As you can tell by my listed brewing equipment, it's time for an upgrade for me, even though I'm not a fan of smashmouth, PNW-style espresso. I like standard, creamy, carmelly, euro-style doubles. Not much for milk drinks though my wife drinks lattes if I make them for her (she's afraid of espresso machines and steam wands herself.) As such, with a decent grinder, temp surfing, gram scale, home roasting, and much familiarity with the foibles of my machine, I'm reasonably satisfied with the standard doubles I get out of it. The main thing driving me to upgrade is more for the joy of owning fine equipment. I couldn't care less about noise, but I like rotary pumps better than vibe pumps because I like the engineering elegance of rotating better than oscillating. Just as one might like a turbine better than a piston.

Anywho, I started a thread asking about the Alex Duetto II and how it could be so cheap for it's feature set, whereupon I learned that there are others with the same feature set in the same price class.

So this begs the question, as an aid to my shopping, can we start a list of DB PID rotaries in the under- $2500 class? And perhaps, a list of known-good dealers?

I have as we speak, open in front of me, on my computer:

1) Chriscoffee (Alex Duetto II)

2) Wholelattelove (Expobar Brewtus)

3) Stefano's (Vibiemme V3)

4) Sweet Maria's (Rocket Giotto Evoluzione)

5) Other?

-Peter

The Rocket is an HX, not a DB. You could add the Breville BES900 to the list. It's $1200 or less too, (Williams Sonoma) I think you can also get a La Spaz for this price range which would in fact be my first choice if it weren't terribly ugly, JMHO

Aha, missed that about the Rocket. I've been looking at the BDB since the "first look" over at CG, and have been on coffeesnobs.au reading about it. If it proves durable, the pragmatist will have trouble dismissing it. I am having trouble dismissing it... However, this is just as much an artistic/emotional/romantic purchase, (for me), and I have trouble getting those juices flowing over the BDB, even though I used to live in Australia, and I am very proud of them.

Thanks for the pointer to the La Spaziale. I'll add it to my list. I don't mind it's looks, either. Chriscoffee sells it, it seems. Are they preferred/approved vendor?

-Peter

Quick look at Breville Dual Boiler Espresso Machine

I have the Rocket Giotto Evo. It's a great machine just not a double boiler, however when you add erics' thermometer to it you achieve a similar level of control ease.

Yes, I believe Chris is a recommended vendor and HB site advertiser/sponsor.

Updated list:

1) Chriscoffee (Alex Duetto II)

2) Wholelattelove (Expobar Brewtus)

3) Stefano's (Vibiemme V3)

4) Chriscoffee (La Spaziale Vivaldi II)

This has already been helpful. Thanks, keep it coming if there is more. Pros and cons are welcome of course.

Nix, of course, I've already read that link about the BDB, too. I'm hanging on Dan's words of promise that there is more to come. New BDB news is part of my daily research, as it is still possible that the cold, sterile pragmatist in me might win over the romantic in me.

-Peter

As tempting as the price makes the BDB appear, I would not put it in the same class as the machines you have on your list. Some more detailed interior pics are in order, but the all-plastic OPV makes one assume that other cost-cutting measures have been taken to bring all that technology and R+D in at that price. Not saying it isn't worth the asking price, but IMO it has yet to earn a spot on a list with the VBM DD and the la Spaz Viv II. Both those companies have a better track record than Breville.

See this thread: Reservoir & plumbable, automatic (volumetric), DB?

I ended looking toward the LS Vivaldi II plumbed-in and the Alex Duetto.

Note that the Vibiemme DoubleDomo was not updated at that time; else it would have made my shortlist.