Italian professional coffee company Rancilio Group reveals the second commercial machine in its Rancilio Specialty line: the Rancilio Specialty Invicta.
It’s been a busy year for Italy- based manufacturer Rancilio Group. It’s had a mass upgrade of its Home Line and Egro range of coffee equipment, exhibited at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE), and most recently, has updated its Specialty range with the inclusion of the Rancilio Specialty Invicta.
Rancilio Group Australasia General Manager Paul O’Brien says Rancilio Specialty Invicta is the result of a research and development project dedicated to new-generation baristas who require an espresso machine that easily manages the best of espresso brewing technology.
“Performance and ease of use are the concepts behind this new espresso machine. It meets the needs of specialty coffee professionals for precision, stability, quality, and accessibility without ever sacrificing the ability to easily customise coffee recipes during service,” says Paul.
“Rancilio Specialty Invicta is designed to speed up service and make the best extraction technologies accessible to all baristas thanks to electronic control for coffee and water. From the touchscreen, with few simple taps, you can adjust both the coffee doses for each group and the two water doses.”
Invicta was successfully implemented into the American market in April 2022 at the Speciality Coffee Expo in Boston, United States, and was introduced to the Australian market at MICE in September. The Invicta joins the RS1 in Rancilio’s Specialty line, maintaining the RS1’s modern styling and large touchscreen interface.
“The Invicta was a response to market feedback. As well as the RS1 was received, it’s sold at a premium price point. Some people just don’t want or need a top-of-the-line machine, but they want the look and feel of one, as well as the high-level performance, without the constraints of budget,” Paul says.
Coming out of COVID-19, Paul says there’s a lot of refurbished equipment being used on the market, but there is still a healthy appetite for new machines and new technology.
“That’s why we’ve responded with the Rancilio Specialty Invicta,” Paul says.
Invicta is the first Rancilio specialty espresso machine designed with Steady Brew, the patented technology for thermal control of single-boiler machines. Invicta offers the possibility of activating the pre-infusion function and manually adjusting different temperatures for each group.
“Thanks to this solution and to the insulated groups, Invicta guarantees excellent thermal stability, high reliability and maximum repeatability during work peaks, plus excellent reactivity,” says Paul.
The four-position T-Switch makes it possible to manually set a different temperature for each group during installation by a technician.
“Invicta lets experienced baristas vary the water pressure both in the initial stage [pre-infusion] and in the final stage [post-infusion] of the extraction process, choosing between mains pressure or pump pressure, and can also adjust the duration of all stages,” Paul says.
“For each coffee dose you can adjust the amount of water in millilitres and the pre-infusion and post-infusion duration, if activated. For the two water doses you can adjust the brewing time and choose from nine different temperature levels.”
A flushing feature called Smart Flush runs the precise amount of water through the group before a shot to ensure the specified temperature of brew water is ready. By activating the Smart Flush function, the duration of the flush varies according to the time elapsed since the last coffee delivery.
Paul says when it comes to managing all the technologies offered by Invicta, the secret is the 4.3-inch touchscreen.
“This offers quick and easy access to all machine settings. Shot profiles, including variable pressure for soft pre- infusion, full-pressure extraction and then a lower-pressure post-infusion, are all digitally programmable through the Invicta touchscreen,” he says.
The lowered body of the machine helps facilitate interaction with the customer. Functional solutions are designed to facilitate the day-to-day work of baristas, including the stainless steel bodywork, ergonomic chromed brass portafilters, height-adjustable drip tray, and a large space under the machine.
After Invicta made its debut at the Speciality Coffee Expo, it completely sold out in America, as did the Silvia Pro X. Even in Australia, the Silvia Pro X is already completely sold out, with positive signs for what’s to come for the launch of Invicta Down Under.
“It really does streamline workflow,” Paul says. “The Invicta represents the inclinations of the modern café: efficient, precise, and inviting. It’s the ultimate balance of performance and price.”
For more information, visit www.ranciliogroup.com
This article appears in the December 2022 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.