Meticulous is showing off its Smart Espresso Maker, which it says is the world’s first robotic lever espresso machine. This week at CES 2025 in Las Vegas. The prototype raised nearly $5 million in funding Kickstarter and another $1.6 million Indiegogo. The company’s first batch of espresso machines will ship in March.
Meticulous Espresso uses a digital motor and high-precision sensors to automatically brew espresso, allowing anyone from the experienced barista to the home coffee enthusiast to gain control over the brewing process.
Fine CEO Carlos Pendas explains that you need two things to make espresso: heat and pressure. Traditional espresso machines achieve this through a boiler and valve arrangement, and the underlying mechanism of these machines has remained the same for decades, Pendas noted.
Meticulous designed its espresso machine from the ground up to take advantage of the latest technology. While the machine still generates heat and pressure, it does so using digital actuators, sensors and software.
The machine has 10 digital sensors that monitor things like water temperature, pressure, flow rate, and the weight of the liquid in the cup. With this data, the machine can make real-time adjustments, just like a real barista would.
You can weigh your foundation directly on the machine. Once the machine starts brewing, the scale works with the flow sensor to measure exactly how much water is going through the coffee and can adjust its flow into the cup and stop with the correct brew ratio.
The machine’s six sensors are designed to keep the water temperature consistent. The Meticulous Espresso’s heating coil takes the water to its ideal temperature in about a minute and keeps it there for complete extraction. You can choose from a list of classic espresso profiles to create your shot, or download custom profiles from experts around the world.
The espresso machine is available to pre-order for $1,350.
Along with the Meticulous Espresso, the company also announced the Meticulous Milk Steamer, which features a coil that heats small amounts of water almost instantly. The steamer has sensors that allow it to steam milk automatically, allowing users to choose their temperature and texture.
Meticulous Milk is available for pre-order for $250.