canuckcoffeeguy wrote:Yeah the current R58 uses an outdated DB design for 120v. It's fine in 220v mode. But in North America you can't steam and pull at the same time due to the design. Not acceptable for the cost.

What the actual hell... I don't think I'd ever buy an E61 DB anyways. If I was going to buy a DB I would buy (low end) Breville DB.. or on the high end something like the Vesuvius, GS/3, or Slayer. It always seems that the cheaper (not really) DBs sacrifice something; seems like HXs in a similar price range to the R58 have better everything.

There are actually quite a few sub $3k E61 DBs that have decent steam power. Either via HX preheating the brew boiler water so steam boiler gets more on time, 20A mode so both brew & steam boilers can be on simultaneously, or both. It does baffle me why the R58 was designed the way it is for 110v with neither 20A mode or HX brew boiler preheat.

Humph. Seems I'm uneducated in the E-61 DBs. I personally don't like the look of the exposed E-61 group so I probably won't buy any E-61 unless it's a great deal. To be honest, I don't think any exposed groups look good other than levers and paddles.