Eagle 1 prima

[theonetruepath]

I have my shiny polished VA E1P now. Picked it up hours before the lockdown, but had to forego the 10 minute instruction session. I have to say, it's not that well documented. Presumably since they normally sell entirely through the 'commercial channel', they seem to rely on the supplier learning enough to tell the end user how to operate the machine.

Tricky things:
The app (version 2.6, under IOS) doesn't seem to match the machine firmware. Programming refers to two dosage quantities rather than the three that the manual mentions (you can program all three buttons on the group head differently if you program the hard way, without the app)
When you do program via the app, it's kind of tricky to get everything lined up so it works. So far I haven't been able to program a recipe effectively at all. I'm fairly sure that it just isn't programming the machine, as all I get is a manual start and end, whichever button I use. Next step is abandon the app and program using the buttons. After all the app is only there to make it easier, and it surely isn't doing that for me.
Pressure can only be seen if you fire up the app. All you get on the group head display is a shot timer.
The water tank and waste tray are both pretty small. It seems that they are expecting most users to plumb it in. I may yet do that, but it means rearranging the kitchen surfaces a bit.
It's not portable like say the Decent. Footprint is fairly small (slightly bigger than the Breville db, much bigger than the Decent).

Good things:
Steam is awesome. Proper commercial steam, and takes the four hole tip about six seconds to steam enough milk for a pair of double shot cups, and without threatening to blast the milk out of the jug. I'm no expert steamer (I normally microwave the milk), and I nailed it first time. It's completely independent of the coffee making, as is the hot water.
It's super quiet making coffee, the pump is barely audible. You can actually get a good idea of the pressure by listening for the faint wheezing it makes as it starts the shot.
It looks fantastic.
It's easy to clean the waste tray (smooth stainless with almost no corners, unlike the monstrously complicated plastic Chinese puzzle on the Breville db). Cleans easily in seconds.
It's easy to fill the tank (unlike the Decent, which has an open topped ceramic dish you have to carry full across the kitchen then slide under the machine trying not to spill). You can pour directly into it or easily remove and fill at the tap, and it's easy to carry with no risk of spilling.

It's built like a tank. Needed two of us to load the pallet into the car which is fortunately a Jazz which has space to put a fridge in the back. I couldn't get it out by myself without opening the box and lifting out just the machine. And that was on the edge of my capabilities. As a result it doesn't move around when clamping on the PF, unlike both the Decent and the Breville. I don't have the feeling that it is going to be fragile.

Hopefully the supplier will sort out my app programming issues.

[emslibbles]

Hey Antony, have you spent much time on the machine? Curious to know if it can handle steaming a few coffees worth (500+ mls) of milk while pulling shots?

[Casa Espresso]

Great! That's good news. I tried to find that but I couldn't see it in any of the available doco, still sparse since the product is obviously freshly announced. I have no problem with an app as a bonus as long as it doesn't replace core machine functionality.

Can you advise about materials? Specifically the trims on the front like the solenoid toggles, are those stainless steel or chrome plated plastic? That was my other smaller bugbear, they looked a bit dubious in some of the video shots.

Hi Jakeys,

The Eagle has landed in our show room!

I can confirm that the trims on the solenoid toggles are Alloy (not plastic).

Regards

Antony
www.casaespresso.com.au

[Caffeinator]

Here's a ewetoob of the app functionality

[Jakeys]

Hi Jakeys,

Everything you can do on the app you can do on the machine LCD display. Pressing two buttons at once on the machine you can scroll through all the options and set directly off the "Ghost " display.

The App is there as user convenience, it doesn't replace programming you can do directly off the machine

Cheers

Antony

Great! That's good news. I tried to find that but I couldn't see it in any of the available doco, still sparse since the product is obviously freshly announced. I have no problem with an app as a bonus as long as it doesn't replace core machine functionality.

Can you advise about materials? Specifically the trims on the front like the solenoid toggles, are those stainless steel or chrome plated plastic? That was my other smaller bugbear, they looked a bit dubious in some of the video shots.

[Casa Espresso]

Hi Jakeys,

Everything you can do on the app you can do on the machine LCD display. Pressing two buttons at once on the machine you can scroll through all the options and set directly off the "Ghost " display.

The App is there as user convenience, it doesn't replace programming you can do directly off the machine

Cheers

Antony

[Jakeys]

338 I think you might be conflating my dislike of planned obsolescence with a dislike of technology. I love tech in coffee machines, but apps have limited shelf lives, and coffee machines at this level of the market should last decades if you are prepared to maintain them. Building configuration into an external application means that once that app becomes obsolete, so is the machine even if it has suffered no faults. As soon as VA stop developing the app, you've got probably a few years before current phone OSes stop supporting it.

Compare to the Slayer Single Group. Plenty of functionality built into a very simple LCD interface. It's basically a smarter and more user friendly E61 with PID. Or, look at the Victoria Arduino Black Eagle, where all the functionality is available directly on the machine. None of the problems an app presents.

[338]

Jakey it sounds like you need something like a Lever machine, nothing to break or go out of date. Usable till you are too frail to pull the lever, then you just extend the lever for more purchase, thanks to Mr Archimedes.

[Jakeys]

Looks interesting and the price seems fair for what it is, but those solenoid toggles for the steam and hot water look suspiciously in some of the videos like cheap chrome plated plastic to me, which is very unwelcome on a high end machine if true. The bigger deal breaker though is the use of an app to configure it.

The problem with apps is you're completely reliant on manufacturer goodwill to continue supporting the machine long term. When they inevitably discontinue or replace the machine, they'll stop supporting the app and as soon as that happens you've probably got a few more years before your mobile phone doesn't support that app any more. You're then in a position where you have to keep an old mobile phone just for your coffee machine, or you can no longer change the settings on it. For all their talk about improving sustainability with this machine, they're building in planned obsolescence.

What I would have liked to have seen is a slightly more expensive model with a configurable display, or a fallback interface for when the app eventually stops working. For example, using the buttons and display on the group head to reconfigure options like temps, preinfusion, timing etc. with steps in the manual, similar to the PID on an E61 machine. Haven't seen any evidence that this is possible though.

Hopefully I'm wrong about both of those complaints! If so, I'd be considering this for home potentially... or just save some money and get an E61 machine like the ECM Synchronika, less smarts but better long term servicing imo.

[Ronin]

That’s is reasonable considering what you get. Be interested in playing with one

[Casa Espresso]

Pricing has just been finalized and released

RRP $7350 inc GST

First arrival end of January.(limited stock), colours available black, white and a small number of polished stainless.

We will have full specs, pricing and images uploaded on our website this afternoon

Of course you can also contact us directly with any questions

Regard
Antony
www.casaespresso.com.au
(03) 95321517

[Casa Espresso]

Nothing official yet, but close. Hopefully the next 48 hours.

I can confirm a few things on the models coming to Oz

• 10amp power
• Down loadable control app with blue tooth connection to the machine
• Tank or direct water. Change over from direct water to tank can be controlled via the App
• Will come up to pressure and heat at the group head in 10 minutes
• Auto back wash function ( a carry over from the VA commercial machines)
• Shot timer
• Adjustable hot water temperature
• Steam boiler pressure adjustable up to 2.5 bar
• Stainless steel group handles
• Stainless steel VA tamper

Most likely late January arrival.

Cheers

Antony

[johnthepom0]

Hi Antony , Any news, price?

[Casa Espresso]

That’s what I want to know..... 15 amp or 10 amp. I would be interested in giving the machine a go, just to benchmark it against my other machines. But not going to muck around with an electrician....

I have had it confirmed first hand today from VA Australia that all Australian machines will be 10amp

Cheers

Antony
www.casaespresso.com.au

[Faatshank]

This article says it's a 1.5 litre resovoir?. 2600w also puts it into 15 amp territory https://dailycoffeenews.com/2020/09/...lled-e1-prima/

That’s what I want to know..... 15 amp or 10 amp. I would be interested in giving the machine a go, just to benchmark it against my other machines. But not going to muck around with an electrician....