Great thoughts Lance. You have to get your hands on a Nurri leva. Then get a Londinium R24. Then do a 1 hour video comparing all of them. I'm not kidding, I want an exhaustive video.
Lol yeah. Not going to give any publicity to a company whose owner acts that way. Plus, I've used an r24 and wasn't a fan. In cup, I simply prefer taste from 54mm on levers to 58. And other workflow things I just prefer on these hybrids. Comparison wouldn't make much sense. Apples and oranges.
Lance your reviews just get better and better. This is a really well balanced review and I just respect the way that you pointed out what people would be getting into and the pluses and minuses from your perspective. It's going to help people go into a buying decision with their eyes wide open. Kudos.
I have a Londinium R lever machine with digital control unit with pre-infusion pressure control and it has been on the unit for several years. ACS is really taking advantage of technology.
Thanks for the continued great content! I have the current version of the ACS Evo Leva and love it - well built and fun to use. Very interesting to see the changes to the latest version of this machine - including the lower spring pressure (9 versus mine which shows a bit over 10), ability to readily change the pre infusion pump pressure, and the addition of the new control panel to dump/stop the flow based on pressure/time - as a thoughtful evolution. Look forward to seeing your new machine when it arrives - and please keep the thoughtful and entertaining content coming!
12:43 That build-up of the music after sipping the espresso matched with your voice was ANGELIC, haha love your content man. What a gem to the coffee world.
I haven't had a lever machine since I sold my old Cemina to my former brother in law to "upgrade" to a Fiorenzato Bricoletta in 1989 but the look on your face when you tasted the 1st shot you pulled said GOD SHOT to me so I mght just be in the market for an ACS Vostok when they hit the market!
This looks very interesting. I have been increasingly interested in lever machines. The one previously which I was drawn to was the Nurri Leva SA. This appears to be another contender. Of course if money was no object the La Marzocco Leva X looks wonderful as well. I look forward to your full review.
This is one of my dream machines on par with the londinium. I have a EMCL right now. If i had the money I would upgrade. I think its a cool mix of manual lever plus some high tech espresso stuff.
Schöne Maschine! Viel Maschine. Ich selbst hab eine Strega und bin damit happy. Eventuell bekommt die Pumpe noch einen Dimmer um die PI zu kontollieren. Mehr braucht es nicht. Aber hey, man kann auch mit einem Ferrari über Feldwege fahren.
I've been messing with you with your mustache in the past just for fun but honestly seeing you enjoying the shot that much meen a lot ! very nice vid coffee bro !
You mentioned toward the end of the video that it would be hard to pull a turbo shot. However, the pre-infusion pressure goes up to 6 BAR. Couldn't you just run the entire shot at 6 BAR and then cut it using the release valve, or does it not work that way?
And the Bezzera Strega for several years before that. I think that innovation, as as well as the cartridge-heated spring lever group, began with the Strega.
Perfect Friday, sunny, coffee and new Lance video for an ultimate lever machine! Damn that machine is HUGE, made for proper man! Decent price point for that aesthetic monstrosity packed with lot of a features. Would buy this over many other machines at that price point. I love the lever concept and the way of pulling shot the tactile feedback the ritual and everything else over any automated, but nevertheless it is well built, full of features and brews good coffee so it is a great buy anyway despite the little quirks.
I don't know if anything has changed in your recording setup in this video... but the vocal quality on this video is really great. considering UA-cam's compression, it's the best vocal EQ/Boosting I've heard on this site in a long time. Bravo.
Regarding the preinfusion, programmable pump-assisted one is indeed a novelty, but it is not at all a novelty in a direct-line lever world (which is a norm in a commercial world). The PI is done with line pressure, which is easily controllable using a line pressure valve.
@Lance Hedrick I lol’d when you took the first sip and sat in silence. Also when you started singing it was totally in the same key as the background music.
I really like the looks and would certainly consider purchasing one once they have worked out any kinks and become available... Thanks for sharing this video with us.
The Londinium R24 lever machine also allows pre-infusion up to 6 bar before pulling the shot. Pre-infusion is set with a phone app, keeping the machine itself clear of any digital display.
Yes. Buy I think proof of concept by acs was out before lond. If I'm not mistaken there is a video of Nurri when he worked at acs using a vostok in 2015. Londinum came out with that Dec 2016.
@@LanceHedrick Variable preinfusion is new on the Vostok 1 group and will be added to all Vostock and Evo models in time. You can thank me for the advanced shot timer pressure release concept. It was originally planned to be just a shot timer.
Vibe pump machines like the gaggia classic do *not* have a constant pressure curve at all unless you grind super fine and spend the entire shot at OPV pressure. You see a characteristic curve where as the puck erodes the flow increases and the pressure declines. On a spring lever machine, the decreasing pressure has nothing to do with the puck at all. The declining pressure profile is solely dependent on the extension of the spring, fully compressed you have high pressure, fully extended lowest pressure. If the puck resistance reduces dramatically, flow will increase dramatically, but the pressure over volume curve will stay the same, which is very different from what pump machines do.
@@LanceHedrick I did not know the machine has been in development for so long. Have been following its progress via @DaveCorbey channel. Hoping to get a spring lever at some point but cannot yet decide between this, the Londinium and the Profitec Pro 800. Fancy doing a lever shoot out to help make the decision easier? 😉👍
@@axpetts I am also looking at Lever or Decent. Cannnot decide, but if it would be lever there is only one choice imho and it is Londinium R24 with its majestic flow rate outclassing everything else and it is 58mm portafilter :)
@@sebna 58mm is a disadvantage in my opinion. The Londiniums initial fill speed isn’t “outclassing” anything. You can get faster fills with a lot of dipper lever machines.
Amazing machine. Definitely "Advanced" Coffee Solutions. It's the antithesis of the Olympia Cremina, which is a good thing. The ACS is tech laden. Kind of intimidating for me but it's very well thought out. A learning curve, for sure, but I'm sure it's worth it. Also, is the water tank made from plastic? It would be nice if the water tank were made from borosilicate glass or ceramic. Still, well done, ACS !!!
I think this looks interesting and am glad it exists for those who like it. Personally though, I like levers for when I want to get away from all of the touch screens. Also I just hate tiny touchscreens. Sometimes you must, but for on and off and basic stuff I want a switch. It's a lever. The tactile experience is part of that for me. If you want data and granular control I would just do something like the Decent instead. I get that not everyone will feel the same.
@@fcman123 yeah absolutely. The upcoming Meticulous espresso machine seems like it may do a lot of the same cool things this does, while being smaller, cleaner and capable of tablet control. I think I have never seen something so well made that's every decision is perfectly engineered to bug me personally lol. Tiny touchscreens put where they will be easily sprayed with hot coffee and water, an off switch two presses deep in a menu, endless and complicated settings divided somewhat arbitrarily into two different touchscreens... It's just literally the opposite of what I personally am looking for and I am baffled by it. I am glad Lance seems to be happy with it. I just haven't seen an espresso machine that made less sense to me on a conceptual level. It's a weird feeling.
The only touch screen on this machine is the screen on which the temperature is set (it is also used on the ACS Evo Leva which I own)... Each of the virtual buttons is about 1 inch square in practice, thus quite far from smartphone size and well suited for people with big hands. As to the tactile experience, one doesn't need to touch the touch screen when making coffees (you only need to do so to adjust temperature or pre-infusion pressure, change the heater status from on to off, turn on the lights and change the temperature display unit from C to F). To power the machine, an external switch can be used as it remembers all its settings including power state when unplugged, allowing to make coffees and milk drink by interacting with just the lever, the joysticks and the portafilter handle.
A bit too much electronic interference for me, but a beautiful machine. I appreciate what it is and what they have achieved but I love the simplicity and interaction of my Profitec Pro 800 V2. Great Vid👍
Hi Lance, Thanks for the great review. One note: on 9:35 you say that pump driven machines fly water through the puck to keep the pressure up to the 9 bar. But after the pump, there is somewhere an gigleur (orifice), mostly 0,6/0,8mm, on the line that sets a max flow to the group. So if resistance of the coffee puck drops low, and the flow is not sufficient, pressure will drop as well.
Correct. I, probably fallaciously, refer to these as flat 9 bar machines because they tend to showcase 9 bar since most take pressure prior to gicleur. So for those intents and purposes, it is flat 9. But in the group there is a slight drop, though np where near as steep as here.
Temperature stability and fast heat-up are two major requirements (possibly the most important) for even considering upgrading from a modded Gaggia Classic Pro and Cafelat Robot, and the presence of the thermal cartridges for maintaining grouphead temperature stability is compelling. Long heat-up times for E61s just make them a bit impractical for my home usage where I would like to be able to quickly pull a shot a couple times throughout the work day. I'd be curious to learn just how fast those 150W thermal cartridges are able to get the grouphead to stable temperatures. The ability to run this machine as a manual or automatic makes it potentially more compelling than a Cremina, though the workflow for pulling a shot on the Vostok at least seems like a bit more faff and less satisfyingly tactile than the Cremina. Also the joystick to control the steam and hot water do seem cool, but it looks like it could be a bit annoying to have them placed directly behind the arms for both.
Nice. so this is a dual boiler pump machine using a spring as pressure profiler. Will be interesting to see the difference between spring pressure control and flow control machines.
Hey Lance, a lever isn’t a lever as you know. Spring vs. manual is like rock vs. jazz. You should get your hands on a swingin’ La Pavoni, complete with all the good mods to control and monitor temperature and pressure.
This hair looks so good. I have an ACS Vesuvius and it pulls some out of this world shots. It too suffers from elephantitis. Having a machine that big with a long warm-up time just isn’t reasonable for me, so I’ve been wanting to sell it to get a Decent instead.
This looks like it basically takes lever machines into the current era of machines. The only critique is probably the size of the portafilter, but the rest of the machine looks amazing. I was considering a decent but with this arrival I'm definitely thinking twice.
This lever machine looks a bit to me like the “What if” machine. “What if we were adding a PID on the boiler?”, “What if we were adding sensors at every step of the workflow?”,… I guess we have the answer now. I would be curious to see in the next review if all these things are an overkill or not. I would think you need to review the Strega, the Profitec 800 and the Londinium R24 to properly assess this machine. For instance, a lot of features (dual boiler boiler, PIDs…) appear to compensate the fact they went for a dipper vs. a thermosiphon. Looking forward to hearing if these were the right choices.
Am i wrong in my thinking that rotary pumps do delivery a steady flow rate? I have mine set to deliver a particular pressure when measured against a blind basket, but the pump doesn't know the pressure; it just pumps how much water it's set to. The pressure at the puck does decrease as the puck erodes. Right? Or am I somehow mistaken?
Hi Lance! Great job, but in terms of design, I find that the touch screen down there, specially in a lever machine (those who have used one know for sure…) it’s not a good idea. Lots of times you get surprise spills and even coffee puck showers… one solution I found was to put a mirror in the front, so to avoid coffee spills in the machine, but with the screen there… no possible, and also a sticky touch screen in 3,2,1… Great job though
Hello Lance, thanks for this very interesting review of this nice machine from ACS. I have a question that you might be interested to dig in at some point: in Napoli all bars use a leva from La San Marco, even though it's a milanese brand and there are different napolitan brands that produce lever machines. They say a customer will walk away if he sees another machine. I wonder if this is just tradition or if there's more thinking into this choice. Anyway, thanks again, great video!
@@TomJones-tx7pb yeah and also because Napoli is the kingdom of espresso: every napolitan knows they have the best coffee of italy and thus the best coffee of the world! and they only use those levers machine from La San Marco with a 12 bars pressure peak.
The Londinium R24 (almost exactly the same cost) was my prior ultimate in the lever espresso prosumer market. It also has a 58mm basket, which my Weber portafilter works with... However, this ACS machine seems to have upped the ante in terms of what's on board. Though the R24 has pre-infusion control, the Vostok adds a boiler and a bevy of thermal controls and a slick looking interface. I'm wondering if the shots pulled from a deeper 54mm basket will be richer than those from a slightly shallower 58mm basket? Am I splitting hairs? Hopefully, you'll be able to do a follow up on the production model once ACS has come to market . Thanks for this Lance.
I've been looking to add a lever machine next to my Decent. I think this might be the one. I'm also considering the Londinium R24. Thanks for the review!
Hi Lance, I have a Olympia Cremina and love the simplicity of a direct lever machine. Pulling really excellent shots with light roasted coffees is all about how to pull a shot with “feel” and dialing in the coffees with an excellent grinder. With my average shot I pull about 2grams with light pressure, then the rest of the shot with high to decreasing pressure depending on the stability of the puck. I don’t use a profiler because I really enjoy the “art of the shot”. I always use a mirror, a scale and I have a temperature strip on the head as the head can be either too cool or too hot and needs a bit of thermal management by running a bit of water through the head. With proper puck prep, the shots are really consistently exceptional. I think one losses a lot of control of the pulling of the shot with a spring lever machine, while gaining repeatability. I personally am not interested in that trade!
i also have a cremina direct lever among other machines. got it new in the mid 80's for less than 400 usd.knowing what i know today if given the choice of the ACS or cremina at same price point the ACS is clear choice as you you actually get features for the money. cremina is really a low end la pavoni lever wrapped in a rectangular housing. ACS IMO is a commercial machine.
@@s96822 Olympia Cremina, “a low end la Pavoni”. Interesting….. I’ve used various commercial espresso machines, rebuilt old La Pavonis and I think while the Cremina is small and extremely simply, it is beautifully made, with a classic design that just doesn’t need more features to make it an awesome home machine. I think there’s a divide between people who need or want lots features and those who want the “art of espresso “. I fall solidly in the “art of espresso “ camp.
@@dinnyf i too have repaired / rebuilt lever machines. have also owned an entry level la pavoni home lever (gave it away to a friend when I moved) cremina used to be normally priced in line with other similar function home levers until it somehow attained cult status. shots pulled with la pavoni and cremina are essentially indistinguishable. cremina was my first real espresso machine. before that had a moka pot and bellman steamer.
I’ve been looking for weeks now and the Cremina can’t be beat given the size .. don’t have a lot of counter space so dimensions are the limiting factor.. waiting to see what the Argos looks like. Agree, if not for the size, this would be the end game
I bought a spring lever a year ago, looking for old school simplicity and reliability, and chose a Londinium Compressa. The Vostok looks like a cool machine, but there’s nothing there that would tempt me to switch, too many unnecessary bells and whistles for my tastes. But, I’m very glad to see more and more choices appearing in lever machines.
Hi! How does it compare to something like the Olympia Cremina? The price range seems similar, the cremina is smaller, but lacks heating for the grouphead any auto mode : would you say the difference in taste between them would be big/noticeable ?
I have an Olympia Cremina. It’s very simple to manage the head by putting a temperature strip directly on the head. The main problem is the head can be a bit cool if the machine is just heated. By running some water through the heat i can get it to the proper temperature to pull lovely sweet and thick shots with lighter roasted coffees. I also do a 2 or 3 gram pre infusion, to saturate the puck before finishing the shot on full pressure. I would not be interested in a spring lever, because i love “feeling’ the puck as i pull the shot. The Olympia Cremina is the swiss watch of espresso machines and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Hi Lance, Probably somebody already mentioned it already but you can also set (and their machine is quite a long time on the market) preinfusion pressure in same range of adjustment on Londinium R24, which is of course another spring lever machine. And that leads me to key question about this ACS what is the flow rate, the key parameter for lever machine IMHO? Londinium is king of the hill here and by far exceeds everything else on the pro-sumer market. Quite a lot of people believe it is the key to their unique qualities in the cup and high and effortless repeatability. It would be great if you could Londinium for a extended review! What are the chances?
22:50: first, are you saying Bianca with flow control can get the texture this lever gets? Or are you saying that even with flow control on the Bianca, you still can’t get anywhere close to this lever machine? Second, your reviews would be far more helpful with a transparent espresso shot glass/cup, and by adding good top views of the crema (people do “taste with their eyes”, after all).
I have a Victoria Arduino Athena Leva. I would love some help learning all the ins and outs of how to best use it but I can’t find anything more than a user manual online :(
Hi Lance, The page for this product is still not ready. I am considering it or the Londinium, but I can't get the specs for this machine...it would be nice to know how deep a shelf I would need and the clearance for the lever, etc. Other than that, it looks very nice.
I tried contacting ACS via their website's message system and keep getting the Italian version of this - An error occurred while sending your message. Please try again later or contact the site administrator in another way.
Would love to see some ($1000-2000/achievable) end game espresso grinder comparisons. Like the Option O P64, Acaia Orbit, etc. The EG-1 and the like are a bit much even for the wealthiest of coffee drinkers. Very little content around this price point, mostly just generic reviews, not much side by side testing.
What mechanisms are in play that would make the Decent not capable of mirroring the output of a machine like this? Since the Decent is capable of programmable pre-infusion etc., what is missing?
Interaction of water with puck. Decent will never be able to replicate properly a piston shot. It's an impossibility. Additionally decent can't replicate the PI flow rate of a lever with steam PI. Also, the LSM group is 54mm which gives a deeper bed and more texture in cup
@LanceHedrick So would you say if I like traditional full body espresso I would be better off adding like a Flair 58 lever vs replacing my 9 bar BBT with a Decent?
Flair 58 will do much better than decent. You want low head space for sure. If traditional shots are pretty much all you drink I'd recommend looking at 54mm groups like nurri and acs vostok or vesuvius
Would love to see a video about the Nurri L-Type Leva machine in comparison to the Vostok from my knowledge there the only two models that have traditional spring loaded levers and pid dual boilers!
Looks like a fantastic machine, and great insightful video. You made me want a lever. A bit of an unfortunate naming given the historical moment though
Looks and sounds like an amazing machine! Seems really big for home use but to house all the features this guy has I don't think you could make it smaller 😆
The latter is a cheap(er) pump machine, this is an expensive lever. Several people have upgraded from Decent to ACS, because the Decent cannot replicate a lever. Commented in this review also. I think it is unfair to compare them.
Lance, any anecdotal thoughts on Decent espresso toying with the idea of a 54mm basket to simulate the results you get from a classic SM group profile? How close do you think they could get to true replication ?
EDIT- was in the description, but to be sure, Londinium was first with VARIABLE preinfusion via pump in 2016. I was misinformed and didn't fact check.
Great thoughts Lance. You have to get your hands on a Nurri leva. Then get a Londinium R24. Then do a 1 hour video comparing all of them. I'm not kidding, I want an exhaustive video.
I would love that too! I’ve been eyeing the Nurri for quite some time. But now I want this beautiful machine!
@@michaelsantini4937 i believe Nurri is a newer brand so reviews are hard to find. ACS has more of a reputation.
@@michaelsantini4937Same!
Too bad that's never going to happen anymore 😅
Would've loved to see sich comparisons
Lol yeah. Not going to give any publicity to a company whose owner acts that way. Plus, I've used an r24 and wasn't a fan. In cup, I simply prefer taste from 54mm on levers to 58. And other workflow things I just prefer on these hybrids. Comparison wouldn't make much sense. Apples and oranges.
I love that we are seeing major advances to the lever machines!
Lance your reviews just get better and better. This is a really well balanced review and I just respect the way that you pointed out what people would be getting into and the pluses and minuses from your perspective. It's going to help people go into a buying decision with their eyes wide open. Kudos.
I have a Londinium R lever machine with digital control unit with pre-infusion pressure control and it has been on the unit for several years.
ACS is really taking advantage of technology.
I have an ACS EVO for more than a year now and I cannot be happier. This is that one with superpowers, so absolutely amazing machine!
This one doesn't have the temp profiling options tho =/ unless i missed that?
Thanks for the continued great content! I have the current version of the ACS Evo Leva and love it - well built and fun to use. Very interesting to see the changes to the latest version of this machine - including the lower spring pressure (9 versus mine which shows a bit over 10), ability to readily change the pre infusion pump pressure, and the addition of the new control panel to dump/stop the flow based on pressure/time - as a thoughtful evolution. Look forward to seeing your new machine when it arrives - and please keep the thoughtful and entertaining content coming!
12:43 That build-up of the music after sipping the espresso matched with your voice was ANGELIC, haha love your content man. What a gem to the coffee world.
He put a short/reel up w/ just that segment. Glorious!
That reason i subscribe him 😂
Astounding falsetto singing! Oh yeah the vostok was pretty cool too.
I haven't had a lever machine since I sold my old Cemina to my former brother in law to "upgrade" to a Fiorenzato Bricoletta in 1989 but the look on your face when you tasted the 1st shot you pulled said GOD SHOT to me so I mght just be in the market for an ACS Vostok when they hit the market!
Thanks!
This looks very interesting. I have been increasingly interested in lever machines. The one previously which I was drawn to was the Nurri Leva SA. This appears to be another contender.
Of course if money was no object the La Marzocco Leva X looks wonderful as well.
I look forward to your full review.
I absolutely LOVE flippy knob steam wand controls omg I LOVE the flippy knob
The operatic performance! Bravo! 👏
Came for the machine and….stayed for the machine…..but the singing was golden! 😂
This is one of my dream machines on par with the londinium. I have a EMCL right now. If i had the money I would upgrade. I think its a cool mix of manual lever plus some high tech espresso stuff.
Schöne Maschine! Viel Maschine. Ich selbst hab eine Strega und bin damit happy. Eventuell bekommt die Pumpe noch einen Dimmer um die PI zu kontollieren. Mehr braucht es nicht. Aber hey, man kann auch mit einem Ferrari über Feldwege fahren.
I've been messing with you with your mustache in the past just for fun but honestly seeing you enjoying the shot that much meen a lot ! very nice vid coffee bro !
Letts gooo. I've been waiting for this! I'd love to see info on this vs the Nurri Leva at somepoint since Nurri had design input for both machines
Sorry Nurri didn’t design this machine, he just handle the sales at ACS
I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS BABY! Was so close to pulling the trigger on a Londinium R24 so I'm going to wait for this
You mentioned toward the end of the video that it would be hard to pull a turbo shot. However, the pre-infusion pressure goes up to 6 BAR. Couldn't you just run the entire shot at 6 BAR and then cut it using the release valve, or does it not work that way?
Also, as a followup, is the OPV not adjustable? Can’t just set the OPV to 6 bars?
@@likethesky There is no OPV (other than the 'real' safety OPV, which is not adjustable).
The Londinium machines have had the ability to control pre-infusion from 1bar - 6bar for several years now
And the Bezzera Strega for several years before that. I think that innovation, as as well as the cartridge-heated spring lever group, began with the Strega.
Yet again your video is the hilight of my day
This machine appears to blow the londinium out of the water
Perfect Friday, sunny, coffee and new Lance video for an ultimate lever machine! Damn that machine is HUGE, made for proper man! Decent price point for that aesthetic monstrosity packed with lot of a features. Would buy this over many other machines at that price point. I love the lever concept and the way of pulling shot the tactile feedback the ritual and everything else over any automated, but nevertheless it is well built, full of features and brews good coffee so it is a great buy anyway despite the little quirks.
I don't know if anything has changed in your recording setup in this video... but the vocal quality on this video is really great. considering UA-cam's compression, it's the best vocal EQ/Boosting I've heard on this site in a long time. Bravo.
Thank you Lance! I had my eyes on the ACS Leva and the Nurri Leva but now I want this! 🤩
Love your work and channel! Keep up the great work!
Crazy beautiful machine! Thanks for introducing us :)
Regarding the preinfusion, programmable pump-assisted one is indeed a novelty, but it is not at all a novelty in a direct-line lever world (which is a norm in a commercial world). The PI is done with line pressure, which is easily controllable using a line pressure valve.
Got a feeling this year is going to have alot of lever reviews!
I'd love to see you touch on how this compares to the profitec pro 800 when you come back to it.
@Lance Hedrick I lol’d when you took the first sip and sat in silence. Also when you started singing it was totally in the same key as the background music.
I really like the looks and would certainly consider purchasing one once they have worked out any kinks and become available... Thanks for sharing this video with us.
The Londinium R24 lever machine also allows pre-infusion up to 6 bar before pulling the shot. Pre-infusion is set with a phone app, keeping the machine itself clear of any digital display.
Yes. Buy I think proof of concept by acs was out before lond. If I'm not mistaken there is a video of Nurri when he worked at acs using a vostok in 2015. Londinum came out with that Dec 2016.
@@LanceHedrick Variable preinfusion is new on the Vostok 1 group and will be added to all Vostock and Evo models in time. You can thank me for the advanced shot timer pressure release concept. It was originally planned to be just a shot timer.
@@DaveCorbey thank you!
Vibe pump machines like the gaggia classic do *not* have a constant pressure curve at all unless you grind super fine and spend the entire shot at OPV pressure. You see a characteristic curve where as the puck erodes the flow increases and the pressure declines.
On a spring lever machine, the decreasing pressure has nothing to do with the puck at all.
The declining pressure profile is solely dependent on the extension of the spring, fully compressed you have high pressure, fully extended lowest pressure.
If the puck resistance reduces dramatically, flow will increase dramatically, but the pressure over volume curve will stay the same, which is very different from what pump machines do.
Londinium has been doing programmable pre infusion on a spring lever machine for some time. Definitely a machine worth checking out
Yes but I'm pretty sure proof of concept was first with vostok. They had this machine in 2015 at an expo. Londimium did theirs December 2016
@@LanceHedrick I did not know the machine has been in development for so long. Have been following its progress via @DaveCorbey channel. Hoping to get a spring lever at some point but cannot yet decide between this, the Londinium and the Profitec Pro 800. Fancy doing a lever shoot out to help make the decision easier? 😉👍
@@axpetts I am also looking at Lever or Decent. Cannnot decide, but if it would be lever there is only one choice imho and it is Londinium R24 with its majestic flow rate outclassing everything else and it is 58mm portafilter :)
@@sebna 58mm is a disadvantage in my opinion. The Londiniums initial fill speed isn’t “outclassing” anything. You can get faster fills with a lot of dipper lever machines.
Amazing machine. Definitely "Advanced" Coffee Solutions. It's the antithesis of the Olympia Cremina, which is a good thing. The ACS is tech laden. Kind of intimidating for me but it's very well thought out. A learning curve, for sure, but I'm sure it's worth it. Also, is the water tank made from plastic? It would be nice if the water tank were made from borosilicate glass or ceramic. Still, well done, ACS !!!
I think this looks interesting and am glad it exists for those who like it. Personally though, I like levers for when I want to get away from all of the touch screens. Also I just hate tiny touchscreens. Sometimes you must, but for on and off and basic stuff I want a switch. It's a lever. The tactile experience is part of that for me. If you want data and granular control I would just do something like the Decent instead. I get that not everyone will feel the same.
Agreed, I have a Decent DE1 and I also think they should do away with the screens and go for a simpler, cleaner execution.
@@fcman123 yeah absolutely. The upcoming Meticulous espresso machine seems like it may do a lot of the same cool things this does, while being smaller, cleaner and capable of tablet control. I think I have never seen something so well made that's every decision is perfectly engineered to bug me personally lol. Tiny touchscreens put where they will be easily sprayed with hot coffee and water, an off switch two presses deep in a menu, endless and complicated settings divided somewhat arbitrarily into two different touchscreens... It's just literally the opposite of what I personally am looking for and I am baffled by it. I am glad Lance seems to be happy with it. I just haven't seen an espresso machine that made less sense to me on a conceptual level. It's a weird feeling.
The only touch screen on this machine is the screen on which the temperature is set (it is also used on the ACS Evo Leva which I own)... Each of the virtual buttons is about 1 inch square in practice, thus quite far from smartphone size and well suited for people with big hands.
As to the tactile experience, one doesn't need to touch the touch screen when making coffees (you only need to do so to adjust temperature or pre-infusion pressure, change the heater status from on to off, turn on the lights and change the temperature display unit from C to F). To power the machine, an external switch can be used as it remembers all its settings including power state when unplugged, allowing to make coffees and milk drink by interacting with just the lever, the joysticks and the portafilter handle.
This is exactly why I got the Nurri Leva instead
The lamarzocco leva allows also to control pre infusion, this machine is not the only one.
Kees van der westen with idromatic attachment allows you to change pre-infusion pressure 👍
If the quality and customer support is there, this looks like an amazing value. Very interested.
That would be nice upgrade from my Picopresso :D
Anyway, on to make a shot now.
A bit too much electronic interference for me, but a beautiful machine. I appreciate what it is and what they have achieved but I love the simplicity and interaction of my Profitec Pro 800 V2. Great Vid👍
Hi Lance, Thanks for the great review. One note: on 9:35 you say that pump driven machines fly water through the puck to keep the pressure up to the 9 bar. But after the pump, there is somewhere an gigleur (orifice), mostly 0,6/0,8mm, on the line that sets a max flow to the group. So if resistance of the coffee puck drops low, and the flow is not sufficient, pressure will drop as well.
Correct. I, probably fallaciously, refer to these as flat 9 bar machines because they tend to showcase 9 bar since most take pressure prior to gicleur. So for those intents and purposes, it is flat 9. But in the group there is a slight drop, though np where near as steep as here.
But yes. Very familiar with flow restrictors haha
Temperature stability and fast heat-up are two major requirements (possibly the most important) for even considering upgrading from a modded Gaggia Classic Pro and Cafelat Robot, and the presence of the thermal cartridges for maintaining grouphead temperature stability is compelling. Long heat-up times for E61s just make them a bit impractical for my home usage where I would like to be able to quickly pull a shot a couple times throughout the work day.
I'd be curious to learn just how fast those 150W thermal cartridges are able to get the grouphead to stable temperatures. The ability to run this machine as a manual or automatic makes it potentially more compelling than a Cremina, though the workflow for pulling a shot on the Vostok at least seems like a bit more faff and less satisfyingly tactile than the Cremina.
Also the joystick to control the steam and hot water do seem cool, but it looks like it could be a bit annoying to have them placed directly behind the arms for both.
Nice work on the editing of the intro. 🔥 Machine looks nice but it's definitely not cheap. 💰
I'm surprised it's not double the price
Nice. so this is a dual boiler pump machine using a spring as pressure profiler. Will be interesting to see the difference between spring pressure control and flow control machines.
Hey Lance, a lever isn’t a lever as you know. Spring vs. manual is like rock vs. jazz. You should get your hands on a swingin’ La Pavoni, complete with all the good mods to control and monitor temperature and pressure.
Yes I know. I have a 1964 la pavoni. As well as multiple other vintage ones.
This hair looks so good. I have an ACS Vesuvius and it pulls some out of this world shots. It too suffers from elephantitis. Having a machine that big with a long warm-up time just isn’t reasonable for me, so I’ve been wanting to sell it to get a Decent instead.
This looks like it basically takes lever machines into the current era of machines. The only critique is probably the size of the portafilter, but the rest of the machine looks amazing. I was considering a decent but with this arrival I'm definitely thinking twice.
Amazing, and I hope you will show us the Strietman someday!
I have always been biased to lever machines, my ever first espresso I pulled from a lever and have been doing that way for decades.
So many technology in this machine ❤
gonna wait for that gorgeous black lelit bianca review back there!
This lever machine looks a bit to me like the “What if” machine. “What if we were adding a PID on the boiler?”, “What if we were adding sensors at every step of the workflow?”,… I guess we have the answer now. I would be curious to see in the next review if all these things are an overkill or not. I would think you need to review the Strega, the Profitec 800 and the Londinium R24 to properly assess this machine. For instance, a lot of features (dual boiler boiler, PIDs…) appear to compensate the fact they went for a dipper vs. a thermosiphon. Looking forward to hearing if these were the right choices.
+1 on Profitec Pro 800, esp in regards to its thermals over long term (all day) use.
@@CallMeDave2 one could argue thermosiphon is even better in that regards, no?
It’d be nice to see someone do a real world review of the Londinium.
More like “what if a lever machine was a semi-automatic machine with a lever instead of a paddle.”
@@greysuit17 brian has done.
Am i wrong in my thinking that rotary pumps do delivery a steady flow rate? I have mine set to deliver a particular pressure when measured against a blind basket, but the pump doesn't know the pressure; it just pumps how much water it's set to. The pressure at the puck does decrease as the puck erodes. Right? Or am I somehow mistaken?
Hi Lance! Great job, but in terms of design, I find that the touch screen down there, specially in a lever machine (those who have used one know for sure…) it’s not a good idea. Lots of times you get surprise spills and even coffee puck showers… one solution I found was to put a mirror in the front, so to avoid coffee spills in the machine, but with the screen there… no possible, and also a sticky touch screen in 3,2,1…
Great job though
Hello Lance, thanks for this very interesting review of this nice machine from ACS. I have a question that you might be interested to dig in at some point: in Napoli all bars use a leva from La San Marco, even though it's a milanese brand and there are different napolitan brands that produce lever machines. They say a customer will walk away if he sees another machine. I wonder if this is just tradition or if there's more thinking into this choice. Anyway, thanks again, great video!
wow given the competitive nature of the Italians about their towns, that is quite the recommendation!
@@TomJones-tx7pb yeah and also because Napoli is the kingdom of espresso: every napolitan knows they have the best coffee of italy and thus the best coffee of the world! and they only use those levers machine from La San Marco with a 12 bars pressure peak.
Looks great. A little bigger than my Europiccola 😅
The Londinium R24 (almost exactly the same cost) was my prior ultimate in the lever espresso prosumer market. It also has a 58mm basket, which my Weber portafilter works with... However, this ACS machine seems to have upped the ante in terms of what's on board. Though the R24 has pre-infusion control, the Vostok adds a boiler and a bevy of thermal controls and a slick looking interface. I'm wondering if the shots pulled from a deeper 54mm basket will be richer than those from a slightly shallower 58mm basket? Am I splitting hairs? Hopefully, you'll be able to do a follow up on the production model once ACS has come to market . Thanks for this Lance.
I've been looking to add a lever machine next to my Decent. I think this might be the one. I'm also considering the Londinium R24. Thanks for the review!
Thank you for the video Lance!
Hi Lance, I have a Olympia Cremina and love the simplicity of a direct lever machine. Pulling really excellent shots with light roasted coffees is all about how to pull a shot with “feel” and dialing in the coffees with an excellent grinder. With my average shot I pull about 2grams with light pressure, then the rest of the shot with high to decreasing pressure depending on the stability of the puck. I don’t use a profiler because I really enjoy the “art of the shot”. I always use a mirror, a scale and I have a temperature strip on the head as the head can be either too cool or too hot and needs a bit of thermal management by running a bit of water through the head. With proper puck prep, the shots are really consistently exceptional. I think one losses a lot of control of the pulling of the shot with a spring lever machine, while gaining repeatability. I personally am not interested in that trade!
i also have a cremina direct lever among other machines. got it new in the mid 80's for less than 400 usd.knowing what i know today if given the choice of the ACS or cremina at same price point the ACS is clear choice as you you actually get features for the money. cremina is really a low end la pavoni lever wrapped in a rectangular housing. ACS IMO is a commercial machine.
@@s96822 Olympia Cremina, “a low end la Pavoni”. Interesting…..
I’ve used various commercial espresso machines, rebuilt old La Pavonis and I think while the Cremina is small and extremely simply, it is beautifully made, with a classic design that just doesn’t need more features to make it an awesome home machine.
I think there’s a divide between people who need or want lots features and those who want the “art of espresso “. I fall solidly in the “art of espresso “ camp.
@@dinnyf i too have repaired / rebuilt lever machines. have also owned an entry level la pavoni home lever (gave it away to a friend when I moved) cremina used to be normally priced in line with other similar function home levers until it somehow attained cult status. shots pulled with la pavoni and cremina are essentially indistinguishable. cremina was my first real espresso machine. before that had a moka pot and bellman steamer.
I’ve been looking for weeks now and the Cremina can’t be beat given the size .. don’t have a lot of counter space so dimensions are the limiting factor.. waiting to see what the Argos looks like. Agree, if not for the size, this would be the end game
I bought a spring lever a year ago, looking for old school simplicity and reliability, and chose a Londinium Compressa.
The Vostok looks like a cool machine, but there’s nothing there that would tempt me to switch, too many unnecessary bells and whistles for my tastes. But, I’m very glad to see more and more choices appearing in lever machines.
Hi! How does it compare to something like the Olympia Cremina? The price range seems similar, the cremina is smaller, but lacks heating for the grouphead any auto mode : would you say the difference in taste between them would be big/noticeable ?
I have an Olympia Cremina. It’s very simple to manage the head by putting a temperature strip directly on the head. The main problem is the head can be a bit cool if the machine is just heated. By running some water through the heat i can get it to the proper temperature to pull lovely sweet and thick shots with lighter roasted coffees. I also do a 2 or 3 gram pre infusion, to saturate the puck before finishing the shot on full pressure. I would not be interested in a spring lever, because i love “feeling’ the puck as i pull the shot. The Olympia Cremina is the swiss watch of espresso machines and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
@@cuprajake1 i agree completely. It’s awesome that coffee is a constant evolution and there are machines out there for every budget and ‘taste”.
It's gorgeous! For my money though... I like the decent and don't mind the aesthetic. Unless Breville comes out with your dual boiler 😏
Hi Lance,
Probably somebody already mentioned it already but you can also set (and their machine is quite a long time on the market) preinfusion pressure in same range of adjustment on Londinium R24, which is of course another spring lever machine.
And that leads me to key question about this ACS what is the flow rate, the key parameter for lever machine IMHO? Londinium is king of the hill here and by far exceeds everything else on the pro-sumer market. Quite a lot of people believe it is the key to their unique qualities in the cup and high and effortless repeatability.
It would be great if you could Londinium for a extended review! What are the chances?
For clarity- I have a Londinium LR with pre infusion control, also from 1-6 bar.
Yes check updated caption. Vostok proof of concept was earlier than lr so I assumed it predated. Didn't know it was added recently. Cheers
The man himself crankin' dat sweet sweet lever
Is that the black wood upgrade kit on the black Lelit Bianca v3 in the background on the right side?
22:50: first, are you saying Bianca with flow control can get the texture this lever gets? Or are you saying that even with flow control on the Bianca, you still can’t get anywhere close to this lever machine? Second, your reviews would be far more helpful with a transparent espresso shot glass/cup, and by adding good top views of the crema (people do “taste with their eyes”, after all).
Is it possible to turn the steam boiler completely off? I don't make many milk drinks.
Yes you can :)
I’m super curious for the full review.
Any idea when this will be available in the US?
I have a Victoria Arduino Athena Leva. I would love some help learning all the ins and outs of how to best use it but I can’t find anything more than a user manual online :(
Hi! Great video, love the suspense moments and improv!! Very funny!
How long does it take to heat up to be used?
Hi Lance, The page for this product is still not ready. I am considering it or the Londinium, but I can't get the specs for this machine...it would be nice to know how deep a shelf I would need and the clearance for the lever, etc. Other than that, it looks very nice.
I tried contacting ACS via their website's message system and keep getting the Italian version of this - An error occurred while sending your message. Please try again later or contact the site administrator in another way.
What tamper would ypu recommend for beginners
Please review the ACS Minima
Which university offers the course for this beautiful machine
Would love to see some ($1000-2000/achievable) end game espresso grinder comparisons. Like the Option O P64, Acaia Orbit, etc. The EG-1 and the like are a bit much even for the wealthiest of coffee drinkers. Very little content around this price point, mostly just generic reviews, not much side by side testing.
I can recommend the niche zero (when its in stock), the df64, the ascaaco I-mini flat, and the Eureka mignon lineup.
@@alextheis309 mazzer major with ssp.. 1000-2000$ grinder setup for like 500$.
What mechanisms are in play that would make the Decent not capable of mirroring the output of a machine like this? Since the Decent is capable of programmable pre-infusion etc., what is missing?
Interaction of water with puck. Decent will never be able to replicate properly a piston shot. It's an impossibility. Additionally decent can't replicate the PI flow rate of a lever with steam PI. Also, the LSM group is 54mm which gives a deeper bed and more texture in cup
@LanceHedrick Thank you for the extensive and informative reply, Lance! 🙏
@LanceHedrick So would you say if I like traditional full body espresso I would be better off adding like a Flair 58 lever vs replacing my 9 bar BBT with a Decent?
Flair 58 will do much better than decent. You want low head space for sure. If traditional shots are pretty much all you drink I'd recommend looking at 54mm groups like nurri and acs vostok or vesuvius
@LanceHedrick Thank you, sir!
Hi Lance H. Can this Vostok perform Blooming espresso shots? Thanks a bunch.
Hey Lance, please share your thoughts on the Nurri Leva! - and stay brilliant :)
Would love to see a video about the Nurri L-Type Leva machine in comparison to the Vostok from my knowledge there the only two models that have traditional spring loaded levers and pid dual boilers!
There is also the ACS Evo Leva which is very similar to the Vostok, with a few less features (Grouphead flush & programmable PI)
Love your personality! You remind me of Jack Black but you sing soo much better!
Hi Lance.. will you be giving this level machine a second review look video? Cheers
Can you review the La Spaziale Mini Vivaldi II, it’s also a 53mm group and affordable.
Looks like a fantastic machine, and great insightful video. You made me want a lever. A bit of an unfortunate naming given the historical moment though
I just bought a La Marzocco Linea Mini. I’m officially broke but beautiful machine. Lol
Sooooooo you GOTTA drop a hint about the custom Breville machine you made a one-off of awhile back!!
Looks and sounds like an amazing machine! Seems really big for home use but to house all the features this guy has I don't think you could make it smaller 😆
@@cuprajake1 okay cool! Thanks 😊
The intro was hilarious and I thought the La Marzzoco Leva X was the ultamate lever machine
When will this machine come out?
19:35 can definitely become a meme "honestly that's not terrible".
So it's like Evo Leva 2023 with light, preinfusion and style ? Is the inside the same?
Do you have the company information for dealership? I think I would like to add this to my offerings.
Great review! If you have to choose between Vostok and decent and nothing else left to “play” with which one would you pick?
Lance did you get a final version?
I hope you can compare this machine to the soon to come Meticulous. The latter may be a perfect mix of Decent and leaver machine capabilities.
The latter is a cheap(er) pump machine, this is an expensive lever. Several people have upgraded from Decent to ACS, because the Decent cannot replicate a lever.
Commented in this review also.
I think it is unfair to compare them.
Can you just run the pump alone? Curious if it can flush the group head like the paddle on the Nurri. Another great video!
Lance, any anecdotal thoughts on Decent espresso toying with the idea of a 54mm basket to simulate the results you get from a classic SM group profile? How close do you think they could get to true replication ?