Eversys is unveiling Légacy espresso machine: a nod to the past and a sign of the future, a place where flexibility and space are no barrier to coffee quality.
In 2009, Eversys Co-Founder Jean-Paul In-Albon decided to make one of the most expensive and biggest machines in the world. As Group Director of Business Development and Marketing Kamal Bengougam describes it, Eversys was “sitting on the apex of the market pyramid, at the high end”. The risk was high as the product was launched ahead of its time, but it became the catalyst for Eversys’ journey into today’s super traditional machines.
“What the market failed to see, was the vision of Jean-Paul. Whether he knew it or not at the time, he was trying to become the first guy to develop a machine that could compete with traditional machines, at all levels,” Bengougam says.
When he joined Eversys in 2011, he envisaged the development of the much smaller Cameo machine, the first of its kind to maintain the C shape of traditional models, and the consistency and productivity of super automatics.
“We then went back and reinvented the old E’Line and called it Enigma. The challenge was what to do next. We knew at some point we’d want to play in the mass machine market and have a smaller machine with a reduced footprint, at a lesser cost without compromising on the quality of coffee – the DNA of Eversys. And that’s what we set out to do,” Bengougam says.
Head of R&D at Eversys, Jonathan Besse, was tasked with the challenge of building this very machine.
“We had to think about functional analysis, what was needed to build the smallest machine in the Eversys line with only necessary internal components. It had to be compact, with fewer parts, be easier to manufacture and offer a better price to the market. All these questions were answered in the concept phase,” Besse says.
“We used the experience was had gained working on Cameo and Enigma, remodelled the grinders, coffee brewing chamber and piston head from previous models, and repackaged them in a smaller body of work.”
Every inch of space had to be utilised. No mess and no wastage. In the end, what they achieved, Bengougam says, is “an incredible feat of engineering”.
Users can choose up to four integrated grinders in the one machine, and one power chamber, such as a chocolate hopper, which can also be divided in half and used with another powder, such as chai. Users can also house up to two types of dairy and non-dairy alternative milks.
Once drink recipes and profiles are entered into the menu, all the customer needs to do is to activate the buttons within a self-service environment.
“The machine is basically a chef – you give it your bespoke order and requirements, and it creates it. I love that it’s got variety, behaves according to need,” Bengougam says.
The first specifications for the design were created in January 2020, followed by the concept phase with Eversys engineers in March of the same year. Different models made of wood, lego, and cardboard were used in full scale to determine the arrangement of components before the wider design team was brought in to package the model.
Head of Design at Eversys, Alexandre Rossier, says the swift turnaround of the machine was thanks to fast and in-depth discussions and close collaborations with every department.
“We don’t work like other companies where there is clear division between the engineering team, product design and design team – we all work together and have very pragmatic discussions. This allowed us to achieve the goal from specification to market in a little over two years,” Rossier says.
The machine is compact at just 36 centimetres wide, 60 centimetres deep, and 71 centimetres high.
“We worked from the inside out. We started with the internal organs of the machine – where the grinders are housed – then grew the machine around these internal components,” Rossier says.
“Everything in the machine has a purpose and functionality. Even the lines of the design have a function. The front of the machine needs to be robust because you don’t want the machine to be scratched. The legs are built from stainless steel and the outer cover is powder coated to make it more durable. And even the gaps between all elements have a purpose, such as air flow.”
Four symmetrical walls house the machine’s internal organs, making assembly easy from the back panel, and accessibility for maintenance intuitive from the front.
“The body of the machine is screwed together in just four parts. With a single screwdriver, you can raise the screen of machine for full access,” Rossier says. “If we compressed the machine, we had to make it easier to access.”
Besse adds that a big addition to this model, while invisible to customers, is an update of the machine’s electronic platform which he says is an incredible benefit, upgrade for technicians.
For operators however, a smaller grill for air outlets is located on the sides of the machine with a recessed area so that even when the machine is positioned beside a fridge, air flow is not impeded.
The drip tray is thin for easy removal, and the display screen, while narrower than the Cameo, is identical to the Enigma at 10-inches wide.
One of the other advantages to this new model, is its ability to clean itself. The integrated cleaning system comes with up to 20 cleaning configurations. Eversys-designed tablets can clean the coffee and milk chambers separately. At the end of each service, users can empty the grounds drawer, activate the cleaning, and walk away, with the cycle completed within 10 minutes.
To reduce the visual height of the machine, Rossier says the decision was made to position the one-kilogram capacity bean hoppers half on top of the machine, and half visible on the inside.
The frame of the machine is made out of aluminium, a raw material that is durable, scratch resistant, easy to handle and assemble, and allowed Rossier the best possibilities to style a unique shape that was neither round nor square.
The Eversys team also needed to make sure the supply chain could handle its requirements. As such, it worked with local suppliers – those that could be visited within a day – located in Switzerland, Germany, or Italy. Close communication meant less reliance on shipping from China, and a reduced environmental impact. Thinking ahead, the team also launched critical parts orders 10 months in advance.
While the Enigma and Shotmaster machines are suited to high-volume productivity, and the Cameo for specialty coffee shops, this new model will be positioned for self-service convenience outlets and offices where space and quality matters.
“This really is a next generational product. The internal work on the grinder and brewing units is designed to be flexible and modular. It’s an evolution machine. We are bringing our experience of the past 10 years and preparing the market for the future,” Besse says.
“This machine is a statement of build quality and performance output is what Eversys always delivers: high quality in-cup quality, only at a more affordable price.”
When it came time to name this machine, Bengougam considered the purpose of this model. “A légacy is a gift from the past to future generations. Légacy is going back to the beginning, and that’s what this machine represents. It’s the vision of a team that went on a journey to create a story and developed a compelling yet authentic narrative,” he says.
“Légacy to me is a statement. It’s a sign of maturity as a company, and that’s what this machine represents.”
When Bengougam saw the finished machine for the first time, he knew it was destined to take the market by storm.
“The Légacy is a stunning metal-made machine at a lower price point, a product that does not compromise on quality. Imagine if you could buy a BMW 5 Series instead of a Ford at the same price point. Well, that’s what Légacy is. It’s like buying something you think should be worth a lot more than it is,” Bengougam says.
“When you’ve got a tight space and a small environment, you’ve got to be compelling with your concept and make money. Our vision has always been to make great coffee available to anyone, anytime, anywhere, and Légacy gives you the flexibility to do that.”
For more information, visit www.eversys.com/en/
This article was first published in the May/June 2022 edition of Global Coffee Report. Read more HERE.