Nuova Aurelia espresso machines and C-Automation sets

The first time we wrote about the Nuova Aurelia, it wasn’t in our shop yet. Back then we focused on one thing: a system that lets you pour consistent coffee in a venue where the people behind the bar change often. Today the Nuova Aurelia is a full line in our shop, from the straightforward Volumetric machine to C-Automation sets where the machine and grinder handle the dose and the grind themselves.

That changes the answer to whether an Aurelia is right for you. Not every Aurelia is automated. Below we go through what sets the versions apart, when automation actually pays off, and when you’d be paying for something you won’t use.

The whole Nuova Aurelia line in one table

We currently stock four non-automated machines and two C-Automation sets. All the XT and MP versions are two-group, and the Volumetric comes as a two-group or three-group machine. The manufacturer also makes a base Semi-Automatic version, which we don’t import.

Version	How it doses	What it has	Who it suits
Volumetric	Volumetric dosing	No touchscreen, insulated boiler, electronic steam control	A venue that wants repeatable espresso volumes without paying extra for a screen
Semiautomatic XT 2GR	Manual, the barista stops the shot	2.8 inch touchscreen, PID, 230 V version	A barista who wants to call every shot themselves
Volumetric XT 2GR	Volumetric dosing	2.8 inch touchscreen, PID, 230 V version	A café that wants volumetric dosing plus temperature control
MP 2GR	Volumetric dosing, multi-boiler	Separate boiler and temperature per group, autopurge, pulse jet	A specialty café or roastery serving several coffees side by side
C-Automation with Volumetric XT	Automatic, with the GX85 W grinder	Portafilter recognition, grind correction, E-Milk	A venue with high staff turnover that wants full automation at the lowest cost
C-Automation with MP	Automatic, with the GX85 W grinder	Same as above, plus multi-boiler	A chain or specialty venue with high turnover and several coffees on the bar

Non-automated machines: when they’re enough

The most important thing to know before buying: volumetric dosing isn’t automation. A volumetric machine measures the water and ends the shot by itself, but it has no idea whether the grinder is set correctly. If a shot starts running too fast or too slow, someone behind the bar still has to notice and adjust the grind.

Volumetric is the simplest machine in the new line. It has no touchscreen, but it shares the same insulated boiler and electronic steam control as the pricier versions. Doses are programmable, so the barista sets the single and double espresso volumes once, then pulls a shot at the press of a button.

Semiautomatic XT is built for a barista who stops the shot themselves. It has a 2.8 inch touchscreen and PID temperature control, and it’s the cheapest way into the XT generation. Volumetric XT has the same screen and PID, but doses volumetrically. Both are available in a 220 to 240 V configuration, so with the right wiring they don’t need a three-phase supply. At around 4,700 W, though, you’ll need the correct circuit protection.

MP is the flagship. Each group has its own coffee boiler and its own temperature, so you can pull a light roast on one group and a milk-drink espresso at a different temperature on the other. It also comes standard with autopurge, pulse jet, and displays above each group.

If you have a settled team and at least one person keeping an eye on the grinder, one of these four machines is usually enough. Automation starts to make more sense where that person is missing.

Nuova Aurelia MP 2GR. Each group has its own coffee boiler and its own brew temperature.

C-Automation: the machine and grinder that talk to each other

C-Automation pairs the Nuova Aurelia machine with the GX85 W gravimetric grinder. E-Milk is a separate automatic milk-steaming system that works from the same station. In our sets, you get all three together. Here’s how it works:

• Each portafilter is assigned a recipe, a double espresso for milk drinks, for example.
• The GX85 W grinder recognises the portafilter and grinds the right dose for it, checked by weight.
• The machine recognises the same portafilter once it’s locked into the group and pours the assigned volume.
• The system reads the flow of every shot and adjusts the grind on the fly as the coffee starts running faster or slower, when humidity changes or the beans age, for instance.
• E-Milk steams the milk to a set temperature and texture, with no manual work on a wand.

The whole thing runs without an app or an internet connection. The manufacturer states that C-Automation speeds up work behind the bar by up to 20 percent. Whoever’s on the bar doesn’t need to set the grinder or judge shot time. They load the portafilter into the grinder, then into the group, pick a milk recipe, and the system takes care of the rest.

C-Automation set: the Nuova Aurelia machine, the GX85 W grinder and the E-Milk module.

Who needs automation, and who doesn’t

C-Automation makes the most sense where the issue isn’t the equipment, it’s staff turnover. A hotel serving breakfast, a restaurant with seasonal staff, or a chain where the same coffee has to taste the same in every branch. In places like that, there’s rarely time to train every new hire on calibrating a grinder and steaming milk.

It’s worth saying when automation isn’t needed, too. If an experienced barista is running the bar and likes adjusting the grind themselves, a set will still speed up their work, but the machine takes over part of what used to be their call. In a specialty café with a small, settled team, the MP or the Volumetric XT with a separate grinder tends to be the better pick, paying for people’s skill rather than for automation.

In short: if new people regularly show up behind your bar, start the conversation with C-Automation. If your team is settled and someone’s keeping an eye on the grinder, start with a non-automated machine and a good grinder.

See the Nuova Aurelia in action

If you’re working out how to kit out a new venue from scratch, take a look at our guide on how to open a café step by step. You’ll need coffee that holds up to repeatable, high-volume work too, and you’ll find that in our coffee section.

Let’s talk about your venue

Choosing between a non-automated machine and a C-Automation set comes down to how many coffees you pour a day, how many people work the bar, and whether you have a three-phase supply. Get in touch and we’ll help you pick the right configuration for your venue.