I'm currently expecting a late winter or early spring 2023 release. Luckily I wasn't really waiting on this machine and I feel bad for anyone that was waiting on this as their first real espresso machine.

You do not buy from a startup company if you are in a hurry for a purchase IMO. There are thousands of espresso machines available on the market, new or used. In the worse case scenario, you buy a used machine, and the Argos when it is avail and resell the used machine with minimal - if any - loss.
The thing with the Argos is that it is unique at this price range. If the offering would be larger, nobody would wait for it, but there is no machine comparable in this price range. A Lapavoni is probably the closer one but, and I may be wrong, the Argos is head and shoulders above.

I am actually a La Pavoni user looking for an upgrade. I ordered in the second wave and wait for it to be released. There are no many alternatives in the market. High quality lever machines just aren't there. I am not saying La Pavoni is not high quality but it's just in completely different league.

Another alternative I am currently looking at just to play with would be Flair 58. Different concept (no boiler and steaming) but that minimalist approach somehow fascinates me.

The Argos really does fill a space that's not occupied by any other machine currently on the market which is why despite the risk and the wait I've decided to keep my order and see this through. I specifically wanted a 58mm spring lever that can pull a 40g double shot without Fellini and didn't want to spend $3000+ for a commercial spring lever. To get all of that for $850 plus easy and cheap option to add pressure gauge, and ability to convert to direct lever and the possibility of relatively accurate temperature adjustment, for me it was just too compelling to walk away from. I bought a Flair 58 to tide me over, and am loving it as well. It'll move to the office once the Argos arrives. Together, would still be less than 1/2 the cost of even the cheapest commercial spring lever out there.

nguye569 wrote:I'm currently expecting a late winter or early spring 2023 release. Luckily I wasn't really waiting on this machine and I feel bad for anyone that was waiting on this as their first real espresso machine.

Agreed. I already own my dream machine. But it's huge. I bought into this last Fall as a curiosity to see what a small footprint machine can do. I don't really care when it comes but hoping it will be this year. In the mean time my espresso is as good as it gets. If the smaller Londinium suddenly materializes and is shipping I'd be tempted to pick that up, but I expect the cost will be double the Argos.

palica wrote:You do not buy from a startup company if you are in a hurry for a purchase IMO. There are thousands of espresso machines available on the market, new or used. In the worse case scenario, you buy a used machine, and the Argos when it is avail and resell the used machine with minimal - if any - loss.
The thing with the Argos is that it is unique at this price range. If the offering would be larger, nobody would wait for it, but there is no machine comparable in this price range. A Lapavoni is probably the closer one but, and I may be wrong, the Argos is head and shoulders above.

The least likely aspect of the Argos to survive is its current pricepoint. The cost of materials, the cost of continuous improvement, cost of the parts of fully functional business needed, and the need for sufficient income for the employees, and profit for the investors make it extremely likely that the price will need to go up significantly if this will ever be a long-surviving commercial offering.

Yes, the price point right now is fantastic considering the product.
I personally am really looking forward to seeing it and trying it out, not in the least because I think it represents, in part, the future of home espresso machines. Modularity and flexibility and efficiency.

It would be really interesting with an overview of the process and the team setup. It seems like there is still a need for specialists in each field in a company like this, but I don't know how many employees there currently are. In any case, this is a small manufacturing company with high competence personnel, and I dunno about the US but suspect that numbers up to 10 is doable and sustainable if designers are also in part working the assembly line, and provided that you can design it so it is easy to build and repair.

In automobile, the production/assembly lines are custom built for each new model, and (at least at Volvo from what I heard) one key ability is to be able to pull together a line super quick. You could, of course, look at the entire company as a production line. Not necessarily good for the employees - but it could be, if competence and experience are valued by the employer.

I've never owned a lever so I have a simple/stupid question. When not in use does the lever stay in the up or down position? I am guessing up because of the spring? Just wonder about how in the way the handle will be under cabinets

Up in spring levers.

Note that the Argos can also be configured as a direct (no spring) lever, where the lever rests down.

I think he isnt factoring his labor hours...... but then again the current pricepoint was back from 2019 way way before inflation happened.

I expect it to be raised to $1000 ballpark after his first batch which is still cheap for a spring lever machine thats mass produced. (hell used spring euro made ones are around that price). For a hand crafted item, I expect 1250-1450 range for this.... maybe in the spring?