As automation reshapes the capabilities of professional baristas, equipment manufacturer SEB Professional Beverage sees an opportunity to match specific machines to specific operational needs rather than treating automation and craftsmanship as opposing forces. The positioning comes at a time when hospitality operators worldwide are grappling with persistent labour shortages and rising costs, intensifying the demand for equipment that can maintain beverage quality with leaner, less specialised teams.

The company identifies two central questions: when does automation support the barista, and when does the machine itself become the prerequisite for craftsmanship? SEB Professional believes these questions define the current landscape of coffee machine automation.

According to the company, operators are increasingly deploying multiple machine types within a single location, assigning tasks based on speed requirements, staff skill levels, and the desired customer experience. A café or hotel, for example, might use a manual espresso machine for a personalised service while a nearby automatic machine handles peak service periods efficiently.

SEB Professional's pairing of the WMF espresso NEXT and the recently acquired La San Marco LA 125 is designed to formalise this operational divide. The distinction, the company says, reflects "two different professional needs, rather than a hierarchy of quality."

Giovanni Fucili, Managing Director at La San Marco SEB Professional Beverage, says baristas using the WMF espresso NEXT prioritise consistency, speed, and ease of operation, while users of the LA 125 seek control, precision, and manual espresso crafting.

"Both approaches reflect different but equally valid expressions of espresso culture," he says.

La San Marco, a heritage brand acquired by Groupe SEB in 2023, has been repositioned following its recent international relaunch as an "artisanal expression of professional coffee making." Groupe SEB, the French conglomerate whose consumer brands include Tefal, Krups, and Rowenta, has been steadily expanding its professional beverage footprint, with the La San Marco acquisition adding Italian espresso heritage to its existing WMF automation portfolio.

Fucili says the acquisition was driven by a clear ambition: to cover the full spectrum of coffee preparation.

"With La San Marco, SEB Professional adds true craftsmanship and heritage – rooted in authentic espresso – to its existing expertise in automation. This allows SEB Professional to act as a complete enabler for every espresso need," he says.

Designed for high-volume cafés and premium hospitality venues, the LA 125 is engineered to deliver consistent espresso quality even under peak conditions while keeping the barista in control. SEB Professional highlights thermal stability and individually controlled brew groups as features that give baristas confidence and repeatability. Electronic temperature regulation for each brew group, accurate to ±0.1°C, combined with insulated boilers, ensures both extraction precision and energy-efficient performance.

Fucili says the LA 125 "embodies over 100 years of true portafilter heritage, translated into a modern machine generation."

"The LA 125 combines iconic Italian craftsmanship with advanced design and technology, offering baristas full control over extraction while ensuring consistency and reliability," he says. "It represents a philosophy where craftsmanship remains at the centre of the espresso experience."

La San Marco strengthens SEB Professional's position in the specialty espresso segment, premium hospitality, and barista-driven environments, Fucili adds, enhancing credibility among professionals who value craftsmanship, authenticity, and control.

An internationally shared service structure already supports both machine lines across the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland). Fucili says this was the first area where the joint WMF and La San Marco service approach was developed and now serves as the benchmark and reference model for other regions currently being expanded.

"For operators, this means more consistent service standards, faster response times, and access to shared technical expertise, resulting in improved reliability and smoother operations across different markets," he says. "This reduces complexity, improves operational efficiency, and ensures a coherent coffee strategy across multiple touchpoints."

On the automation side, SEB Professional positions the WMF espresso NEXT as a machine that broadens participation in espresso preparation without lowering quality standards. Designed as a fully automatic portafilter-style machine, it bridges the gap between traditional espresso equipment and super-automatic systems, retaining visual and operational cues of a classic machine while integrating automated grinding, dosing, tamping, and extraction.

For operators, this means producing espresso-based beverages with minimal training while maintaining a consistent sensory profile. In environments with high staff turnover or limited barista expertise – such as quick-service cafés, hotel breakfast operations, and convenience-driven retail – this consistency can be critical.

The WMF espresso NEXT delivers back-to-back drinks with minimal downtime, supporting peak service periods without compromising output quality. Integrated systems monitor key parameters in real time, ensuring each shot meets predefined standards. SEB Professional says this control level helps operators standardise coffee quality across multiple locations, creating a consistent brand experience. Recipes can be pre-programmed and replicated, reducing human error while preserving the intended flavour profile.

The machine retains a degree of flexibility, with beverage settings adjustable to suit different coffee origins, roast profiles, or menu offerings.

A key differentiator of the WMF espresso NEXT is its application of technology to deliver precision at scale. Automated calibration, pressure control, and extraction timing function as part of an integrated system. For multi-site operators, benefits extend beyond the cup: reduced training requirements, lower dependency on highly skilled labour, and predictable performance contribute to improved operational efficiency.

SEB Professional does not view automation and craftsmanship as contradictory. "They are complementary dimensions of modern espresso culture," the company states.

In practice, operators can blend both approaches within a single business. A café could use the LA 125 for signature drinks and barista-led experiences while relying on the WMF espresso NEXT for high-volume periods or secondary service areas. Hotels could deploy fully automatic WMF machines for breakfast buffets and self-service zones while maintaining a manual espresso machine in their café or lobby bar.

Fucili adds that every customer and barista can define how espresso should be prepared – whether through automation, manual skill, or a combination of both.

"SEB Professional's role is to provide the tools that make this choice possible, without compromising on quality or authenticity," he says.

This article was first published in the July/August 2026 edition of Global Coffee Report. Original source: Global Coffee Report.