In case anyone is interested, I also came across a Rocket Giotto Evoluzione V1 that is for sale (from what I can tell, the V2 came out several years ago). I was told that the only changes were aesthetic (new knobs and gauges), though I'd like to do a little digging to confirm.

mwalter wrote:Is the frame coated? I've heard complaints about coated frames on Profitecs.

Well the outer casing is just polished stainless steel. The frame does have some sort of black (maybe powder) coating on it. I've heard some people prefer like a stainless covering on the drip tray rails to prevent wear, and if you're worried about that I think a simple piece of electrical tape would work about as well (they might even be adding the stainless to newer models). The frame of all Profitecs is a single piece of metal (steel I assume), whereas some companies bolt/weld 2+ pieces together. So the frames are pretty good in that sense.

mwalter wrote:I spoke with Diane at 1st-Line and she suggested that I consider the Bezzera BZ07.

Not too familiar with that machine, but I know it's pretty popular, probably for a good reason!