The classic Londinium lever profile — line-pressure pre-infusion followed by a natural pressure decline from the lever spring.
Londinium is a British home espresso company founded by Reiss Gunson in 2011. The company specialized in lever machines built on the old Faema (1948) principle — a compressed spring that releases energy through the lever, producing a natural pressure curve with a gradual decline.
The classic Londinium profile combines two very distinct stages:
1. Line-pressure pre-infusion (0-15 seconds): the first paddle is engaged and water flows from the boiler into the puck at the pump's natural line pressure (typically 3-4 bar). Initially flow spikes fast (up to 9 ml/s) because the puck is dry, but it drops within seconds as the puck saturates and pressure builds. This phase saturates the puck evenly and prepares it for extraction.
2. Lever pull + spring decline (15-36 seconds): when the lever is pulled, the internal spring releases and applies 9 bar to the puck. The initial burst produces the 'first drop' around the 16-second mark. But unlike a regular pump espresso machine — the spring weakens as it extends, so pressure drops naturally and predictably from 9 bar to 6 bar over the next 20 seconds. This isn't 'decline at the end' like a regular machine — it's a gradual decline throughout the entire extraction.
This profile produces noticeably different cups: full viscous body, particularly deep sweetness, balanced acidity, and a long mouthfeel. It's especially suited to coffees with naturally heavy body (naturals, honey processed) and medium-dark roasts.
On modern software-driven machines (Decent, Slayer Steam) this profile can be approximated — but the experience of an actual lever pull, with its physical mechanics, remains unique to Londinium.