Wendougee Data S Espresso Machine Review

Introducing the Wendougee Data S

It was June 2025, when I first noticed the Wendougee Data S, at the World of Coffee expo in Geneva Switzerland. In fact, I was quite amazed by all of the products at this Chinese booth, and was surprised I hadn’t hear of them before.

The Data S is a very sleek looking, modern yet traditional espresso machine, with some excellent features. I was very much drawn to the saturated brew group, sitting front and center as the face of the machine. It is encased in a polished metal surround, with Wendougee branded on the black dial of the top.

Adorning the brew group is a hefty switch, actuated via a mechanical lever with a beautiful wooden element, as seen below. To the left and right of this brew switch are the toggle switches for the steam and hot water, respectively.

Looking below the brew group, one can see the polished stainless steel of the brew group housing, and the included bottomless portafilter. I very much like the combination of polished stainless steel, and the various wood touch points of the machine.

Below the portafilter, you will see WENDOUGEE branded on the front, and the manometer and power light on teh right side, below the water faucet. The only think I have to complain about here is that the water faucet often covers the power light, so that you cannot see its condition.

Having a look at the side of the machine, the Data S maintains its elegant beauty. The side panels taper towards the back, giving it a sporty look. As a bonus, these panels are easy to remove, but more on that later.

You will also notice the heavy duty feet at the bottom of the unit. These metal feet are heavy duty, and the front two can be placed within various tapped holes. Nice touch.

The top plate of the Data S is made of stainless, and has slits for the heat to escape. This is also where the heavy duty water tank cover is located, and the black metal handle gives a satisfying ‘clunk’, as you set it back down into its place.

Notice also the hole in the middle, towards the front. This hole allows a slotted screwdriver to access to the set screw on a needle valve. This valve can adjust the maximum flow of the water, which is 12 ml/sec. I should repeat that – maximum flow of this gear pump driven machine is 12 milliliters per second, which is a lot! Most vibration pump machines max out at 7 ml/sec.

You will also notice the Cigar flow meter to the right of the needle valve. This measures the flow in real time, and works much better than the cheap flow meters in economical espresso machines. The €50 Cigar flow meter knows exactly just how much water is flowing to the brew group, and therefore helps the machine to stop volumetrically, in quite a precise manner.

What makes the Wendougee special?

I’m glad you asked. Let’s talk about it below:

Dual Boilers

The Wendougee Data S comes first of all with large stainless steel boilers. The steam boiler has a volume of 1.8 liters, while the brew boiler is 800ml. Both of these boilers have PID control, and the steam boiler is insulated. Due to the 2200 watts that these boilers pull, a 20 amp circuit is recommended, although I have only noticed the boilers on separate. The brew boiler turns on first, and runs at 1500 watts, until it gets up to temperature. The steam boiler then engages its 700 watts. Again, I have not seen this machine run at 2200 watts, but rather it seems to run at 1500 watts or below.

Gear Pump

Maybe the coolest thing about the Wendougee is its gear pump. This allows the machine to pressure and flow profile, as you can adjust the pump on the fly to deliver more or less water. It also sounds really cool. Between the gear pump’s flexibility, and the tracking of the flow via the Cigar flow meter, you can expect your shot to stop when expected, which is a game changer for me.

Water Distribution

Looking at the photo below, you can see the gear pump on the lower right, being fed via silicone tube from the water tank, and delivering the ambient temperature water to the distribution block via high pressure PTFE line. From the distribution block, the water is fed to the boilers via copper lines, and the rest of the hot water lines are also copper.

In the photo above, you will also see some beefy magnetic solenoid valves for water routing. All of these components look robust and quality, in my eyes.

Viewing the picture below, you see the stainless steel boiler from the other side, and the copper steam line coming out of the top. If you have good eyes, you can also see the PID probes on the larger steam boiler, and smaller brew boiler. Strangely, the brew boiler is rectangular.

Does this look Chinese to you?

Viewing all the pictures above, does this machine look like a Chinese build or design? Conventionally, I would say no. But Wendougee is showing us that there are some serious companies over there in China, innovating, and make some beautiful equipment.

I don’t care where this machine comes from, I have to give the designers the props they deserve. Aesthetically and functionally, this is a top tier machine, at least in my eyes.

How is the Wendougee Data S for Espresso and Milk Foam?

I am not even sh*tting you – the espresso and milk texture coming from this machine are the best I’ve tested. I think this has something to do with the saturated group head – everything being at the same temperature. Add the stability of the PID, and the flexibility of flow and pressure control, and you can make some wonderfully textured and aromatic espresso.

The milk texture is also second to none. Up until now, I got some very nicely textured milk foam, good enough to pour latte art, and also very tasty. But this makes the milk even better, like a good cafe can do it. It’s hard to explain, but between the excellent espresso, and the wonderfully textured milk foam, I am getting cappuccinos like from my favorite cafes, where the baristas are actually trained (not like Starbucks and the like).

How is the App?

It needs to be said of course, that this machine is compatible with a Wendougee app. From the app, you can program curves for your espresso.

So for instance, I have a curve for a Cafe Crema, for a 9 bar shot, for a blooming espresso, and much more. It’s pretty easy to create a curve. Just think up a name, enter the max number of milliliters for the shot (about 30ml gets absorbed in the puck), and then choose your steps.

I normally use a fast fill in the beginning, to fill the void above the puck with water, and get it saturated. I will do this at say 10ml/sec for 4 seconds, then wait for a brief pause. Then, I will proceed at for example 8 bars, and taper off at 6 bars towards the end of the shot.

The only thing that’s too bad about programming these curves is that you can only trigger on time or flow amount, not on weight. Hopefully they add a weight trigger in the future. For example, if you’re aiming for a 40 gram shot, maybe you want to taper down the pressure towards the end.

Also, you cannot adjust the temperature in a curve, or assign a temperature to a curve at all. Bummer. You only have access to two temperature parameters: global temperature of the brew boiler (i.e. 93 C), and global temperature of the steam boiler (i.e. 130 C).

See the video below for a quick view into the app, and to hear what the gear pump sounds like. Sorry, you can also hear my kids in the background, lol.

🎼 Let’s talk about specs, baby!

This is a big b*tch. See the specs below:

• 11.4 ” wide, 19.25″ deep, 14.6″ tall
• 2200 watts
• 1.8 L steam boiler, 800ml brew boiler
• 1.5 L water resevoir
• App control
• 15 minute warm up time
• Wendougee gear pump
• Conceived and made in China

Pros and Cons of the Data S

While I am quite fond of this machine, of course there are some cons. For one, it’s expensive for most households. Secondly, you have to learn how to use it. My wife for example prefers our Breville Barista Express Impress. Finally, you have to wonder about after sales support and spare parts. But, I guess if you buy it from an authorized retailer, like espressooutlet.com, then they ought to be able to help.

Verdict

I think this machine could be an end game machine for some people. Between its looks, haptics, and capabilities, it offers a lot for its price. What may hold some people back is after sales service and support, or else supporting a Chinese brand. But in the end, I feel we have to give it to their Chinese design team, this is a sick machine.

I’d give this machine an A-for features, and a B+ for value.

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