Pantechnicon Custom Linea Mini
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- Sponsor
- Posts: 24
- Joined: 4 years ago
Hey everyone!
We will be sharing some current and upcoming projects over here. This should provide better access for our customers to ask questions, and see what we are up to, especially for folks not on the 'GRAM.
For those that don't know about us, I started in coffee in 2003-ish working for a few Seattle roasters where I got interested in espresso machines, roasters, and other coffee brewing equipment. Later I worked for La Marzocco R&D on the GS3 and Strada development, and started my own company in 2013 making custom espresso machines and accessories.
These days there are 4 of us here, making custom espresso machine accessories full time. The vast majority of what we sell, we actually make ourselves in-house, in our (figuratively and literally) underground factory in a quiet Seattle neighborhood. Doing so much manufacturing ourselves is quite challenging, but it gives us the opportunity to know our product very deeply, and to be more in-tune with the quality standards than is typically possible if you are outsourcing your manufacturing. It also gives us the opportunity to have really cool tools to use to make our products even better!
Our custom parts for the Linea Mini have been very successful so far, and lately we have been working on a new project we like to call "Maker's Choice". This is a series of machines that we are building, in very limited quantities, that are color and material combinations that we are excited about and haven't done before. What's more, we are offering these machines, fully customized, in stock and ready to ship, so you don't have to wait our normal 8-10 week lead time for an exceptional machine to arrive in your kitchen.
Our latest offering is a wireless-enabled black custom Linea Mini, with all black machined accessories, not available anywhere else. When the shutdown first happened in Seattle back in March, I had some time alone in the shop while everyone else was stuck at home, and was able to make a bunch of progress on parts that I had always wanted to make, but we were always too busy in production to do. The result is this Maker's Choice custom Linea Mini. Previously we had only ever made silver cup rails, but here I was able to do black anodized aluminum. We use a medical grade anodize process so that we have the highest temp rating and UV stability possible. The normal anodize black is ok for a while, but can start to go purple with UV sun exposure, so we researched this process to make sure the parts would keep looking good for years to come. We also made the legs, logo badges, steam knobs, paddle, and group cover all from scratch right here in our shop.
It's about time for us to start Maker's Choice #3, so what colors/materials would you all be excited to see? What home espresso machine model should we customize that we haven't done before?
Let us know your thoughts, and see you in the thread below!
Best,
Jacob
https://www.pantechnicondesign.com/prod ... linea-mini
We will be sharing some current and upcoming projects over here. This should provide better access for our customers to ask questions, and see what we are up to, especially for folks not on the 'GRAM.
For those that don't know about us, I started in coffee in 2003-ish working for a few Seattle roasters where I got interested in espresso machines, roasters, and other coffee brewing equipment. Later I worked for La Marzocco R&D on the GS3 and Strada development, and started my own company in 2013 making custom espresso machines and accessories.
These days there are 4 of us here, making custom espresso machine accessories full time. The vast majority of what we sell, we actually make ourselves in-house, in our (figuratively and literally) underground factory in a quiet Seattle neighborhood. Doing so much manufacturing ourselves is quite challenging, but it gives us the opportunity to know our product very deeply, and to be more in-tune with the quality standards than is typically possible if you are outsourcing your manufacturing. It also gives us the opportunity to have really cool tools to use to make our products even better!
Our custom parts for the Linea Mini have been very successful so far, and lately we have been working on a new project we like to call "Maker's Choice". This is a series of machines that we are building, in very limited quantities, that are color and material combinations that we are excited about and haven't done before. What's more, we are offering these machines, fully customized, in stock and ready to ship, so you don't have to wait our normal 8-10 week lead time for an exceptional machine to arrive in your kitchen.
Our latest offering is a wireless-enabled black custom Linea Mini, with all black machined accessories, not available anywhere else. When the shutdown first happened in Seattle back in March, I had some time alone in the shop while everyone else was stuck at home, and was able to make a bunch of progress on parts that I had always wanted to make, but we were always too busy in production to do. The result is this Maker's Choice custom Linea Mini. Previously we had only ever made silver cup rails, but here I was able to do black anodized aluminum. We use a medical grade anodize process so that we have the highest temp rating and UV stability possible. The normal anodize black is ok for a while, but can start to go purple with UV sun exposure, so we researched this process to make sure the parts would keep looking good for years to come. We also made the legs, logo badges, steam knobs, paddle, and group cover all from scratch right here in our shop.
It's about time for us to start Maker's Choice #3, so what colors/materials would you all be excited to see? What home espresso machine model should we customize that we haven't done before?
Let us know your thoughts, and see you in the thread below!
Best,
Jacob
https://www.pantechnicondesign.com/prod ... linea-mini
-
- Sponsor
- Posts: 24
- Joined: 4 years ago
Hey everyone,
We made this quick video to show the new Linea Mini custom black and stainless colorway we made. If you want a custom espresso machine, or are curious about some of the other products we make, head over to the website and request a quote!
https://www.pantechnicondesign.com/coll ... woWeC7b7qA
Linea Mini custom group cover
If you are considering customizing your Linea Mini, one of the easiest improvements you can make is replacing the stock plastic group cover. The part shown here is solid billet aluminum that we machine in-house and anodize black with a medical grade coating. We chose this specific black because of its deep black tone, impressive durability, and high colorfastness rating. (This means that it resists UV fade to purple that happens sometimes with other black anodize finishes.) If American walnut, hard maple, or American white oak are more your style, check out our website for the full material options at the link below. It is really important to us to use sustainably sourced domestic hardwoods, so all the woods we use are from right here in the USA. This ensures that we will be supporting fair labor practices and environmental sustainability.
https://www.pantechnicondesign.com/coll ... roup-cover
Linea Mini custom paddle handle
The custom La Marzocco brew paddle was one of the first products we designed when we started the company back in 2013, and has proved to be one of the most challenging things we make. The shape is irregular, there are lots of different materials and glue joints to deal with, and they are the perfect size for the buffing wheel to grab and throw across the shop! I'm happy to say that after much refinement over the years, these brew paddles are DIALED. We are doing a knife handle style construction with scales of various materials on the sides and pins through a stainless spine in the middle. The wood we use for the scales has been treated using a special process. This not only improves dimensional stability and makes the wood more resistant to oil and water, but it also polishes to an amazing finish that will look great for years to come. It is really important to us to use sustainably sourced domestic hardwoods, so all the woods we use are from right here in the USA. This ensures that we will be supporting fair labor practices and environmental sustainability. For the black and white versions, we use a hardened acrylic material that is similar to what you would find on your other high quality kitchen knives. The finish, texture, and durability are all fantastic and make a great addition to any coffee bar or kitchen.
https://www.pantechnicondesign.com/coll ... rew-paddle
Linea Mini custom Steam Knobs
Steaming milk can be tricky! We designed these custom Linea Mini steam knobs to not only improve your morning coffee aesthetic, but also give you more control so that you can impress your friends and family with killer latte art. The steam knobs we make are larger diameter than the stock Linea Mini knobs. This means that you have finer control over the steam valve, with a wonderful feel in the hand. We have many color and material combinations to choose from including stainless, brass, American Walnut, Hard Maple and White Oak. It is really important to us to use sustainably sourced domestic hardwoods, so all the woods we use are from right here in the USA. This ensures that we will be supporting fair labor practices and environmental sustainability. The wood we use has been treated using a special process. This not only improves dimensional stability and makes the wood more resistant to oil and water, but it also polishes to an amazing finish that will look great for years to come. Installation is a snap, and all you need is a pair of needle nose pliers.
https://www.pantechnicondesign.com/coll ... steam-knob
We made this quick video to show the new Linea Mini custom black and stainless colorway we made. If you want a custom espresso machine, or are curious about some of the other products we make, head over to the website and request a quote!
https://www.pantechnicondesign.com/coll ... woWeC7b7qA
Linea Mini custom group cover
If you are considering customizing your Linea Mini, one of the easiest improvements you can make is replacing the stock plastic group cover. The part shown here is solid billet aluminum that we machine in-house and anodize black with a medical grade coating. We chose this specific black because of its deep black tone, impressive durability, and high colorfastness rating. (This means that it resists UV fade to purple that happens sometimes with other black anodize finishes.) If American walnut, hard maple, or American white oak are more your style, check out our website for the full material options at the link below. It is really important to us to use sustainably sourced domestic hardwoods, so all the woods we use are from right here in the USA. This ensures that we will be supporting fair labor practices and environmental sustainability.
https://www.pantechnicondesign.com/coll ... roup-cover
Linea Mini custom paddle handle
The custom La Marzocco brew paddle was one of the first products we designed when we started the company back in 2013, and has proved to be one of the most challenging things we make. The shape is irregular, there are lots of different materials and glue joints to deal with, and they are the perfect size for the buffing wheel to grab and throw across the shop! I'm happy to say that after much refinement over the years, these brew paddles are DIALED. We are doing a knife handle style construction with scales of various materials on the sides and pins through a stainless spine in the middle. The wood we use for the scales has been treated using a special process. This not only improves dimensional stability and makes the wood more resistant to oil and water, but it also polishes to an amazing finish that will look great for years to come. It is really important to us to use sustainably sourced domestic hardwoods, so all the woods we use are from right here in the USA. This ensures that we will be supporting fair labor practices and environmental sustainability. For the black and white versions, we use a hardened acrylic material that is similar to what you would find on your other high quality kitchen knives. The finish, texture, and durability are all fantastic and make a great addition to any coffee bar or kitchen.
https://www.pantechnicondesign.com/coll ... rew-paddle
Linea Mini custom Steam Knobs
Steaming milk can be tricky! We designed these custom Linea Mini steam knobs to not only improve your morning coffee aesthetic, but also give you more control so that you can impress your friends and family with killer latte art. The steam knobs we make are larger diameter than the stock Linea Mini knobs. This means that you have finer control over the steam valve, with a wonderful feel in the hand. We have many color and material combinations to choose from including stainless, brass, American Walnut, Hard Maple and White Oak. It is really important to us to use sustainably sourced domestic hardwoods, so all the woods we use are from right here in the USA. This ensures that we will be supporting fair labor practices and environmental sustainability. The wood we use has been treated using a special process. This not only improves dimensional stability and makes the wood more resistant to oil and water, but it also polishes to an amazing finish that will look great for years to come. Installation is a snap, and all you need is a pair of needle nose pliers.
https://www.pantechnicondesign.com/coll ... steam-knob
-
- Sponsor
- Posts: 24
- Joined: 4 years ago
Hi David,
We are absolutely open to your ideas, however there are some limits based on what can be squished into a viable business model. We also have to use our past experiences to judge what requests we can be successful at, and which ones are prone to failure and customer dissatisfaction. You made some requests (like bright brass with clearcoat) that simply aren't possible to do, because the oxidation will go under the clearcoat and the coating will fail and look terrible. Our customers get to enjoy the benefit of our experience in customizing hundreds of espresso machines without having to take the risk that your project will fail. If there is any doubt that we can execute a one off super elaborate custom design, have a look at Coffee Drunk in Long Beach to see the coolest custom strada we have ever made. Qty 1.
Cheers,
Jacob
We are absolutely open to your ideas, however there are some limits based on what can be squished into a viable business model. We also have to use our past experiences to judge what requests we can be successful at, and which ones are prone to failure and customer dissatisfaction. You made some requests (like bright brass with clearcoat) that simply aren't possible to do, because the oxidation will go under the clearcoat and the coating will fail and look terrible. Our customers get to enjoy the benefit of our experience in customizing hundreds of espresso machines without having to take the risk that your project will fail. If there is any doubt that we can execute a one off super elaborate custom design, have a look at Coffee Drunk in Long Beach to see the coolest custom strada we have ever made. Qty 1.
Cheers,
Jacob