GIOTTO PREMIUM PLUS
A QUICK LOOK AT THE UPDATED MODEL
HTTP
://WWW.BELLABARISTA.CO.UK
Update!
Since writing the revisit of the Giotto Premum
Plus, Rocket Espresso has addressed the issues
and written to me, as they take the comments
seriously. With permission, their reply is shown
below.
As a result of the Bella Barista review of our Giotto
Premium Plus machine, I have met with our technical
and production manager to discuss the points raised
in this review.
Primarily the problems were caused by incorrect
boiler placement in the machine. The inclination of the
boiler within the machine needs to be correct to allow
correct alignment of additional internal components.
In the machine you reviewed this was not the case,
and consequently we have reviewed our jig design to
eliminate the unlikely (but possible) cause, so this
cannot happen again in the future.
Rocket Espresso is a boutique producer of handmade
espresso machines. We believe our machines are
capable of producing the finest espresso and strive
for excellence of build quality. The review process
offered by companies such as Bella Barista ensure
that an unbiased view of the machines they sell is
available to their customers, and furthermore has
indicated an area of our production that can now be
enhanced so we are able to deliver an even better
product to the market.
Andrew Meo
General Manager
Rocket Espresso
I think that it’s great to see the manufacturer
taking the time to read reviews of their
products and using the comments
constructively rather than defensively. This will
ensure that your machine is even better than
the one I had……and I did like the review
machine.
© Bella Barista
Bella Barista, Nene Court, The Embankment, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 1LD
e-mail: [email protected]
Giotto Premium (revisited) closer look v4.doc
Tel: 01933 273275
GIOTTO PREMIUM PLUS – (engineering revisit of updated model)
Page 2 of 20
Introduction – The revisit
I was not sure how best to present the
information in this engineering revisit.. Its
purpose was to complete a quick engineering
evaluation in light of recent changes and
improvements. The Giotto Premium, now called
the Giotto Premium Plus has some
improvements to the earlier model
As much information in the review of the earlier
model is still relevant. I will present the
Changed information first, together with my
Red
Italic text in the old review (Pages 8 –
19) highlights changes
changes in the new
model called the Giotto Premium Plus
and you should refer to the first 7
pages for more details. This allows you to
conclusions, leaving the old review below.
see what’s changed in the model vs. the old and
Externally the machine has a few cosmetic changes.
compare photos etc.
The most obvious of which are:
One of the immediate differences is the
improvement in packaging to something
obviously custom made for the Giotto Premium
Plus. The manufacturers’ user guide is also
•
Improved Feet
•
Round Steam boiler pressure gauge,
although I personally thought the “half
produced to a much better standard. It still
moon” shaped gauge used previously
comes double boxed from Bella Barista to
looked good. This one is a better quality
ensure it arrives in good condition
gauge.
•
Revised Placement of On/Off switch
•
Top cup tray now has fixing screws hidden
(for a cleaner look)
•
Revised and I think much better looking
badge, which is also continued on the rear
of the machine.
•
Improved drip tray rack replacing the old
“cheap” looking wire grid.
The details were correct at the time of writing, but the manufacturer and
Bella Barista reserve the right to change the technical specification of
the packaging, machines and any accessories supplied with the
machine (including quantity and type of accessories supplied)
© Bella Barista
Bella Barista, Nene Court, The Embankment, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 1LD
Tel: 01933 273275
e-mail: [email protected]
GIOTTO PREMIUM PLUS – (engineering revisit of updated model)
Page 3 of 20
What has changed?
Item/Description
Picture/Comments
The portafilter handles in the revised Giotto
Premium Plus are a much better fit in the group
than before and are not too wide. This means
no grinding or wearing of the outer chrome part
of the lugs on the portafilter
The portafilter handles are different (manufacturer) to the
ones on the previous review machine (still good quality
though), but they fit so much better into the group.
The group gasket is an 8.5mm, but because the
portafilter lugs are slightly thicker than on some
makes, the 8.5 mm thick group gasket does not
result in the best fit. The portafilter has to be
pulled round to the right quite hard to ensure the
lugs are well engaged. This use of force would
be unnecessary if an 8mm thick group gasket
was fitted
Improved manufacturers user guide
Bella Barista after reading this review may decide to provide
an extra 8mm thick group gasket as a “free of charge”
replacement for the existing 8.5mm gasket &.if you replace it
immediately, the machine should “feel much better”.
Rocket espresso still do not provide a blind filter with the
machine*.essential for back flushing the machine with
cleaner (so don’t forget to add one to your order, if Bella
Barista don’t add one free at their expense).
They have made a decent effort with this, although the
supplied Bella Barista user guide will cover many areas not
fully covered by the manufacturer e.g. descaling.
The feet are a huge improvement on the earlier
versions with nice metal trim and plastic tips.
However, they are still not height adjustable!
I simply don’t understand why manufacturers of
some machines seem to feel you will not need
to level the machine front and back after
installing?
The detachable plastic trim (to stop cups from
sliding off) on the top of the cup tray looks
cheap. It would be far nicer to have a
detachable steel rail that matched the finish
of the rest of the machine.
I have not removed the protective plastic film,
because this will ultimately become someone’s
machine, but it looks no better with the film off.
The Steam pressure gauge was not straight and
this does annoy me. It takes but a moment in
the factory to ensure these are straight. It’s
more difficult to fix it when you have the
machine and is something you notice every time
you look at it!
© Bella Barista
Bella Barista, Nene Court, The Embankment, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 1LD
Tel: 01933 273275
e-mail: [email protected]
GIOTTO PREMIUM PLUS – (engineering revisit of updated model)
Page 4 of 20
A brew pressure gauge is very useful as it allows you to easily spot brew pressure issues and adjust the brew
pressure to the correct level and for the price I think this model should have one
The steam tip now has 2 holes and should be much easier for home use than the old style 3 hole tip fitted on the
previous Giotto I had for testing.
The new (metal) badges front and back are a great improvement on the previous versions
The previous machine I reviewed had a few
quality control issues, such as a spinning thread
insert, making removal of one of the screws
difficult and retightening impossible.
The current machine had a steel machine screw
with a stripped thread, making tightening
impossible and removal difficult. This screw
was one of the 4 required to remove the cup
warming tray from the water tank carrier.
I initially could not understand how this could happen, but the
cause of the problem became apparent later. The Water tank
holder now fits differently and is a separate part screwed to
the frame at the bottom. If this is not lined up properly, it
becomes difficult to line up all 4 screws. This lack of alignment
caused the thread to strip as they assembled the machine at
the factory. The reason the water tank carrier would not
align properly follows.
The water tank carrier fouled a fitting at the rear
of the boiler, making it extremely difficult to refit
and caused further difficulties refitting the 4
screws which hold the cup warmer tray in place.
This simple problem should have been rectified
at the factory. When I see things like this I
always worry if it reflects a quality control
issue, where problems might “lie dormant”
for the consumer to find a year or 2 later!
The top picture shows the threaded inserts at the bottom do
not line up properly with the holes. This makes the machine
screws that hold the water tank carrier in place quite difficult to
fit
This picture shows the water tank carrier fouling the fitting at
the back of the boiler and is the reason things don’t line up
properly.
© Bella Barista
Bella Barista, Nene Court, The Embankment, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 1LD
Tel: 01933 273275
e-mail: [email protected]
GIOTTO PREMIUM PLUS – (engineering revisit of updated model)
Page 5 of 20
The mounting of the Vibration pump concerned
me, if you look carefully at the picture you can
see that the rubber mounting is distorted (shown
by the right hand arrow)&
The reason soon becomes apparent when you
look at the left hand arrow and can see the
(plastic) end of the Vibration pump it forced
downwards by the boiler refill pipe above it.
I don’t like the idea of the plastic end of a
vibration pump (which vibrates), butted up
against a copper pipe. Vibration pumps are on
rubber mounts, so they can float freely and not
touch anything.
Another quality control concern
This is a minor niggle and is becoming more
common. It’s nice to see a machine with a
factory fitted UK 3 pin plug, but I do wish they
would go to the trouble of fitting the exposed
pins with those plastic “plug” protectors to
prevent any risk of scratching in transit.
Low Water Alarm – The previous model would
quietly loose steam pressure, the light would
remain on and with a casual glance you would
have no idea that it had switched off the heating
element, due to low water. In the new machine
the green light flashes which is an
improvement.
Giotto Autolevel controller shown (left)
It’s a shame that they don’t use the same basic Gicar
Autolevel controller as in Izzo machines (right), because these
have a buzzer built in, and it sounds when the water level is
low.
© Bella Barista
Bella Barista, Nene Court, The Embankment, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 1LD
Tel: 01933 273275
e-mail: [email protected]
GIOTTO PREMIUM PLUS – (engineering revisit of updated model)
Page 6 of 20
The new machine is greatly complemented
by the use of a Commercial grade heavy
duty Sirai pressurestat (right of picture) to
replace the previous MATER – XP110. Although
the Sirai pressurestats cost significantly more,
they are known to be very reliable, accurate and
with a small dead band.
You adjust them by removing the yellow cap to
reveal the adjuster screw&.you may need more
turns than you are used to say when adjusting a
cheaper MATER Pressurestat.
I have one of these in one of my spare coffee machines
and although slightly noisier in operation they do give
great service.
The thermosyphon tubes have been enlarged,
the reasons stated are:
“Superior layout of thermosyphon system
resulting in optimum extraction. Generously
dimensioned. 20% higher volume as with
comparable machines on the market.”.
and&“Optimised boiler capacity to
thermosyphon system ratio. Results in fast heat
up time”
I thought it worked pretty well before and made great coffee. I
did note that the previous model needed less of a cooling
flush that other HX machines&..possibly not the case any
more. I can also imagine that the heat up time of the group will
be reduced&.the light touch nature of this review meant I was
not able to test this claim, but have no reason to doubt it!
My internal inspection shows a much longer route for the
thermosyphon pipes than before, especially the top pipe
(probably to make connections easier). I suspect this was also
a reason for increasing the diameter of the pipes.
The heating element (1200 watt element) is stated as being, made from special long life material (5 times
longer than normal elements). I think this is great, because heating element replacement is one of life’s less
pleasant tasks.
I think it’s time that all manufacturers started to insulate the boilers of their machines&It’s not so much a
complaint as an observation. Currently most manufacturers do not, but more are insulating them as standard e.g.
Quickmill, Izzo, Expobar etc.
I think the Giotto Premium Plus would also benefit from such insulation in the areas of, component life, steaming
and reduced power consumption.
© Bella Barista
Bella Barista, Nene Court, The Embankment, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 1LD
Tel: 01933 273275
e-mail: [email protected]
Page 7 of 20
GIOTTO PREMIUM PLUS – (engineering revisit of updated model)
A detailed Tour
Autofill,
“level”
probe
Pressure relief valve
(Safety valve)
Vacuum breaker
Vent tube to
prevent vacuum
from forming & air
to escape
Sirai Commercial
grade pressurestat
Resettable
limit stat
Brew Boiler
(nickel plated
copper)
Heating
element
(not visible)
ECM control
box, autofill,
heating elements
etc.
De Aerator
Autofill,
“solenoid
valve”
Vibration
pump
(Ulka)
Low water sensor (via
electrical conductivity)
OPV/Expansion Valve,
used to regulate brew
pressure
The picture above identifies the major
components of the machine, once the case is
removed accessibility for maintenance is good.
Removal/refitting of the case is moderately time
consuming. The Giotto Premium Plus would be
fairly simple to work on for most of the major
components requiring replacement over time.
© Bella Barista
Bella Barista, Nene Court, The Embankment, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 1LD
Tel: 01933 273275
e-mail: [email protected]
GIOTTO PREMIUM PLUS – (engineering revisit of updated model)
Page 8 of 20
Final Thoughts – and would you buy one!
Well actually the question put to me was “would
you buy a Giotto Premium Plus after some of
the problems, or a Vivi”. The answer is not so
simple, because they are both great machines
and the Giotto Premium Plus is currently about
£100 more expensive, but I believe has more
I’d like to think they made improvements as a
result of the previous review and I sincerely hope
that Rocket espresso read this revisited review and
rather than react defensively, take the feedback as
information they can use to make positive
improvements to the Giotto Premium Plus
than £100 of extra value built into it. For me
It’s a really nice machine but with a little extra
this value comes in the form of:
effort and passion on their part,
part, can be reborn as
“best in class”.
1. Commercial Sirai pressurestat
2. Large 1.8 litre Nickel plated boiler
I just thought….I never answered the question.
3. No burn steam and water wands
4. No compression Valves
5. Extra Long life heating element
6. Fantastic water tank system and low
Yes,
Yes, I would buy one if I was looking for a
single boiler Heat Exchanger espresso
machine.
machine.
water level detection (best in class)
These 6 items alone are well worth the extra
cost, without considering some of the higher
quality knobs and gauges. I also think it is a
very nice looking machine, but again that will
be down to personal preference.
The quality of materials is extremely good, but
it has been let down by a few quality control
issues mentioned earlier. I have mentioned
these for 2 reasons:
•
I don’t think they are a “one off”
(especially as the previous machine had
a few issues which I treated as perhaps
“one off” problems)
•
I think the best way to ensure they get
addressed by the manufacturer, is to
place them in the review.
© Bella Barista
Bella Barista, Nene Court, The Embankment, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 1LD
Tel: 01933 273275
e-mail: [email protected]
GIOTTO PREMIUM –
A CLOSER LOOK
This
This section is the old review for the previous model,
model, any text
text
highlighted in red Italics indicates changed areas in the new Giotto
Premium Plus and you should refer to pages 1 thru 7
HTTP://WWW.BELLABARISTA.CO.UK
Overview
The Giotto Premium arrives well packed (Rocket
Espresso use heavy grade packaging and Bella
Barista also double box the machines). The
build quality is good with high quality (industry
standard) components and a lot of care has
been taken with assembly. Constructed using
chrome plated steel, outside a black painted
steel frame inside.
inside. The quality is noticeable
when lifting the machine as the Giotto Premium
Inside This Review
Overview
How it works
Inside the Giotto Premium
A detailed Tour
Key Features
Using the Giotto Premium
Final Thoughts
Gallery
9
11
12
13
14
18
19
20
is a heavy machine.
This type of heat Exchanger (HX) machine
internally, is slightly more complex than
cheaper non HX machines, but much simpler to
operate. There are fewer controls and no need
to do anything special (apart from filling the
water tank occasionally) to draw steam, hot
water or espresso at any time. The Giotto
Premium automatically maintains the water
level in the boiler as required and if run low on
water in the tank the Giotto Premium switches
off the heating element as a safety precaution,
but has no low water alarm.
alarm
The machine is attractive and fits comfortably
under standard height kitchen cabinets. The
Giotto Premium compares favourably with other
similar prosumer machines that have a heritage
and reputation for looking good.
Some coffee enthusiasts buy second hand
commercial machines that are very large,
plumbed into the mains and with 3-6kw
heating elements in 5 litre or larger boilers to
make quality beverages at home. The Giotto
Premium can make the same high quality
drinks), without the hassle.
The details were correct at the time of writing, but the manufacturer and
Bella Barista reserve the right to change the technical specification of
the packaging, machines and any accessories supplied with the
machine (including quantity and type of accessories supplied)
© Bella Barista
Bella Barista, Nene Court, The Embankment, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 1LD
Tel: 01933 273275
e-mail: [email protected]
Page 10 of 20
GIOTTO PREMIUM – A CLOSER LOOK
Overview – cont.
The Giotto Premium went out of production
some time ago and has been reborn under the
care of Rocket Espresso. A legend, built again,
to the same standards, in the same way as
before. The Giotto is a great machine both for
the customer to use and the reseller to
support. It will provide years of reliable service
with the minimum of maintenance. Once in
position on the counter the machine looks nice
and does not dominate on a standard sized
work surface. The height of the machine is very
Very well packed inner box, protected by double packing in
an airair-cell filled outer by Bella Barista
convenient and gives plenty of room under
standard height kitchen cupboards. It has a
nice large cup warming tray. Placing the Giotto
Premium in a corner is ideal, especially when
Even if you are completely new to coffee making
and this type of machine, you will have no problem
making all those great coffee drinks in a very short
located near the sink.
time The Giotto Premium is easy to keep clean, a
The Giotto Premium comes well packed, in a
tough box and with comprehensive
documentation covering all aspects of
operation, routine maintenance and production
of espresso based drinks. A valuable addition to
the Italian manufacturer’s written User guide
quick wipe with a damp cloth and a buff with a
micro fibre cloth is all that’s required to keep it
looking great. The more complex tasks such as
backflushing and descaling are actually very easy to
do and the supplied Bella Barista user guide
explains how to do them in detail.
that comes free with the Giotto Premium.
The Giotto
Premium,
positioned in the
corner of my
kitchen
© Bella Barista
Bella Barista, Nene Court, The Embankment, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 1LD
Tel: 01933 273275
e-mail: [email protected]
Page 11 of 20
GIOTTO PREMIUM – A CLOSER LOOK
How it works
Giotto.. The pump keeps the boiler about 60% filled with
The diagram shows a simplified diagram of the Giotto
1.3water that is heated and kept at a pressure of 1.3
-1.4 bar (about 22 psi). The temperature of this water
is above boiling point and has an area of steam above (similar to a pressure cooker).
Steam
The pipe for the steam wand is at the top of the boiler (in the steam area) as the steam tap is opened,
steam is forced through the steam pipe and as the pressure drops more of the water instantly
instantly flashes to
steam, giving a continuous supply.
Hot Water
The pipe for the hot water tap is submerged below the waterline in the boiler. As the hot water tap is
hott water
opened, steam pressure forces the hot water from the boiler through the pipe and out of the ho
outlet.
Coffee Brew Water
Coffee brew water for the group does not actually come from the water in the boiler, but is pumped
directly from the tank through a “heat exchanger” (essentially, a big copper tube) that passes through
the hot boiler. As tthe
he cold water from the water tank passes through this tube it is heated to the correct
temperature for brewing coffee.
Lifting the lever starts the pumping of brew water, lowering the lever stops the pump and additionally
psii of it) from the group, so you can remove the filter handle safely
safely,, (the
releases the pressure (all 140 ps
excess water goes into the drip tray when pressure is released)
© Bella Barista
Bella Barista, Nene Court, The Embankment, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 1LD
Tel: 01933 273275
e-mail: [email protected]
Page 12 of 20
GIOTTO PREMIUM – A CLOSER LOOK
Inside the Giotto Premium
A close inspection of the Giotto Premium shows
a machine that has all the usual refinements
internally that one would expect. Internal build
quality is good, with great attention to detail.
Components are well positioned, neatly
assembled; all cables are well away from hot
spots and comprehensively tied to avoid
movement.
Some internal shots below;
The powerhouse of the machine accessible from the top, with
the removal of only 6 screws
pump
The vibe p
ump tucked under the boiler
Removal of the outer case, gives easy access to all
components, e.g. heating element.
Clever managements of the tanked water supply
© Bella Barista
Bella Barista, Nene Court, The Embankment, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 1LD
Tel: 01933 273275
e-mail: [email protected]
Page 13 of 20
GIOTTO PREMIUM – A CLOSER LOOK
A detailed Tour
Pressure relief valve
(Safety valve)
Autofill,
“level”
probe
Vacuum breaker
Position of cold
water tank
Brew Boiler
(nickel plated
copper
Vent tube to
prevent vacuum
from forming & air
to escape
Brew
Switch
(activated
by group
lever
Resettable
limit stat
MA-TER XP110
pressurestat
Heating
element
Vibration
pump
(Ulka)
OPV Valve, used to
regulate brew
pressure
ECM control
box, autofill,
heating elements
etc.
Autofill,
“solenoid
valve”
Low water sensor (via
electrical conductivity)
The picture above identifies the major
components of the machine, once the case is
removed accessibility for maintenance is good.
removal/refitting of the case is moderately time
consuming
This machine would be fairly simple to work on
for most of the major components requiring
replacement over time.
© Bella Barista
Bella Barista, Nene Court, The Embankment, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 1LD
Tel: 01933 273275
e-mail: [email protected]
Page 14 of 20
GIOTTO PREMIUM – A CLOSER LOOK
Key Features
•
Ball Joint steam and water arms (no burn)
•
Adjustable pressure stat.
•
Nice quality internal water tank
•
•
“Clever” low water sensor and tanked
water supply mechanism
Attractive retro design and chromed
steel case
•
•
“non compression” steam & water valves
2 portafilter holders and 2 filter
baskets as standard
•
“No burn” steam and water valves
Item/Description
Picture
Comments
Chromed Steel external case with plenty of
room for internal components to stay cool.
The case is a good fit, but does require care
during removal and refitting. Access to
some components is quickly achieved from
the top via removal of 6 screws. More
involved maintenance requires case
removal, which is moderately time
consuming. One or two areas need a little
care and may pose difficulties for the
inexperienced, some very small spanners
and small/slim sockets are required (as are
slim/long fingers).
Good routing of internal cables and pipes,
avoiding hot spots and areas of vibration
scuffing.
Nice quality nickel plated boiler with good
brazing
High quality internal components
All components quite accessible. This
makes servicing easy
Very accessible pressurestat that is not too
sensitive to adjust. This makes pressure
adjustment extremely easy and can be
adjusted without removing the entire case,
just the water tank carrier needs to be
removed (4 screws)
© Bella Barista
Bella Barista, Nene Court, The Embankment, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 1LD
Tel: 01933 273275
e-mail: [email protected]
Page 15 of 20
GIOTTO PREMIUM – A CLOSER LOOK
A nice quality metal badge. For a change a
machine with a badge that actually is in
keeping with it’s value.
It is even riveted in place, which means it
won’t fall off&.something that occasionally
happens on some espresso machines with
constant exposure to heat and steam.
Readers of past reviews will know that I am
not a fan of cheap badges, especially when
stuck on, or even worse, not level.
Nice quality cold water tank holding 3 litres
and simply slots in the top, no tubes to
worry about. Refilling can be done with the
tank in or out of the machine and there is a
handy access hatch for filling.
Nice large cup warming tray. You can get
plenty of cups on there, definitely no lack of
space. The little hatch for refilling means
you don’t have to remove every cup.
The feet are soft and rubbery, with a
metal screw holding them to the
frame in the centre. Should the
rubber tear or wear, there is a risk
of the screw scratching the work
surface!
The Giotto Premium is heavy, because the
internal frame is rigid and constructed with a
quality (thick) steel
The feet are not height adjustable and
the machine is difficult to slide around.
You will want to slide it around to refill it
if it is under cupboards.
I strongly recommend the use of felt
bottomed (or Teflon faced) castor
cups for a few pounds, to make it
easy to move and protect your
worktop.
© Bella Barista
Bella Barista, Nene Court, The Embankment, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 1LD
Tel: 01933 273275
e-mail: [email protected]
Page 16 of 20
GIOTTO PREMIUM – A CLOSER LOOK
The drip tray is not the largest I have seen
and holds around 250-300ml before it needs
emptying (it can hold more but you will spill
liquid whilst trying to empty it).
It is all steel and nice quality.
The Giotto is a powerful steamer and it’s 3
hole tip foamed large quanitites of milk with
ease. It took some practice to microfoam
smaller quantities of milk, to the texture I
like (aprox 100-120ml) and would certainly
be easier with a single hole tip or one with
smaller holes.
Professional quality no compression steam
valve and ball joint “no burn” steam wand. It
was also long enough to reach to the
bottom of all my smaller pitchers.
I like the ball-joint mounted steam and hot
water arms, both of which are “no burn” . I
also like the large knobs with “noncompression valves”, much more tactile and
look good too.
“No Burn” – a wand with an airspace preventing
the walls from heating up when water (or steam)
is drawn. However even these wands do
eventually get hot.BUT cleaning the milk from
the steam wand is MUCH easier.
“non compression” valves - use a spring and
seal to seat. Opening the valve typically “pushes”
the sprung seal open, closing simply allows the
spring to close the valve, there is no
“compression” of a washer as in some taps.
Commonly found in the commercial environment,
because the seals connot be damaged by “hamfisted” operators closing them too tightly.
© Bella Barista
Bella Barista, Nene Court, The Embankment, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 1LD
Tel: 01933 273275
e-mail: [email protected]
Page 17 of 20
GIOTTO PREMIUM – A CLOSER LOOK
The equipment supplied with the Giotto: The
review machine had 2 portafilter holders
(good quality) with single and double
baskets and the usual plastic tamper
(usless) and measuring scoop. It would
have been nice to see the “necessary
backflushing blind filter basket provided
as standard.
On my review machine the portafilters were
quite a tight fit into the group, but better
when the group was hot. Rocket Espresso
stated that they would take time to “bed in”,
and they have improved a little as the
review progressed.
The machine switches off the heating element when low on water, the boiler then goes cold and the pump
will not run. However, there is NO low water alarm and no visible indication that the machine is off apart
from the slowly decending boiler pressure gauge. Also the green power light stays on,so it is not apparent
from a distance, or from a casual glance that the machine has switched off the heating element. I really
think that in a machine of this value, an audible alarm should be added. It can be very irritating to go to
make a coffee only to find that the machine switched off the heating element an hour ago and then have to
wait 20 minutes or more for it to warm up.
It was nice to see a De-Aereator fitted to a
machine as these seem to have gone out of
fashion in recent years (it’s certainly
cheaper for the manufacturer to omit them!).
This device simply bleeds air from the outlet
side of the pump, this prevents air in the
system causing the OPV valve to screech
I believe the reason for OPVs screeching, is air in the brew line, this
is often caused by scale (the reasons for this are beyond the scope
of this review). However, the fitting of a de-aerator can only be
helpful should air enter the brew line for whatever reason especially
when priming the pump (it makes it much easier).
The rating plate, placed on the underside of
the machine
© Bella Barista
Bella Barista, Nene Court, The Embankment, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 1LD
Tel: 01933 273275
e-mail: [email protected]
Page 18 of 20
GIOTTO PREMIUM – A CLOSER LOOK
Using the Giotto Premium – simple and easy to use!
The Giotto Premium runs quite hot, which is
The E61 group
usual with Heat Exchanger (HX) machines,
because of the tight compromise between
continuously available steam, and production of
brew water for espresso. The pressure in the
boiler is directly related to the temperature, a
higher pressure gives higher temperatures.
Because of the way HX machines work most
require a cooling flush prior to drawing the first
in a series of espressos, the Giotto Premium in
The E61 group is an industry standard (as are
many of the components in the machine), so
parts such as, pumps, gaskets, shower screens,
filter holders, filter holder handles etc. are all a
standard size and readily available from multiple
suppliers. This also means that the pricing of
these spares is highly competitive.
common with other machines of this type also
requires this “cooling flush”. However, I felt the
cooling
Giotto did not need as large a co
oling flush as
many HX machines
I felt the Giotto did not need as large a
cooling flush as many HX machines
Pressure Settings
Steam Production
You can alter the pressure/temperature of the
The Giotto has powerful steam performance and
boiler if required, although I found the factory
you will not run out of steam. To steam that
settings to be perfect.
500ml of milk will not take long! In fact, it takes a
little while to get used to steaming, especially
Espresso
with smaller quantities of milk. What worked for
As long as a cooling flush is performed, the
me was to be careful not to open the steam valve
Giotto Premium makes consistently good
too far with these smaller quantities.
espressos and easily maintains the temperature
during the pour. Domestic volumes of espresso
one after another will be absolutely no problem
with this machine. The brew pressure when
tested was set to 10.5 bar, but could easily be
adjusted lower (the good quality OPV is quite
adjustable).
Hot Water
It’s nice to have really hot water on tap,
recovery time after drawing hot water for an
Americano is very fast. Although I always say for
regular hot water production a kettle is a better
option in areas where lime scale is a problem
and saves having to descale your machine so
often.
© Bella Barista
Bella Barista, Nene Court, The Embankment, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 1LD
Tel: 01933 273275
e-mail: [email protected]
Page 19 of 20
GIOTTO PREMIUM – A CLOSER LOOK
Final Thoughts – so what’s the bottom line!
This was an opportunity to review a machine
But these are minor items on a machine that has
that has been “reborn”. The Giotto Premium is
many admirers and do little to detract from its
being produced to the same plans and standard
day to day operation.
as before. The Giotto Premium was always
considered a very good machine and certainly
Conclusions
nothing has changed.
There are people who are going to love the looks
It definitely holds its own against other similar
of the Giotto and as a lifestyle choice (for some),
machines and is often significantly better than
nothing else will do. It is a fine looking machine
more expensive offerings from the competition.
and it makes espresso as well as other machines
I truly believe it is one of the finest machines
in the prosumer class.
you can buy for the money.
Its vibration pump is not as quiet as an Izzo Vivi,
It’s heavy at 23kg, but not too large, although
but is about the same as an Andreja Premium or
slightly deeper than some machines. It’s also
Expobar machine. The overall quality of the
not too tall and I do prefer machines that are a
machine is good and towards higher end of the
little more balanced in this way. A commercial 1
prosumer machine category. It does need a
group (which would make similar beverages),
slightly smaller cooling flush and the water
would be significantly bigger, heavier and
refilling/management is easier than on some
overkill for the home user.
machines. It’s detection of low water level is
Anything you would change?
As a reviewer, with my 20/20 hindsight, there
excellent (and reliable) and the entire tank is used
before the machine switches off the heating
element (and pump).
were a few things, especially considering the
price of the machine.
I would have liked Rocket Espresso to have
addressed the issue of; low water alarm, feet and
•
A low water alarm should be added to
the machine, I do not think it’s now
brew pressure gauge, when they bought the
acceptable to not have one of these.
Premium; I think it’s a lost opportunity.
rights, and re-started production, of the Giotto
especially when the only indicator of
low water, is a falling boiler pressure
The Giotto Premium is a great machine, with
gauge.
•
I would like to see a brew pressure
gauge as well, or if space is limited a
fantastic retro styling, that any owner would, and
should be proud of.
dual pressure gauge (one dial for boiler
pressure one for brew pressure).
•
Improved quality, height adjustable
feet.
© Bella Barista
Bella Barista, Nene Court, The Embankment, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 1LD
Tel: 01933 273275
e-mail: [email protected]
Page 20 of 20
GIOTTO PREMIUM – A CLOSER LOOK
Gallery – A few pictures of the Giotto Premium
The beautiful lever operated E61 group, just
waiting to make that espresso or latte!
2 high quality group handles, with
single and double baskets
Removing only the top and back panels gives reasonable
access, removing a further side panel can give very good
access for maintenance
© Bella Barista
Bella Barista, Nene Court, The Embankment, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 1LD
Tel: 01933 273275
e-mail: [email protected]