Around this time last year, La Marzocco and Mahlkönig debuted the Sync System at HOST Milan. The new collaboration between the espresso machine company and grinder manufacturer allowed for their products to talk to one another in real time and make automatic adjustments as needed. There was much buzz about that the partnership, the industry leaders for the two main pieces of gear in a cafe working together to help streamline workflow. And now, after the initial first look, the Sync System is ready for the world at large.
Announced today, November 7th vis press release, the Sync System is rolling out to the La Marzocco Pro App and will allow eligible equipment to connect via the “IoT data cloud.” As we previously reported, the La Marzocco machines with IoT capability currently are part of their Auto Brew Ratio (ABR) line, with options including the Linea, GB5, and KB90. For their part, the Mahlkönig E80W Grind-By-Sync is able to connect with the Sync System.
With the two machines paired, the espresso machine and grinder are able to communicate based on output and make automatic adjustment based on desired parameters given. You could, for instance, program a shot to be 20g of espresso for a 40g output, pulled in 30 seconds. When the shot is pulled, the espresso machine will then track the overall output and the amount of time it took and will then relay that information to the grinder to adjust the grind size to meet the given parameters; the grinder will also take into account the last five shots pulled to create an average of the data to make future adjustments.
The recipes can be changed at any time by the barista, and the equipment can also be switched into manual mode.
The duo have come together to create a sort of a la carte, high-functioning super-automatic machine, but one that still gives the control to the barista. And it does so by mimicking the manual adjustments a barista would make while also allowing for sensory-based adjustments. If the Sync System nails the parameters but the shot still tastes like it could be improved, the barista is then able to adjust the parameters accordingly and let the Sync System do the rest. It’s automation that works with the barista, not in replacement of them.
The Sync System is rolling out today in the United States and Australia and is available via the La Marzocco Pro App. For more information, visit La Marzocco’s official website.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
