LONDINIUM R first production line picture

On his blog, Reiss Gunson posted this first photo of a long row of L-R machines getting ready to march into the world. The home size machine delivering a full bodied shot with great ease. A glimpse of the new compact rotary pumps can be seen in between the frames.

From the outside it seems just like the Londinium version built for home users until december last year, what used to be called The L-1 but the changed internal architecture and the compact but powerful rotation pump and its own dedicated user adjustable pressostat makes this a game changing machine.

In a conversation on his support forum, Reiss explained that the pre-infusion in this machine allows it to perform like the commercial size one, two and three group machines, the L3, L2 and the L1 (which would previously be called the L1-P):

PI is a bit like Goldilocks & the three bears i think - it is a matter of moderation

If you run the PI too high the shot tastes weird (L1(2017 on)/L2/L3 owners will be able to attest to this) and if you run it too low (dipper) you lose body. 

How do i know this? On too many occasions I had people visit me here in New Zealand and try the shots from the L1(2012-16) and the L1(2017 on) and without exception they would all prefer the taste of the L1(2017 on). 

For more than two years we have tried a variety of piston pumps (didn't work) and rotary pumps (wouldn't fit) and have been promised the one we have fitted for almost the past two years I think. 

Serendipitously brexit rolled into town against all odds and sank the pound - if this improbably event had not occurred I'm not sure I would have been game to release the L-R, but with brexit, non sterling buyers are able to purchase the L-R for lesss than they could purchase the L1(2012-16) this time last year; that is how dramatic the currency movement has been. 

On the L-R with the PI set to 3 bar you will get 60mL, assuming you allow pre-infusion to complete, which takes about 3 seconds typically, which helps to keep the taste of the espresso clean and prevent it from becoming murky (which occurs if pre-infusion stretches out beyond 15 seconds)

Can't wait to get ours and play with it. I expect shotwise and tastewise it will be indeed identical to what I can accomplish with the commercial plumbed-in one group Londinium in my kitchen, but this one can be picked up, carried over and installed anywhere which could make it my machine for home as well as some vacations.

Also, with my plumbed in installation, for my commercial one-group Londinium I can select 2 or 3 bar line pressure but on the L-R I could for instance go stepless between 1.5 bar and 4 bar for pre-infusion.

With a higher pre-infusion pressure, the lever will 'catch' earlier and thus start the gradually declining pressure profile for the espresso shot with a higher initial extraction pressure.

That is starting at a pressure that the former domestic Londinium could not reach, up to the high end of what you might want in terms of full-bodied extraction.