The dual-circuit espresso machine test series concludes with a review of the Xenia. The Xenia's reputation as a special espresso machine precedes it.
It is being developed in a small factory in Germany. The machine can be freely configured and ordered via the Xenia website. The machine is then assembled by hand and delivered. At the time of our test (Sept. 20), however, there was a six-month wait until your "own" machine was ready.
You choose a Xenia! It's not an off-the-shelf purchase. The manufacturer communicates openly with its community; the website is very transparent, providing information about new developments and describing the espresso machine's technical features in detail.
The Xenia is still underrepresented in Switzerland. This made us all the more curious to test the Xenia espresso machine extensively. And what can we say: our conclusions range from enthusiastic to sobering. But read and see for yourself.
You can find out more about the comparison with 11 other dual-circuit espresso machines here .
The company Xenia has since been acquired by Hemro-Mahlkönig. You can find an analysis of this in a recent video and article.
Xenia's wish order
Stainless steel "mirror" or "satin"? Or perhaps the "anthracite blue metallic" trim? We didn't end up at the auto body shop, but rather in the Xenia configurator . That's a joy!
We click through a multi-page menu and create our machine.
We want to be able to pull the water tank out from the side. The boiler should be insulated, please. We'll ask the team about the button color. We'll save ourselves a tamper; we've got plenty lying around.
Xenia sets standards for all other espresso machine manufacturers and leverages a powerful strength: Because each machine is built locally and delivered directly from the manufacturer, almost every customer request can be fulfilled.
All Lelits, Rockets, and Bezzeras, on the other hand, are mass-produced, off-the-shelf products waiting for buyers in the importer's warehouse in the respective country. The Xenia is different. The production process begins with your own decision on a machine and the placing of an order.
We think that's fantastic.
Side view of the Xenia
But this individuality also comes at a price. This is more in the waiting time than in the cost. The cheapest upgrade, the Xenia, costs just around €1,300, although the interesting and useful components quickly add up to a price tag of €1,600.
Currently, you wait six months until your machine leaves production. There's no mention of this on the Xenia homepage. In the configurator, the waiting time is hidden behind the phrase: "You can view the progress and expected production date for your machine daily in the production list."
We overlooked it and immediately launched the configurator. Our mistake. Only later did we realize how long it took. We're all the more pleased that we now have a new Xenia on our test bench—which we purchased like all our test machines—and can tell you how this machine performed for us.
The procurement of the Xenia
A wait of five to six months was unthinkable for us, as we plan to complete our dual-circuit test series in September 2020. We then posteda request on the Kaffee-Netz in the Xenia community , asking if a Xenia owner would be willing to lend us their machine for testing.
The feedback from the community itself was very positive, and we received numerous emails and messages from Xenia customers who wanted to make their machines available or even said their Xenia was for sale.
We were surprised that the manufacturer itself then asked its customers not to provide us with a machine. Firstly, because of possible transport damage and, secondly, because of the risk ofcoronavirus infection . At the same time, they pointed out that we had to follow the same pattern as everyone else. We think the last point is perfectly fine and correct. However, we find it strange to judge the preventive COVID-19 protection measures taken by others.
We simply ordered the Xenia from Coffee Circle. It arrived three weeks later. It didn't come with the joy of the configurator, but it did come with a good upgrade and a really stylish design.
The setting of our Xenia espresso machine
Like all current Xenias, ours is a dual-circuit machine. It features an insulated 1.3-liter boiler. A heat exchanger tube winds its way vertically through the boiler in a spiral. The brewing water is drawn through this tube and takes on the temperature of the surroundings. A heat exchanger, in other words.
Especially with the Xenia: after each brew, this tube is emptied, preventing it from overheating during the idle phase until the next brew. This is a phenomenon found in many other dual-circuit machines. Since the ambient temperature of the boiler is +120 degrees Celsius, the water in the heat exchanger becomes too hot and must be cooled with a cooling flush (a short rinse before brewing an espresso). Emptying the tube eliminates this procedure with the Xenia.
Incidentally, this also results in a very consistent brewing temperature, as it always undergoes the same heat exchange with the environment. We measured very consistent temperatures, barely exceeding 0.2 degrees Celsius from the moment the brew was triggered, over 30 seconds, until the brew was finished. This puts the Xenia on par with the best dual-circuit machines in terms of consistency.
Temperature test at Xenia
Constant but too hot
We test all espresso machines out of the box , as they are. We remove them from the packaging and begin testing. We don't make any changes to the machine that even an inexperienced customer can't make. The basic idea behind this is that when you buy a machine, you want to get started right away, not have to run to the dealer for adjustments.
Our Xenia was set about 3 degrees too hot. After the warm-up period was complete, all our brews had temperatures between 95.9 and 96.4 degrees. This resulted in the espressos being unpleasantly bitter, leaving a dry mouth feel, and having a harsh aftertaste.
With the Xenia, the base temperature inside the machine can be adjusted using a pressure switch. To do this, you lower the overall boiler pressure, which also results in a lower brewing water temperature. However, such an adjustment is difficult to make without a suitable portafilter thermometer to measure the brewing temperature.
This overly hot default setting of the machine contradicts our expectations for a custom-made machine, especially since the manufacturer specifies a target temperature of 92 degrees Celsius. For the final test of the machine in comparison to the other dual-circuit machines, we will adjust the temperature of the Xenia. We recommend checking your own brewing temperature for all Xenia users who have difficulty brewing balanced, good espressos.
Width, height and nice gimmicks of the Xenia
With a width of 27 cm, a height of approximately 40 cm, and a depth of 43 cm, the Xenia is one of the more compact dual-circuit appliances. However, an ingenious trick makes it the best and most compact dual-circuit appliance for kitchens with wall cabinets.
Filling the water tank in traditional dual-circuit machines is done either by removing the water from the tank or by pouring water directly into it. In both cases, space is required above the espresso machine. However, if a deep wall cabinet hangs above the machine, this is not easy to achieve in smaller kitchens.
The water tank on the Xenia can be removed from the side.
The Xenia does this better. The water tank can be slid out in either direction via a slot on the side. This feature is optionally available via the configurator – great! They've thought through this and integrated a useful function.
Other small and large features of this kind are found throughout the machine. The drip tray has a good capacity. What sets it apart, however, is a "half pipe" for the water. Instead of simply spraying the return water into the tray, thereby causing a greater spray impact on the surrounding area, in the Xenia the water slides down a ramp into the tray. Simple, practical, good.
The machine and boiler are made of stainless steel, with our exterior having a black anodized finish. We also include two beautiful portafilters with olive wood handles.
The steam wand and tea wand are cold touch, meaning they don't burn. In other words, they don't get hot.
Here the spray water slides into the drip tray without splashing.
The vibration pump hums quietly
We haven't yet started comparing the dual-boiler machines. Nevertheless, here's a little background information. The Xenia is the second quietest espresso machine in our dual-boiler test series. Here, too, Xenia demonstrates how easy it can be.
There are two things that make noise when using a vibration pump: the pump itself, which rattles somewhere on the housing. And all the other parts, metal sheets, inserts. The pump on the Xenia sits on rubber feet. That's half the battle. The connecting hose itself is mounted in such a way that no vibration is transmitted. And since there's not much else rattling inside the machine, the Xenia is pretty quiet!
The brewing unit of the Xenia and the heating time
The Xenia uses a brewing unit that differs from the widely used Faema E61 group. Instead of the circulating thermosiphon principle, the group is electrically heated by two heating cartridges and connected by a copper thermal bridge between the boiler and the group, thus stabilizing the temperature.
In our tests and measurements over several hours and days with repeated heating and cooling of the entire machine, the Xenia was very precise when at operating temperature.
Xenia states that the machine reaches operating temperature after 13 minutes. We found a heat-up time of 20 minutes or more. At least, we reached the machine's final temperature after about that time. After that, the temperature didn't rise any further and remained constant at that temperature (96 degrees Celsius) for several hours.
Froth milk like with a single-circuit machine
A key advantage of a dual-circuit machine is that you can froth milk and brew espresso simultaneously. This is a key reason why people who enjoy milk-based drinks are better off buying a dual-circuit machine. You can insert the espresso, start the extraction, and begin frothing – without any delay.
With a single-circuit machine, the boiler temperature must first be raised from espresso temperature to steam pressure temperature to ensure sufficient pressure is present. The milk frothing ability is the key difference between a dual-circuit machine and a single-circuit machine.
The Xenia performs more like a single-circuit machine when frothing. After the espresso has finished brewing, you should wait about 40 seconds before frothing begins.
If you don't wait and start frothing right away, the steam pressure in the boiler will drop below 0.3 bar. Frothing is impossible. You can only produce warm milk.
Compared to other dual-circuit machines, the tested Xenia unfortunately falls significantly short in terms of foaming performance.
