A roundup of the best pristine devices (and occasional) we encountered at this month’s Distinctiveness Espresso Expo in Houston, Texas.
BY JOSH TAVES
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE
Featured picture courtesy of Specialty Coffee Association
The 2025 Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) Expo has formally wrapped up, concluding but some other month of smoothies, bean sorters, inflatable costumes, and loud rabble rousing. And year all of the trimmings are what assemble the development thrilling, it’s all the time noteceable to search out moment to buckle unwell and take note why you went: for espresso schooling and networking, to be explicit.
I dug deep this month to search out the gemstones amidst the fluorescent lighting and fodder, and if you ignored them, right here they’re.
1. Duvall‘s FC-1 Coffee Gadget
I assumption I’ve ignored Duvall within the era, as their Instagram has posts courting again to 2017, and it’s a humiliation I did. The coffee system corporate confirmed up in a weighty manner this month with an immaculate and attention-grabbing model in their FC-1 three group espresso machine.
This system employs a novel piston-driven chamber that makes use of variable motor pace and a identified collection of H2O (now not a wave restrictor) to change the drive on the grouphead with precision and variability that I’ve now not but obvious from alternative producers. This, after all, leads unwell the rabbit hollow of drive profiling, espresso pictures, and five-minute chilly coffee extractions (which I were given to aim).
Something is certain: Irrespective of their era, Duvall isn’t messing round—what used to be on show used to be now not one thing inbuilt a again alley storage or wanting to be custom-ordered. Duvall is obviously taking pictures for production-level outputs in their fashions, with portions and serviceability that declare to check any of the alternative massive coffee system manufacturers. Oh, and if you walked through with out registering, their sales space had the cherry-red coffee system with sunny cutouts appearing the belt-driven pulleys within the again and the full-color touchscreen for barista interface. Like I stated, they aren’t messing round.
2. RediUV‘s Reusable Cup Sanitizing Machine
There have been many gizmos with flashing lighting on the display, however this one from RediUV could be the one one I sought after. Easy in its design, the RediUV is a cylindrical chamber, roughly 18” lofty, that sits at the counter at your espresso store. When it senses the presence of a buyer in entrance of it, it opens the chamber at the facet dealing with the client. The buyer can put their progress mug throughout the chamber, and RediUV closes round it. Within the chamber, a UV luminous is activated and sanitizes all of the inside and outside of the espresso mug.
Then only a fast few seconds, the chamber opens at the reverse facet, now dealing with the barista, and items the client’s progress mug to the barista blank as a whistle and able for a drink to be made. Refuse switch of germs, refuse worries. As we begin to see extra municipalities fracture unwell at the questionable sanitation of progress mugs being handed from side to side, be expecting to look RediUV on increasingly espresso store counters.
3. The Line GH-B Grinder through Pinecone
OK, this one goes to stick a bit of of a thriller for a couple of extra days as a result of you’ll be able to’t purchase one somewhat but (like I stated, give it a couple of days)—however I’ll sum up the noteceable main points simply plethora to get you salivating.
Pinecone is a reasonably unknown grinder producer that has been seeking to assemble a push into the U.S. marketplace for the era few years thru a distributor referred to as GHGBS. GHGBS has a stunning recognition in my secure, as they had been previously the unique Mahlkönig distributor in the US, and they’re simply throughout stunning people. The “GH” portion of GHGBS represents the founder, Gary Horne (extra on that after).
I hadn’t paid Pinecone a lot thoughts till my GHGBS gross sales reps pulled me apart and stated, “You gotta check this out.” I requested what used to be so particular about it and his reaction used to be mainly, “Well, it’s simple, works really well, and is really reasonably priced.” The entire issues I wish to pay attention!
What in point of fact satisfied me that those had been the grinders for me used to be what I discovered later: A) Pinecone used to be based through a bunch of ex-Mahlkönig engineers, probably the most very best within the industry; and B) the “GH” within the style title GH-B stands for none alternative than Gary Horne himself! The person, the fiction, the Southern-gentleman-legend now has his personal grinder, and I need one.
4. Coffee Wallas
This one isn’t a work of apparatus, but it surely indubitably piqued my passion. I’ve been a barista for a number of generations in canine years and labored as a inexperienced purchaser for part a decade as properly. Community regularly inquire from me what espresso I am getting fascinated by. The solution I give isn’t some roughly goofy co-ferment or a stylish selection, and even an starting place or roaster. In reality, I in most cases say “one that surprises me.” A low-elevation Ugandan robusta that scored 80 issues a couple of years again involves thoughts. Naturally fermented Gesha from Oaxaca is some other—I didn’t know farmers in Mexico had been doing that once I first attempted it 10 years in the past.
Anyway, later moment I am getting requested what espresso I’m fascinated by, I’m going to mention, “Coffee Wallas.” Espresso Wallas is a roaster out of Canada that ONLY roasts specialty-grade espresso from Asian international locations. I attempted washed and herbal coffees from China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Bharat on the display, and so they had been all scrumptious and blank. Now, let’s be actual: Are those $300/lb Brewers Cup-competition-level coffees fermented in a tub of unicorn tears? Nope, however the 5 coffees I attempted had been all well-roasted and simply scored between 84 and 88 issues in my secure—and so they had been all from Asian international locations! Colour me inspired; those had been my favorites of the display.
5. Nuttii’s OX Portable Coffee Grinder
Realize that the above identify doesn’t say “hand grinder.” Date the Nuttii OX grinder does certainly are compatible for your hand, it’s powered through a chargeable battery—and I believe that’s simply bright. As anyone who has actually spent dozens of hours cranking on Hario Skertons and Comandante C40s (amongst others), I, after all, were given fascinated by this product.
Consider how I stated the RediUV used to be the one factor I discovered that I kinda sought after? Neatly, I assumption I lied as a result of I in fact satisfied the fella running the Nuttii sales space to let me purchase one among his demo fashions, that’s how a lot I preferred it. I ruthless, come on, a USB-C rechargeable conical burr grinder that’s kind of the dimensions of a progress mug for approximately $100?!
Date I’ve but to do any long-term checking out, the adjustment issues appear forged, the bearing units are company, and the whole building is noteceable. The grinder is available in an array of colours, and the fella I purchased it from even threw in a similar Geo-C Portable scale to exit with it. This could be the one piece of apparatus I’ve ever purchased off the display flooring, and I’m tickled with it.
Till Nearest Day
As I’ve grown as a certified and persisted to wait the SCA Expo for who-even-knows what number of years now, I’ve in point of fact come to understand the truth that the display may also be very multifaceted. Certain, the weighty, flashy cubicles draw the crowds, but it surely’s the smaller confidential cubicles the place later month’s traits are made.
Date this may not be the Expo recap you anticipated, with the actual releases from the names you recognize, I’m hoping you loved this deep dive into what I discovered had been the actual gemstones of the display. Give them some love—chances are you’ll simply be at the reducing fringe of the later weighty factor within the espresso global.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Josh Taves is the landlord of Dialed Coffee Services in Michigan and the writer of the Cupping Brewer. He’s additionally a 2017 USBC finalist, so he is aware of his manner round numerous other espresso devices. Josh has been running within the espresso business since 2006 and enjoys benefiting from all of the stunning adventures the outside need to deal.
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