Not at all surprised a new version came so quick. Original salesprice was way too high and even said as much in Lance's channel and he disagreed. Apparently, they know agree
I will definitely buy this one for my office when it releases in Germany. The price is still pretty high, at least for the beans, but the overall package seems very good and they bought a lot of thought into it.
If I didn't have the time to prepare my own pour overs every day, I would probably go for this. At $450 for a pod system and $2-$3/pod, it seems a but high. But as a hybrid system this product will appeal to all sorts of people. But more than anything, I can easily imagine this product replacing the ubiquitous pre-ground pod systems out in the wild. It will be a huge success in boutique hotel rooms and "cool workplace" break rooms if xBloom finds the right partners to market and distribute it.
I'm not sad that I have the original at the super early bird Kickstarter price, and since I received it through fulfillment, I've had it for a while, but just hearing that it's not a different model but an upgrade to the model you have causes an annoying itch... Like I wish that you could send it in for a fee to be upgraded. That would be cool of them to do.
I was interested in the original version for my office, but the price and forced app use kept me from buying. They are definitely on the right track, but I would still like to be able to save a program on the machine to avoid having to use the app all the time. Minor issue - I still think the RFID is wasteful and would much prefer a printed bar code or QR code.
They've actually changed from having RFID on every pod to now only shipping one recipe card with RFID with each pack of pods. You can see the new packaging in this video!
I don't think there's a timeline for branching out to 220V markets just yet. It's still a pretty new company, so I'm sure they're trying to not get spread too thin right away
Surprised there's no mention in the review of how the coffee tastes... So how do the results compare to a grinder/scale/kettle/brewer combo of equivalent cost? Cos I would be happy to pay a bit extra for the convenience, but if the grinder and brewer are trash and I'd need to keep using my own grinder, use a V60 with it etc for the best results, then it's just a fancy kettle... So any feedback on the brews you got with it?
Apologies for leaving this section out. As it was more of an "update on the original", I focused on covering the differences. The grinder in this is very capable, comparable to something from the likes of 1ZPresso. Brewing is also very comparable to a hand brew, especially now with the option to use any brewer of your choosing. This machine has several pouring patterns, and even a vibration function of the brewer to replicate the desired actions of the barista.
@pb6010 we go into much more detail in this video on an early prototype. And there's on more video on the Final version on our page too :) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-tPxwC6yBE34.html
I’m considering an xBloom studio for my coffee bar. Can you access the recipes for specific beans in the app? Like if I have Counter Culture Big Trouble beans on hand for example? Wondering if you can search by bean for a starting point to shorten dialing in.
You can find the pod recipes within the app, but the easiest way is definitely just to tap the pod you have on hand and let the machine pull it up or handle everything
I was one who wanted the manual controls from V1. While this has been made, i've come to realize my love for the ritual of brewing coffee. While this is a cool product, I enjoy the process if brewing. Dont want a machine taking that away.
Really depends on if you need to serve more than 1 or 2 people ever, and of course whether you have enough budget to get the Aiden AND a good grinder like the ODE
@LifestyleLab_ I like Aiden ability to batch brew but it not coming out till September. Also is not available on white yet. I do already have a grinder. Was just curious your opinion on both since they do kind of fall in the same category.
A good reminder to never buy first gen products from a company that's never made anything before. There's always going to be stuff they learn along the way to make a better product down the line which is apparently very true in this case
I was surprised too, and do feel for those who just received the original. They're definitely iterating very fast, and I know this version has been in the works for a while now
I think on the whole I prefer my original Xbloom to the studio, I prefer the better build quality over features I don't think I will use, I want the Xbloom for the convenience, I have many other coffee brewers, grinders that make much better coffee If I want that. I use the Xbloom for when I want the process automated either using the pods or the Dripper with my own beans. I would have preferred Xbloom to invest in distribution to improve Xpod availability outside North America, as a UK customer I have to use a freight forwarding company to ship the products, which adds not only cost but also time with the beans sitting in warehouses. Maybe even trying to sign up more roasters from the UK and Europe for all the Xbloom customers here. They seem to have forgotten about their international customers. If they are planning a long term future in making coffee machine they need to get a much more global mindset.
I’m conflicted - it’s a much more palatable price now but do I really want my coffee this complicated?! I just don’t know as a normal guy I don’t really want bar graphs with data that eh not sure. Maybe a Black Friday deal for 200 I’ll bite maybe. I do respect the company for innovation however.
It's an odd machine because it's really aimed at ultimate simplicity. Tap a card, and brew. And once you have a recipe, that's all it is each morning! But under the hood there's also a lot of adjustability
@@LifestyleLab_ Hey brother - I just ordered with your code. Thanks a lot for this video and the thoughtful reply. One HUGE thing people need to know is they have a discord with real time information / support that really put me over the edge for my decision making. They are highly accessible and take input from actual users...
@@LifestyleLab_ Do you know if we will be able to purchase additional cards? It would be nice to be able to purchase extras (or use existing compatible NFC tags) so that you could have an app-free workflow option. The new app is an enormous upgrade, but sometimes it's nice to not have to use it. Especially for spouses/guests that don't want to (or shouldn't) mess around with all the tech.
Is the boiler made of aluminum? Website says they used aluminum,stainless steel, and plastic. I tried contacting them but no answer. Trying to find out if the water comes in contact with aluminum...
Thank you for another superb review. I purchased the original XBloom on your recommendation. I would please like to ask you if the extraction is improved on the new model and did they remove that annoying fan sound? Hope you enjoy your day.
Thanks! The improvements made to the Omni Dripper design, and the fact that you could use your own brewer would be the only factors improving brew quality here vs the original. Otherwise it's the same pour, same temp stability, same grinder, and same fan volume
My normal morning coffee is 34 grams of beans and water to 500 grams. Am I right that I can only grind 25 grams of beans? And, can I control how much water is released and what is the maximum per brew of water? I can’t get an answer from bloom.
Recipes are only programmable up to an 18g dose. This is a single serve machine, so it won't work well for the size of drink you're looking to achieve, unless you simply brew two back to back cups which is reasonable.
@@LifestyleLab_ Thank You. But the real question is whether I can grind up to 34 grams of coffee, then just select 500 ml of water by doing a brew manually.
You can use the kettle function to rinse :) If the rinse was built in to the automation, you'd need to remember to empty the cup after, but it could be useful!
Not in person, no. Although apparently the backsplash is glass which is a nice touch! The DOWNSIDE of the white is that because of the material the Omni dripper is made of, it can only be produced in black. Which sticks out like a sore thumb.
I honestly still don’t think it will survive as a product. While reducing cost is definitely the right approach, the pod system that is still its main selling point and that the majority will get it for, is still a very limited package and the price for it is still incredibly steep and so is the coffee that is available for the pod system. This is still an upper market product and those the segments seem incredibly small for such products to realistically survive on a longer horizon. Also they did lots of right, the original had massive issues with extraction high on light roast and still see none of whether they actually managed to tackle that issue. Also just letting people turn off a grinder is a plus, for people having a grinder and still have to pay for something they don’t intend to use means they probably be better off with an Aiden
I think this pocket of people that is happy to go to a specialty café and spend eight dollars for a drip coffee is larger than we expect. If they're then able to get a similar experience even in a four or five dollar pod at home, then that's a pretty compelling offer. I also initially thought that the machine is interesting, but their pod sales would be difficult. But looking at their track record so far, I think I was wrong based on how quickly they sell out.
The reason they had to use an NFC card hack was because iPhones don't allow developers access to the NFC chip for no good reason. 😂 Seems like they took cues from Meticulous. If you are using your own beans and your own recipes it would be much better to put your money into a better grinder and kettle
One note, xBloom Studio is not intended to replace xBloom Original, they will be sold side by side. They are intended for different use cases. "The xBloom Original and xBloom Studio both offer exceptional coffee experiences tailored to different preferences and needs. The xBloom Original, the award-winning cornerstone of our brand since its inception, is celebrated for its ease of use and sleek design. The xBloom Studio, on the other hand, builds on the strong foundation of the Original with enhanced features and advanced options that allow each module to be used independently. Both models uphold xBloom's commitment to quality and innovation, ensuring that every cup of coffee is a delightful experience, whether you choose the simplicity of the Original or the advanced capabilities of the Studio."
There no basis for them to offer it as it currently stands, as all their roasters are all north American. It’s up in the air if they ever turn into anything beyond that, as it requires them to get roasters on board in the region they launch themselves onto, make their products fulfil CE certification and live up to strict food safety and packaging standards. On top they need a distribution network, that equals suddenly 2 year warranty forced on them. Another obstacle could be that most European and Asian roasters are often relatively small undertaking compared to many American roasters, with a few notable exceptions and those of the bigger already locked into other easy brew solutions and others are looking into instant. So there definitely some challenges they need to overcome. I heard it’s their plan but it’s not an easy task.
Wouldn’t it… just be easier to make your own pour over instead of managing something through every step of making it for you. I don’t get this machine at all. It looks cool but come on 😂
The idea behind the XBloom originally was to use it with their curated pods. The big advantage of this is that the roasters themselves program in the perfect grid size, pouring technique, and recipe, so that beginners don't need to dial in each coffee. In terms of managing at every step, like I mention I don't think many people will use it in that way either. But weighing out 15g and then hitting go and walking away is a nice convenience to have on busy mornings
You can call us Santa Claus because we're here to cross things off your wishlist! Our machine can create saved pours and has defaults! We're happy to show you
YT algo gave this to watch. I'm new to espresso/coffee and not aware of every brand or type of making coffee. You did not once mention what this is in intro. So I had to wait until 3 minutes in the figure that out. All these machines seem to be very similar in approach of design. Black box. So it's not easy to tell what this is from the front for the uninitiated.
This isn't an espresso machine actually, it's purely an automatic pour over system. I didn't give much overall background because as mentioned there was an earlier machine released very recently, and this is an incremental update. I highly recommend checking out the original XBloom videos if you want to learn deeper on the overall concept :)
@@LifestyleLab_ I really appreciate the sturdy construction and its aesthetic appeal. I prefer its straightforward functionality rather than it being overly diverse. Are you suggesting that the original unit might lack sufficient support in the future? That’s a bummer.
The big problem the XBloom set out to solve is people who enjoy specialty coffee, but don't want to learn how to dial in a grinder and brewing recipe to do so. Since then, the enthusiast market has got a hold of it and requested the ability to use each section of the machine separately
@@LifestyleLab_ that sounds like a formula for failure. Perhaps a separate SKU focused on enthusiasts and priced accordingly would make more sense than trying to meet all needs in a single product. Someone who wants specialty coffee and doesn't know how to dial in or brew will probably get confused by all the extra features you touched on in this video and wonder if they're paying for features they don't need.
Absolutely will not consider. Would not use their grinder. Will not use their pod or dripper. So basically it becomes an expensive gadget to do the pour over for me which takes me less than 4 minutes. No thank you.
Hmm $450, Version 2 months after Version1. Let me get this straight. Coffee geek creates self programmable pourover machine. Comes up with all these designs to control variables. Tests it, researches then ships out version 1. Version 1 has hiccups. Geek goes back to drawing board for version 2. If you love speciality coffee that much these updates should of been thought out in V1. Plastic vs metal/screen display/ physical buttons/ spout design/ scale. Etc etc. It really is just f#%&&n coffee. Buyers of V1 probably scratching their heads why. Why did i spend 500 plus on this machine for a new one to come out, because i was too lazy to pourover amd need AI to help myself 😢😢😢😢
@@LifestyleLab_ 🤦♀as i have already tried to say. Not everyone knows what they are watching as its part of the algo to suggest new things to watch. I clicked as it looked like something new in a topic im new - i dont need to watch your earlier vidoes etc. Its purely take a chance click If you actually just put in your title what this is or mentioned what it is in the first minute or 2 - like a friendly " In case you dont know that is its a ......" Would be a lot more helpful then just quoting to watch more videos
I responded to your other comment already. You are also watching a video on a somewhat niche product, it isn't intended to necessarily cater to a total beginner audience... that's ok
Hmmmm, this one looks clunky and with the plastic build, cheaper version to the original. So now they added a scale, bfd most of us already has a scale, so they added buttons to use, so what most of us will us the app anyway. Same small water tank and so what you can stick a water bottle to it, on my counter, no thanks. Sleeker accessories, bfd, the original looks better and is a better build, nice try xbloom but not for me. Remember a sequel is usually worse then the original as in this case...... Curious as to what the retail price will be...
X bloom sucks and their customer support is even worse. I bought one and it worked for a month and started leaking everywhere. I called customer support and they gave me some sum ineffectual solutions. I threw it in the trash where it belongs
