The WPM Primus espresso machine. All images courtesy of WPM.
Chinese coffee equipment maker WPM is introducing a single-group espresso machine called Primus that blurs the line between its home and professional use while bringing extraction parameters into sharp digital focus.
Publicly displayed for the first time at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo last month and soon launching for sale overseas, the Primus draws attention to a circular LCD screen embedded at the top of a 58-millimeter group. The screen offers a graphical presentation of pressure, flow rate, duration and temperature of water passing through the coffee in real time.
Users interact with the machine by rotating the collar that encircles the screen to make changes to its settings, select preprogrammed shot profiles or to manually adjust extraction pressure and flow in real time. Up to 20 shot profiles are stored on board.
On the inside, the Primus has a lot in common with WPM’s KD-330X model machine, which was designed for high-end home use. Water heated first in a 0.8-liter boiler is then driven by a quiet and precise gear pump through one of two thermoblock heaters, one that is PID-controlled for brewing and one that flashes water into steam.
Externally, the Primus courts commercial users with its optional direct plumbing connection. It can also draw water from an included 1.8-liter reservoir that stands alongside the machine.
“We see this more for commercial use as the machine can comfortably do 10 cups in one go,” Natalie Yip, head of strategy and business development at WPM, told Daily Coffee News. “However, it is also suitable for home users who like to play around with pressure control profiles.”
Although it has established distribution partners throughout Asian, Australian and European markets, WPM has yet to establish distribution in the U.S. Yip told DCN that the new tariffs between China and the United States have not yet directly affected U.S. sales plans.
“While we’ve encountered some short-term challenges due to shifting trade dynamics, we remain steadfast in our long-term optimism,” Yip said. “Primus was designed from inception for international markets, and we intend to proceed with its launch as originally planned.”
Within WPM’s machinery lineup, the Primus closely follows the rollout of the Konos grinder, which the company presents as a natural complement. The Konos, currently sold overseas for HK$8,800 ($1,134 at the time of this writing), centers on a custom set of 71-millimeter conical burrs and a brushless DC motor that spins them within an adjustable range of 150-420 RPM.
WPM is accepting pre-orders for the Primus at a price of HK$11,800 ($1,521 USD currently) for machines slated to begin shipping to customers in Asia in early June, then to Australia and Europe later this year.
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Howard Bryman
Howard Bryman is the associate editor of Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine. He is based in Portland, Oregon.
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