burst?  All the elements that go into realizing that vision of the perfect espresso machine come together at last, and you are there . . .

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Okay, I’m going to say it. . .  “Slayer combines Art and Technology to create a beautiful, highly functional design.”

The reason I hesitate to state this bluntly is because it seems like this is an over-used marketing catch phrase–a hackneyed bromide, a gimmick.  It seems that every company out there lays claim to bringing these two characteristics together in a single enigmatic product.   However, most don’t.

If nothing else, the Slayer espresso machine truly is the result of a conscious effort to reassert the importance of the espresso machine as the iconic centerpiece, the focal point and object, of the Third Wave cafe, while at the same time introducing new brewing capabilities, particularly around the concept of leveraging brew pressure deltas, to get more out of the coffee.

Jason, Dan and I really did start out with the intention of creating a Slayer espresso machine that married Art and Technology to achieve a level of look and functionality that is simply not available in the market at this point.  The design brief for Slayer called for a product, custom tailored for the boutique coffee category in form and function.   To do this we had to push it.

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Check out the latest video. If you recall – on our last road trip we were investment casting the brew actuators and group covers. Well now we complete the polishing of the stainless parts then travel to Evert Sodergren’s studio to pick up the finished actuators which he’s wrapped in Peruvian Walnut and hand shaped for us.

Check it in low-fi if you have a slower internet connection on YouTube here.

Early in our machine development we addressed the functional & mechanical aspects of the espresso machine and later we moved onto the aesthetics and ergonomics. It was important to us that the machine enable the barista to expand their coffee making skills and that the coffee they made was excellent, but we also wanted the machine to be a part of the theater of espresso preparation.

Too often machines are simply assembled from Italian ‘off the shelf’ parts and wrapped in a new plastic body…and called NEW. We wanted nothing to do with that and set out designing almost every part from scratch – then found teams of craftsmen and experts in their individual trade to craft these parts for us, thus ensuring a true industrial craft espresso machine.

A ‘craft’ is defined as: An occupation, trade or pursuit requiring manual dexterity or the application of artistic skill. To make or produce with care, skill, or ingenuity.
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One of the challenges of developing a product from scratch is converting improved concepts of function into new physical forms that are robust and practical–and anticipate the brewing needs of the growing boutique coffee segment.  Traditional European manufacturers of equipment have a huge stake in equipment fashioned to perform a particular way.  Most notably the “Italian Tradition” of espresso brewing. 

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