Izzo Alex Duetto or Quick Mill Vetrano 2B Evo

Recommendations for buyers and upgraders from the site's members.
iflutist
Posts: 13
Joined: 7 years ago

#1: Post by iflutist »

Would love to hear from owners of these machines:

1. Reliability and serviceability. I am in a region where service is hard to come by and can be expensive.
Is one machine easier to do DIY repair/service than the other. Please comment if you have experience regarding parts availability in Canada?

2. What minor issues have you encountered?
3. Consistency of shots? (Do you find the changing of the seasons especially if you are in coastal areas affect the shot quality?)
4. Any encounter with boiler contanmination?
5. How long have you had the machine?

Thank you for your help!

malling
Posts: 2897
Joined: 13 years ago

#2: Post by malling replying to iflutist »

If you can service one the other one won't be a problem, however the area where the boilers are located is very cramped on both machines, so the right tools is essential. which one is the easiest is hard to say. But the V2B is equipped with drainplugs on both boilers, these can be reached from underneath the machine, making descale faster and easier, and reduce some of the risk with plugging valves from the exit of the boilers, whennot making a full dissembles descale.

Both are reliable if continuously maintained, however you do need to keep an extra eye on the motor and pump assembly on the Duetto, as leaks due to the orientation of the pump can damage the motor, this isn't an issue on the v2b as it is placed upside down.

None issue, with the v2b really, it just worked continuously in the time I owned it. Consistency is good on both machines, however e-61 can be fragile for drafts. Lived in a coastal town, so it wasn't a problem.

No contamination on my part.

Thermosiphon
Posts: 85
Joined: 7 years ago

#3: Post by Thermosiphon »

malling wrote:however you do need to keep an extra eye on the motor and pump assembly on the Duetto, as leaks due to the orientation of the pump can damage the motor, this isn't an issue on the v2b as it is placed upside down.
If buying new, then it'd be an Alex Duetto 4.0 vs the Vetrano 2B Evo. The Alex Duetto 4.0 has inverted the positions of the pump and motor so that gravity will no longer lead water to destroy your motor if the pump leaks. So this issue has been resolved.

Now the machines are basically identical, except the Alex has a larger drip tray and less cup clearance -- though you'd be hard pressed to fit a large cup under either machine.

The Duetto has a larger steam boiler with a larger heating element. As an owner of the Vetrano 2B Evo (er... the Lucca M58, but it's just a joystick Vetrano), I find the steam recovery time even in 20 amp mode to be the only downside to the machine I have noticed. If you make a lot of milk drinks, as I do, I would seriously consider the Duetto over the Vetrano.

Otherwise, based on personal experience with the Vetrano, if you don't mind a slightly smaller steam reserve, you're going to love that machine!
Cheers,
Bill

Thermosiphon
Posts: 85
Joined: 7 years ago

#4: Post by Thermosiphon »

iflutist wrote:Would love to hear from owners of these machines:

1. Reliability and serviceability. I am in a region where service is hard to come by and can be expensive.
Is one machine easier to do DIY repair/service than the other. Please comment if you have experience regarding parts availability in Canada?
No experience regarding parts availability in Canada. But as both machines are imported into North America by Chris Coffee Service, and there are a couple distributors in Canada who resale their wares, I would imagine parts for both machines are equally easy or not easy to come by in Canada.

The Vetrano is very easy to drain should you need to.
2. What minor issues have you encountered?
Vetrano steam power is passable for 1-2 8 oz lattes, and after that you're going to have to wait for some recovery.
3. Consistency of shots? (Do you find the changing of the seasons especially if you are in coastal areas affect the shot quality?)
I cannot comment at this time, but I use the machine indoors in a controlled environment.
4. Any encounter with boiler contanmination?
No way, and I would be incredibly surprised if one could manage to do this to the Vetrano without some major disassembly. Draining and refilling the boilers is made easy to do without having to open anything up, really.
5. How long have you had the machine?

Thank you for your help!
Not long... maybe 3 months. You're welcome. I wish I could comment on longer term reliability.
Cheers,
Bill

iflutist (original poster)
Posts: 13
Joined: 7 years ago

#5: Post by iflutist (original poster) »

Wow, thanks for all the feedback thus far.

Bill, do you know if the Duetto 4 has changed re. easier boiler drain access? I was quite confused looking up info for Duetto IV as I also found listing of Duetto 3 MK IV and barely any information (I can find) on Duetto 4. The only places I have found anything about Duetto IV is Chris Coffee and one site (assuming sells from Chris coffee) in Canada.

When I said contamination, I meant via the steam wand with milk getting sucked back in.

Really great to be able to have feedback from people who know the machines. No small change for us to be consider these.

Thermosiphon wrote:No experience regarding parts availability in Canada. But as both machines are imported into North America by Chris Coffee Service, and there are a couple distributors in Canada who resale their wares, I would imagine parts for both machines are equally easy or not easy to come by in Canada.

The Vetrano is very easy to drain should you need to.



Vetrano steam power is passable for 1-2 8 oz lattes, and after that you're going to have to wait for some recovery.



I cannot comment at this time, but I use the machine indoors in a controlled environment.



No way, and I would be incredibly surprised if one could manage to do this to the Vetrano without some major disassembly. Draining and refilling the boilers is made easy to do without having to open anything up, really.



Not long... maybe 3 months. You're welcome. I wish I could comment on longer term reliability.

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jwoodyu
Posts: 78
Joined: 13 years ago

#6: Post by jwoodyu »

I have had a Duetto 2 for 5 years pretty much 18 hours a day for 5 years with no issues other than the routine. If it house burned down I would by a Duetto 4 and not think twice. 1 owner does not a control group make and I am certain that the QM is a fine machine as well. What a happy dilemma to find yourself choosing between those two. :)

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Bob_McBob
Posts: 2324
Joined: 15 years ago

#7: Post by Bob_McBob »

I am pleased they finally inverted the pump orientation and took steps to make the boilers more accessible in the Duetto. I have an original model, and any kind of serious maintenance or renovation has always been a frustrating experience in a cramped interior that was originally meant to house a single boiler HX machine. The Duetto also has significantly more plumbing to deal with because of the HX preheat loop.

As a Duetto owner there are several features of the Vetrano I particularly like. The boiler drains would obviously be very useful. The PID controller has separate settings for the brew and steam boiler so the steam boiler isn't limited to the brew boiler's slow recovery setting, which is something other manufacturers should really implement. I think the Vetrano has better placement of major electrical components to limit high operating temperature -- not sure if the Duetto still suffers from PID/Gicar controller issues long-term. It also has a lock-out for the steam boiler refill so it won't go off while you are pulling a shot, which can be quite annoying with the Duetto when making coffee for guests. Also keep in mind the Duetto has an extremely low group clearance compared to other machines in its class, which means your cup options can be somewhat limited, especially if you use a scale. Even with a bottomless portafilter I can't use the Picardie glasses I like for cappuccinos.

There is a nice write-up about the Vetrano (Verona in the UK) from DaveC, who was heavily involved in designing the original Duetto.

https://www.bellabarista.co.uk/pdf/Quic ... 2013v1.pdf
Chris

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Bob_McBob
Posts: 2324
Joined: 15 years ago

#8: Post by Bob_McBob »

iflutist wrote:1. Reliability and serviceability. I am in a region where service is hard to come by and can be expensive.
Is one machine easier to do DIY repair/service than the other. Please comment if you have experience regarding parts availability in Canada?
As a 10 year Duetto owner who has stripped down the machine multiple times, I suspect the Vetrano is somewhat easier to service because the components are laid out a little better and there is less plumbing, but they are both quite cramped inside. Parts availability is a bit of a crapshoot. You can get anything you want for both machines from Chris' Coffee, but it will cost at least $25 USD shipping per order, and you don't want to be stuck waiting a week or two when your machine goes down. IDC stocks most parts if you email them, but every time I order they are out one thing or another. For instance, one time they had exactly one boiler gasket in stock, and another time they were out of vacuum breakers (???). You can probably count on them for most things, but it's not quite the same as dealing with the excellent service department at CC.
Chris

malling
Posts: 2897
Joined: 13 years ago

#9: Post by malling »

Thermosiphon wrote:If buying new, then it'd be an Alex Duetto 4.0 vs the Vetrano 2B Evo. The Alex Duetto 4.0 has inverted the positions of the pump and motor so that gravity will no longer lead water to destroy your motor if the pump leaks. So this issue has been resolved.

Now the machines are basically identical, except the Alex has a larger drip tray and less cup clearance -- though you'd be hard pressed to fit a large cup under either machine.

The Duetto has a larger steam boiler with a larger heating element. As an owner of the Vetrano 2B Evo (er... the Lucca M58, but it's just a joystick Vetrano), I find the steam recovery time even in 20 amp mode to be the only downside to the machine I have noticed. If you make a lot of milk drinks, as I do, I would seriously consider the Duetto over the Vetrano.

Otherwise, based on personal experience with the Vetrano, if you don't mind a slightly smaller steam reserve, you're going to love that machine!

It was about time that Izzo did something about it! Something they should have done years back... but better late, then never.

Untill izzo implements drainplugs, make a hose for the security valve directly to the drip tray and most importantly update the pid with individual P.I.D parameters for each boilers then Izzo is still behind on certain points. A better tank design of higher quality would not hurt either, just as placing the brewhead further up would solve the head clearance.

Still a great machine. I see it as a positive development, that they have improved upon the cramped interior. That said, the V2B where only slightly better in this regard.

As I had 230v available (eu), recovery where never an issues, even with v2b relatively small boiler, however the Duetto steam where never that impressive to begin with. Point is you'll find machines that do the steaming aspect better and faster, example I vastly preferred the steaming of the Vivaldi over these two.

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BaristaBoy E61
Posts: 3512
Joined: 9 years ago

#10: Post by BaristaBoy E61 »

We own a Duetto III for over 2-years without any problems or issues. My sister owns the Vetrano 2B for about a1-1/2years also without any issues. I have used her machine. Both machines were purchased from Chris' Coffee. They provided excellent advice and follow up when needed. I definitely recommend them to all.

I would purchase the Duetto again if I were not buying a Speedster, Slayer or lever. It's mainly a question of esthetics; both machines are excellent and comparable. I prefer not having toggle switches on the faceplate and prefer the lights on the Duetto. I also prefer having the lever ball valve to switch from reservoir to plumbed in as opposed to an electric solenoid operated switch. Lever ball valve is simpler, less to go wrong.

It's kind of the Coke Pepsi preference thing.
"You didn't buy an Espresso Machine - You bought a Chemistry Set!"

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