Reserve your Kilo
A refundable deposit holds your place and gets you a private Kickstarter link on launch day, before the public announcement.
Founder's Circle: 19 remaining · Priority Access: 99 remaining
The machine
Kilo started with one problem: preheating. We designed that step out. Getting it right took three years — and turned into something bigger: an espresso machine built to last, not to be replaced.
Temperature
No preheating
You still boil your own water. What's different is what happens after. Anything your water touches on its way to the cup should be of premium material — that's why the brew chamber is lined with stainless steel. The catch is that if the stainless cylinder is thick, it absorbs heat, which is where other manual machines run into trouble. We machine our liner in-house to under 1 mm instead, thin enough to barely absorb heat from your water, with insulation on the outside so that heat doesn't escape into the body. Getting there took real work. Water goes from kettle to cup losing as little heat as possible.
Mechanism
Nine bars, a light turn
We built something different. While other manual espresso makers demand all your strength, our gear-reduction drive is designed so that a gentle turn of the handle builds 9 bar brew pressure. No fighting — just focus on crafting the perfect shot.
And then there's the needle. Turn the handle and watch the gauge: you're steering the pressure, shot by shot. Try a profile, taste it, adjust the next one. Find one you love and pull it again, or push it somewhere new. Every shot becomes a small game you actually look forward to.
- Intuitive pressure regulation
- Easy pressure profiling
Workflow
Simple, even the first time
Boil your water. Grind and tamp your coffee and mount the portafilter the same way you would on any prosumer machine. Pour the water in from above, turn the handle. Experience precise control over the pressure profile and the shot is pulled.
- Boil
- Grind, tamp, mount
- Add water, turn the handle
- Back the plunger up, ready for the next shot
Craft
Hand-built in Vancouver
Real precision comes from two sources: massive manufacturing scale, or meticulous hand craftsmanship. We chose the second path. The gears, certain seals, the handle, the drip tray and the stand are made by hand in the Vancouver workshop.
Longevity
Nothing to go obsolete
No motor to fail. No electronics to go obsolete. The parts that wear, like the seals, are designed to be replaced. It's closer to a tool than an appliance: something you look after and keep, not something you throw out.
What you are actually risking
A deposit on a machine from a small workshop is a fair thing to hesitate over. Here is every question we would ask in your position, answered plainly.
Manufacturability
Can it be made?
Yes. The design is locked. Every part made outside the workshop — the aluminum housing, the lead screw — has been through a design-for-manufacturing process with our suppliers and come out right, build after build. The parts that decide how it works — the gears, certain seals and, most importantly, the bearings — are made in our Vancouver workshop.
Timing
Will the date hold?
We have built the machine through several iterations, so we know the hours each one takes on the bench and what has to happen before it ships. We'll publish an estimated delivery date on Kickstarter before launch, and explain how we set it.
Your deposit
What if you change your mind?
Before you pledge on Kickstarter, your deposit is refundable on request: write to us and it comes back in full within 15 days. Once you pledge using your private reward, it becomes part of what you've paid for your machine. If you don't pledge, you can still ask for it back until 60 days after the campaign ends. Deposits not claimed by then are kept as support for the project.
The shot
Will it work with your setup?
It takes 51 mm baskets, so you'll want a 51 mm tamper. Your grinder and kettle stay the same. Designed for 9 bar brew pressure.
Servicing
And in ten years?
We designed Kilo so that, under normal use and care, nothing needs replacing — no motor, no board, no firmware to wear out or strand you. Seals are the one part we treat as a wear item, and we plan to make them available to owners who need one. If anything does need attention, the machine comes apart with ordinary tools, and the parts we make in-house are built to be serviced.
The workshop
What if Kilo disappears?
Kilo is small on purpose: one workshop, low fixed costs and no outside investors setting a growth clock. Machines get made when there are machines to make: 999 at most, maybe far fewer.
The link
How does the private Kickstarter link work?
Kickstarter lets us create rewards that don't appear on the public campaign page. The moment our campaign goes live, and before we announce it publicly, we email you your private link. Founder's Circle links go out first, then Priority Access, all on launch day. Open it in a web browser while logged in to Kickstarter; the app doesn't show private rewards. Read the full walkthrough on how reservations work.
Milk
Can it make a latte or cappuccino?
Kilo makes espresso. It has no steam wand, so for a latte or cappuccino you'll need a separate milk frother or steamer.
Still uneasy about something? Ask us before you reserve — we would rather answer it now.
Write to us ›
Not ready yet?
Get the launch email. We'll write when the Kickstarter campaign goes live.
Not for everyone.
This is a machine you keep on the counter, not tucked in a cupboard — it's built to be looked at as much as used. If you like swapping gadgets every season, or you'd rather press a button than build a shot by hand, Kilo isn't for you. It's for people who want one machine, made by hand, for a long time.