Intro: Ascaso Steel Duo PID Home espresso machine
This could be the most requested content I’ve gotten over the past year. Believe it or not, there is a reason that I waited so long to make it recently, and quite quietly Ascaso has updated their prevalent steel duo model.
And in that update, there are some pretty significant improvements, but one potentially shows stopping work.
Today we’re going to be digging deep into this new updated version of the Ascaso steel duo and comparing it to some other machines in the same price range to see if this is one of the machines that you should be considering.
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| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Available Portafilters | Bottomless, E.S.E Pods, Pressurized and Non-Pressurized |
| Flowmeter Body Material | PBT (Arnite) 35%GF NSF compliant |
| Flexible Tube Material | Silicone |
| Water Rreservoir Material | Polycarbonate NSF and FDA-approved for food purposes |
| Power Cord | NEMA 5-20, Requires a 20 amp circuit – adaptor included. Length: 50″ |
| Pre Infusion | Yes |
| Auto Off | Yes |
| Water Sources | Reservoir/Internal Tank |
| Pod Friendly | Yes |
| Boiler Design | Thermoblock |
| Warm-Up Brew Time | 3:30 |
| Portafilter Size | 58mm |
| Cup Warmer | Yes |
| Programmability | PID, Pre-infusion, Shot Time, 120V |
Build quality: Ascaso Steel Duo PID
The build quality and design we are undeniably starting with is one of Ascaso’s biggest strengths. This machine looks and feels worth every single penny. The stock portafilter has a wood handle that feels rock solid and stops with a satisfying feeling when locked in fully.
The newly added steam knob is also wood and the rest of the machine is metal including a fully metal hot water path which will make a whole lot of people happy to hear.
The only plastic found on this machine is in the water tank and the drip tray which interestingly pulls straight forward from under the metal grill which is permanently attached to the body.
Often I find with these more stylish machines you tend to have to sacrifice a bit in terms of the build quality and feature sets with the Ascaso steel duo.
Design: Ascaso Steel Duo PID
That is definitely not the case. It is rock solid. And as you’re going to see in this content, it’s mash to check off pretty much all the important boxes. Speaking of style, boy oh boy does this machine have it in spades.
Every time I laid eyes on the Ascaso steel duo in the kitchen. I was impressed by just how darn good it looked. It’s got very sharp lines and also some nice smaller details like the design of the cup rail.
The working lights further add to the modern look and are also just generally a nice functional touch. If aesthetics are important to you. This is going to be one tough machine to get out of your head in any of the three colors that it’s offered in.
Ascaso Steel Duo PID: Espresso performance
the espresso and steaming performance In terms of espresso brewing the Ascaso is a very capable and adjustable machine. It is quite a temperature stable and adjustable in one-degree increments thanks to the PID control thermoblock from within the interface you can also program the preinfusion time anywhere from 0-5 seconds which is a very welcome touch.
Once the shot is running to display switches over to the timer that holds for a second at the end of your shot before changing back to the temperature display.
One slightly odd thing about the Ascaso steel duo is their range of filter baskets that including the absolute largest one fits only about 15 grams of coffee.
Now this isn’t entirely surprising because Scotto is from Spain where single shots are a whole lot more common, but just keep in mind that if you want to pull more modern 18 to 20-gram shots, you are going to have to buy an aftermarket filter basket after swapping out for a 20 gram IMS basket completely satisfied with the consistent, easy espresso workflow and the resulting delicious shots of espresso I was able to get from this machine.
As always, it’s important to note that the single most important factor in making good coffee is the quality of the coffee that you’re using. Using great coffee on an inexpensive machine. Undeniably tastes better than using cheap stale grocery store beans on an expensive machine,
Ascaso Steel Duo PID: Steaming performance
steaming performance this is the area where the updated version of the Ascaso steel duo sees most of its improvements.
The increased current draw used by this machine means it can produce more steaming power side by side the new version is going to take around 30% less time to steam the same volume of milk, which is a much welcome improvement, as the original Ascaso steel duo was lacking a bit in terms of overall steaming performance.
Along with the ink to feed. The updated version also gains the ability to set the temperature of the steam circuit independently from the brewing temperature and adds the wooden steam knob we mentioned earlier.
However, even with this increased power in 20 amp current requirements the steel duo is still not blazing fast, taking around 35 to 40 seconds to steam a single drink and while this is perfectly good speed for home use I couldn’t help but feel a little bit underwhelmed given the price point and overall performance of the rest of the machine.
Compared to other competitors at a similar price point like the Rancilio Silvia Pro X and the Profitec Pro 300 that use traditional boilers the thermo block steaming on the steel duo is the slowest of the bunch.
Now like I said for home use this is completely appropriate especially if you are brewing and steaming at the same time. However, if you’re going to be making a lot of drinks back to back or steaming large volumes of milk all at the same time.
This might be something worth considering. Now apart from raw speed along with the single Holstein tip on the Ascaso steel duo. I was able to make great milk and some good Latte Art.
Now obviously this comes purely down to technique, but there’s just something about me in this machine. That we’re getting along.
Conclusion
The updated Ascaso steel duo espresso machine might be one of my favorite machines I’ve tried in the past year or so. As an overall package. It just works.
It’s packed with good features like preinfusion a PID, heating systems working lights, and a hot water outlet and it squeezes them all into a compact and beautiful package.
If I were looking for a home espresso machine in this price range, this is one I’d be giving a good hard look. It is worth noting that the still is not the be-all-end-all in terms of raw performance in this price bracket. Rancilio and Profitec will need it, especially in the steaming department.
However, for me personally, I think I would be willing to trade off that little bit of steaming for the aesthetics and overall user experience I have had with this machine.
Suppose you are looking to upgrade from a single boiler or other entry-level unit. This is one IV strongly considering other than the slightly small filter baskets and slightly slow steaming. It gets everything else right.
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