Posted on

Good news from Caffè Izzo

We have received a lot of good news from Caffè Izzo lately. Their coffee has received a prestigious award as Italian espresso coffee of the year and their famous espresso machine Alex Duetto has seen a range of technical improvements.

Awarded espresso coffee

Caffè Izzo won first price for “coffee of the year” in the category Italian espresso coffee at a competition held in Rimini at the end of October.

 

Izzo on vuoden espressokahvi

Congratulations on this achievement!

New improvements for Alex Duetto

Izzo’s espresso machine Alex Duetto, a favorite among many espresso enthusiasts all over the world, has reached a new version number. All new machines delivered from the factory will now officially be called version four and have received a number of improvements that have been on customer’s wish list.

Externally the machine looks exactly like the previous version, all improvements have taken place under the hood. New on Alex Duetto IV is:

 

The motor of the pump is now mounted above the pump and the adjustment screw is easier to access.

1) Inverted pump motor. The motor of the pump is now mounted above the pump, which means the electric motor is safe even if the pump where to develop a leak. In our experience this hasn’t been a real concern with previous versions of the machine, but even so it is a welcome safety detail.

2) Pump pressure adjustable without removing the outer casing. This is a significant practical improvement, the screw for adjusting the pump pressure is now accessible through a small hole in the side panel.

3) New PID with integrated shot timer. Perhaps not a completely indispensable feature but definitely a very nice option to have.

 

Drain plugs and heating elements that are easy to get to.

4) Easily accessed drain plugs on both boilers. This makes it a lot easier to drain all water from the machine for transportation, storage or when descaling. At the same time the heating elements are now much easier to access and replace, should the need ever arise.

5) Sprinkler (gicleur) and “mushroom” of the E61-brewhead in stainless steel. The original parts of chrome plated brass where quite susceptible to calcium build-up that was also more or less impossible to clean off without some of the chrome flaking off in the process.

“Mushroom” and sprinkler in stainless steel.

6) Option for boilers in stainless steel. Last but certainly not least the buyer of a new Duetto is now offered the choice between boiler in copper or in stainless steel. The latter alternative is a bit more expensive but well worth the money when investing in an espresso machine of this caliber.