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The drip tray is quite close to the group head, which doesn’t allow for regular-size coffee mugs. We did get a deep-in-the-weeds explanation from one of the product managers that leaving it off allowed them to build the machine with more easily available parts, which in turn would allow for easier repairs or part replacement should a problem arise. What we didn’t like about the Diletta Mio According to the temperature gauge, the Diletta did heat up in just a few minutes, although after speaking with one of the designers behind the machine, we did wait at least 10 minutes to allow the temperature to stabilize. That cuts the heat-up time, which is typically substantial on nicer espresso machines, quite a bit. It also has an adjustable eco mode that that puts the machine to sleep after a selected amount of time to save energy without turning it off. The Diletta has a digital PID that is easy to adjust, again, with simple button presses (the letters stand for proportional integral derivative, but what a PID controller does is precisely control the water temperature during brewing). Because it’s on its own circuit, we were able to use it immediately without waiting for the machine to shift from brew mode to steam mode as we did with the Breville. Speaking of the steam wand, it’s connected to its own heating circuit, which you can turn on or off-better to leave it off and save energy if you are just drinking espresso shots. It uses buttons for all of its functions instead of switches and dials, which not only looks sleeker, but offers a much better user experience of the steam wand-toggling on or off immediately instead of manually opening and closing a valve. And the Diletta’s design was the smartest of the bunch. For that reason, choosing an espresso machine at this level is more about design, both aesthetic and functional. Lots of people who use prosumer espresso machines are very passionate about their coffee and their coffee-making equipment and may disagree with this, but after testing several of them we believe it: When you get into high-end espresso machines, there are not huge differences in the quality of coffee. Often, prosumer machines are scaled-down versions of the most sought-after commercial machines.

#JOE BREWER ROCKET HOMES PROFESSIONAL#

Prosumer (that is, professional + consumer) is a portmanteau that could accurately describe a whole lot of elite-level home kitchen gear- Vitamix blenders come to mind-but it’s used quite often to refer to high-end home espresso machines.

#JOE BREWER ROCKET HOMES PLUS#

We cannot emphasize enough how big of a plus that is in a category filled with counter hogs. And it includes a hot water dispenser for Americanos.

When it came to milk drinks, the steam wand on the Solis is powerful and made terrific flat whites. Shots were nicely extracted with a striped layer of crema on top. The espresso shots we pulled from the Solis were great and in line with the semi-automatic Breville Machines- the Infuser, the Barista Express, and the Barista Express Impress. Solis is the Swiss brand behind the beloved entry-level burr grinder, the Scala and their espresso maker is a terrific balance of simplicity and customizability. As a result we’re putting the Solis Barista Perfetta Plus back on top. We still think it is a good machine, but after more than six months of consistent use, we found an issue that made us reconsider: The built-in grinder would jam with lighter roasted coffee beans (more on this below). Our top pick for much of 2022 was the flashy Breville Barista Express Impress. This is an example of how longterm testing of a product can be valuable.

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