Marco’s ubiquitous circle logo was another shade of red-hot at the World of Coffee Budapest 2017, where the Irish water-brewing experts were showing their new, award-winning boiler known as the MIX.
After an initial appearance in February, the MIX debuted at the London Coffee Festival in April and, two months later, was being displayed alongside its 2017 SCA Best New Product award in the category of Commercial Coffee or Tea Preparation and Serving Equipment.
“It’s the most energy-efficient boiler on the market,” Marco’s commercial director, James Healy, told Sprudge. “It’s got a unique energy system because it uses a vacuum-insulated tank, as distinct from having a tank that has external insulation.”
The MIX comes in one-button and three-button models. The latter, radically, allows water to be dispensed at three different temperatures and three different volumes (which could be set to correspond, for example, to small, medium, and large drink sizes).
“Its core target audience is people who are precise about their water management system, who take water management seriously,” said Healy.
One such business is Koppi. The Swedish roaster and cafe was represented at the Marco stand in Budapest through the presence of its coffee and its co-founder. Anne Lunell, who regularly hosts exhibitions with the company and has worked with its products for years, said she could envision adding a MIX to Koppi’s own mix (they presently have a Marco Über boiler and an SP9 brewer).
“I think it’s great because serious coffee shops nowadays do tea as well, or they might need to do a combination of profiles,” she said. “We always use too much water, so to prevent waste, the Mix is really good. If you have a recipe for coffee or tea, then you just program that.”
The MIX comes in countertop and under-counter versions. Both are efficient, but the model with the hidden tank is exceptionally elegant. At bar level, it appears simply as a stainless steel font—its head haloed by a white light when the machine is on—with a discreet in-counter drip-tray.
“We pride ourselves in innovation, and design is one of our core strengths,” noted Healy. “We like to design products consistent with market needs. An example currently is the trend of moving equipment from above-counter to under-counter.”
With its swan-like silhouette, this svelte, space-saving product provoked the question: Can we have a Mix in our personal kitchens?
Healy had to disappoint, replying: “No, it’s not designed for home use, but many people express an interest in it.”
Perhaps that market should soon be tapped, too.
Karina Hof is a Sprudge staff writer based in Amsterdam. Read more Karina Hof on Sprudge
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