by boar_d_laze on Thu Jul 14, 2011 2:49 pm
No flat temperature profile with the La Cimbali Casa. It's an HX like all HXs -- even if it is best of breed.
I'm not really familiar with the Evoluzione, so can't do a head to head comparison for you.
Make no mistake about it, the Casa is not "prosumer," it's a true commercial design. But it really works in the home. It's very consistent, very "ergo," everything works, there aren't any gimmicks, no shortcuts, there's plenty of mass, etc. In short, it's well-designed.
One of the places the Casa shines is its fast rebound following a flush. I find that this allows me fairly good precision controlling temperatures. It's not a PID controlled double boiler, but you can fine tune by listening to the flush and timing your pull.
Perhaps the largest difference between the Casa and earlier models of the Junior DT/1, is the line pressure pre-infusion. You can run it from 2 - 4 seconds (depending on how long you hold the button down), and also have the option of just starting the pump. The other differences are a new pressure gauge which shows both boiler and pump pressure (nice, I guess), and a modified steam tip (at least if you buy it from Chris), which is a little slower than the old tip -- about 15 seconds to froth 7 oz of milk, and therefore somewhat more home-barista friendly.
The Casa is an incredibly responsive machine. If you're using good coffee, grinding it properly, and have good skills it will consistently reward you with an insight into all of the nuances. Still, with pre-infusion, the Casa doesn't place quite the same demands on filling the pf as the older DT/1s.
Buy a Junior and getting by with crap coffee is a thing of the past. It's painful.
If you buy a Casa, you'll NEED a really good grinder. A Max Hybrid is not overkill by any means. Really, nothing is too good.
The Casa's pre-infusion provides similar advantages to an E-61 group. It makes it a little less brutal than previous Juniors in terms of punishing minor distribution errors, but mostly it just makes for better coffee if everything else is done right. And it is controllable. If you want more, hold the button longer. If you don't want it, don't use it.
At the risk of repetition, temperature control is relatively easy for an HX because the sounds and timing are so consistent and so definite. However, screw up and you will know it. Junior can be a harsh mistress.
True for most if not all machines, and most assuredly true for the Junior: A rotary pump will not make better coffee than a vibratory. It's advantages are other -- quieter, harder wearing, etc.
Whether you choose the Giotto or the La Cimbali, go fully plumbed-in, including the drain if at all possible. The Evoluzione is available either way, and there are ways to work around the Casa's plumbed-in requirements. But the easier it is to use and drain water, the better control you'll exercise over temperature.
It's an easy machine to keep very clean. There are few exterior sharp edges. Parts are well placed and accessible. Components are all top of the line (although all p-stats have their drawbacks and detractors).
If you don't need a lot of cup height between the drip tray and the group, you don't need unlimited steam, and you're willing to master HX skills (pretty easy, really), the Casa will produce consistently good shots as well as any single group machine at any price; including the La Marzocco GS3 and the Elektra Sixties.
Bottom Line: It's so good that even though it's very expensive, it's a huge bargain. Yes, it's AN ultimate residential machine. And yes, there are others.
Hope this helps,
BDL
