Victoria Arduino is one of the world’s top espresso machine manufacturers. If you’re looking for luxurious, high-end espresso machines, you can’t go wrong by looking at their collection.
This company constantly strives to innovate the field. Some of their more recent offerings include the Eagle One line, which sharply focuses on environmentally friendly and energy-efficient concepts.
Wondering whether you should get the Victoria Arduino E1 Prima or Eagle One? You’re in the right place. We’ll take a closer look at the Eagle One line by comparing these two models.
This is what we’ll be discussing:
- Which similarities the two machines share.
- What makes them different from each other.
- Information on their prices.
- How to choose which one is best for your needs.
Let’s begin…
Quick Summary
The E1 Prima can basically be described as a miniature version of the E1. It has most of the E1’s greatest features, such as a highly optimized engine and effortless steam system. Rather than being a large-scale machine, however, it’s been reduced to a much more manageable size that makes it perfect for small coffee shops, restaurants, and home baristas.
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Be prepared to fly through large lines of drink orders in style with the gorgeous Eagle One. Sold in two- or three-group configurations, it can easily keep up with the demands of large businesses. This machine is a great choice for high-volume coffee shops and restaurants that want to conserve energy.
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Similarities
Volumetric Dosing
One similarity that will have a great impact on your daily use of the machine is its basic machine type. The Prima and Eagle One are both volumetric machines.
What does that mean? In short, this just means that they take care of timing the extraction process for you. Baristas will start the brew cycle, but the machine will stop automatically at the right time, ensuring consistent extraction regardless of who’s using the machine.
That’s why volumetric machines are great for beginners. Your customers won’t have to deal with dips in quality whenever someone new is making their drink, since the machines will address any inconsistencies in brewing.
Read Also: Best Commercial Espresso Machines (the Definitive Guide)
Color Options
The style of both the Victoria Arduino E1 Prima and Victoria Arduino Eagle One is undeniable. These machines implement an artistic aesthetic with their gracefully rounded sides, sleek steam switches, and unobtrusive legs.
But their style doesn’t end there. You can purchase either machine in a small range of color options to tailor their look perfectly to your home or business.
The names of the colors they come in are different, but the way they look is similar. You can get either one in silver, black, or white variations.
New Engine Optimization (NEO)
When Victoria Arduino went to the drawing board to begin creation of the Eagle One line, they asked themselves this question: how can we make a machine that owners will feel good about operating?
The answer to the question, of course, is energy efficiency. Within the Prima and Eagle One alike, you’ll find Victoria Arduino’s new engine design.
You can think of it as a sort of revamped heating system. The Prima and Eagle One have a much narrower heating focus, warming the water up again just before it goes into the brew groups rather than heating the water everywhere.
This drastically reduces the energy consumption of either machine.
Thermal Energy Recovery System
Imagine all the water that goes to waste every day. This issue is particularly huge with espresso machines, given how much water they use when brewing, steaming, and purging the group heads.
That water could be put to a better use, as the Prima’s and Eagle One’s thermal energy recovery systems prove. Instead of just discarding water, these machines recycle that water and use it to preheat incoming water.
As a result, you shouldn’t be surprised if you see that these machines help you save on water expenses when compared with alternative options.
Victoria Arduino Companion App
In the modern day and age, smart technology doesn’t just stop at phones. Now, many appliances have some kind of smart feature that allows you to connect with and control them from a distance.
This includes the Victoria Arduino machines in this comparison, which are both able to connect to Victoria Arduino’s app. You can use the app to adjust the temperature or even customize recipes.
Related Article: Best Italian Commercial Espresso Machines
Cool-Touch Steam Wands
A barista’s job can be fraught with various dangers. One common injury baristas sustain at least once in their careers is a burn from an espresso machine’s steam wand.
There’s no getting around having to handle the hot steam wand at some point, whether it’s for adjusting or cleaning. That’s why the Prima and Eagle One both utilize thermal steam wand technology.
Thanks to insulation, the steam wands on both machines remain within safe temperature ranges, even after hours of use. You can touch them at any time without risk of being burnt.
Ergonomic Steam Levers
Another drawback to the barista life is the aches and pains you can get. One example of this is the wrist strain that baristas endure from twisting steam valves on and off all day.
Victoria Arduino excels at producing ergonomic espresso machines. This is one of the things that they’re best known for.
They considered how a barista feels when they designed both the Prima and Eagle One. As a result, the machines have an easy steam lever instead of the traditional valve or knob. Turning the steam on and off takes an effortless push of the switch.
Ghost Display
The Victoria Arduino E1 Prima and Victoria Arduino Eagle One are truly beautifully designed from top to bottom. One feature that supports this statement well is the ghost displays on them.
The ghost display is a small screen you’ll find on the group heads for both machines. This is what you’ll use to operate the machine for the most part, such as selecting single or double doses.
Another benefit to the ghost display, aside from being easy to use, is how they preserve the clean look of the machine. They prevent buttons from cluttering up the front panel, promoting a clean aesthetic you’ll love to show off.
Auto Purge
Like with other appliances, maintenance is important for espresso machines. If you want them to last as long as possible, you’ll want to take regular care of them.
Purging the group heads is a small daily maintenance task baristas must perform throughout the day. Purging groups cleans any leftover espresso grounds and oils from them, in addition to boosting thermal stability.
This is another aspect that these Victoria Arduino machines are prepared to optimize for you. With auto-purging, you can rely on them to clean their own group heads, allowing baristas to focus on more important matters.
Boiler Insulation
There are numerous features in the Prima and Eagle One that home in on energy-efficiency. The last one we feel is worth mentioning, though, is their unique boiler design.
The boilers in these machines have been thoroughly insulated. Insulation prevents heat loss, so the machines don’t need to struggle to keep themselves up to temperature.
It’s just another intelligent touch that helps reduce the energy cost of either espresso machine.
Differences
Number of Group Heads
One of the greatest differences between the Prima and Eagle One is the number of group heads they have. An easy rule of thumb to remember is more groups equals more espresso.
Because it has two or three group heads, the Eagle One can produce two or three times the amount of espresso that the Prima can. That’s why we recommend it for larger businesses.
With more brew groups comes a higher cost, though. If you’re on a budget, keep that in mind so you can choose an espresso machine that meets your needs without breaking the bank.
Further Reading: Best 3-Group Commercial Espresso Machines
Victoria Arduino Eagle One Custom Color Option
Don’t like any of the three standard colors the Eagle One comes in? Then you have a fourth option: custom colors.
This is perfect for businesses with an extremely precise color scheme. No matter how your establishment is decorated, you can guarantee the Eagle One will match it.
Victoria Arduino E1 Prima Pour-Over or Plumb-In Versatility
The Eagle One may have the advantage of speed, but the Prima has the advantage of increased flexibility. That’s because you can set it up as either a pour-over or plumbed-in machine based on your needs and workspace.
If you use it in its pour-over format, you will need to pour water into the tank by hand as it runs low. Although that can be inconvenient for some, the biggest benefit to this setup is the versatility. Since the machine is not attached to your water line, you can freely move it about, provided it has access to power.
The alternative is hooking it up to a water line. In this arrangement, the machine will replenish its water supply automatically, saving you time you’d otherwise spend refilling it. We recommend this setup most often for businesses, since it allows baristas to keep working with minimal interruptions.
Pricing Considerations
Majesty Coffee is proud to have a wide range of top-notch coffee and espresso equipment for businesses and prosumers alike. All the equipment in our store is priced with the utmost consideration so it is available as affordably as possible.
That being said, we have the Victoria Arduino E1 Prima for $5,990 and the Victoria Arduino Eagle One for $16,650-19,350 depending on how many groups you choose.
Which One is Better for You?
Clearly, the Prima and Eagle One share a lot of the same features. They do come from the same manufacturer and specific line of machines, after all. However, there are few marked differences that will make one or the other better for your circumstances.
The greatest difference is easily their group heads and therefore their output volume. If you’re the owner of a large business looking for a machine that can keep up with a high espresso demand, go with the Eagle One. With availability in two- or three-group configurations, it’s much faster.
But if you’re the owner of a smaller business with a lower volume of espresso orders or you’re a home barista looking for a high-end machine, the Prima is clearly a better fit. Not only is it more affordable, but it also has a more compact size so it can fit in on smaller counters.
We also recommend going with the Prima if you have a mobile business, like a catering company or coffee cart. Because it can be used as a pour-over machine, you don’t need to have access to a water line in order to set it up.
Want to learn more about either machine? Check them out in our store at the below links:
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Tony Barlow, with over a decade of experience in the coffee industry, is the go-to technical sales expert at Majesty Coffee. He's passionate about helping businesses find the right espresso equipment for their needs.
