A Step into the Unknown

For the price of a quality commercial espresso machine you could probably buy a car, or potentially a decently sized garden shed, or maybe even 10 Labrador puppies. Either way, the thing you’ve got to understand, is these machines are pricy. And for good reason. A coffee shop’s espresso machine is the most precious piece of kit, it’s not only responsible for smashing out espresso after espresso, but it also houses the soul of a cafe. It’s more than a machine, its a conversation starter, its a part of the team and its the first thing you look out for when going into a coffee shop you’ve never been to. So, how do you decide on what machine to get?! This is the question I sat with for over a year before finding Henlo.

I guess I should break the ice and get some of the first date info out of the way. Henlo machines are manufactured in South Africa, in fact Henlo is the only premium commercial espresso machine manufacturer coming out of South Africa. Their machines are technologically driven masterpieces born from the desire to bring the coffee shop experience into the modern age. The buzzing speciality coffee scene growing in South Africa has laid the framework for a brilliant manufacturer to enter the market and make an immediate impact. So, how did I find them?! Well, it sounds fairly simple on the surface, being from South Africa I keep up with the developments of the coffee scene out there. A particular coffee shop that I follow got a Henlo machine a while back and from then my interest was piqued. I did a deep dive into Henlo to see what they were all about. From a collection of social media posts and articles, I found a machine that offered the perfect blend between traditional and modern espresso machines that took nothing away from the experience of being a barista. It was a perfect piece of home in my shop and now Noch Coffee Co. has the only commercially used Henlo machine outside of South Africa, and we love every part of it.

The main question now stands, why a Henlo espresso machine? Why not peg it in with one of the big brands that have an established international customer base and plenty of available certified engineers to look after them? I guess, once all is said and done, it was the tech behind the machine that hooked me. It’s not only the incredibly user friendly interface, the super customisable profile builder, the auto shut-off steam wand, its that this machine gives a barista the best shot (pun intended) at pulling consistent espresso. Another massive draw was how much smoother it has made the work flow behind the counter. With so many variables accounted for we are able to spend more of our focus on arguably the most important part of the job, the customer experience. The last, and I would say most practical, reason we went with Henlo was the cost. It didn’t break the bank, and as small start up, we desperately needed a machine that gave us the best possible value for money and ticked all of our boxes; a machine that is driven by technology, is low maintenance and is able to keep up with the daily rushes of an independent coffee shop.

Now that’s all said, please come further down the coffee nerd rabbit hole with me as I tell you more about the brilliant features that Henlo machines have to offer. I won’t go too far into nitty gritty details, but I do want to highlight some of the tricks that I have been most impressed with since bringing the Henlo into the shop. 

The first element I wanted to touch on was the Profile Builder. The dual touchscreen group heads give instant access to the Profile Builder and all other machine settings. In essence a Henlo Machine gives a barista full customisation of each level of extraction. With up to four profiles per group head a barista can control everything from pre-infusion pressure strength to ideal brew time for each shot. Group head temperature can be set to ensure the extraction is not wasting energy and the full focus is kept on the grounds in the basket. The barista tells the machine puck mass and how much water is needed for the extraction, and as long as the grind is right, the coffee is perfect every time. Coffee is brewed to an exact standard, from brilliant house blended espressos to more complex ristrettos, the Profile Builder can set up, prepare and give you the best chance at coming away with consistent results.

This leads into the next best part of the Henlo; consistent brewing. The amount of coffee that is wasted in the average cafe is horrendous. From dial-in wastage to substandard shots during the run of the day, the consistency of the Henlo has cut so much of that wastage down. Dial-ins are quicker, bean changes are a breeze and it even gives you helpful tips if you bugger up a shot real bad. It’s not just the espresso that is incredibly consistent, but the milk as well. The Henlo steam wands have built-in auto shut-off switches which stop the flow of the steam wand automatically when the milk reaches the desired temperature. The barista chooses the temperature and to quote the team from Henlo, “no more burnt milk, just smooth, silky foam for barista-quality lattes and cappuccinos.” The auto shut-off capability has also saved me from distraction more than once and it also takes the human error out of over steaming the milk ensuring that every coffee served is the same temperature and tastes great.

Now, all the gear sounds great, but what about the care of the machine? There is no point in having all the frills if it’s difficult to maintain. Luckily, it couldn’t be easier. The daily maintenance is by far the most straightforward process I have ever come across with an espresso machine. I longer have to spend 17 minutes trying to get the double push timing on the buttons perfect to activate the back flush process or unscrewing hot screws at awkward angles to deep clean the screens. The single back flush button is easily accessed in each group head’s settings screen and is conveniently labelled “Back Flush”, cleaning is literally a click away. 

Now, what of long term maintenance. This was the conversation we had the most with folk when we mentioned that we were going with a machine that was outside the scope of expectation for new coffee shops in the UK. How are you going to look after it? Who is going to service it? Who is going to install it? All valid questions, and after some dead ends and a little bit of frustration in trying to find the right technician, the incredible folks at Scotland’s oldest coffee roaster, Thomson’s Coffee, offered to help us out and learn about the machine with us. That settled us, the hardware is safe and Henlo has the software covered. With the ability to remotely log into the machine’s operational systems the Henlo team back in South Africa can run live diagnostics on not just our machine but all of their machines. They can see what is wrong, where, isolate an issue and provide excellent guidance to solve any problem that might occur. This is inclusive of any hardware complications that might come up, with most of the parts available on the spares market and anything that can’t be found will easily be sent out. These machines are made with a focus on longevity and not tearing through countless amounts of spare parts and burning holes in your pocket.

It doesn’t end here with Henlo. We have the Henlo R machine which is perfect for the runnings of a high street independent coffee shop, but it goes further. The Special Edition Henlo R SE is barista’s dream; all the same bells and whistles, but even more focus on the extraction with hand controlled pressure levers. The brand spanking new single group head Henlo Q has just hit the market; a smaller piece of kit that offers all the same tech, but in a tighter bundle. From home baristas looking to up their home brewing game to cafes searching for consistency for their customers, there is something for everyone in the Henlo catalogue.

The final verdict from my point of view is this; the speciality coffee industry sometimes tends to innovate for innovations sake. Producing kit that has frills and a lot of faff just because it can, or because it looks good on TikTok. This doesn’t necessarily offer any advantages to the overall experience of brewing coffee and there is a fear that overindulgence in technology is going to distract from what this industry is all about. So, what is the goal here? How do we ensure that the barista remains in control of the coffee experience? Surely the answer is innovation that aids the brewing process. Letting the technology cover the basics, and while you focus on the technique and the taste. Do we need more people, as Kris Sandlan of Cairngorm Coffee puts it, “essentially taking calculated steps into something completely unknown in the UK market, with incredible tech built in, and getting the rewards from it.”

If you are wanting to tag along with the Henlo journey, give them a follow on their socials; @henlo.coffee. Or have a look at their website www.henlo.coffee. Or if you have any questions give us a shout @nochcoffeeco on Instagram and we’d be happy to tell you why we have the best espresso machine ever to espresso.

Cheers

Matt

xoxo