Slingshot Unveils the Sisma Grinder, Plans More Launches

The forthcoming Sisma commercial coffee grinder from Slingshot Technologies. All images courtesy of Slingshot Technologies.

Coffee equipment maker Slingshot Technology has introduced the Sisma, a professional coffee grinder that takes an inventive approach to grinding in advance and measured dosing for peak-time coffee service.

Slingshot’s second major grinder release, the Sisma is the first of several new products coming from the seven-year-old equipment company, which maintains a headquarters in Hong Kong and three international offices. 

Like the original grinder introduced in 2018 — now called the Dosis — the Sisma is capable of either grinding on demand or pre-grinding designated portions of coffee for back-to-back shots during busy times.

The Sisma also comes equipped with the same selection of 64- or 75-millimeter flat burrs, or 68-millimeter conical burrs, spun at the same RPM by the same motor as the Dosis. Adjustment of the grind setting is stepless on both models.

The new Sisma includes a “joystick” for micro adjustments to grind duration.

The differences are the machines’ methods of measuring doses and grooming them on the way out. Whereas the Dosis portions coffee volumetrically and includes a stirring chamber to improve distribution in the basket, the Sisma emphasizes fast adjustments to a time-based dosing system using a manual joystick that alters the grinding duration in 0.1-second increments.

A patented “Vibration Levelling System” on the Sisma shakes the portafilter basket for even distribution and leveling of the grounds, potentially saving time for baristas. Additionally,  Slingshot introduced an automatic tamper called the Kilo in 2019.

Exterior design options for the new Sisma include the same paneling in black, white, birch wood or clear glass as are available for the Dosis, and a special coupling kit is available for connecting any two Slingshot machines together into a single modular dual-hopper twin grinder.

The Sisma, which debuted at the recent Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE), is listed as “coming soon” on the company’s websites for the Asia, Australia/New Zealand and Europe markets. According to Slingshot Director Luca Giorgella, the Sisma is expected to be available to U.S. buyers in the first quarter of 2023. 

Slingshot currently maintains United States and Canada sales through its Hong Kong business. Based in Perth, Slingshot Australia plays a large part in Slingshot’s research and development efforts, while Slingshot Europe is based in the Italian headquarters of Bergamo-based partner company Carimali.

The Sisma is not the only major release coming from Slingshot this year, according to Giorgella. In January, the company plans to launch the Chalice, a dosing cup with a built-in mechanism that stirs the grinds. Designed for use with single-dose grinders, the Chalice can either act as a WDT de-clumping tool or as a level distribution tool. 

The forthcoming Slingshot Chalise.

The device may also work with yet another grinder expected to come from Slingshot next year, the Talis. A strictly on-demand grinder with a direct-drive system and flat burrs only, the Talis will round out the Slingshot grinder line, according to Giorgella.

“At present, [cafes] may use our Dosis and Sisma grinders for the ‘milk coffee,” Giorgella told DCN. “The Talis may be used for the single-origin, or coffee-of-the-week black coffee.”

A Slingshot prosumer or semi-commercial grinder is also on track to launch before the end of 2023.

Pricing for the Slingshot Sisma starts at US$1,350 and goes up depending on burrs and side panel selections. The Chalice will sell for $95, and the Talis is projected to start at $1,100.

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