CoffeeTools details how to get the best out of the new xBloom Studio bean-to-cup brewer and navigate the varying levels of automation in its three user modes.
Many of the latest advancements in brewing technology prioritise automation and the reduction of steps the user must take to reach their goal of creating a delicious cup of coffee. While streamlining workflow was one of the aims of the new xBloom Studio, its creators took a different approach.
Conscious that specialty fans desire different levels of control when crafting filter coffee, often dependent on factors such as time, they created a bean-to-cup solution that gave the user choice. The second generation xBloom offers three levels of automation and comprises a standalone grinder, brewer, and scale, which can be used independently to craft coffee manually.
Curtis Arnold, Director of CoffeeTools, says the intelligent machine is easy to use and engineered to consistently execute recipes with minimal margins of error. Its three modes – Copilot, Freesolo, and Autopilot – deliver varying levels of automation and creativity.
COPILOT
Copilot gives the user the opportunity to channel their creativity, using the xBloom app to either import a recipe from a roaster or craft their own with beans of their choice.
“The xBloom app introduces a recipe design space that caters to both professional and home users. Parameters such as grind size, water temperature, and brewing time can be adjusted to fine-tune the coffee, giving users greater control over their brewing process,” says Curtis.
“The app allows users to easily share and manage their favourite recipes. Users can save recipes created for later use or share them with friends, and can also access a library of recipes from xBloom and other users. Roasters can even create recipes specifically for their beans and share them via a QR code in the app.”
“This feature gives users the opportunity to experiment with different brewing parameters and find the perfect recipe for their taste.”
Once the recipe has been created in the app, the user can use the magnetic dosing cup to measure five to 18 grams of coffee and then pour the beans into the grinder. To brew with the dripper, they simply need to place a paper filter in the Omni Dripper 2, attach it to the machine, and start brewing.
FREESOLO
“This mode allows users to utilise the standalone grinder, brewer, and scale to create pourover coffee,” says Curtis.
The equipment can also be used to brew a range of other coffee drinks, including espresso and cold brew. The grinder has 80 grind-size adjustments, making it adaptable to many coffee styles. Furthermore, it has a stainless-steel conical burr, automatic adjustment processes, speeds of up to 120 revolutions per minute, an anti-static ioniser to reduce mess, a sweeper to evenly distribute coffee, and a magnetic dosing cup.
To provide consistent, directional flow onto the coffee bed, the brewer features a kinematic spout.
“You can use the knob to customise pouring patterns to be central, spiral, or circular. The instant heater heats only the required amount of water to minimise energy consumption, and the flow rate can be adjusted from 3.0 to 3.5 millilitres per second,” he says.
Finally, the scale is accurate to 0.1 grams and uses a high-precision solid-liquid detection sensor.
AUTOPILOT
“This mode is designed for ultimate convenience using xPods. Roasters can select a bean, create a recipe, and fill the pods themselves. We’re working with Aussie roasters to add their xPods and recipes to our marketplace,” says Curtis.
“The xPods come with a recipe card containing a brewing profile specific to the beans in the pod. The machine will automatically execute the recipe with minimal error to reproduce the intended flavour.”
In Autopilot mode, the user simply has to scan the xPod on the sensor pad to activate bean recognition and the brewing profile that’s been preset by the roaster. The beans are poured into the grinder and the empty pod placed on the dock to act as the filter. At the touch of a button, brewing is activated and within seconds the finished coffee is ready to be enjoyed. xPods are due to be released in Australia soon.
APP-TASTIC
Curtis stresses that the app is an incredible resource for xBloom users, giving them a comprehensive set of tools to enhance the brewing experience.
“It gives users greater control over their brewing process, allows them to experiment with different recipes, and helps them to improve their coffee-making skills. They can even tweak an existing recipe and save the changes,” he says.
“The app allows users to identify areas for improvement and refine their skills with accuracy. Users can monitor the brewing process in real-time, such as the water flow rate and the extraction time. This feature can help users to understand how different parameters affect the final brew.”
The app’s interface has been designed to be user friendly, enabling the easy control and monitoring of the brewing process. Curtis says the feedback he’s received from customers so far has been overwhelmingly positive.
“I haven’t had a single piece of negative feedback since launching the product in Australia in October,” he says.
“The thing that excites me most about the xBloom Studio is the ability to use a roaster’s recipe to taste the beans the way they intended. It directly connects the consumer with the roaster.”
Curtis believes the intelligent equipment is perfect for both home users who want to explore the subtle flavours of filter coffee from their kitchens, as well as busy cafés that want to offer consistent single-origin pourover.
“There are a lot of challenges serving pourover coffee in a café setting. It’s time consuming, takes up a lot of space, and can be hard to achieve consistency with different staff preparing the same beans,” he says.
“The xBloom offers repeatable results without the need for additional labour or training.”
With a recommended retail price of $1099, Curtis also believes the machine is incredible value.
“If you were to buy the independent scale, grinder, and brewing modules separately, they would cost much more – and that’s not even taking into account the Copilot and Autopilot modes,” he says.
Recognising that the xBloom will be attractive to both home and commercial filter fans, CoffeeTools is offering a drop shipping service for its customers. Cafés that use the xBloom Studio in their venues can sell the model to their customers and the distributor will arrange for shipping of the product direct to their home.
“I love the Studio and use it daily at home. It’s a fantastic product that’s opening up the world of single origins and filter to a wider audience,” he says.
For more information, visit coffeetools.supply
This article appears in the December/January 2025 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.