Barista Group introduces the Plus X Espresso

Barista Group introduces the new under-bench innovation from the creators of Übermilk – the Plus X Espresso.

Scandinavian-influenced minimalist design swept the international café scene in the mid-2010s and has since become a marker of specialty coffee, inspiring coffee shop design around the world.

Benches are often sparsely populated with only the purposeful angles of sleek machinery – the focus funnelled to the quality of the coffee.

When Barista Group revealed the Übermilk milk foam and liquid dispensing system to the Australian market in 2023, its modular, under-bench design complemented the trend for a clutter-free counter. Milk and alternatives bottles are replaced with hidden containers, with the mechanics of the machine tucked out of sight beneath the counter. All that’s visible to the customer is the elegant spout that can deliver up to three different types of textured milks.

And now the team behind the Übermilk and the Übermilk PLUS – the second generation of the technology that has the potential to deliver up to seven different textured milks and liquids – have developed a coffee counterpart: the Plus X Espresso.

“Like the Übermilk, the mechanics of the Plus X Espresso are completely hidden under the bench. All the customer can see is the outlet head, which delivers the espresso shots, and the two hoppers filled with beans,” says Joe Chalhoub, Barista Group General Manager.

“The grinder and the espresso machine are both located out of sight under the counter. Once the coffee has been extracted, it’s fed vertically up the machine and delivered through the spout.”

The engineers at Übermilk’s parent company Innoroc in Germany worked with the team at Eversys in Switzerland to develop the fully automatic espresso machine. The barista simply has to press a button on the intuitive touchscreen interface, choosing between a single or double shot and the two coffees in the hoppers, and the machine does the rest.

“The great thing about the Plus X Espresso is that it frees up the barista to steam the milk and talk to the customer while the machine takes care of grinding, tamping, and extracting,” says Joe.

“The Eversys technology means the machine delivers automatic dosing and precise temperature control, resulting in a consistently high-quality cup of coffee.”

While Joe believes the hidden espresso machine is a great option for coffee shops looking to create a minimalist setup, he also says it’s a great product to supplement traditional countertop espresso machines.

“This is a great option for venues with a high volume of takeaway drinks. The Plus X Espresso can quickly get through a growing queue of orders, while the traditional machine can be used to prepare drinks for sit-in customers,” he says.

“This is a very popular setup in Europe, where you see a lot of venues pairing a traditional espresso machine with a super-automatic one to streamline operations. It’s not something we have a lot in Australia yet, but I think it will take off in the next couple of years.”

Alongside coffee shops looking to improve workflow, Joe also believes the machine is a valuable solution for hospitality venues such as hotels, restaurants, and bars.

“Hospitality venues know most consumers now expect a quality cup of coffee, wherever they are. The Plus X Espresso enables bartenders and baristas to serve a very high standard of espresso consistently without necessarily having the knowledge of how to prepare an espresso on a traditional machine,” he says.

“They don’t need to know how to dose or tamp – they simply have to push a button on the screen and they’ll get the exact same result every time. We’ve done a lot of testing on the machine and the yield has been extremely consistent. What’s more, if the machine is paired with an Übermilk, the user doesn’t have to be trained on how to texture milk either.”

When the Plus X Espresso and Übermilk PLUS are installed side by side, the process of preparing the coffee is almost fully automatic: the barista only needs to pour the latte art. The combination can not only produce the full range of hot coffee options but also chilled drinks, such as iced lattes, signature drinks, and cold brew.

“Installing these machines also saves a huge amount of space on the counter, which can be used by baristas to craft signature drinks,” says Joe.

Witnessing how coffee shops in Europe are embracing automatic equipment, Joe believes the Plus X Espresso and Übermilk PLUS provide café owners with an opportunity to reduce staffing costs amid a challenging climate for coffee businesses in Australia.

“Many café owners in Australia are scared to fully embrace technology like this because they believe they’ll lose their point of difference, but that’s not the case. Having intelligent equipment like this allows owners and baristas to create a more tailored, personal experience that sets their venue apart from the crowd,” he says.

“Realistically, the price of coffee beans isn’t going to come down any time soon. To remain economically viable, café owners are having to look for smart ways to reduce other costs, such as time spent training staff, operating with a smaller team, and serving customers quicker.”

While Europe has long looked to Australia for coffee inspiration, Joe believes we’re now trailing behind when it comes to embracing technology.

“Europe is way ahead of us when it comes to fully automatic equipment because it’s long been embraced there – they’ve never been inclined to hide it from customers. Whereas in Australia, for years we’ve focused on the craft of specialty coffee and that’s formed a big part of the coffee identity here,” he says.

“However, we’re now facing rising prices and staff shortages. The average number of years baristas are staying in the profession is going down every year and café owners are having to spend a lot more time training new staff.”

So, is Australia ready to embrace a shift – or will the focus on craft continue? Joe believes there are some innovators in the market ready to take the leap.

“Some people think it’s a risk but just look at setups like Blank Street in the United Kingdom and the United States, which has been hugely successful,” he says. “If café owners want to keep maintaining their profit, eventually I think they’ll have to consider introducing automation to their workflow.” 

For more information, visit baristagroup.com.au