Beautiful machine only issue is the drip tray didn’t have the best finish polish wise and has a small ding. It’s probably going to bother me but most people most likely wouldn’t notice it. I already polished it and I’m trying to figure out if I can fix the ding or contact Rocket to see if they can replace it. Also the steam and water knobs have paint peeling off the chrome. Little things that I in a way understand since the machine is hand made, but for the price I’m really expecting perfection.

Best machine for the price and most people's need.

I bought this for my mom as a gift and honestly anything above this model would had been overkill AND larger on her countertop so that was the perfect middle between the lower-end (Appartemento) that is all ruined imo no matter how good it looks, by the fact it doesn't have a PID and no pump pressurestat.I loved the fact the Cronometro came with a shot timer which even my pricier (Rocket R58) doesn't come with. Not all other brands had this and this one looks very nice, there is no ugly screen on the machine. So the only difference with the model 1 notch above was the "Rotary Pump" for a quite significant difference so if you don't plan to plumb it, there's even less reason to opt it.Honestly I'm highly impressed by the performance of a "Heat Exchanger + PID" ... MoreI bought this for my mom as a gift and honestly anything above this model would had been overkill AND larger on her countertop so that was the perfect middle between the lower-end (Appartemento) that is all ruined imo no matter how good it looks, by the fact it doesn't have a PID and no pump pressurestat.I loved the fact the Cronometro came with a shot timer which even my pricier (Rocket R58) doesn't come with. Not all other brands had this and this one looks very nice, there is no ugly screen on the machine. So the only difference with the model 1 notch above was the "Rotary Pump" for a quite significant difference so if you don't plan to plumb it, there's even less reason to opt it.Honestly I'm highly impressed by the performance of a "Heat Exchanger + PID" machine versus my "Dual Boiler" that if you KNOW that the person is never ever gonna feel like changing the temperature individually for the service boiler, then there's no reason to pay an extra for that as you can still adjust the main "brewer temp" otherwise with a HX.I also like how the wheel valves on this machine are much smoother than those on my R58 which are super stiff somehow. However I much prefer my straight steam wand than the classic wand with a useless curve. I highly suggest however that on day 1 you replace the stock shower/gasket for the (IMS Nanotech E61 + Cafelat 8mm Red Gasket). Highly recommended.

Love this machine

So happy to finally have the Mozzafiato on my counter. Pictures just don’t do this machine justice. That being said, it’s beauty is really on the inside.The espresso’s coming out of this machine are luscious and creamy…shot after shot after shot. This machine is like driving a sports car, even the simplest tasks are just so much fun.As usual the Service and tech support from IDC are second to none. Shipping was fast and I had a question answered in less than 12 hours.One con on this machine is the water level indicator. There no other visual cue to tell you your water level except when you’re out of water…easy work around just put .5 litres every other day or so.So in love with this machine.

Our second Rocket, general improvements all around, and based on the last this one may outlive us!

We had a Giotto Premium Plus V1 for 10(+?) years before this, so I'll focus on what appears to be minor improvements visually/usage wise, I'm sure there's other internal changes (e.g. insulated boiler). The Giotto finally died on us and I couldn't bring it back to life; we have moderately hard water and I did descale it regularly, had replaced wear brass points twice, main gasket a few times, but otherwise no major surgery. Upon opening it up after it refused to heat there was large scale accumulated corrosion "leaking out of" every threaded fitting joint, and it was clear the electronics had blown. It *might* have been reconditionable but we wanted to give it an honorable burial and upgrade. 10 or more years of 3-4 shots a day and at least 2 milk steamings minimum, ... MoreWe had a Giotto Premium Plus V1 for 10(+?) years before this, so I'll focus on what appears to be minor improvements visually/usage wise, I'm sure there's other internal changes (e.g. insulated boiler). The Giotto finally died on us and I couldn't bring it back to life; we have moderately hard water and I did descale it regularly, had replaced wear brass points twice, main gasket a few times, but otherwise no major surgery. Upon opening it up after it refused to heat there was large scale accumulated corrosion "leaking out of" every threaded fitting joint, and it was clear the electronics had blown. It *might* have been reconditionable but we wanted to give it an honorable burial and upgrade. 10 or more years of 3-4 shots a day and at least 2 milk steamings minimum, is a pretty good life given we weren't providing perfect just-enough-minerals water. (Tap, under-cabinet 2-stage filtered but not reverse-osmotic or softened, usually filled night before to let chlorine evap but otherwise no extra care taken. I probably wasn't as religous about swapping 'fresh water' into the boiler weekly to dump any higher-concentration stuff as I should've been either.)Very pleased so far, pressure and grind dialed in with zero effort, might still bump the temp a degree or two.Pros vs the Giotto older model:--Vibe pump definitely seems quieter--Dual pressure gauges (we used to have only boiler pressure) are gamechanger for diagnosis. More importantly the glass over the pressure gauge face mates _flush_ with the surrounding retaining ring! This means highly unlikely to develop 'dried milk goo' you need to try and clean out of that old metal lip!--Two-stage (pre-infusion) brew lever. That took a little getting used to, the old one was a harder turn to press the solenoid button, this one 'jumps' into your hand at first, and after seems way softer/easier to turn either on or off. Don't know if they've improved the internal pivot mechanism perhaps.--Switch seems a little higher up - ditto on not collecting as much milk splatter over time I bet.--Both steam and water wands seem to pivot on their balls far more smoothly, maybe that's just wear from the old ones. The little plastic grippers are ok additions but kind of cheesy to be honest.--The lid for the water rez still has the 2 finger holes for lifting out but now had a plastic form under that! This should keep from anything dropping into the water. (I am ashamed to say, we once found a mosquito larvae swimming in our water tank! I promise I clean it, but I guess it only takes one window gap and a couple days for an enterprising mosquito to find warm fresh still water and those evil bleeps to hatch....)--The cup rail is now integrated not plexi/acrylic. Honestly metal is a much nicer look.--The feet are much nicer.--Of course, shot timer feature and PID which we didn't have before. The timer's subtleness is appreciated.--When you finish the shot, or even release water pressure from using a blank for a backflush, it seems like it doesn't spray quite as violently and splatter the front face nearly as much from the drain tube.--We had the option of the non-angled sides from our original purchase (not the Giotto model, forget the other name off top of head) but this machine does look a little more sleek.The only 'cons' vs. the older design, very minimal though:--The top fit is much cleaner with no small forward lip between the top metal and the front face, just a nice clean right angle. Why is this a 'con'? Because the cup rail only wraps the sides and back!! If you like those little Bodum shot glasses...I'm worried they can 'vibrate' off the front now. There used to be a small 'step' they've have to bounce over. Had to give up on them for flat white heavier ceramics stored up there.--The water reservoir itself is made of the same milky dense (HMWP? Teflon?) plastic, with the 2 'rods' to lift/lower, but there's a new decorative black plastic 'Rocket' logo plate that also dips down into the 'height' of the rez a little bit. Why?? All I can see this being is a possible bacteria/slime catcher and something you have to clean a little better when cleaning the rez. I'm just not filling it to the point where water touches that but with residual warmth there's still going to be moisture getting up there...--The drip tray includes a fitting for opening a drain hole, presumably for commercial use (plumbed in machine, existing countertop drain or small sink for this to drip into). That means when you pull/push the tray in you have to pop the bottom end of that fitting 'over' the front of the frame it sits on, and risk splashing if you've let it get a little full. Minor annoyance. Ours also doesn't seem to fit perfectly level like I'd want, almost like the welded on front drip tray support is canted vs. the rest of the machine frame, but a quick 3D printed block support with a couple magnets pushed into it fixes that well enough.

Rocket Giotta - a smooth upgrade

Previously had a Rocket Cellini with PID for over 10 happy years. Due to circumstances that aren’t pertinent to this conversation or a reflection on the manufacturer, it needed to be replaced. The whole team at Chris Coffee, especially Mackenzie and Mark, facilitated the decision process by quickly providing details helpful in selecting a machine suited to both my tastes and requirements.Check points for me were footprint, decent shots, ability to steam & pull shots simultaneously, appearance and not plumbed. In this price range dual boilers were a strong consideration but ended up with this heat exchange model. In so many ways the Giotto is just the next generation and level above what I previously owned. Rocket added a shot timer, that’s more useful than I ... MorePreviously had a Rocket Cellini with PID for over 10 happy years. Due to circumstances that aren’t pertinent to this conversation or a reflection on the manufacturer, it needed to be replaced. The whole team at Chris Coffee, especially Mackenzie and Mark, facilitated the decision process by quickly providing details helpful in selecting a machine suited to both my tastes and requirements.Check points for me were footprint, decent shots, ability to steam & pull shots simultaneously, appearance and not plumbed. In this price range dual boilers were a strong consideration but ended up with this heat exchange model. In so many ways the Giotto is just the next generation and level above what I previously owned. Rocket added a shot timer, that’s more useful than I imagined, flanged siding for improved looks, enhanced steam ability and options that offer flexibility when it comes to height. Water reservoir has slightly less capacity. One can ask Chris Coffee or drill down online to explore additional details.Hands on what I’ve noticed includes the following. Previously took about 30 seconds to steam, now takes 20 seconds max. The puck is drier. Convenient that I’m not tracking in my head the seconds a shot takes. Speed and ability to handle back-to-back milk drinks is much improved. Gauges are black rather than white – like that since it kind of goes with the granite counter tops. The feel related to opening and closing the steam wand is great. Who knew?If you compare the dimensions of this to my previous model, it’s larger. But not really. The feet have a section that can be removed. The cup rail can be removed as well. The side flanges extend at mid-point of the machine and add some visual appeal, softening its design. All of the above being said, it’s not quite as big as it might seem on paper.In a nutshell Rocket makes great products with an eye on design, quality and performance. How could I go wrong.

Rocket Mozzafiato Cronometro Type V w/ PID and Timer

Fantastic! Have had this fantastic machine for 3 months now. Being home all the time due to pandemic, decided to bring the coffee shop home! After researching various machines, including Rocket Appartamento, I decided to go with Mozza since it does have the PID, shot timer, and fantastic clean look. The PID works great and don't have to worry about purging prior to shot with overheated water vs the Appartamento. As for shot timer, I find this very useful in keeping my shots consistent and also helps dial in new beans quicker. Now there definitely is a learning curve to using these machines, but there are plenty of youtube videos to help you. Within a day I was producing coffee shop quality cortado's and latte's (and not the poor starbuck varieties). I also recommend ... MoreFantastic! Have had this fantastic machine for 3 months now. Being home all the time due to pandemic, decided to bring the coffee shop home! After researching various machines, including Rocket Appartamento, I decided to go with Mozza since it does have the PID, shot timer, and fantastic clean look. The PID works great and don't have to worry about purging prior to shot with overheated water vs the Appartamento. As for shot timer, I find this very useful in keeping my shots consistent and also helps dial in new beans quicker. Now there definitely is a learning curve to using these machines, but there are plenty of youtube videos to help you. Within a day I was producing coffee shop quality cortado's and latte's (and not the poor starbuck varieties). I also recommend you order a IMS shower screen and silicon gasket and install straight away - cheap upgrades that do make a difference. I also ordered a VST basket for the portafilter, as it is much better than the factory basket. After a couple weeks I also added a walnut wood kit and upgraded to a bottomless portafilter so I could see the zebra stripes! Highly recommend this machine, and wondering why I didn't take the plunge years ago.

Slow Start; But Quality Proves Out

I thought about writing a review of this machine about 2 1/2 to 3 weeks ago. If I had written the review back then, I probably would have given this machine three stars. But I forced myself to work with this thing for 30 more days and now I'm pretty confident with a full five star rating. This is a bona fide legitimate espresso maker. It has all of the nuance and touchiness of a large format machine. I took me right back to my days of working on a Marzocco in the late 90s. I initially struggled with milk steaming; but after purchasing the optional steam tip kit, I have found that I can now achieve paint textured microfoam with ease and consistency. I was also having some inconsistency with shot timing; This has been completely remedied with an upgrade to the ... MoreI thought about writing a review of this machine about 2 1/2 to 3 weeks ago. If I had written the review back then, I probably would have given this machine three stars. But I forced myself to work with this thing for 30 more days and now I'm pretty confident with a full five star rating. This is a bona fide legitimate espresso maker. It has all of the nuance and touchiness of a large format machine. I took me right back to my days of working on a Marzocco in the late 90s. I initially struggled with milk steaming; but after purchasing the optional steam tip kit, I have found that I can now achieve paint textured microfoam with ease and consistency. I was also having some inconsistency with shot timing; This has been completely remedied with an upgrade to the grinder. What I get now on a daily basis are consistent, top shelf cappuccino and latte drinks. And the quality of the espresso can really be tasted when I make the occasional macchiato. Build quality seems first rate and all signs point to years of reliability ahead.

Stunning Machine

It’s just a beautiful machine to see every day. Stunning. As with any top -notch prosumer machine, the 4 M’s of making espresso are key ingredients to success. One of M’s, Mano, or the barista’s hand/skill is one you either want to attain over time or you don’t. If you don’t, buy a pod machine and be done with it.The Zen-like satisfaction of working towards a great espresso with this machine is my favorite part. Not getting it right sometimes is just as meaningful as seeing it reward me with a delicious ristretto that I so miss form those multiple bar stops during the work day in Torino.The machine has every useful feature one could want. Everything is functional and placed perfectly for ease of use even in a tight space. Love the PID, the gauges are spot on when ... MoreIt’s just a beautiful machine to see every day. Stunning. As with any top -notch prosumer machine, the 4 M’s of making espresso are key ingredients to success. One of M’s, Mano, or the barista’s hand/skill is one you either want to attain over time or you don’t. If you don’t, buy a pod machine and be done with it.The Zen-like satisfaction of working towards a great espresso with this machine is my favorite part. Not getting it right sometimes is just as meaningful as seeing it reward me with a delicious ristretto that I so miss form those multiple bar stops during the work day in Torino.The machine has every useful feature one could want. Everything is functional and placed perfectly for ease of use even in a tight space. Love the PID, the gauges are spot on when I get it right and they let me know when I’m a little off, but that little shot timer is an indispensable feature. It addresses the variable of timing precisely every pull. Love it.The E61 group is just a classic and since 1961, it has made the best caffe in the world. It is a technology that has surpassed any modern BS. A joy to see and have in the home setting.Many Americans shy away from the single basket and just pull doubles and even triples, many want to know why they even send these works if art to them with a single portafilter...folks, it is because that is what an espresso is all about. When you go to a bar, morning noon or night anywhere in Italy and simply say “mi daresti un buon caffe’, per piacerre?” you will get a beautifully pulled single shot. Learn the craft of the single shot with this machine and she will do it and do it very well for you.I only use Lavazza Qualita Rossa, I am after a very specific memory, profile and taste every time I do my ritual. This machine works wonderfully for that purpose, she really does take the breath away...ci si mozza il fiato sul serio!

This machine is awesome

So, we've lived with our new Rocket Cronometro machine for a couple of weeks now. It was an upgrade from a Miele CM-5 fully automatic machine. We loved that machine for many years, but there is absolutely no comparison with the Rocket.Once I got my technique down, I'm pulling shots that are perfect: creamy, rich, smooth, gorgeous. Every one is amazing. I haven't had to adjust the PID, as the factory setting at 121ºC seems perfect.(It definitely responds to small changes in the grounds fineness and tamping pressure, but that's more of a question for the grinder than the machine.)And it's like the frothing is nuclear powered: so fast, with amazing results. It's actually so powerful you have to be careful not to overheat the milk.Not unimportantly, it's just ... MoreSo, we've lived with our new Rocket Cronometro machine for a couple of weeks now. It was an upgrade from a Miele CM-5 fully automatic machine. We loved that machine for many years, but there is absolutely no comparison with the Rocket.Once I got my technique down, I'm pulling shots that are perfect: creamy, rich, smooth, gorgeous. Every one is amazing. I haven't had to adjust the PID, as the factory setting at 121ºC seems perfect.(It definitely responds to small changes in the grounds fineness and tamping pressure, but that's more of a question for the grinder than the machine.)And it's like the frothing is nuclear powered: so fast, with amazing results. It's actually so powerful you have to be careful not to overheat the milk.Not unimportantly, it's just beautiful to look at – I'm showing it here with the Eureka Mignon Silenzia grinder, the Rocket knock box, and the upgraded Rocket tamper (worth it, BTW - the aluminum one that comes with the machine is "fine", but is unsatisfying in the hand). There is a bit of daily maintenance to get used to, but nothing onerous. And, I leave it on from before I go to bed (so it's warmed up in the AM), and then just do the maintenance after I've pulled the last shot in the afternoon.Finally, the service from idrinkcoffee was outstanding. Both in the showroom and later on, when I called to ask questions, staff were knowledgeable and friendly.

This machine keeps breaking

I purchased the Rocket Espresso Machine from Seattle Coffee Gear in early 2021. Within 6 months it starting overheating all the way into the red on the pressure gauge and a loud whistle would go off and steam would shoot out of it like a locomotive. I had to pay $150 to box and ship it myself across the country to be repaired. I got it back and within a few months the same thing is now happening again. It makes great coffee, but there is something not quite right with the machine. I can't even turn it on anymore - the pressure valve/gauge just goes straight to red and starts whistling and blowing steam like it's about to explode. Obviously that is extremely frustrating as it is very expensive (nearly 2K). Something that high quality should not be having these ... MoreI purchased the Rocket Espresso Machine from Seattle Coffee Gear in early 2021. Within 6 months it starting overheating all the way into the red on the pressure gauge and a loud whistle would go off and steam would shoot out of it like a locomotive. I had to pay $150 to box and ship it myself across the country to be repaired. I got it back and within a few months the same thing is now happening again. It makes great coffee, but there is something not quite right with the machine. I can't even turn it on anymore - the pressure valve/gauge just goes straight to red and starts whistling and blowing steam like it's about to explode. Obviously that is extremely frustrating as it is very expensive (nearly 2K). Something that high quality should not be having these issues, and if they do the manufacturer should have a better solution to address it - or should immediately replace the machine. I do not recommend purchasing one unless they can figure this out.