The xBloom studio is part of the rising wave of coffee machines claiming to have automated the pour over coffee process.
However, this is far more than an elegant drip machine like the Moccamaster. No, there is finesse, endless possible variation, cutting edge technology, and control over every brewing parameter so that you (purportedly) have control as if you were holding the gooseneck kettle yourself.
This is a review of the newly released xBloom Studio, seeing whether it really is all it claims to be.
xBloom Studio
xBloom Studio is the cheaper, better older brother of xBloom Original. It combines a conical burr grinder, a coffee scale, and a coffee brewer into an automated pour over machine that can do just about anything you could imagine to ask. It was designed by coffee lovers for coffee lovers.
xBloom Studio Review
xBloom Studio is the cheaper, better older brother of xBloom Original. It combines a conical burr grinder, a coffee scale, and a coffee brewer into an automated pour over machine that can do just about anything you could imagine to ask. It was designed by coffee lovers for coffee lovers.
Specifications:
- Color: Midnight Black / Moonlight White
- Dimensions (L/W/H): 170x204x426 mm | 6.7x8x16.8 in
- Water tank: 946 ml | 32 oz
- Water line connection: Yes
- Cord length: 1000 mm | 39.37 in
- Main Materials: Food-grade plastic & silicone (BPA-free), stainless steel, aluminum
- Net weight: 5.1 kg | 11.3 lbs
- Power (US/CA): 120V~ | 60Hz | 1400 W
- Connectivity Bluetooth: 5.0
xBloom Updates
The xBloom Studio is far more than simply a revamp of the xBloom Original. While sharing a similar shape and advertised functionality, the new xBloom Studio has a staggering amount of changes, developments, improvements, and advantages over the xBloom Original.
These include, but are not restricted to:
- Inbuilt high quality scale under drip tray
- Three knobs on front so machine can be customised manually
- New display
- Grinder now has 80 grind settings and can even grind for espresso
- Better anti-static tech
- Can do up to three cups of pour over at a time
- Can be plumbed in
- Standalone grinder, scale, and brewer
- A programmable recipe card
- All for a cheaper price
Probably the most significant change and strength of the xBloom Studio is that you are really purchasing a burr grinder, a coffee scale, and a coffee brewer for the price of the coffee brewer. Each of these three functions can be used in isolation from the others and are quality pieces of equipment in their own right.
The grinder utilizes 48mm conical burrs but now has an impressive 80 grind settings and adjustable 60-120 RPM. This is as slow as a hand grinder and paired with conical burrs leads to impressive particle consistency especially for light roasts. The increased grind settings means that the grinder has more than enough micro-adjustments to grind for espresso. So various users have commented that this has become their all-round grinder. It also comes with a nice magnetic dosing cup that fits straight into a 58mm portafilter.
The brewer itself, you can think of as a highly advanced water dispenser. And I mean highly advanced. It can heat the water to your desired temperature, dictate temperature, duration, and number of blooms, flow rate, and pouring pattern. And while you can still use the custom pods, the designers, with some help from Lance Hedrick, seem to have picked up that most of us will use our own beans and perhaps even our own brewer. And so while the custom pods can act as the brewer, it also now comes with an omni-dripper, or if you prefer you can just chuck in your V60, Kalita Wave, Origami Dripper, or whatever is your jam.
Another notable change and improvement is that the machine now bears three surprisingly high quality knobs on the front of the machine to control the grinder, brewer, and scale. These connect to a display on the front of the machine and are very intuitive to use. This is a nice touch as it does mean that at least a fair amount of the functionality is available without needing the app.
The App, however, unlocks the full functionality and an entire world of options. This allows the user to make custom workflows, watch flow rate, access others’ recipes, decide flow pattern, agitation level, and as you imagine do just about anything you could possibly want it to do. It also comes with a recipe card, which I confess I am not the biggest fan of. The idea being that you load preferences into the recipe card and then tap it onto the top of the machine. A bit weird if you ask me.
I would be remiss to neglect to say that part of the reason they were able to reduce the price is that the exterior sheath of the machine is no longer anodized aluminum but instead polycarbonate plastic. However, if anything, this matte finish actually looks better than the original.
As mentioned, part of the dream of xBloom is not only automated pour over, but the ability to experience beans as the roasters want them to be experienced. Enter xPods. These are the next gen of coffee pods. They come from some of the best coffee roasters around and contain whole beans as well as an RFID chip. This means they are not as susceptible to becoming stale, and the NFC tag or recipe card tells the machine the exact parameters with which to brew the beans from grind size to water temp and bloom time. It really is a genius idea. However, the downside is unsurprisingly the price. These xPods tend to be fairly steep and so most users comment that they tend to use their own beans and that is no issue with this machine.
Perhaps the thing I love most about the xBloom Studio and what I wish every coffee company offered is the xBloom Flex. Put simply, this is a program by which you can effectively rent a xBloom Studio for $30/month and try it out. It comes with all the extras, there are no hidden catches, and you can simply try it for a month or two to see if it suits your needs. If not, no worries and send it back. If so, then you can go ahead and buy one with complete peace of mind since you know what you are buying.
Pros and Cons of the xBloom Studio
Pros:
- Significant improvement on the xBloom Original
- Excellent value for money
- Standalone grinder, brewer, and scale
- Extensive control over brewing parameters
Cons:
- Small water reservoir
- Water flow still has the very minor water droplet issue that the Original had
- May be too tall for some countertops
- App can be a bit overwhelming for the casual brewer
xBloom Studio Takeaway
In summary, the xBloom Studio is an advanced automated pour over coffee machine. It functions as a three-in-one burr grinder, coffee scale, and coffee brewer. It is intuitive, high quality, produces a good workflow, and has been well received in the specialty coffee community.
This coffee machine is really for the pour over lover who simply is struggling to find the time to lug out the scale, gooseneck kettle, and other kit in the midst of the hectic reality of life. The xBloom studio will do it all for you and, for most of us, probably do a better job than we could ever do.
Highly recommended!
