Making espresso is a delicate art. A skilled barista must know how to grind the coffee beans for precisely the right amount of time, brew the espresso for the correct duration, and froth milk to perfection. The end result should be espresso with a golden crown of crema or milk foam.
What you might not know is that making an espresso machine is also a form of art. It’s an art form that has been perfected by Victoria Arduino.
One of their more recent models, the Victoria Arduino Eagle One, is an example of just how artful espresso machines can be. In this post, we’ll be closely reviewing the Eagle One to showcase it for you.
This is what you can expect to learn:
- Important features of the Eagle One and why they’re important.
- Similar espresso machines for your consideration.
- Information regarding Victoria Arduino’s history as a manufacturer.
- The prices of the Eagle One and its comparable alternative machines.
Let’s jump right in…
Quick Summary
Efficiency is what the Victoria Arduino Eagle One was designed to embody. Through its unique thermal energy recovery system, it recycles discharged water as a means of preheating new water, reducing your waste. It also uses water to pre-infuse every single shot of espresso, smoothing out any irregularities caused by tamping and producing a well-rounded flavor.
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Key Features and What They Mean
Direct-Connect Plumbing
There are two ingredients to a shot of espresso: obviously coffee beans, and then water. If your espresso machine doesn’t have stable access to water, it simply won’t be able to brew shots for you.
The Victoria Arduino Eagle One is a direct-connect machine. That means it keeps itself supplied with water by hooking up to your water line.
This is the most convenient design available. Rather than requiring your baristas to refill the machine’s water tank by hand periodically, the machine will refill itself as necessary. No need to interrupt your flow of work.
Two- or Three-Group Configurations
Brew groups are what the brewed espresso comes out of once it’s ready. Your output is directly limited by the number of brew groups that your espresso machine has. If you have more groups, you can brew more shots of espresso at one time.
In this case, the Eagle One comes in either two-group or three-group configurations. Multiple group heads are precisely what makes this machine so blindingly fast.
Regardless of which configuration you choose, the machine will be significantly faster than one with only a single group head. You’ll have no problem flying through drink orders and impressing customers with your speed.
Read Also: Nuova Simonelli vs Victoria Arduino
Automatic Machine Type
Most commercial espresso machines fall into one of two types, semiautomatic or automatic. The Eagle One is an automatic espresso machine, also known as volumetric.
What does that mean, exactly? The easiest way to explain is to compare it to its alternative, a semiautomatic machine.
On a semiautomatic machine, baristas start and stop the brew cycle. In other words, once the machine starts dispensing espresso, they will need to time it carefully and stop at just the right moment to ensure a balanced extraction. That may seem simple, but it can be surprisingly difficult when you’re multitasking.
The Victoria Arduino Eagle One simplifies brewing by timing the dose of espresso for you. All your baristas will need to do is start the brew cycle, and the machine will stop itself at the right time.
T3 System
If you had an espresso machine that could only steam or brew at one time rather than both simultaneously, you’d find that your productivity is slowed down. Customers’ wait times would be extended by minutes, and those minutes would add up over time.
This is why commercial-level espresso machines need to be able to steam and brew at the same time, just like the Eagle One can. What allows the Eagle One to do so is its T3 system.
Basically, the T3 system is a group of multiple boilers that each have their own specific purpose. There is a steam boiler and then brew boilers that work together, allowing you to power through all steps of drink-making at once.
Best of all, the T3 system will give you total control of the temperatures in each boiler. Skilled baristas can make precise tweaks as necessary to enhance the flavor of each drink.
New Engine Optimization (NEO)
Any business owner understands the concept of cutting down on costs to maximize profit. One aspect to this is figuring out where waste is being needlessly generated and reduce that waste production.
Waste reduction is something the Eagle One specializes it. Its engine has been newly optimized to ensure it runs as efficiently as possible.
As a result, the espresso machine consumes less energy than its competitors. Because of this, the cost of running the machine will be consequently lower than with other models.
Related Article: Best Commercial Espresso Machines
Thermal Energy Recovery System (TERS)
The Eagle One’s thermal energy recovery system (also known as TERS) has got to be one of the neatest features it has. This ties in with the waste management concept we discussed above.
Many espresso machines waste more water than they need to. Water in the drip tray just gets drained out, effectively tossed away without benefiting you.
This is where the TERS design comes into play. Instead of letting that discharged water go to waste, the Eagle One will recycle that water and use it to preheat fresh water.
Let’s look at the hard numbers. Because of TERS, the Eagle One uses 8% less water. Utility bills will be more manageable, and it makes the machine much more environmentally friendly.
Cool Touch Steam Wand
Baristas who spend entire shifts working on espresso machines know what it’s like to get burned by an ultra-hot steam wand. It may be from accidentally brushing against the wand or having to clean crusty milk off the end – whatever the reason, touching a steam wand even briefly is painful.
You don’t want your employees to have to suffer while they’re at work. With the Victoria Arduino Eagle One, they won’t have to.
This machine has a cool touch steam wand, which does exactly what it sounds like: it keeps cool all day long. Regardless of how intensely an espresso machine is used, employees will be able to touch the steam wand safely at any time. They’ll no longer need to fear an accidental and unexpected encounter with the wand.
Ergonomic Steam Controls
It’s not just the steam wand that Victoria Arduino has revised with the creation of their Eagle One. They’ve also changed the way steaming is controlled.
On traditional espresso machines, a barista would turn the steam on by twisting a valve. While perfectly functional, this design can lead to sore wrists by the end of the day.
Think about how it would feel to twist a small knob for hours a day. Eventually, your wrist would get tired and achy.
That’s why the Eagle One has an ergonomic steaming design. Instead of twisting a knob, baristas just push a switch to turn the steam on and off. It’s a simple, easy motion that will keep employees comfortable through long shifts.
EasyCream
Watching your barista across the counter, frothing milk looks simple. You may think that all you have to do is dip the steam wand into the pitcher and wait.
However, this crucial part of the drink-making process is surprisingly complex. Your barista must submerge the wand to the correct depth, tilt the pitcher at the right angle, and keep frothing for the proper amount of time.
Do any of those aspects incorrectly, and you’ll end up with burnt, watery, or tepid milk. It’s easy to see how this part can be difficult to train new employees on.
Frothing gets way easier on the Eagle One. The machine has an EasyCream feature that will automatically steam the milk for your baristas, ensuring that each drink is perfectly creamy no matter who’s working at the counter that day.
Additional Resource: Best Italian Commercial Espresso Machines
Ghost Display
The ghost display on the Eagle One is almost purely an aesthetic quality, but it’s so cutting-edge in appearance, we just had to mention it. As the name implies, this is an almost invisible control panel that rests on top of each group head.
You can program up to three different espresso doses on the ghost displays. This makes brewing even more effortless down the line, since your baristas will just need to choose the correct dose and let the machine take care of the rest.
Auto Purge
Purging your group heads is something every barista knows how to do. This involves running the group after each shot, letting the water drop into the drip tray below.
On the surface, it looks nothing more than wasteful. But this step serves a valuable purpose: it cleans the portafilter and boosts the thermal stability of your water by ensuring fresh, hot water is continuously brought to the fore.
The Victoria Arduino Eagle One has once again made operation even easier by including auto purge. It will purge its own group heads after use, so your baristas won’t need to remember to do this themselves and can focus on other tasks.
Soft Infusion System
A soft infusion system is a standard feature for Victoria Arduino’s espresso machines, including the Eagle One. In short, the soft infusion system helps erase any errors made while packing the portafilter.
Baristas are human. They make mistakes. Sometimes, they might improperly tamp the espresso puck, leading to cracks or irregularities that can throw the extraction off balance.
If that happens, the Eagle One will compensate for these mistakes. With its soft infusion system, it will use a light stream of water to smooth out any errors before applying the full pressure of extraction.
Comparable Alternatives
As we said at the beginning of this review, Victoria Arduino espresso machines are works of art. Because their one-of-a-kind combination of beauty and functionality, it’s not surprising that the best alternatives are other Victoria Arduino models.
One option we feel is especially good is the Black Eagle Gravimetric. It also allows you to choose two- or three-group configurations to drastically improve your baristas’ productivity.
Furthermore, also like with the Eagle One, the Black Eagle allows baristas to program doses into the group heads.
Here are some other key features of the Black Eagle Gravimetric:
- A back panel that also doubles as a mirror, so baristas can monitor the development of each shot from all angles.
- Gravimetric weighing system that ensures each shot is consistent through a scale built into the machine.
- A T3 system that consists of multiple sturdy boilers working in tandem.
- Raised group heads which can accommodate your tallest cups for drinks of all sizes.
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Unsurprisingly, we’re recommending another Victoria Arduino machine again. This one, the White Eagle Digit, is filled with top-tier technology that will make your baristas’ jobs simpler.
Just like the other espresso machines in this review, it has optional programmable dosing. You can save the dosages for different amounts on each group head, such as single or double shots.
Another thing we love about this gorgeous machine is its LCD display. Through its chic display, employees can effortlessly control internal temperatures, access energy-saving settings, or tweak the amounts for doses.
Here are other important features for the White Eagle Digit:
- Push pull steam triggers that will prevent your employees from getting sore wrists.
- Power-saving options that can make the machine even more energy-efficient.
- LEDs built into the surface so baristas can clearly see what they’re doing at all times.
- A manual dosing function that allows creative baristas to experiment with extraction durations and flavor.
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About the Brand
Many espresso machine owners choose their espresso machine based on the brand it came from. There are a handful of brands legendary for their quality, and Victoria Arduino is near the top of that list.
This manufacturer comes from Italy, where Pier Teresio Arduino first established the company in 1905. His mission was to create espresso machines that marry beauty and dependable technology.
When you choose a Victoria Arduino espresso machine, you’re choosing both form and function. Any one of their machines is likely to stun your customers with its sleek looks.
Ideal Applications
Given its lightning-fast production capabilities, the Victoria Arduino Eagle One is best for business environments. It can easily meet medium to high volumes of espresso demand, making it a perfect fit for restaurants, cafes, and even offices.
What Customers Say
At this point in time, we do not have any customer reviews for the Eagle One.
However, given the long history of quality contributions Victoria Arduino has made to the field, we feel completely secure in the quality of the Eagle One. We’re confident that any espresso-centric business that chooses this machine will find that it exceeds their expectations.
Pricing Considerations
Majesty Coffee seeks to offer our customers the most competitive prices online for our espresso machines. That includes our Victoria Arduino Eagle One, which is available in our store for $16,650-19,350 depending on the number of brew groups you choose.
Our Victoria Arduino White Eagle Digit is available for $13,050-15,375 and our Victoria Arduino Black Eagle Gravimetric is available for $23,850-$30,105, also depending on the number of brew groups you select.
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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.
