Bezzera BZ07: HX contender for under $1000?

by **Beezer** on Sun Jan 18, 2009 8:17 pm

http://www.1st-line.com/machines/home_m...7_semi.htm

This new Bezzera machine looks interesting. At just under $1,000, it seems very reasonably priced. I assume it has a heat exchanger, though the description doesn't specify. It's $50 more than the BZ02S, but the stainless steel skin is probably worth the extra money to many people. The group looks somewhat like an E61, but not quite the same. Anyway, I think this might be an appealing option for anyone who wants a nice HX machine but doesn't want to pay $1,500 or more for an E61 clone.

by **mhoy** on Sun Jan 18, 2009 8:22 pm

Nice looking little guy. I found a spec sheet via google, but it is for the UK one.
Here are some specs for ya.

Mark

by **mhoy** on Sun Jan 18, 2009 8:27 pm

And the internals for you

Mark

by **JollyGreenBucket** on Sun Jan 18, 2009 9:48 pm

Definitely an interesting new addition. I think the placement of the steam wand/hot water wand looks a little funny, but it doesn't appear as though it would create problems with their use.

by **Rybolt** on Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:05 pm

HX @ 1000 , love to see some reviews. Love the aesthetics, nice simple design.

Update:
Some info from Jim:

It is an HX machine, but not a E61 thermosyphon - it has a heater built into gruppo and regulated by a thermostat. pressurestat still regulates the boiler.

the price is also introductory.

*img courtesy of http://www.1st-line.com

by **Spironski** on Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:46 pm

Seems to be a nice machine for not much money. However, it doesn't use a E61 group, and e61 portafilters etc. won't fit, so that's a downer for me...

by **another_jim** on Sun Jan 18, 2009 11:05 pm

The group and boiler look to be the same as in the BZ01/Livia and BZ02. These are solid espresso machines at a good price; except replacement parts a bit more than for parts bin E61 boxes.

by **shadowfax** on Mon Jan 19, 2009 2:33 am

Spironski wrote:Seems to be a nice machine for not much money. However, it doesn't use a E61 group, and e61 portafilters etc. won't fit, so that's a downer for me...

Is this true? It's a 58 mm grouphead, so it is almost certainly compatible with commercial espresso machine baskets from LM, Synesso, Faema, etc. It ought to be compatible with the portafilters too, unless Bezzera uses Astoria-style portafilters, where the lugs are rotated 45 degrees counter-clockwise. But even in that case, getting portafilters to match the grouphead, even naked ones, is a cakewalk. The significant thing is that it can most likely fit all the common baskets that are so popular here.

Not that this is a big deal... There are great baskets for most groupheads, so it's not a huge limiting factor to get a "non-standard" grouphead diameter. You're just getting something different.

by **coffee_no_sugar** on Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:05 pm

So who is going to be first to replace the group thermostat with a PID? I'll bet that this machine has very fast warmup time. Great for the home user.

by **Beezer** on Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:31 pm

Yeah, the electrically heated group head actually seems like a good idea. It should warm up fast and perhaps be easier to keep the group at the right temperature. I suspect a PID wouldn't help much, since the mass of the brass brew head should keep the temp from fluctuating too much.

It would be interesting to check one out. Anyone want to volunteer?


Contact Us	Legal disclaimer and copyright: This content and all its parts are copyrighted, all rights reserved. Content including all text and images in part or in whole may not be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission. Home-Barista, Home-Barista.com and related logos are trademarks of Home-Barista.com, LLC. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. By accessing this site, you agree to the terms of service. Overall speed: , current page: s, avg: s, max: s