GIOTTO PREMIUM PLUS A QUICK LOOK AT THE UPDATED MODEL H T T P : / / W W W. B E L L A B A R I S T A. C O. U K 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. Giotto Premium (revisited) closer look v4.doc
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 conclusions, leaving the old review below. Red Red Italic text in the old review (Pages 8 19) highlights 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 see what s changed in the model vs. the old and compare photos etc. 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 produced to a much better standard. It still comes double boxed from Bella Barista to ensure it arrives in good condition Externally the machine has a few cosmetic changes. The most obvious of which are: Improved Feet Round Steam boiler pressure gauge, although I personally thought the half moon shaped gauge used previously looked good. This one is a better quality 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)
GIOTTO PREMIUM PLUS (engineering revisit of updated model) Page 3 of 20 What has changed? Item/Description 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 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 Picture/Comments 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. 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!
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.
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.
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.
GIOTTO PREMIUM PLUS (engineering revisit of updated model) Page 7 of 20 A detailed Tour Sirai Commercial grade pressurestat Autofill, level probe Pressure relief valve (Safety valve) Vacuum breaker Vent tube to prevent vacuum from forming & air to escape 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.
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 than 100 of extra value built into it. For me this value comes in the form of: 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 It s a really nice machine but with a little extra effort and passion on their 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 water level detection (best in class) Yes, I would buy one if I was looking for a single boiler Heat Exchanger espresso machine. 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.
This section is the old review for the previous model, any text highlighted in red Italics indicates changed areas in the new Giotto Premium Plus and you should refer to pages 1 thru 7 Overview H T T P : / / W W W. B E L L A B A R I S T A. C O. U K 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. The quality is noticeable when lifting the machine as the Giotto Premium is a heavy machine. Inside This Review Overview 9 How it works 11 Inside the Giotto Premium 12 A detailed Tour 13 Key Features 14 Using the Giotto Premium 18 Final Thoughts 19 Gallery 20 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. 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)
Page 10 of 20 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 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 located near the sink. 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 that comes free with the Giotto Premium. Very well packed inner box, protected by double packing in an air-cell filled outer by Bella Barista 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 time The Giotto Premium is easy to keep clean, a 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. The Giotto Premium, positioned in the corner of my kitchen
Page 11 of 20 How it works The diagram shows a simplified diagram of the Giotto. The pump keeps the boiler about 60% filled with water that is heated and kept at a pressure of 1.3-1.4 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 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 opened, steam pressure forces the hot water from the boiler through the pipe and out of the hot water 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 the 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 releases the pressure (all 140 psi of it) from the group, so you can remove the filter handle safely, (the excess water goes into the drip tray when pressure is released)
Page 12 of 20 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 The vibe pump 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
Page 13 of 20 A detailed Tour Pressure relief valve (Safety valve) Autofill, level probe Vacuum breaker Brew Boiler (nickel plated copper Position of cold water tank Brew Switch (activated by group lever Vent tube to prevent vacuum from forming & air to escape Resettable limit stat Heating element MA-TER XP110 pressurestat Vibration pump (Ulka) ECM control box, autofill, heating elements etc. Autofill, solenoid valve Low water sensor (via electrical conductivity) OPV 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 This machine would be fairly simple to work on for most of the major components requiring replacement over time.
Page 14 of 20 Key Features Ball Joint steam and water arms (no burn) Nice quality internal water tank Clever low water sensor and tanked water supply mechanism non compression steam & water valves No burn steam and water valves Adjustable pressure stat. Attractive retro design and chromed steel case 2 portafilter holders and 2 filter baskets as standard 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)
Page 15 of 20 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 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. 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! 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.
Page 16 of 20 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.
Page 17 of 20 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
Page 18 of 20 Using the Giotto Premium simple and easy to use! The Giotto Premium runs quite hot, which is 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 common with other machines of this type also requires this cooling flush. However, I felt the Giotto did not need as large a cooling oling flush as many HX machines Pressure Settings You can alter the pressure/temperature of the boiler if required, although I found the factory settings to be perfect. Espresso As long as a cooling flush is performed, the Giotto Premium makes consistently good 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). The E61 group 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. I felt the Giotto did not need as large a cooling flush as many HX machines Steam Production The Giotto has powerful steam performance and you will not run out of steam. To steam that 500ml of milk will not take long! In fact, it takes a little while to get used to steaming, especially with smaller quantities of milk. What worked for me was to be careful not to open the steam valve too far with these smaller quantities. 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.
Page 19 of 20 Final Thoughts so what s the bottom line! This was an opportunity to review a machine that has been reborn. The Giotto Premium is being produced to the same plans and standard as before. The Giotto Premium was always considered a very good machine and certainly nothing has changed. It definitely holds its own against other similar machines and is often significantly better than more expensive offerings from the competition. I truly believe it is one of the finest machines you can buy for the money. It s heavy at 23kg, but not too large, although slightly deeper than some machines. It s also not too tall and I do prefer machines that are a little more balanced in this way. A commercial 1 group (which would make similar beverages), would be significantly bigger, heavier and overkill for the home user. Anything you would change? As a reviewer, with my 20/20 hindsight, there were a few things, especially considering the price of the machine. A low water alarm should be added to the machine, I do not think it s now acceptable to not have one of these. especially when the only indicator of low water, is a falling boiler pressure gauge. I would like to see a brew pressure gauge as well, or if space is limited a dual pressure gauge (one dial for boiler pressure one for brew pressure). Improved quality, height adjustable feet. But these are minor items on a machine that has many admirers and do little to detract from its day to day operation. Conclusions There are people who are going to love the looks of the Giotto and as a lifestyle choice (for some), nothing else will do. It is a fine looking machine and it makes espresso as well as other machines in the prosumer class. Its vibration pump is not as quiet as an Izzo Vivi, but is about the same as an Andreja Premium or Expobar machine. The overall quality of the machine is good and towards higher end of the prosumer machine category. It does need a slightly smaller cooling flush and the water refilling/management is easier than on some machines. It s detection of low water level is excellent (and reliable) and the entire tank is used before the machine switches off the heating element (and pump). I would have liked Rocket Espresso to have addressed the issue of; low water alarm, feet and brew pressure gauge, when they bought the rights, and re-started production, of the Giotto Premium; I think it s a lost opportunity. The Giotto Premium is a great machine, with fantastic retro styling, that any owner would, and should be proud of.
Page 20 of 20 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