Articles

A frequent question I am asked is what to look for when choosing between a heat exchange machine and a double boiler. Cost and size have always been the primary limiting factors, until recently that is…

In late August Quick Mill and Chris’ Coffee rolled out the brand new Quick Mill QM67 double boiler. It is a small and versatile Italian built machine that is PID controlled for precise espresso extraction, and a separate steam boiler for dedicated frothing ability. In addition, its price point is just low enough to compete with the heat exchanger family of machines.

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In recent years, the idea of espresso and the “god shot” have reached almost mythological proportions. Like the great Titan Atlas, the perfect shot balances upon so many ephemeral pillars, and baristas the world over are racing to discover the perfect technique. For many, espresso represents coffee in its quintessential form. It is an indeed an art that, when performed skillfully, produces a drink that is at once bold, elegant, sweet, and as complex as its long history – a history that spans across the decades.

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E61 Brew Group on the Izzo Duetto II

As we wait for the Rocket R58 to join the Izzo Duetto II in our office later this month, I thought perhaps now would be an opportune time to examine just what these double boiler E61 machines are bringing to the market.

The E61 Brew Group has been hailed as the industry standard  since its inception by La Faema in 1961, but it has steadily been overtaken in recent years by the newer Saturated Brew Group design. The brewing group is open to the brew boiler itself in saturated groups, which results in improved temperature stability due to the group being saturated with the same body of water whose temperature is being controlled in the boiler. This design is only possible, however, with machines that have separate steam and brew boilers such as the La Marzocco GS/3 and La Spaziale Vivaldi II series.

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