
Frustratingly Close to Incredible: WPM Primus Review
The WPM Primus promises full metal construction, a gear pump, and pressure profiling – features enthusiasts have long requested. The tester argues that gear pumps aren't prohibitively expensive and should be offered at realistic price points.
Design & Build- Compact footprint (49 cm deep, narrow), but the water tank is external – good for plumb-in, bad for tank use.
- Menu on top – hard to see unless you're tall or have a step stool.
- Proprietary portafilter: Only WPM portafilters fit (lost one, had to buy a bottomless for ~$100). However, 58mm baskets from other brands work.
- The paddle feels wobbly and cheap (plastic).
- 8L stainless steel boiler (insulated) + two thermoblocks (steam & group).
- Gear pump – quieter than vibe pumps, enables profiling.
- Aluminum alloy group head with PTFE coating – reports of peeling Teflon (similar to some Breville machines).
- Well-organized interior, mostly standard fittings – potentially repairable.
- Four brew modes: Manual (pressure profiling via paddle), Semi-Auto (step-based), Automatic (time/pressure stages, includes bloom function), Constant Pressure, MFlow (manual flow control).
- Profiles can be saved to library – but flow control is imprecise (min ~2 ml/s, slow response).
- No app or Bluetooth scale (future firmware update promised).
- Paddle mode allows manual pressure curves resembling lever machines.
- Temperature stability is decent, but machine tends to overshoot by 1–2 °C. First shot after warm-up (~7 min) needs a flush.
- Steam performance: Excellent – 7 levels, thermoblock, powerful 3-hole tip, froths in 30–35 seconds.
- Dark roast: With stale beans (bitter) – manual intervention saved the shot, but flavor was poor.
- Light roast (Substance-style): Long low-flow preinfusion then ramp – 1:4 ratio, scored 7/10.
- Soup shot (30g basket): High extraction, creamy, but too hot (90 °C) – still tasty.
- Original ~$1,500 (China) – a steal. In Europe €1,980, in the US $2,750 (through distributor).
- The tester finds the US price too high vs. competitors (Decent DE1, Profitec Move, Lelit Bianca).
- Pros: Gear pump, pressure profiling, metal build, compact, excellent steam.
- Cons: Proprietary portafilters, awkward external tank, imprecise flow control, no app, potential Teflon issues, uncertain long-term support.
- Conclusion: “Frustratingly close to incredible” – a good machine with too many compromises. At $1,500 it’s a killer deal; at current prices, buyer beware. A modified E61 machine (e.g., Gagguino) offers more control for less money.






