I thought I'd start this thread to discuss the latest shipment of Izzo Alex Duetto II's that Chris' Coffee recently started sending out.

I received mine the day before yesterday, after waiting a month or so for the next shipment to arrive from Italy. The machine arrived intact and in good shape, thanks to the very thorough packing job. Setup was fairly easy, other than the fact that the machine weighs a ton and was not easy to lift onto the counter by myself. Right now, I have it running off the internal tank, but I plan to plumb it in this weekend. With any luck, that will go smoothly, despite the fact that my house is 70 years old and has weird plumbing. In the meantime, it's nice to have the option of running it off the internal reservoir.

Overall, the machine is working quite well. I was able to dial in my shots to pour at a good rate almost immediately. It helps that my old machine, a Quickmill Anita, uses the same e-61 group and I'm using the same baskets, PF, and grinder as my old machine. The beans I'm using are Red Bird espresso, which is a fairly easy blend to pull good shots with.

The first couple of shots tasted a bit bland at 200 degrees, so I bumped up the brew temp to 202, and they have more flavor now. Setting the PID is fairly easy, but you have to be careful not to burn your fingers because the panel is squeezed in between the hot group and the hot water tap. But being able to dial in brew temps so precisely is nice after years of using Anita, where you have to take your best guess at what the brew temp will be based on the usual HX flush and wait approach. It will be fun to experiment with different beans and brew temps now that I have a better idea of what temp I'm actually brewing at.

I opted to upgrade to the optional joystick style steam and hot water wands, which make turning the steam on or off really fast and easy. However, I was a bit disappointed that the design of the valves is such that the steam wand now sticks out past the top of the drip tray, making it difficult to purge the wand into the tray before using it, especially when there's a cup on the tray too. Right now, I've been purging the wand into an extra cup, but that seems a bit clumsy to me. It's actually annoying enough that I'm thinking about switching back to the old style knobs, which Chris fortunately included with the machine. They won't be as fast, but they're designed to fit the machine, unlike the joysticks, which are really meant to be used with Quickmill machines and other machines with lower drip trays.

Speaking of the drip tray, it's very high on the Alex, which creates some issues. One, as mentioned above, it makes it hard to purge the steam wand into the drip tray. And two, it means you have very little room between the group and the tray, which makes it hard to get a cup underneath. Even tulip demitasse cups won't fit until you tip them a bit to get them under the spout. Granted, this is with a La Marzocco PF with a fairly long single spout on it, which is not the stock PF. The stock PF's come with shorter spouts that might work better, but it's still weird to have to manuever the cup past the spouts. A bottomless PF would probably solve this issue, but right now mine's on loan to a friend, so I can't use it at the moment.

The height of the drip tray would seem to imply that there's a huge volume in the tray, and indeed it is ample. But about an inch of the height isn't caused by the tray itself; instead, there's mostly empty space under the tray. This is apparently to make room for the switch that changes the machine from reservoir to plumb in mode, as well as the low water alarm switch and the optional drip tray drain kit. Frankly, I wish they had come up with a more elegant solution to locating these switches, so the drip tray wouldn't be so darn high. Maybe put them on the back or the side of the machine. I suppose it's really a minor nitpick in the grand scheme of things, but it does affect the ergonomics somewhat.

Another nitpick is that many of the panels have very tight tolerances, to the point where things don't always work smoothly when you'd expect them to. For example, the drip tray and its cover are very tightly fitted into the frame, and when you try to slide out just the tray, there's some resistance and the cover wants to come with it. On my Anita, which cost half as much as Alex, the drip tray slides out in a buttery smooth action, and the cover doesn't move at all.

The cup warmer tray is also very tight along the sides of the machine, but has fairly big gaps in the back and rear corners. Others have complained about this issue, since it makes it a bit difficult to remove the cup warmer to fill the internal tank. I don't think it's too big a deal, especially since I plan to plumb in very soon, but it seems like an issue that should have been sorted out by now.

The internal reservoir is fairly small for this class of machine, at about 2.5 liters, but it seems adequate for a couple of days of use before refilling. Again, though, it fits so tightly into the top of the machine that it's hard to get in and out, and takes some wiggling to get it to seat properly. The top edge of the reservoir also tends to crimp the water intake tube that goes into the top of the tank if you don't get the reservoir in all the way, and this can cause problems with the machine not getting enough water through the pump, which can damage the pump. Even after much jiggling, I still haven't been able to get the reservoir completely seated and the tube completely uncrimped, but it still seems to be able to get enough water to keep things working.

Again, this won't be an issue once the machine is plumbed, but it seems like a poor design that would be easy to improve. On my Anita, the reservoir drops right in with no resistance at all. Of course, this has a lot to do with the fact that there's more room in Anita's case, since it has only one boiler and a vibe pump. Still, it would have been better if they could have made the tank fit better in Alex, even if it meant making the tank a bit smaller.

Finally, I noticed that the machine puts off a bit of a burnt smell when it's warmed up, almost like a burning rubber smell. I'm not sure if this is normal for a new machine, but I don't remember Anita ever making this smell. Anyone else have this issue with a new machine? I asked Chris' tech about it, and he suggested I check the boiler element wires to make sure they were tight and not causing excess heat. However, the wires were fine as far as I could tell, so I don't think that's it. Maybe it's the insulation on the steam boiler giving off some fumes, I don't know. Hopefully it will go away soon.

Anyway, I don't want to give the impression that I don't like the machine. It has a lot of good features, including excellent temperature control and stability, monster steaming power, very quiet rotary pump, the ability to plumb in or use the internal tank, etc. I think the good points will far outweigh the bad over the life of the machine, and I do expect to get many years of use and enjoyment out of it. But I do wish that Izzo had given a bit more thought to the fit and finish of the machine, as well as some of the ergonomics. For the price they're charging, there shouldn't be any problems with panel gaps or poor layout. I don't think these issues are deal breakers, but they are a bit annoying. Hopefully, I'll learn to just relax and enjoy the espresso after I've had some more time with the machine.

Thanks for posting this. It's always interesting to see what other people notice about a new machine. Mine is almost two years old now, and I still like it. A couple of observations:

Beezer wrote: Speaking of the drip tray, it's very high on the Alex, which creates some issues. One, as mentioned above, it makes it hard to purge the steam wand into the drip tray. And two, it means you have very little room between the group and the tray, which makes it hard to get a cup underneath. Even tulip demitasse cups won't fit until you tip them a bit to get them under the spout. Granted, this is with a La Marzocco PF with a fairly long single spout on it, which is not the stock PF. The stock PF's come with shorter spouts that might work better, but it's still weird to have to manuever the cup past the spouts. A bottomless PF would probably solve this issue, but right now mine's on loan to a friend, so I can't use it at the moment.

I use my bottomless PF almost all the time, but my short 10 oz. latte mugs do just fit under the stock spouts without tilting them.

Beezer wrote: Another nitpick is that many of the panels have very tight tolerances, to the point where things don't always work smoothly when you'd expect them to. For example, the drip tray and its cover are very tightly fitted into the frame, and when you try to slide out just the tray, there's some resistance and the cover wants to come with it.

I noticed this at first too, but it's gotten better over time. The tray slides right out without taking the cover with it, these days.

Beezer wrote: The cup warmer tray is also very tight along the sides of the machine, but has fairly big gaps in the back and rear corners. Others have complained about this issue, since it makes it a bit difficult to remove the cup warmer to fill the internal tank.

This is another thing I noticed a lot at first but don't notice anymore. Maybe I've just gotten used to it? I still have not plumbed my machine in, and it doesn't bother me. Another thing I noticed at first was that one of the little rubber cushions under the cup warmer tray would come off every time I removed the cup warmer. That no longer happens, either.

Beezer wrote: Finally, I noticed that the machine puts off a bit of a burnt smell when it's warmed up, almost like a burning rubber smell. I'm not sure if this is normal for a new machine, but I don't remember Anita ever making this smell. Anyone else have this issue with a new machine?

When my machine was brand new, I had to run 5 or 6 tankfulls of water through it before the water stopped smelling like hot plastic. I'm not sure if this is the same smell? It was gone by the time I did that (and before I dared to drink the output). I chalked it up to a new reservoir or tubing, but did not find the culprit before it stopped.

After almost two years, I enjoy this machine every day. I can even reliably adjust the PID without burning myself. Although there are certainly small details I'd change about it, as a "whole machine" I'm pleased with its performance and happy that I got it.

Thanks for giving your impressions. It's good to hear that you're still happy with your machine after two years. I think I will be too, after I get over the buyer's remorse period.

I'm glad to hear that the drip tray loosens up over time. I was wondering if I could do something to free it up a bit, like spreading the sides of the frame in that area, but maybe it will take care of itself.

I noticed the little rubber cushions falling out last night when I was checking the wiring. Another annoying detail, but it should be easy to fix with some glue or double sided tape.

The smell I'm talking about isn't coming from the water in the machine, it's present whenever the machine is on and warmed up, almost like the plastics on the machine are outgassing some kind of chemical. It's an unpleasant burnt smell. I just hope it goes away soon, and isn't a sign of some more serious problem.

Anyway, I need to spend some more time pulling shots on the machine before I reach any conclusions. It's already making quite nice espresso, and I expect it will get better as I get more comfortable with the machine and its little quirks.

Your descripton has been perfect. While the Duetto pulls excelent shots and the steaming is impressive, the egonomics are fairly poor and does not correspond to a $2400 machine. The water tank design is horrible; my Duetto is new and have the 2 silicone tubes which are a nightmare to properly fit through the lid of the water tank.

The burnt smell you mention, I think is normal. My duetto also smelled, but it disappears after a few days, so don't worry; it's just the machine getting used to their new home. Give it time.

Oh, hope you run some tankfulls of water... On my machine the water came out with a yellow tint at first, so beware.

I've owned my Duetto since June and purchased it new. Since I have the older style water reservoir I cant comment on the change. I use the reservoir and dont remove it- a 1 dollar funnel and water container take care of the fills without spills.
Machine fitment- I've found that the top fitment depends alot on how level the machine sits. Lift just one front corner of the machine and you will find the top and sides of the machine shift out of alignment. My slide out drain tray would get hung up- by the drip tube with the silicon hose. A slight adjustment fixed it.
The funny smell- its like the new car - it goes away. They insulate the boiler with foam rubber- and it smells when the boiler heats up. It will go away in short order.
Final comment- @ 2400 dollars- I'm still happy with the purchase of my machine. I use it everyday- and I love the consistantency. Yes there are a few small qurks. But all machines have them. Search G3's here on the forum. 6,000 dollar espresso macines and they have design issues also. I still think after 6 months of personal research- you cant beat the features, design and quality for the money. I dont think you will be disappointed with your purchase in the long run.

OK, good to hear that my machine is not the only smelly one. It does seem like the smell is diminishing over time, so I'll be patient and hope it goes away soon.

Agreed about the tank design. I don't understand what they were thinking, unless they just figured people would plumb in soon after buying rather than using the tank. That's certainly my plan, and when I do it will make messing with the tank a thing of the past. Good riddance.

I didn't flush any extra water through the machine, though I probably should have. The first couple of shots did taste a bit off, which I chalked up to myself not being in sync with the machine yet, but maybe it was some leftover chemicals in the system. Oh well, it tastes fine now.

Did I mention that this machine has rocking steam power? Amazing how much better it is than Anita, which I thought was pretty powerful. Both machines have the same four hole steam tip, but Alex blows Anita away for steaming. It's still easy to get good microfoam, but you do have to pay attention or you'll end up with a faceful of milk. The extra power is great for the mixing/texturing phase though, and you barely have to stretch at al. Nice to be able to crank up the power on the steam boiler and not affect the brew temp.

Next up: adventures in plumbing. I hope our old house plumbing doesn't prove to be a nightmare to work with. I'll find out tomorrow.

Very useful comments above, and they reflect my experience too. I noticed smells on warm-up at first, I suspect from new insulation (electrical and thermal), new unoxidized copper, perhaps even some oily residues from machining. After some weeks, they were much less, and perhaps my brain has made some sensory adjustments too. I was used to my own kitchen's smells after two years of daily use, more than I realized, so the "intrusion" was very noticeable at first. If they are bothersome, you could try removing the covers and running "naked" to identify the source. Actually, I did that for several months to locate some rattles, and from general paranoia about the complexity within. It familiarized me with the internals, and I found some loose things to tighten and some vibrating things to secure with cable ties, making it even quieter than before. Even if the factory did a good initial job of this, things loosen and shift during shipping, so a re-look is a good idea. In particular, I found that many of the little screws holding the covers on the underside were finger-loose.

I had some of the same fitment issues with sheet metal, and improved most of them. I crimped the lateral edges of the drip tray cover for a tighter fit, so it stays put when I slide the tray out. Also, the tray didn't meet the backsplash (or tray cover) evenly, because it was a little out of square. I improved this by squeezing (much force required) the tray on diagonally opposite corners. My cup shelf also fit very tightly. Luckily, that was front-to-back, not side-to-side, so I just had to grind a bit more clearance into the notches at its front corners.

The copper outlet pipe from the OPV allowed water to run backward along its outside, dripping onto the countertop, so I re-bent it for a steeper slope where it enters the drip tray. I also raised the tip, so it no longer interferes with sliding the drip tray all the way in.

Granted that I have the older tank (and in any case don't use it except for catering trips), the small group-to-tray clearance is the only real ergonomic flaw I can see. It can be mitigated somewhat with a bottomless PF, but I can no longer angle a travel cup under the group as I did with the Silvia, unless I remove the tray cover, which requires first sliding out the tray, lifting off the tray cover, then replacing the tray. True, the switch and valve near the rear of the tray are factors, but the biggest is the drainage "receiver" under the tray, otherwise a nice feature, since it allows the tray to slide out freely. Otherwise, you'd have to deal with a hose attached to the tray. If they lowered the receiver any more, the drain hose would approach a zero slope. Making the tray shallower is not appealing, but could be done incrementally I guess, especially if the target audience is seen as more likely to plumb than pour. Likewise, the receiver could be made shallower, especially if they maintained its capacity by expanding it horizontally (there's room). At the other end, it appears they could raise the group one half inch without ruining the cosmetics, the only penalties being a new template for the front panel and a new pair of pipes for the thermosiphon.

I had the machine for a while, and it is a great machine, but certainly not without it's shortcomings. The machines most disappointing aspect to me was it's build quality. If you're used to commercial machines then you will be a bit disappointed, but the machine is built for the home, not a cafe where it is subject to rougher treatment. The machine does have some great features such as it's size, versatity, and it's ease of use. I believe its temperature stability is a bit overrated, although I never confirmed this with any type of formal testing. I DO believe that it is the best machine in the dual boiler, PID, e-61 category. If those features are high on your list of must-haves then it's hard to beat this machine, not to mention the great customer support that is offered by CCS if anything were to need repaired.

In some ways (e.g. build quality), and to a limited extent (to be fair to Izzo), it reminds me of British motorcycles in the 70s, when I owned Nortons and worked on BSA/Triumph. In that case, flaws (many niggling, some serious) were managed with some extra TLC that improved fluid-tightness, fastener reliability, weather-resistance, etc. The passion, the thrill, the payoff upon use were never in question! An example on the Izzo is the thermistor fittings, sealed by copper washers that can be hard to make water-tight, perhaps because the machined finish on the boiler end plates is a bit rough. I see that even the original Izzo assemblers must have found these to be problematic, because they wrap several strands of twisted Teflon tape around the uppermost threads, which is not something you normally do with a non-tapered thread, but it works if you use the right amount of Teflon. A PITA until you know the trick, when it becomes a piece of cake.

I'll take that extra long steam wand off your hands Beezer if you don't want it (sent pm)