Kickstarter Update 10 - Seals!

Why are we writing an update about seals? Well, the full production run of seals for the large Espro™ Press was received today! You can see the full update here.

ImPRESSing the Judges!

The Single Serve Espro™ Press is being put to work across the US in Regional Brewers Cup competitions. This precision coffee brewer maintains a consistent temperature during brewing with double wall vacuum insulation, and creates a clean and full-bodied cup by micro-filtering twice with a unique metal filter. The metal filter also allows the aromatic oils into your cup.

Since it’s release in September 2010 it has received a warm welcome from the global coffee community and is now starting to earn its stripes on the professional brewers circuit.

Jordan Barber certainly im-Press-ed the judges at the North East Regional Brewers Cup held last weekend in New York, taking first place and qualifying himself for the USBC Brewers Cup in April 2012. Jordan, who works at Third Rail Coffee in New York, used a variation on the “modified cupping” method. He brewed the Coffee Collective’s Kenya Kieni using the Espro™ Press, cracked the bloom in a double-spoon cupping style, and then used the Espro™ Press’s two-stage micro-filter to clear out any remaining fines. The result was a coffee that stopped the judges in their tracks.

On the opposite coast of the US, Lalo Perez Varona will compete at the upcoming South West Regional Brewers Cup (SWRBC) in Santa Cruz next week. Lalo intends to use a unique Indian coffee that he will roast himself. As for the brewing part, and much to Espro’s delight, he is looking forward to also using the Single Serve Espro™ Press. “I love the results I’ve been getting. I am a big fan of full immersion and French press especially, but the Espro truly blows it out of the water” commented Lalo. “Part of my presentation is about encouraging people to make better coffee at home. And how easy it is with the Espro™ Press!”

There are 6 regions in the US that host the Regional Brewers Cup, all of which are a pre-qualifier to the annual USBC Brewers Cup. This year the USBC Brewers Cup will take place in April (19^th – 22^nd) in conjunction with the 24th Annual SCAA Exposition and Symposium in Portland. The winner in Portland will go on to represent the US in the World Championship 2012 Brewers Cup in Vienna, Austria.

Espro Inc. is excited to see the Espro™ Press in full-swing this competition season and wish all competitors, particularly Jordan and Lalo, all the very best! Come and visit the Espro Team and try the Espro™ Press for yourself at SCAA Portland in Booth 3095.

For more information about the Espro™ Press, go to http://www.espro.ca/espro-press/ 

For more information about SCAA go to their website at http://www.scaa.org/

For more information about the US Brewers Cup go to  http://www.usbaristachampionship.org/?p=main

Large Press - All Purchase Orders Issued!

Hello all - We wanted to provide a quick status update, to let you know how production is going!

All week we ran countless tests to optimize filtration, and drank phenomenal coffee using the pre-production prototypes. We have also gone back and forth with our vendors to ensure the pre-production units are up to our exacting quality standards. The coffee we have been having on the press tastes incredible! Bruce's favorite so far is a Ugandan Peaberry (http://bit.ly/x8CE3f). Chris' favorite (this week) is the Anjilanaka Organic Bolivia (http://bit.ly/v1xvqJ), with flavours of apple, honey and caramel.

On February 3, we issued the last purchase order, which is an important milestone. Our role will now change to ensuring that production runs go smoothly, that every item meets our exacting quality standards, and that scheduling and shipping of components between vendors go smoothly. This is still a very active role in any project, so we will stay very busy!

As production ramps up and the products come together, we'll tell you about each element of the product, so you will be well acquainted with your press when it arrives!

We're also pushing hard in the background to get the word out in publications and magazines. We hope to make some announcements on exciting developments soon.

Here's a nice image of the last pre-production plated handle.

Kickstarter Update #7: Almost Home!

5 DAYS LEFT!

Thanks to each of you for your support! Together we are turning an idea into reality - a truly creative act - and hopefully inspiring others in the community to do the same!

THE FILTER PERFORMANCE SPEAKS FOR ITSELF

We have been testing the latest prototypes with the production filters: 61% less fines than traditional French Presses on the market! Testers in our lab this week confirm that the brew retains the aromatic oils and the body we love from a French press, with a fraction of the fines. We have also worked hard to minimize the amount of liquid beneath the filter to ensure as much as possible can be enjoyed in your cup!

Spotlight on the Espro Press Handle

We would like to invite you into the product development process, by focusing on one part of the design: the Espro handle!

We wanted this to be more than your average plastic button. So, we are casting and plating it! The first shot here is both presses together, showing the relative size.

The large handle hasn't been plated, so it doesn't shine yet. This prototype is to make sure that we are happy with the detail in the mold.

The second photo shows a top view of the two handles again. The large one is 45 mm (1.77") in diameter and weighs 66.5 g (2.34 oz) unplated. It is hefty!

The third photo is a front view. The large one is 21.5 mm (0.85") tall.

We think you are going to be proud to put this out on the table for guests! Please support our Kickstarter project by pre-ordering a large Espro Press here!