NEW STANDARD ESPRESSO MACHINE?: Unica Pro Deep Dive Review 

it would be the world if you could give a like to this video! I work really hard on these and likes and subscribes help more than you know! Many have been misinterpreted the video as saying this machine is what everyone should get- that is horribly myopic. The excitement is moreso the approach and the dissemination of thought that will undoubtedly lead to a better future with regards to approaches to extraction, sustainability, etc. Anyway, thanks for the support!

Certified doctor here. The way this machine leans forward suggests that it has the PSP form of frontotemporal dementia. Very sad tbh.

I was wondering: - hmm how much? Then you’ve said: “Swiss company” And that’s when I realised I won’t be able to afford it 😂

Bro you have out done yourself in this video . The intro izzz hilarious, love the choice of song. I didn’t know u could mix comedy and machine review All into one. Kudos bro…. Love the geeky pretty deep technical review & comparing it with commercial machine… don’t stop believing… hold on to dat feeling…Bro … your passion rocks 😄👍

Great video, thanks! Awesome to see tech from other industries used, when only ever seen in custom hotrod style machines!

Hope that you had a wonderful Christmas, Lance? Happy New Year my friend.

Amazing video. I wonder if a short format digest to accompany this would help boost ur channel. It’s definitely a deep dive here, and i dont think the length is for everyone. Maybe chapters would also help. Either way, ur providing a valuable resource and I enjoy watching.

Thanks Hugo and Lance. Love your videos ❤and coffee ☕️ and coffee machines 🤖

Hey Lance, Love the video as always ! Do you have a review of the Baby T planned? Would love to hear your thought on it

the hotwater spout on my Rocket R9 is exactly the same, i love it! you can mix cold water with the hot water and program the volumetric

Great review! Really appreciate the deep dive and demonstration of what the machine is capable. I am definitely interested, assuming it is ever released in the USA.

As always an amazing video with an in depth review. Thank you. I noticed the nice black cups. Ceramic I would imagine. What are they and do you have a link?

Lance bringing the goods this Twixmas. Have a great 2024 Lance! Thank you for your coffee passion and entertainment!

Hi Lance, Do you know if, at some point, you will be able to review the Heylo? It should have many of the capabilities that the Unica Pro has and is furthermore boilerless. It has a separate steaming unit, though. It can, however, steam without heating the milk, only introducing air, apparently. Great content, keep it up!

You did great on this one Lance. Excellent video. I'm excited to buy one of these when they're available in North America.

UI designer: How much drop shadow do you want across the interface? Unica: Yes.

I hope you will also get a MaRo Model 1. Can't wait to see some reviews in Q1 or Q2.

Top notch Swiss made product! Waiting for the Maro review now! 😊

Fantastic walk through, it must say machines come a long way the last few years and I fully agree boilers is a redundant technology that we really should not need to see anymore especially not in the home market. One of the reasons why I was so interested in the Meticulous lots of capabilities in a low maintenance package. I can’t wait to see an actual home friendly and affordable version of this as it offer so many “new” very useful set of features… the design is a rather hard sell, certainly look like it indeed was designed by a pharmaceutical equipment maker.

Great video as always, Hopefully the Unica Pro becomes available soon in the USA

Great review Lance. Can't wait till it's available in the U.S. Better control, better espresso!

Dang they Swiss’d the price! Dang Swiss!

You’re a legend Lance, literally laughed out loud with the Little Mermaid performance at 5:44 😂 would love to see how far you took it pre-editing 😁

Great Review! How does the Unica stand against Decent? If I were to choose I would definitely go for the Unica

great vid and explanation - which scale did you use for the water volume?

This Unica mechine seems to approach the ideal. Thank you, Lance.

I get it. This machine is a prototype of what may be to come with other designs, brands etc but hopefully it leads to better and more energy efficient technology in the industry (or at least more options).

The Christmas gift I did not know I was missing - a new upload from Lance! ❤

Nice review

Lance, thank you very much for your videos! Can you review Bezzera espresso machines? No one makes reviews on them and they have some interesting machines such as the aria r mn with rotary pump

I did field service on medical equipment for a while. doesnt surprise me to see a company in that field making espresso machines.

Thanks for the review. It is a pretty awesome machine geared towards the ultra coffee nerd. This machine would require some training on how the flow rates affect the cup as compared to pressure. Perhaps this is something to aspire to.

Great video and summary about a complex and innovativ machine, thx Lance.

Lance! Any chance you can review the Turin Legato? Looking to buy my first machine, and seems like it could be a good alternative to the Bambino Plus or GCP. Thanks!

Love that auto flush.

Hi Lance, I was curious if you plan on reviewing the Profitec Drive?

the next step is to run a neural network and use supervised trained to allow younto choose the coffee you want. viscous, clear, sweet and let the machine pick the variables and adjust to the grind.

These people are brilliant. Pulling cold water through the pump to mitigate scale buildup is king. Great video!

Thanks!

Excellent video, can we get a thermal stability test for this machine with the portafilter probe readings ?

Around the 5:00 mark, do you mean watt hours? Watts are an instant power usage measurement, and do not represent how much energy streaming a drink actually uses.

@LanceHendrick Great review, thanks Lance. I fully share your excitement for this machine. I have it for nearly 2 years since its launch. It's pricey but very innovative with custom-developed parts, not mass-produced ones. Excellent build quality, endless coffee brewing options, minimal kitchen footprint, and great for the environment due to its energy efficiency, without compromises for temperature consistency and steam performance.

Thanks< Lance for your fantastic look into this unique espresso machine. This machine is full of unique features and you provided an excellent demonstration & explanation to many of these specific options. I look forward to chapter ‘2’ of your extended review when the Unica & software is finally available for release. There were a couple of distinctive options offered for the Unica Pro but your time was limited for a full elucidation. So here is a short explanation of these features offered. 1. Steam. 2. Cup warming. 1. The milk steam timer/temperature function ( adjustable in single digit degree and seconds) offers the opportunity to make micro-foam in a repeatable way. In a commercial setting, this option will provide a supply of silky smooth micro-foam for all the cappuccino's & Lattes required. 2. Since the Unica doesn’t produce an appropriate amount of excess heat ( lack of boilers) . A alternative solution was provided in the form of a special heat film that is installed under the top stainless tray. This film will provide the required heat for the cup tray. The cups can be warmed to an adjustable set time and/or temperature before the initial start of the day.

One nit to pick - copper would be more hygienic as it’s strongly antimicrobial at its surface, but it’s likely too thermally conductive for their design.

Pressure profiling section is pure gold. Puuuure gold.

Wow! That video had me on the edge of my seat. Ignoring the price for a moment, the machine seems so innovative in good directions. Love the pump and inherent efficiency. Lance understands about 50 times more than I do about extracting the best flavour from coffee beans. I am quite excited by the idea that I could import some of his painstakingly researched shot profiles to my own machine as a start point. I just completed a repair/refurb on my failing Dedica, but during the downtime have been watching ALL of Lance’s excellent in-depth reviews with a view to buy a more versatile smallish footprint machine. I could make funds available to go straight to endgame, but feel I ought to build up more experience and knowledge first. Maybe try a modded GCP and wait for this tech to appear in mainstream machines?? What would you recommend??

I needed this video SO MUCH as I’ve been ill since Boxing Day . Thanks Lance 🎉

My head exploded at about 14 minutes. Man I’ve got a lot to learn.

Damn i was hoping that it would finally be without teflon... Hopefully someone will eventually do it ! Anyway thank you for the review!

Awesome video, keep it up. I am deciding between buying this and the Decent. Speaking only about control, as I have understood the Unica is more precise/consistent?. Is it 2 times better or 10 times better? Not considering the price difference, what would you suggest me between the two?

Having worked in biotechnology field I sometimes wonder why my espresso machine couldn't do X, Y, or Z that some piece of lab equipment can. Makes total sense that some instrument makers decided to make an espresso machine. At CHF 7350.00 this is mighty expensive compared to my Rancilio Silvia but a lot cheaper than my lab instruments. Then again, the Decent DE1 Pro at $4K seems a relative bargain for the home user.

Insane review, super geeky AF with all the tech, I think I'll stick to my Gaggia with the Gagguinno mod, too poor like most people to look at this

I want the Nurri he reviewed!!! That is my goal!!!

By the off chance you read this what’s your opinion on the best espresso machine/grinder combination for under $2500?

LANCE! hey there, happy holidays and happy new year! You don't have to do a video about it (unless you want to) but what is your favorite semi-automatic home espresso machine for 2023...or top 5...or 10? Overall best, most user friendly, best features and so on. Love you videos, keep it up along with that epic stash.

Grind analysis is cool

This or a modern Spring Lever with 3 way valve, heated group, and programmable PI?

It looks BEAUTIFUL. I bet it costs an arm and a leg ha ha! I do hope you do possible multiple deep dives on the Gaggiuino? Maybe some comparison videos with other machines? A 6 month/1 year revisit after using it for a long time? I am really really hoping that can be my ultra-wannabe-posh machine I can rock for a long while going forward for myself :)

What do the manufacturers of unica pro make in the medical field? Or what’s the parent company’s name?

Can you review some budget friendly espresso machine especially machines from gemilai or milesto. Thanks

You can't go up to 300ml extraction, because you need some volume to saturate the puck. 300ml - saturating volume = max extraction volume. But I agree there should be one limit for all kinds of beverages.

Wow, this looks a lot like a Bentley Gaggiuino. Given that I'm not driving a Bentley, I'll happily keep my Gaggiuino, and ~$8k in price difference. Awesome review!!!

Hey Lance! I love your videos and look forward to every single one. I do have a critique about this one, however. The numbers for power saving are absolutely ridiculous, even in a cafe environment. As a former owner of a Lelit Bianca, for home use, the savings would be below 100Eur per year. I know, because I just switched to a Decent and I've been running these calculations for weeks. Even in a cafe environment, I can only get close to those numbers assuming 16 hours of heavy usage per day, which the Bianca is not made for, so maybe an even bigger machine. However, this machine is NOT made for a cafe environment with that 0.5l steam boiler. Unless I am misunderstanding how it works, that steam boiler cannot in any way handle a commercial environment, maybe a very low volume one. So this machine should either be compared to something of the same caliber when it comes to number of shots per hour, when it comes to a commercial environment, or to a reasonable home use scenario.

That step motor is a game changer.

My dual boiler espresso machine had a consumption of 14 kwh for the last 30 days. The price for that, here in Romania, is 2$.

How are the readings gonna be like with same coffee on different basket ? Let’s say a 17-19g and a 19-22g. Does it make a difference?

Nice and responsive display, so it can be done! Breville should learn from them.

Interesting. Any ideas on if they will set up shop directly in the USA or work through an importer?

Does anybody know what style group head this machine uses? (I.e. which portafilters will fit this machine?)

Looks amazing and the first of your vids I've seen - so thumbs up to the YT alogorythm - but I can't with a right mind thumbs-up a video about a $7k machine. Looking forward to more of your content though. gl.

What is that small scale you are using for the water ? :)

This seems like the Decent DE1 on steroids. Very cool! I just wish it had a bigger display to more easily dive into the data (they seem to have the space for it if they get a slimmer display - and open source the software. Edit: Also hope they can make the V2 look more minimalistic, but that's just my subjective opinion on the looks I want.

I just bought a Flair 58 and Nanofoamer pro. Can’t decide on what coffee machine is best, so many comparisons, so many promo videos online, no real review after 1 year including the daily maintenance etc. Seemed like the best starting point for espresso, after drinking from my Aeropress for 7 years..

Just a quick message : thumbnail is a mini picture, like the picture you make to promote a video or in your phone before you open it fullscreen. Thumbdrive is the "computer stick" you connect.

Great machine with a very smart build. Price is heavy for most though, if 7000+ CHF is a decent reference. But it will shake up the competition nonetheless and that is a good thing for everyone. Hopefully after a few years we will see the tech trickle down to a more “affordable” model. Like Tesla’s, but with hopefully better build quality 😅

Can we just take some time to appreciate lance's godly voice?

There is no sensor in the tank. The pump detects that it cannot be refilled. You can even run a shot without the tank, if there is enough water in the pump. If the not enough water warning it's coming I can still finish more than one coffee, until the machine detects there is not enough water for the chosen beverage and the button is grayed out.

lance how do you use a fat thumbnail to program this machine?

Any chance of adding timestamps to these kind of long videos? besides that, great vid and great machine.

Awesome!!!!

Maybe do a direct comparison to the Decent de1? A lot of the features of the de1 I could not find here. How can the Unica lead the pack then?

Checked that this is a 10k€ machine where I live. That is a lot 😄 I was hoping for something more mortal pricing

Would you choose this over the DE1 Pro?

Is this for commercial? Or at home?

Watts is power, not energy usage. Energy is watts times time. e.g. 1.5 kilowatt hours.

Can you do a review of a rocket mozzafiato r or v

That is one super quiet espresso machine!

I can Imagine Lance hosting a dinner party for friends and aftwr the meal Lance asks friends if they would like an after dinner espresso, he starts up the Unica Pro and starts using the profiling to get his friends a great espresso, however I hope they are staying over by the time he's gone theough all the finessing it will be time for breakfast.

wait until the Maro model 1 is out in spring! 😂

wow nice machine

When it comes to sustainability there is “T-technology” from Ascaso and for semi professional or home use there is Ascaso Baby T model which is rather better comparison to this monster than Ascaso DUO. Btw I would love to see review of baby T ;)

Very much will be outsie of my budget but damn that has some neat features

Hi Lance! Great work. You mentioned the Steel Duo early on in this video… have you done a deep dive on the latest Ascaso Steel Duo PID?

switzerland mentioned

I'd love to see what I could get out of this vs. my Mr. Coffee Espressions machine. I'd need to get a really good paying job to afford one of these.

Danke!

Interesting! But I won’t be the early adopter and wait for a 2.0, and if it’s a few years. And maybe some of their very innovative stuff will find its way into other top contenders… The pump concept seems excellent!

Nice features though, but I am not convinced. I dont see features that justify the price point. Was there no money left for a proper design? Why is it tilted? Has the display any colors? It looks very dull and uninspired.

I love it but I hope they hire a UI designer! It makes its look so cheap.

Swiss product? Sign me up. Switzerland is 30min ride, I'll go now. Oh wait... I forgot I don't have a Swiss salary.