To introduce people across Asia-Pacific to its latest machine, Slayer took the Steam Single on a tour of the region and hosted a coffee competition like no other.
There are lots of ways to launch a new espresso machine: host a big party, unveil it at a tradeshow, send it to the world’s most influential baristas – the list goes on. Yet, the team at Slayer wanted to do things differently when they introduced the Steam Single to world. After all, it was the company’s first new espresso machine launch in more than five years and the industry was fizzing with excitement to see what would come next from the brand.
A new addition to the Steam range, the espresso machine builds on the Steam LP and Steam EP but, unlike its siblings, features an internal freshwater reservoir. For Millie Chan, Cimbali Group Regional Director Asia & Pacific, this launch was different to others. As the brand’s first prosumer machine, the Steam Single provides a premium espresso solution for both professional and domestic environments.
“I wanted to take the Steam Single on a journey. At the end of 2024, we took the machine on a small tour of the region to not only introduce it to key players but also to give it the big push that it deserved, because I knew we had to create something unique,” she says.
Millie and team had just the idea to get people in the industry talking about the one-group machine – a touring coffee competition that would put baristas through their paces in a variety of skill-based tasks. Kicking off in Auckland, New Zealand, in February, the Slayer Espresso Rally saw 120 baristas in six countries battle it out for a place in the final, which would take place at World of Coffee in Jakarta, Indonesia, in May.
“We started at the bottom of the world in Auckland before moving onto Hong Kong, Bangkok, Sydney, Kuala Lumpur, and finally Jakarta,” says Millie.
“There were 20 barista spots at each rally and they filled up very quickly. I wanted the competition to be fun and engaging, not overly complicated or technical like some of the other competition formats out there. That was my brief to John Ting and Hugh McDonnell, our Slayer team in Australia who were tasked with formulating the competition structure.”
The duo delivered, devising a coffee competition like no other. It consisted of four rounds, starting with a cupping to familiarise the competitors with the coffee. This was followed by latte art, speed, and dial-in rounds, with a final free-pour latte art round to determine the semi-finalists and winner.
“We wanted to create a competition that showcased the Steam Single. We didn’t want to host just another latte art throw down as they take place all the time, so we drew on our experience of visiting coffee competitions around the world,” says John Ting, Slayer Regional Product Sales Specialist APAC.
“In particular, the speed round was really fun and engaging – inspired by the baristas’ real experience of crafting coffee in a busy venue. It was a challenging round, but it drew on the skills they use every day.”
The Australian heat of the Espresso Rally was co-hosted by distributor Coffee Works Express (CWE) and took place at Pablo & Rusty’s in Sydney’s Macquarie Park on 9 April. John says, like all the international heats, the competition in Sydney was fierce.
“The competition was tough, and the skills of the baristas were impressive, but most importantly they all seemed like they had a great time taking part. The competitors were having fun and the most rewarding part for me was seeing them enjoying using the Steam Single,” he says.
Lucky Salvador, who flew down from his home in Darwin to take part in the competition, beat 19 other baristas to be crowned Slayer Espresso Rally Australia Champion. Alongside his title, he also won a spot in the finals at World of Coffee Jakarta in May for the chance to take the crown as the overall champ and win a Slayer Steam Single of his own.
A seasoned pro, Lucky has taken part in competitions across Australia and the Asia-Pacific, yet he says the Espresso Rally was different to any he’s competed in previously.
“The competition was unique – it caught me by surprise. Because it was an espresso rally, most of us expected it to be only espresso based, but it actually covered different aspects. It was a lot of fun,” he says.
“When the format was revealed on the day, I knew I had an advantage in the speed round as that’s what I experience in the café every day. I find latte art quite challenging, so I thought that was going to be my downfall, but I actually did quite well on the day.”
Lucky has his sights set on the top spot at the finals in Jakarta. While the rounds won’t be released before the final showdown, he’s concentrating on practising his latte art skills and some signature drinks creations. With a Steam Single up for grabs, he has his eyes on the prize.
“It’s a gorgeous machine – one of the most beautiful on the market. For a single group, it includes a lot of great features such as the pre- and post-infusion system,” he says.
“The fact you can just plug it in and use it, rather than it having to be plumbed in, is amazing. I would love to have one at home, so fingers crossed I bring one back from Jakarta.”
It’s not just Lucky who’s been impressed by the machine. Since launching in mid-2024, the model sold out almost immediately in the Asia-Pacific region, with stock expected to be available again in June 2025.
“My allocation of Steam Singles sold out within a week – the demand and response to the machine has been overwhelming,” says Millie.
“It’s not just popular with domestic customers and smaller venues but also roasters who want to showcase their coffees to clients in the roastery. The freshwater reservoir gives users the opportunity to move the machine around, but in professional setups it can also be plumbed into the mains water supply.”
Other key features of the Steam Single include its intuitive barista dashboard and user interface, the ability to manually dial in and save the desired shot, and a single pump regulated pre-infusion function. The latter allows baristas to soak the coffee before extraction begins, providing a more even spread of water during extraction.
In April 2025, Slayer’s parent company Cimbali Group announced CWE as the exclusive Slayer distributing partner for Australia.
For more information, visit slayerespresso.com or cwe.com.au
This article appears in the June 2025 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
