Rocket Giotto Premium Plus -- From Box to Cup

[tooter9871]

Make my self a nice treat. Can you please recommend me a nice first machine? As well as what kind of beans to use an where I might purchase them - thank you, Josh

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@tooter9871 I would recommend the Saeco Aroma or Saeco Via Venezia for your first machine. Beans are difficult, there's so much variety, so I can't really recommend something specific (although I LOVE Velton's Coffee) - Kat

[tooter9871]

Dear gail- I am new to the coffee scene. Yet extremely eager to acquire an espresso machine. I am a novice to say the least and your videos have made me want to

[mobytho]

Opps! I notice an issue.

After explaining the group head gets hot when it's stationary, you insert the portafilter, and did not start the extraction straight away.

Since the group head has been stationary again, when milk is done, it's has enough time burn the coffee.

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@mobytho Eh, not really - Kat

[chiccoka]

thank You Gail abs deep answer .

[chiccoka]

Gail. give me some advice pls.I have a Rancilio Silvia and im thinking to step up to Rocket G as some1 offered for me 4 good price.(500 euro).What do u think

Whats are pluses or minuses between 2 maschines.

thanks in andvance

Attila from Budapest

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@chiccoka Better steam regulation on the Rocket, steam and brew simultaneously, overall better build quality. It would be a great upgrade for you. Takes longer to warm up, though, since it's bigger, but no other cons over the Silvia. - Kat

[joeldamianicigan]

What's the difference between a "step" and "stepless" grinder? I was looking at the Mazzer Mini Es and wondering if they have easy adjustments (kinda like the Vario) to grind courser for french press and drip. Great video! I like how you show the packaging of the machine itself.

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@joeldamianicigan Stepped has notches, stepless does not. Stepped are lower end grinders, stepless allow you to dial in the grind more finitely. - Kat

[JimmyDThing]

We are remodeling our kitchen, hopefully be done by June. When I get enough money, I'll finally have some place to PUT one of these! I can't wait!

But while we're doing the kitchen, I know where I plan to put the machine and we are able to be a bit flexible when it comes to what will be above the machine. Here's my question, maybe it's a strange one. How much height is needed to get the reservoir out? Like, from countertop to where you can comfortably lift the reservoir and remove/replace.

[fearfultom]

I got the Giotto Rocket and a Grinder on Thursday. It took me a few tries to get the coffee grinded just right. I noticed when changing beans the grinder can be a 3 notch difference, so I am writing down the settings. The machine is AWESOME. I should have bought the next level up over the Baratza Virtuoso Preciso grinder. I give the Giotto a 9.5 star rating with a big smile and the grinder 7 stars.

Have you tried the Batdorf & Bronson's Dancing Goats beans (yum).

Take Care

Tom

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@fearfultom Great to hear! No, I haven't tried those beans -- will put it on my to-do list :) - Kat

[fearfultom]

I will be at your store this Thursday. I am ready to move up to the $1500 to $1800 machine and you have alot of machineS to pick from. From all my rresearch, it looks like the Rocket is the best. I liked the IZZO also. We can go over these machines to see which one I get.

Take care

tom

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@fearfultom Hi Tom - great! We have the Izzo Alex II and the Rocket Giotto Evoluzione on the floor for demo; I will get them both fired up in the morning so you can see how they compare. :) - Kat

[fearfultom]

Nice video, good job explaining the machine.

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@fearfultom Thank you! :) - Kat

[Urbino237]

Another question on the Giotto Premium Plus ladies: is its water source solely from the water tank, or does it 'have' to be plumbed in? I realize this is optional on the Evoluzione, but I thought I read somewhere that for this model it has to be plumbed.

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@Urbino237 Nope; the Premium Plus is internal tank only; they also have a Professional version which is plumb only. You do not need to plumb the Premium Plus at all. - Kat

[onigaijinatmixi]

Fair call but I was (humbly) trying to point out where you're falling short. If you teach people to make coffees that way you're not doing them or the machine they are buying justice. Respectfully, you owe it to yourselves and customers to put up a better vid. What you have is good coffee, make it GREAT coffee with just a few simple changes to how you make it ! PEACE !

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@onigaijinatmixi That's cool -- we're not trying to teach people how to make coffee, we are trying to show they how the equipment works and have fun with it. Reshooting over and over again loses the spirit of the tone and approach we have, so we are committed to a single shoot only, that's just our style. There are tons of other how to videos out there that get more into the specifics; this was not meant to be one of them. - Kat

[onigaijinatmixi]

Hi Kat and Gail, nice vid. You both know alot about the technical side of the machine but can I give you some constructive pointers? As the group head is hot if you lock in the handle and leave ti there without extracting the coffee will burn. Your milk is cooked and way too frothy. Try less heating and splitting off for a much better result. The shot ran too fast !! and you let it run too long as well. Overdosing should see better results as well as not pre-grinding. PEACE !!

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@onigaijinatmixi Thanks for your perspective; as we do all of our videos in one take, we get what we get when we do it and that's most people's experience with making coffee at home -- it's never perfect. - Kat

[sarapregnantful]

These videos are great. Another greeting from Denmark here - You're gathering quite a following! :) Have you reviewed any commercial machines? Tak for god underholdning!

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@sarapregnantful Thank you! Glad you like them. We have reviewed the Rancilio Epoca and Egro and the La Marzocco GS3 -- these machines are for larger commercial operations, but you could use a machine like the Rocket in a smaller application. Thanks for watching :) - Kat

[cruel2003]

where are you guys located?

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@cruel2003 In Lynnwood, WA, north of Seattle - 4210 196th St SW Lynnwood 98036. - Kat

[cruel2003]

@SeattleCoffeeGear thanks a lot

[stengade69]

I love all your videos, your both awsome. Greetings from Denmark :-)

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

@stengade69 Thanks for your feedback! :) Glad you are digging the videos - Kat

[skoredreng]

@stengade69 Fedt.. den første dansker jeg har set, som ser seattlecoffeegear's videoer :D!

[fodera6]

I have been considering the VBM DoubleDomo PID, the Giotto/Cellini and the Isomac Mondiale/Tea II but the Cellini's classic styling and small footprint keeps me coming back. To all those worrying about the group gauge, it is not that big a deal. Most prosumer/semi-commercial gauges aren't terribly accurate anyway and are there more for general reference. If I must know group pressure, a gauged portafilter is only about $25. I'm more concerned with resultant temp at the group than anything else.

[AWAKENING009]

Hey KAT, you have rated the Giotto 4.7. Is the Cellini rated the same?

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

Yes - they are functionally identical. - Kat

[mambachaser]

I wonder how long it takes to heat up the machine until it is ready for the first shot in the morning. Do I have to wake up much earlier when I own one these puppies?

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

About 20 minutes or so to get it ready to go. I know some folks have hooked theirs up to an outlet timer so that it comes on and heats up before they get up. - Kat

[fodera6]

@SeattleCoffeeGear Yep, make sure you get a timer made for high wattage appliances. It must be able to support 15 amps or higher. And to protect against damaging surges when the timer switches it on, put a quality inline or multi-outlet surge protector between it and the machine.

[nlmaxx]

please slow down, to bad you did not show the installing, first use issues, and how to unbox it without damage or tear-up the box. :)

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

Sorry! Perhaps we'll show an install the next time we put one on demo. My advice on not ruining the packaging is getting another pair of hands in the mix :) - Kat

[sawyerrogier]

Hi, the Giotto Premium plus is one of my favorites machines to choose ( I am planning to buy a machine soon). However taking in account I will use this machine for 10 years or longer I am also looking at the expensiver Izzo Alex Duetto II. Do you think the Alex is more consistant in temp and better engineered? ( I will confess I live in Europe and will buy the machine here, but your website and youtube channel are so great!

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

Well, these are both really great machines and I think they have similar build quality and longevity. Where the Duetto trumps the Giotto is the PID, which would enable you to finely tweak your temperatures, and if you're interested in experimenting with single origin/estate beans, you might be interested in that control. For most espresso blends, however, it all kind of comes out in the wash. Feel free to message me if you have more questions.

[Agathorn]

I´m also considering those two machines. If only the Alex could look like the Giotto/Cellini :) Then I´d be a happy trooper!

[eagerbob]

So,

As I understand it correctly, the name changed from ECM Giotto premium to Rocket Giotto premium ?

Or is it a different machine ?

the ECM Giotto premium had two gauges, one for the boiler pressure, one for the pressure on the brewhead, which is a nice extra since it gives you feedback on your grind.

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

Yes -- ECM spun off their consumer espresso machines into the new company Rocket Espresso, which has since been furthering the engineering and development of both the Giotto Premium Plus and the Cellini.

I agree that the brew head gauge is a nice extra and something that I do miss on the Rockets, but not enough to taint my love for their overall performance :)

[t30sxh]

Love your relaxed style.

I've just got a Silvia but I can hear a Giotto calling my name from afar already. Maybe in a few years.... :)

[PAPPL1978]

A new limited special edition of Rocket Giotto "Giro d'italia" with pink manometer is coming.

Seems to be something for you girls.

;-)

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

Ha - well, it's actually for all the biking enthusiasts, really. We'll be getting in a few of them for sale after the 100th race is complete -- they should be pretty cool with all those signatures!

[Agathorn]

Can you steam milk at the same time as making your shot with any HX machine? Or just this one and/or some others?

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

Yes - that's one of the major benefits of a heat exchange: Simultaneous steaming and brewing. Because the water delivery for steaming/hot water and brewing are separate, you can operate them at the same time.

[Radders123]

Really great videos and I like the casual style.

If I live in Seattle i'd be coming in to get my equipment.

Thanks

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

Thanks for the feedback!

[grooxy]

It can't be good to let the coffee sit that long in the brewhead

[SeattleCoffeeGear]

Ha - yeah. Afterward, we thought ah well that's the wrong order, but that's what happens when you do this in one take (which is our goal to keep it casual and not stilted like other espresso videos from espresso businesses).

[Powergridfan]

A really great comment Gail makes is about purging the HX machine if it hasn't been used for 4-5 minutes to bring it back down to the proper brewing temperature. Very inciteful. I'm going to start doing that with my HX machine. Thanks!