Rocket Espresso Giotto

Practical Elegance – I've lusted after one of these machines for years, & now I have one. I am not disappointed. Beautifully made, with all the electronics cleverly hidden away to maintain the classic lines of the machine, & to top it off, makes a sensational coffee. I cant stop looking at it :) Show details

Brilliant machine. I've had it for 6 years and it hasn't needed a service. Just a clean every 3 months – Very satisfied. Used this product for 6 years. Couldn't fault it. It's been great. Temp of the coffee and Crema is always perfect ensuring you have fresh coffee beans. Perfect for latte art. Show details

Greatest coffee ever – I love using my coffee machine, the coffee is always smooth, I use my machine everyday sometimes it's on all day it hasn't let me down yet, the pressure is awesome the milk always turns out how I like it, the crema is awesome, it looks amazing in my kitchen the hot water feature is great too, highly recommend it  Show details

Timeless – I was just thinking how much I love this machine. It still looks great and as new as it did 4 years ago. It's an investment piece, but it is repairable, which is why I bought it. I was sick of spending $$$ on something that ends up as landfill. This machine could be left to someone in your Will and still be worth something! I like the process… Read more

of making my coffee and having total control. It is not an automated one button job, you have to practise, but I enjoy that process. Team it with a great grinder and you're set to go!

Relentless quality – I have had this machine for about 12 years and apart from a new computer board for $600 and odds and sods it has delivered peerless service. Occasionally I can still make a 10/10 coffee with it ( so friends say). It brews a consistent drop and you can soon find your favourite bean because the brews are so consistent and you can compare flavours.… Read more

Considering I use it everyday for a minimum 5 cups up to 20 cups it has been extremely robust. Very easy to clean although you have to keep your eye on the in-built water tank ....you can empty it without seeing. The main thing in making a good coffee with it is to get the bean fineness and tamping down pressure. Practice makes perfect.

Italian commercial build – This machine is spectacular in all regards. The build quality is just amazing and it looks brilliant on the counter top. It produces consistent coffee shots each time and the ability to steam milk in parallel makes for entertaining guests easy. Only change I did was the steam tip to a single hole tip to allow for easier milk texturing.  Show details

Excellent – An excellent machine. Using fivesenses.com.au blends with Rancilio Rocky grinder. Backflush every week. Descale every six months. Make five or six shots every day. This machine can't produce shots as good as the big boys at Auction Rooms, Market Lane, Proud Mary, or St Ali. But with diligence, it's as good as you'll get at home for the considerable investment. Very happy with purchase from talkcoffee.com.au in Northcote.  Show details

Great – We have this and it's amazing! Can't live without it. I highly recommend it to coffee enthusiasts. It's easy to clean, easy to use and the instruction manual actually makes sense. I thought it was going to be hard to use and learn except this machine is good for dumbos like me  Show details

Simply fantastic. I can't live without this machine – We have had a Rocket Giotto for over 5 years now. I have it paired with a Mazzer Mini Electronic grinder. It tells me the machine has had over 6000 coffees through it. I have only done occasional de-scale, and nothing more, and have not had a single issue. There are few appliances where I can say the same thing (probably jinxed myself just now). I… Read more

run a naked group handle which gives great feedback on coffee grind packing and tamping. The quality of coffee (crema, pour, milk froth) that can be produced from this machine easily rivals or beats most coffee shops.

While the couple of thousand price tag might scare off some buyers, when you factor in the average life expectancy of the cheap machines, and the comparative quality, the Rocket would be cheap at twice the price.

At work we run a number of the large Jura auto machines worth 4k +. They constantly break and need servicing (and by that I mean every few months), and make a crap coffee by comparison.

Searching for the perfect coffee machine??? Rocket - no substitute – If you are reading this then, like me, you're in the shop for a Coffee machine that makes great coffee, simple to use and is a piece of artwork to look at. My setup: Rocket Giotto Rotary Pump with a Quamar M80E grinder. I reccommend you purchase a decent burr grinder but if after buying this beauty you are strapped for cash. Look at Sunbeams… Read more ·  2

burr grinder which i owned for over 3 years for around $200.

This unit was all set up, adjusted prior to picking up and plugged in right out of the box. PLEASE can i say, ensure this unit is switched on for a minimum 20mins prior to use to extract the best from your bean. So get up, switch it on and go have a shower. I owned a Gaggia Classic for 12years before this (see my other reviews) and moving to a rotary pump you really notice the quiteness straight away. There are plenty of youTube clips on getting the correct grind/flow so i wont go into that. All i can say is adjusting the grind based on time is the best method and use the ring on the inside of the Rocket's grind basket after tampered is a good guide. Getting this correct and watching this machine deliver gorgeous crema oozing into a cup is the beauty of owning a manually operated machine.

If you've not made coffee this way, have someone get you a Barista voucher for a 1 day course. Well worth it. Tank size is great and once a week it generally gets filled and thats 2cups use per day min. (yes, it can be plumbed but i haven't ). My biggest concern before buying this machine, was, can it deliver plenty of steam. It was a real chore when having dinner parties, the Gaggia just took too long to heat up milk for 2. This unit will do so almost while a 2 group handle basket gets delivered. Plenty of steam and is adjustable also. It's fully adjustable on almost everything, but really, just keep an eye on the gauges for pressure while it's operating.

I've read a couple of reviews regarding the SS mesh over the tray and being warped. It may appear like that, mine was but while installed, just press gentley with your thumbs both sides so the screen sits 1-2mm lower in the middle. This creates the run-off in the middle of the tray. It is not a defect. I use a cleaner (Caffeotto 500g ~$20) and blind filter once every two weeks and use the brush to clean the seal daily before use. The cleaner will last you for some time. I purchased the SS Cup Rail which completes its appearance but the plastic rail isnt too bad. This unit looks stunning on the bench top and is a talking point. A little expensive, but well worth it. You wont regret it.

Fantastic machine – We have had this machine for a couple of years now and it is still going great. Have had it serviced twice now. I have to remember to use the special cleaning powder more regularly; apparently it affects the taste if it's not cleaned regularly but I hadn't really noticed.

Great investment in coffee making – This is a seriously good coffee machine. Great training from Renzo at di Bartoli enabled me to make superb coffee consistently with only a few days practice. The machine is beautifully manufactured, easy to use and with stunning good looks. None of the Department Store machines come near this quality. It's a joy to use everyday. The only problem is that most of the time you are disappointed with coffee away from home!

Rocket giotto. Belissimo – It might sound soft but this machine brings joy to my mornings, and has done so for 12 mths. After nothing but grief from a breville machine (x5 under warranty) I made the plunge. Teamed with a mazzer I can make coffee better than I can buy anywhere in my regional city. Chris, from talk coffee the retailer, spent 2 hrs with me and was superb.

Beautifully engineered – We have had an ECM Giotto for around ten years. It's a beautiful piece of engineering and makes excellent coffee. In ten years, we have spent around $200 in servicing to replace various seals. Prior to this, we bought a coffee machine every other year (Gaggia, Krups etc). My advice is don't waste your money on a cheaper machine. Bite the bulltet… Read more

and spend a couple of thousand. You'll be drinking better coffee for years and your kids will inherit it in your will!

Don't believe the guy who gives this one star either. More or less all owners give this machine five stars. We love them for a reason...

Pretty solid gear – I have had my Giotto for 12 years. With the E61 commercial quality group head and large thermal mass it easily handles dispensing coffee and foaming milk at the same time. Excellent crema. It's only design fault is that the control circuit board is not well enough insulated from the heating system leading to it failing over time. You can greatly… Read more

prolong its life (and save energy) by putting a timer switch on the machine so it is only on for the few hours a day that you really need it. Remember it is also inconvenient to get repaired because it weighs 25+kg!!

Quality – I have had my Rocket Giotto Premium Plus since 2009. Whilst it was quite costly for an appliance it is a centrepiece in the kitchen and well worth the money. It is solid, well built and most importantly pulls a great shot of coffee. All electric espresso machines are complex and components will fail in time, after 4 years of hard use my machine… Read more

had an issue this week. The Australian distributor of these machines, ECA, gave me fantastic service over the phone and my issue was sorted quickly. Thumbs up. Parts are readily available and I have no doubt this machine will last many, many years if treated well. It's not a throwaway plastic fantastic Breville/Sunbeam etc.

Once you've outgrown Nespresso (and sick of paying 10+ times the market price of coffee) and want the ultimate shot of coffee look no further.

*** UPDATE NOV 2017***

Still using the machine every day. Machine running perfectly. Beautiful machine, fantastic coffee, exceptional backup from Australian distributor. Nothing wrong. It's a lot of money but after years worth of service I have no regrets with purchase. A quality grinder is also a pre-requisite for this level of machine.

An Investment in Quality – Purchased our Giotto in 2001, use it 3 times a day, occasionally more every day. Run cleaner through and flush the boiler weekly, put a new shower head and seal annually. Had a technician look at it twice in 12 years, the second time only a few weeks ago. Both times to have the group head pressure relief valves replaced about $150 including… Read more ·  2

parts. Most of that the service call cost, which I would rather pay and have the Giotto fixed at home rather than loose it for a few days in a repair shop.

Makes beautiful coffee whether it's a single cup or double cup. We like our coffee strong and have a double shot/single cup filter and a quad shot/twin cup filter, both creme with a rich colour.

The Giotto takes a little practice, but that's mostly finding the right coffee, the right grind and a firm pack of coffee in the filter. The reward is years of great coffee at home, the only problem is you won't enjoy those you buy in cafes as much. The Giotto was expensive at $1800 back in 2001, not sure how much they are now, should be less given the Aussie dollar. When you take of the cover its all stainless steel, brass and copper. All the parts are still available and easy to get. Quality Initial cost

An investment in your lifestyle - There is no comparison – I first found the ECM Giotto at a coffee fair 6 years before I finally bought it. I didn't buy it then because I thought it was too expensive, but now that I have it I realise I wasted 6 years of my life on mediocre coffee. Once you have this machine you will wonder how you ever survived without it. It produces first class coffee consistently. … Read more

The machine allows you to adjust the extraction pressure and is a pleasure to use. The cleaning is easy and takes only a minute each day. When you get one of these you realise you will never go back to anything else.

Expensive

The Rolls Royce of coffee machines – The Rocket (nee ECM) Giotto is one of the best made machines I have ever owned. It is most a machine than an appliance, as I can see it easily lasting 15 or 20 years. It is stable, easy to use (for a semi-automatic machine) and forgiving of technique. If you are willing to invest some time learning how to make good, repeatable coffee shots, it will reward you many times over. Reliable, stable, beautiful Expensive

I wake up to it everyday – I had a Rancilio Silva for 7 years and upgraded to the Giotto Rocket. What a beaut machine. The Dealer in Melbourne I bought it off had bench tested and calibrated the unit before delivery. This HX model is classy, precise, and makes a top coffee. You MUST buy a good quality grinder and you will be looking at no less than $450 minimum, but this… Read more

will be an investment, as is your machine.

Good luck. Precise, classy, pleasure to use Water collection tray could have been a little deeper, but you can plumb it if you so wish

Excellent – We've had quite a number of coffee machines, most of which have been fairly unremarkable. This one stands out as the best by far. This machine is built to last, without the short-lived electronic controls found on many modern machines. The design has been carefully thought out for ease of use. Some of the smaller details are particularly good;… Read more

the high clearance beneath the group holder allows cups to be placed directly underneath, giving a better crema than when a jug is used.

It can be left turned on for long periods of time, whereas most domestic machines can only be run for short periods at a time without suffering damage.

Do not let the price put you off; consider the number of cups of coffee your household drinks a day and how much they cost to buy. When comparing it to cheaper machines, remember that this will outlast them, require fewer expensive repairs and can make more cups in a day without suffering damage. Extremely reliable.

Produces excellent quality coffee. No problems so far.

Excellent – I've had one in my 3/4 person office for about nine months now. Did the sums the other day and worked out it's paid for itself in savings on café bought coffee already. Everyone loves it and we've all become competent baristas. I would strongly recommend this to any business considering one of the bigger 'superauto' machines: it does take some… Read more

training and practice to use, but the quality of the coffee is much better than any superauto. It's solid and reliable. And everyone takes pride in developing their coffee making skill and pleasure in using such a fabulous piece of equipment. It's never faltered and I expect, with reasonable maintenance, never will. Quality of the coffee is limited only by the skill of the user (not that it's hard to use!). It's so nice to use that everyone loves developing that skill. Looks fabulous. None really.

Excellent – I have had this machine for a tad over 5 years now and has been a great everyday user. I even take it to the beachhouse during our holidays as it is very manageable. Defintely a good machine a very realiable as long as you maintain it as per manufacturers recommendations. Great crema when tamped correctly, steam is good for a domestic machine, no major problems. Coffee comes out hot for espresso. nothing worth the mention.

Excellent – The Giotto is a first class machine, and a reasonable "barrister" can make a great cup of coffee. According to my coffee snobs it is an awesome looking machine that can be placed in a prominent spot in the kitchen. This Machine enables good control of the shot, produces a good thick creme,good temperature control and pressure control. The water… Read more

tank is a good size for making multiple coffees when friends or family are over.

Frothing the milk is quick and can be done at the same time as pulling the shot. This hastens the time when making multiple coffees.

Cleaning the machine is simple and straight forward and when kept clean makes a great cup of coffee. Having a supply of multiple sized baskets is great (one shot, two shot or three shot baskets)as you can make your coffee to suit the taste of the person drinking the coffee.

The machine has a pressure gauge which is most helpful and an "Out of water" shut down to protect the machine. Spare parts are readily available. Larger parts needing servicing are also available and servicing is reasonably priced. The whole machine is made of highly polished stainless steel, however, under the drip tray the material is mild steel and is prone to corrosion.

It takes 20 minutes to heat up.

Excellent – If you can afford this machine then you cannot go past it for quality, ease of use, design and performance. Great looks are an added bonus! Perfect shots of coffee everytime. I have had my unit for over two years now making 6 cups or more a day without it missing a beat. To get the best from this machine, buy it from a specialist dealer who will… Read more

take the time to show you how to use it properly. A solid machine that is built to last. None at all. Do however ensure that you buy a decent grinder to go with it (a Sunbeam unit will do nicely)