Voga Coffee to Unveil the Cyclops Single-Group Batch Brewer

Rendering of the Voga Coffee single-group Cyclops brewer. Courtesy of Voga Coffee.

Voga Coffee is hoping to catch some eyes at the SCA Expo in April this year as it rolls out a new single-group iteration of the Ground Control batch brew machine, called the Cyclops.

Featuring the same patented multi-stage extraction process as the Twin machine involving several cycled immersions, agitations and then desiccations of the coffee bed by vacuum force, the Cyclops is designed to offer cafes a lower minimum volume at a faster pace. The Cyclops will also feature a smaller countertop footprint, stylized brew handle, and lower introductory price.

The new machine also offers enhanced temperature profiling capabilities, allowing users to set different water temperatures for individual brew cycles. “We may explore this in future releases of the two-group, if there is demand,” Voga CEO Eli Salomon told Daily Coffee News.

The Ground Control II machine. Photo courtesy of Voga Coffee.

Users enter their specifications through the same touchscreen interface as found on the Twin for a maximum hourly output of up to 120 cups, down from the Twin’s 250. While the two-group version currently sells for $9,600, the Cyclops’ anticipated price is $6,800.

Salomon said the company will also offer one-year financing on the new model that, beyond the new features seen and experienced through its use and appearance, also “incorporates a years’ worth of improvement on the engineering.”

As it runs on 110-volt power, Voga hopes the Cyclops is adopted into office breakrooms and other settings, although the company is also currently looking even further beyond the cafe with a consumer home-brewing device reportedly in the early research and development phase. The Voga home brewer will be based on the same brewing technology and process of immersion, agitation, multiple cycles and vacuum, in a home-kitchen-friendly footprint.

“The final feature set hasn’t been determined. But what I can say is that we are looking to leverage Ground Control’s high quality, extreme consistency — e.g. repeatability of flavor profiles — and fundamental flavor profiling abilities to provide users with an unprecedented ability to brew their personal favorite cup of coffee in an intuitive way,” said Salomon. “We are currently speaking with investment groups and strategic partners that can bring Ground Control quality beverages into the home.”

Pre-orders for the Voga Coffee Ground Control Cyclops are available now through direct contact with the company. The product will officially launch on display at Voga’s booth at the SCA’s Specialty Coffee Expo in Seattle this coming April.