Geez, it's been a long while since I posted anything new. I've seen a trickle of info coming from 2021 Host Milano, thanks primarily to the german Espresso TV youtube channel. They did a short interview with Daniele Berenbruch, who is the partner of Andrew Meo of Rocket Espresso. They didn't bring Rocket to the show directly this year and instead are showcasing this new spin off called Stone-Espresso. I was surprised at the tech they are using in these machines which is unlike any Rocket builds that I've seen. Pricing seems competitive, unfortunately no specifics on availability.

Here's the company website - https://www.stone-espresso.com/

And the youtube interview:
Cheers, Jodie

This is pretty cool, looks like it packs a lot of functionality into a tiny package (9" wide!). The swappable panels are a bit gimmicky, but beyond that it seems like a solid machine at a competitive price. $1200 would put it at the low end of HX machines and only a little more than the most expensive SBDUs.

I think we'll see more and more machines with electrically heated groupheads, both for temp stability and warm-up time. I do wonder about long-term longevity/servicability - that coiled thermosyphon looks like it would be a bear to descale if it ever fully clogs and it has a lot more proprietary bits than E61 clones.

New video that shows the machine unpacking and in action.

A full video overview of the new Stone-Espresso machine. It also includes allot of the basics of making espresso and a great explanation of the inside workings of the machine. They mention a starting price of $1099. Not sure if that is Euro's or dollars.

Seemingly short on specifications even on the specification page:

For younger crowd that doesn't care about difference between voltage and wattage...

$1500 for the base model @ SCG.

Big jump from the original $1100 price.

NicoNYC wrote:This is pretty cool, looks like it packs a lot of functionality into a tiny package (9" wide!). The swappable panels are a bit gimmicky, but beyond that it seems like a solid machine at a competitive price. $1200 would put it at the low end of HX machines and only a little more than the most expensive SBDUs.

I think we'll see more and more machines with electrically heated groupheads, both for temp stability and warm-up time. I do wonder about long-term longevity/servicability - that coiled thermosyphon looks like it would be a bear to descale if it ever fully clogs and it has a lot more proprietary bits than E61 clones.

Yeah, I can grasp the appeal. To me, the E61 machines are analogous to the great stereo receivers of the 1970s. Big, showy. Lots of knobs and switches and meters, and those wonderful flywheel tuners! But in the modern age, much of that has become superfluous or seen significant improvement.

Nice to see they finally have it here in the US. I think it would have been allot more competitive at the original $1,200 price target. At $1,500 for the version with black base side panels, or $1,600 for the satin stainless side base panels there is allot more competition.