We do production runs every six months, which means the machine is continuously changing and improving. However, we go to great lengths to ensure backward compatibility. Since the original v1.0 machine, our goal has been to build a "Turing complete" machine capable of emulating any style of espresso extraction. Because of this, the core coffee quality from an older v1.0 machine is essentially identical to that of a v1.3 or v1.4 machine. Existing customers do not need to buy an entirely new model to get the latest features, as we routinely offer affordable upgrade kits—such as our group head controller upgrade—that can be retrofitted onto older hardware.
There are two primary reasons for the steady price increases: our initial baseline pricing was unsustainable, and our community keeps demanding higher-quality components. When we first launched the v1.0, we actually underpriced ourselves to the point where we were not making a profit; the goal was simply to get the machine out into the world and gather feedback. Since then, to meet user demands for perfection, we have upgraded our parts at every six-month interval. For example, we replaced standard commercial flow constrictors with ultra-accurate, jet-airplane-grade versions, which raised our manufacturing costs but significantly improved performance. Essentially, the longer a buyer waits to purchase, the more the machine will cost because it is constantly getting better.
With our sales volume tripling over the past year, our primary focus is optimizing internal assembly time rather than introducing more customer-facing cosmetic changes. We have managed to reduce assembly time per machine from 20 hours down to 16 hours, and we aim to drop it further to roughly 13 hours. To achieve this, we are shifting from custom computer-milled (CNC) internal parts to molded components. This change does not alter the performance or quality of the coffee, but it substantially accelerates the manufacturing and repair pipeline. Streamlining this assembly process allows us to handle increased demand and faster service turnaround without needing to excessively expand our staff footprint.