Daily Extraction

Spinn Centrifugal Brewer

What the Spinn coffee maker is: a grind-and-brew machine that spins coffee at up to 8,000 rpm. How centrifugal brewing works, and the Spinn story.

Also known as Spinn coffee maker, Spinn, centrifugal coffee maker

By Updated How we research

Contents
  1. Method
  2. The short version
  3. How does centrifugal brewing work?
  4. How does the speed change the coffee?
  5. How do you use a Spinn, step by step?
  6. The Spinn story
  7. Spinn vs other spinning brewers
  8. Spinn vs other methods
  9. Words in this guide
  10. Questions & answers

How does the Spinn coffee maker work?

The Spinn grinds whole beans and brews them in a fast-spinning chamber. Spinning at a variable speed, reported as 500 to 8,000 rpm, forces the water through the coffee and separates the liquid from the grounds by centrifugal force. Changing the speed changes the extraction, so it can make anything from an espresso-style coffee to a filter-style cup.

At a glance

Difficulty
Beginner
Principle
Centrifugal
Machines, Pods & Commercial

Method

  1. Add beans and water

    Fill the bean hopper with whole beans and the tank with water.

  2. Choose a drink

    Choose the drink on the machine or its app.

  3. Grind

    The machine grinds the beans for that cup.

  4. Spin and brew

    The brewing chamber spins, forcing hot water through the coffee and separating the coffee from the grounds.

  5. Serve

    The coffee runs into the cup, and the grounds are collected for emptying.

Spinn Centrifugal Brewer

Add beans and water

Fill the bean hopper with whole beans and the tank with water.

The Spinn is a home coffee machine that brews by spinning. It grinds whole beans for each cup, then spins them in a brewing chamber so fast that centrifugal force pushes the water through the coffee and separates the coffee from the grounds. The spin speed is variable, reported as 500 to 8,000 rpm, and changing it changes the extraction, so one machine can make anything from an espresso-style coffee to a filter-style cup. Here’s how it works, and its bumpy story.

The short version

  • Grinds whole beans for each cup.
  • Spins the coffee to push water through it.
  • Variable speed, reported as 500 to 8,000 rpm.
  • Espresso-style to filter-style from one machine.
  • Long delayed: pre-orders from late 2016, wide deliveries from 2020.

How does centrifugal brewing work?

Most brewers move water through coffee by gravity, like a pour-over, or by pressure, like an espresso machine. The Spinn uses spin. Ground coffee sits in a chamber that turns at high speed; water is added, and the spin forces it outwards through the coffee, separating the brewed coffee from the grounds as it goes. The faster it spins, the harder the water is pushed through.

How does the speed change the coffee?

Reports describe the Spinn’s spin speed as variable and stepless, from about 500 to 8,000 rpm. The speed controls the extraction level and the amounts of coffee and water used, which is how one machine can make different styles of coffee.

How do you use a Spinn, step by step?

  1. Fill the hopper with whole beans and the tank with water.
  2. Choose a drink, on the machine or its app.
  3. It grinds the beans for that cup.
  4. It spins and brews.
  5. Serve, and empty the grounds when needed.

The Spinn story

  • 2015: Spinn is founded by Roderick de Rode, Serge de Warrimont and Roland Verbeek.
  • Late 2016: Spinn takes pre-orders; the original mid-2017 ship date is missed, and CEO Roderick de Rode tells backers it’s delayed to work on grinder noise, the machine’s height and serving time. By then, The Spoon reported, Spinn had already licensed its centrifugal brewing to Nespresso for the Vertuo line.
  • 2018: a small number ship for beta testing.
  • 2020: Wikipedia says widespread customer deliveries began.
  • 2021: dot.LA reports a $20 million round led by Spark Capital, Amazon’s Alexa Fund and Bar 9 Ventures; Wikipedia puts total funding at about $37 million. The Spoon, citing Spinn’s later disclosures, lists two 2021 rounds of $24 million and $12.5 million.
  • 2022: Spinn reports revenue of about $9.4 million and a net loss of about $9 million, according to The Spoon.
  • Today: Spinn’s site promotes Spinn 2, saying the first batch has sold out.

Check Spinn’s own site for current availability.

Spinn vs other spinning brewers

Spinn Nespresso Vertuo
Coffee Whole beans, ground fresh Sealed capsules
Spin speed Reported 500 to 8,000 rpm 4,000 rpm, says Nespresso
Settings Set by drink and speed Read from a barcode
Styles Espresso-style to filter-style Espresso to a carafe

General guidance only. Follow the maker’s instructions for use and cleaning, and keep hands away from moving parts.

Spinn vs other methods

Explore every machine method in the machine chapter.

Words in this guide

Extraction
Extraction is the process of water dissolving flavour compounds out of ground coffee.

Questions & answers

How does centrifugal brewing work?

Spinning the coffee very fast pushes water through the grounds outwards, and separates the liquid from the grounds, rather than relying on gravity or a pump.

How fast does the Spinn spin?

Reports describe a variable speed of about 500 to 8,000 rpm. The speed controls the extraction and the amount of coffee and water used.

Is Spinn the same as Nespresso Vertuo?

They're related: Spinn licensed its centrifugal brewing technology to Nespresso for the Vertuo line, The Spoon reported. But the Spinn grinds whole beans for each cup, while Vertuo spins a sealed capsule and reads its barcode.

Was the Spinn delayed?

Yes. Pre-orders opened in late 2016 and the mid-2017 ship date was missed. A small number went out for beta testing in 2018, and widespread customer deliveries began in 2020.

Is Spinn still available?

Spinn's own site now promotes a second-generation machine, Spinn 2, saying the first batch sold out and inviting sign-ups for a third batch. Check the site for current availability.

Sources

  1. Spinn centrifugal grind-and-brew coffee machine delayed until early 2018. The Spoon
  2. The Spinn coffee maker is still missing for early backers. The Spoon
  3. Spinn raises $20M for a more sustainable home-brewed coffee. dot.LA
  4. Spinn Inc.. Wikipedia
  5. Spinn Coffee is burning through cash, but says it will reach profitability. The Spoon
  6. Spinn coffee maker and coffee marketplace. Spinn
  7. Vertuo system. Nespresso

General guidance only. Not medical, food-safety or professional advice. Always follow your equipment's own instructions.

See also

All of chapter X: Machines, Pods & Commercial
  1. No. 118Nespresso Vertuo CentrifusionSwitzerland · BeginnerA Vertuo machine reads a barcode printed on the rim of each capsule, which tells it the water temperature, the amount of water and how fast to spin.
  2. No. 120Bean-to-Cup MachineItaly · BeginnerA bean-to-cup, or super-automatic, machine grinds a dose of whole beans, brews an espresso-based coffee in a built-in brewing unit, and empties the used grounds into a container, all at the touch of a button.
  3. No. 035EspressoItaly · AdvancedEspresso is a small, concentrated coffee made by forcing hot water at about 9 bar through a tamped puck of finely ground coffee.
  4. No. 016Automatic Drip Coffee MakerGermany · BeginnerUse about 55–60 g of medium-ground coffee per litre of water, the SCA's Golden Cup ratio, with fresh, filtered cold water in the reservoir.
  5. No. 123Clover Vacuum-press BrewerUnited States · BeginnerThe Clover is a commercial single-cup coffee brewer that works like an automated French press.
  6. No. 121Alpha Dominche SteampunkUnited States · BeginnerThe Steampunk is a programmable café brewer from Alpha Dominche.

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