So I have finally decided I will get a dual boiler machine. I talked to Chris and Jim and here are my options:
Alex Dual Boiler and Mazzer Mini (or similar please recommend grinder also) or Domobar Super Dual Boiler and Mazzer Mini. Another option is the Brewtus. All the same price. I make about 6-10 milk drinks a day.

I really dislike that design. Chris already told me about this machine.

If you will be buying a used Mini I suggest that you consider a used SJ. You can get it cheaper and most opinions suggest it will do a better, more consistent job. I do have a Mini and like it. I have a used SJ on the way.

Presented in the FWIW mode . . . I'd definitely get a better grinder than the Mazzer Mini.

Both companies have reputations for machines which are well made, and both have excellent vendors behind them. Both specific machines are also relatively new to the US market. But you need to seriously consider some

Questions:

1. Is the machine going to be plumbed in, or used as a pourover model? Keep in mind that the Izzo Alex Duetto is easily convertible from pourover to plumbed-in and back and again . . . and again. The Vibiemme is either/or.

2. Is size an issue? The dimensions of the Vibiemme are 10.6" W x 21.0" D x 16.5" H. In contrast, the Izzo Duetto is wider at 14.25", but is nowhere near as deep on the countertop at 16.5"; both machines are 16.5" high. Take a serious look at your countertop and measure out the footprint of both machines ...

Cheers,
Jason

Michal wrote:I really dislike that design. Chris already told me about this machine.

What don't you like about the Vivaldi design? Chris has sold 2500+ Vivaldis due in most part to its modern, high quality design. It doesn't look like a typical E-61 design because it wasn't designed in 1961 with a few electronic parts from 1980 "shoe-horned" in.

I have plenty of space. 3 ft wide, upper cabinet is shorter to make more room. I don't like the black plastic if that was stainless than it would look better. Does the 1 degree Fahrenheit adjustment of the alex make a big difference vs the 1 degree Celcius adjustment of the Vivaldi 2? I have the fridge water connection right next to the coffee bar so I guess I could plumb in.

One never knows. I have a 4 group La Marzocco that works perfectly I got several years ago on ebay. The shipping was more than I paid for the machine. Nuts. Anyway: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI....&item=250353939487

Michal wrote:. . . so I guess I could plumb in.

Haven't you decided that yet??? Pourover v. plumbed-in is a vitally important decision to make early on in the process. (If you can plumb the machine, do it! You'll never look back.)

The bottom line is either the Izzo Alex Duetto OR the Vibiemme Double Domobar is capable of producing espresso of excellent quality, and both have large enough boilers that steam power should not be an issue. (Then again, there are a dozen or two HX machines about which I could say the same thing!) The problems you will face are not with the machine itself -- as I say, both machines are more than capable -- but rather pairing the machine with a top-quality grinder AND matching your skills and ability with the capability of your equipment . . .

The fact that you "really dislike [the] design" of the La Spaziale Vivaldi II because you "don't like the black plastic," and that "if that was stainless than it would look better" has already brought you to the crux of the matter: at this level, since all three machines (the Izzo Alex Duetto, the Vibiemme Double Domobar, and even the La Spaziale Vivaldi II) have the capablity of producing excellent espresso, and since steam power is not an issue, it ends up being all about aesthetics! You have already eliminated an excellent machine, the Vivaldi II, for that very reason. So pick the one you like the LOOKS of most -- after all, it's going to sit on your kitchen counter for years -- and go for it!

Cheers,
Jason