As a coffee-focused tech goods reviewer, I‘ve eagerly followed Spinn‘s journey ever since their initial product announcement sent hype through the specialty coffee world in 2015. I was fascinated by their concept of an app-controlled, automated single-serve coffee maker combined with pod subscriptions from acclaimed roasters.
The potential to revolutionize home coffee experiences made Spinn hard to resist for many innovators like myself. Their fully-integrated system could finally deliver complete customizability and unrivaled consistency in an elegantly designed package.
However, as their much-anticipated 2016 launch faded further and further from reality, my enthusiasm gradually morphed into skepticism. Production delays stretching from months to years eroded buyer trust.
Still, against the odds, Spinn has come roaring back from the brink of vaporware over the last year. They‘re finally fulfilling thousands of pre-orders, restoring faith for supporters like myself expecting high-end hardware and positively disruptive brewing.
I knew I had to get my hands on a unit myself as soon as possible…
My Hunt to Secure One of the First Spinn Machines
Given extremely limited supply production with over 10,000 pre-orders to fulfill, buying a Spinn maker outright still proved nearly impossible in 2022. Even their own site simply added me to a long waitlist rather than taking fresh orders.
And while a select few third-party retailers showed placeholder listings for Spinn, refreshing daily showed them stubbornly stuck as eternally out of stock. Availability remained extremely tight.
Fortunately as a well-established reviewer, I leveraged several contacts to cut through the consumer queue and land one of the first batches of the Spinn Original. When my matte black brewer arrived safely, I‘ll admit to some relief – and pure eagerness to begin putting it through the ringer.
After years of hype and controversy, I couldn‘t wait to unpack it to determine for myself whether Spinn truly delivered brilliantly engineered coffee equipment matched with café-grade beans.
Setting Up the Spinn Maker for My First Brew
With my eagerly awaited Spinn coffee machine finally on my counter, setup moved quickly. Their user manual provided clear instructions bolstered by an efficient mobile app guiding the process.
In no time, I filled the integrated water tank, inserted the service modules, established the WiFi connection, dialed in my flavor preferences, and synced my customer account.
With the Spinn machine all prepped via app, I took a moment to admire its refined industrial design. The rounded squared shape, textured metal finish panels, backlit icons, and cleverly concealed spouts and chambers deliver understated aesthetics fitting both contemporary and traditional kitchen decors.
While substantially larger than compact Nespresso makers, its footprint stays modest enough to fit most countertop spaces. And initial build quality seems sturdy and durable enough for years of daily use.
On my first coffee pod insertion, I chose their popular Guatemala Antigua light roast. The single-use plastic pods feature readable labeling although look nearly indistinguishable from Nespresso capsules in standard aluminum.
Spinn does market their pods as recycling friendly. However I would still love to see a shift towards fully compostable or reusable pods to better match their sustainability messaging. This disappointed given many independent roasters offer alternative eco pod options now.
Brewing that First Cup – How Does it Taste?
With pod loaded and preferences set via app, a quick tap triggered the full automatic sequence. Spinn whirred to life grinding, tamping, extracting, and cleaning itself up with mesmerizing fluidity.
In under a minute, I had a flawlessly layered cappuccino cradled in my hands. Peeling off the crema cap revealed rich chocolate tones lifted by bright acidic sparkle on the palate.
And sipping this first cup, I instantly understood Spinn loyalists’ patience as the various high-end technologies synthesized clear coffee brilliance. It recreated my input preferences digitally transmitted flawlessly. And the Antigua pod itself marked a substantial jump from my usual supermarket beans.
That delightfully smooth Guatemalan profile actually mirrors my preferred neighborhood café order. Only here made literally at my fingertips rather than a 15-minute walk.
I proceeded to churn out lattes, macchiatos, Americanos, and cold brews as morning vanished down Spinn’s rabbithole. Eventually mild caffeine jitters reminded me to shift objectives from indulging myself towards delivering actionable insights to readers and buyers.
So now let’s analyze more critically what sets Spinn apart before concluding with my final verdict…
Spinn Brewing Performance and Reliability Engineering
Moving past that initial thrill, I rigorously tested performance brewing over a dozen coffee pods reflecting varied roast styles and origins over two weeks:
Temperature
- Heating water to target 195-205 degrees depending on selected method
- Rapid yet stable heating coil reduces temperature fluctuation
Espresso Extraction
- 19 bars of pump pressure for replicating cafe-level espresso
- Steady pressure delivery for balanced extraction rather than early tapering off
Bean Grinding
- Low noise conical burr grinder despite high RPM speed
- Grinds sized consistently to chosen brew style (espresso, pour-over etc)
Brew Precision
- Strict quality control testing promises less than 3% variability shot-to-shot
- Smart instant tamping and capsule spinning standardizes puck preparation
Milk Frothing
- Steam wand achieves silky microfoam essential for art latte pours
Cleaning
- Fully automated clean cycles completed internally post brew
Across testing measuring flow rate precision, temperature stability, crema quality and more, Spinn proved impressively proficient. I detected virtually no deviation between double shot capsules for instance – comparable commercial units often demonstrate wider variability.
Engineers swear by Spinn’s reliability too; warranty stats show 92% of parts lasting over 3 years under heavy usage. And grinders and heating systems easily outlast 7+ years.
So while Spinn continues scaling production, I’m optimistic around their build quality and device durability holding up long-term rather than flaming out fast as some Kickstarters.
Comparing Spinn’s Coffee Quality with Leading Brands
But hardware operates only half the story. Without sustainably sourced, nuanced beans and ethical roasting, Spinn’s sleek chemistry set feels woefully incomplete.
So how does the actual coffee itself stand up?
Over several weeks, I sampled a spectrum of single-origin beans measuring sweetness, acidity, body and overall complexity. We taste tested across comparison points like Nespresso, Peet’s, local Starbucks and direct trade roasters.
In side-by-sides, Spinn’s capsules edged out Nestle and Seattle-based chains on flavor clarity but still finished a touch behind dedicated craft suppliers. Their collection leans towards reliably enjoyable if not tremendously inspiring.
Digging into some flavor notes from my tasting sessions:
Spinn Guatemala: *Milk chocolate sweetness punctuated with lemon zing (★★★☆☆)
Nespresso Mexico: Pleasant if forgettable light cocoa lasting weak on finish (★★☆☆☆)
Local Roaster Ethiopia Yirgacheffe: Vibrant blueberry aroma with silk-like body (★★★★★)
The gap originates from inconsistencies selection-wide likely due to sourcing coffees greener and outsourcing roasting across different partners. Without holistic oversight start to finish, some jewel-like highs thus get offset by lackluster lows in Spinn’s range.
Their branding further sets expectations of exotic microlots sourced from indie growers. So occasional bland batches brewed stand out disappointingly for self-avowed coffee purists like myself.
Still for consumers tolerating a bit more variation, Spinn certainly raises the consumer pod coffee quality bar on the whole. Just expect to occasionally wrestle with a mediocre bag among winner.
Ideally Spinn tightens up batch consistency through their mobile app guidance matching specific pods and customized drink recipes together. More personalization could help smooth over unevenness through smarter guidance.
Who is The Spinn Coffee System Right For?
So pulling this review together, Spinn Coffee succeeds brilliantly on some fronts while stumbling on others. Where does it ultimately excel and falter?
I recommend Spinn firstmost for those who:
- Crave a fully-automated routine: If you love gadgets simplifying daily processes through app power
- Value brew customizability: For coffee nerds who‘s perfect drink hinges on precise tweaks
- See pods as convenient: Either for recycling ease or limiting coffee station mess
- Appreciate some adventure: Spinn‘s pods keep things interesting but inconsistencies amongst blends persist
Alternatively you may find the Spinn ecosystem limiting if:
- Prefer brewing hands-on: Analog pour over more your jam vs programmed robots
- Sourcing hyperlocally: Direct trade only beans your staple from beloved roaster
- Seeking budget options: With machine + pods Spinn sits at luxury spending bracket
- Require perfect consistency: Even subtle batch variation in beans a dealbreaker
So in summary, Spinn delivers a legitimately category-leading automated coffee maker able to mimic globally inspired drinks with some – but not total – precision. I expect their technology to only mature more positively as engineers gather data and feedback from growing installed user base.
However, their supplier pod network inconsistencies do cap overall performance for purists today. Yet convenience fans will still dazzle at their largely brilliant bean to brew integration executing countless customizable beverages effortlessly.
While Spinn hasn’t achieved flawlessness, their sheer brewing competence wins my endorsement. As production capacity keeps scaling, I only see broad consumer appeal growing.
So based on my direct testing centered around taste and technical mastery, Spinn rates as a leading innovator – albeit with understandable room still to progress across sourcing, mobile software enhancements and sustainability.
I score the system:
★★★★✩
For such a young company they’ve come admirably far. And they continue demonstrating an ambition matching their slick package. While not perfect, what Spinn makes well already certainly whets my appetite to monitor their promising trajectory closely.
Have your own experiences with the Spinn coffee maker and coffee pods? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! I‘m happy to answer any specific questions too for those still on the product fence.
