Love my new Izzo Alex Duetto IV Plus (MK619p, ver.Oct2022)!

[SkyBlip]

Thanks to this forum I happily found Chris' Coffee Service and the Izzo Alex Duetto IV Plus (MK619p, ver.Oct2022), 20A. Chris' Mark Bagnoli is a good egg. Mark was masterful dealing with my questions and anxiety.

I'm a first-time home espresso machine user/owner. Don't have any expertise. But the Duetto is easy to use, heats up in 5-10min [EDIT: I'm wrong, see @Jeff reply below. My E61 group reaches ~150F in 15-20min, but is not yet stabilized.], my shots became delicious after about the first 10-15, and improving daily. Mostly dark roasts. Shots/consistency really improved when: While waiting on a Turin DF83 v2 to arrive, I got a manual [$250] (Open Box - New) COMANDANTE C40 MK4 from STC | Specialty Turkish Coffee. Good grinder but achingly slow, so I mostly remove the crank handle and slip on a power drill, which works great (grinds faster with drill trigger only partially depressed...sort of half-speed). Also added black feet protectors with felt bottoms. These make the 70lb Duetto machine just moveable enough while seeming to float above the counter due to hiding the OEM chrome feet. Lucca's flow control device from Clive Coffee but swapped-in the latest 2023 V2 black dial pressure gauge from Coffee Sensor.

So just wanted to share, having seen the Duetto being considered by @hAKER and others, and having benefitted from other Duetto owners' comments like @BaristaBoy E61, @Midway, @LittleCoffee -Choosing an Espresso Machine Rationally.

For decision-making, I went with a combo of budget, pay more now to hopefully pay less later, and rationally satisfying what felt right to me.

Now, to encourage and help inform those interested in getting the Duetto, some photos and an excerpt from my overlong review just submitted to Chris' Coffee:

Izzo Alex Duetto IV Plus (MK619p, ver.Oct2022): .. balance of utility, elegance, and indestructibility. The photos I'd seen really don't do it justice. It's quite a presence yet not overpowering for a home setting. Curved sides work well with the angled top, and when standing over it both curves and angles quietly toy with one's sense of perspective. .. The extra vertical space from drip grid to portafilter not only allows for different size cups, but also for laying custom tiles and shotglass platforms, scales, etc.

The only problem areas of the Duetto, for me, are the water tank being plastic, and the drip point (of extractions onto the grid) is only about 30mm from the front edge of the catch basin. The former has not soured the taste of the water (which can also be plumbed instead), while the latter is not an issue for shot glasses and is easily remedied with a tile or platform to allow large-bottom cups to comfortably sit, centered, below the portafilter. Any such pragmatic add-on only enhances the Duetto's aesthetics. In any case, most people will extract into small 2-4 ounce glasses, requiring no extra space. You might want to stretch something across the front and rear cup warmer railings, so you can remove the cup tray/access the tank with no risk of cups sliding off; in the process, if unscrewing only one end of each of the railings, wrap the ends in tape, paper, or cloth so they can't scratch up the cup tray while you're fiddling about.

[espressotime]

Although I'm always very careful with any of my machines I' ve learned it makes life easier when you accept avoiding all scratches is impossible.Be it a new watch or espressomachine.Some parts are meant to used in a certain way.Driptrays will get scratched.That does't mean you shouldn't be careful though.
I hated every scratch on the glass of a new watch to a point I hated wearing them.Accepting they WILL happen made life easier.

[Jeff]

At 10 minutes, the boiler may be hot, but an E61 group won't have stabilized. At 30 or 45 minutes, the group will probably be up to temperature. You may find your shots better tasting and more repeatable if you wait until the machine is up to temperature.

[BaristaBoy E61]

So just wanted to share, having seen the Duetto being considered by @hAKER and others, and having benefitted from other Duetto owners' comments like @BaristaBoy E61, @Midway, @LittleCoffee -Choosing an Espresso Machine Rationally.

Welcome to HB Donald!

So glad you're enjoying your Alex Duetto IV, it's a great machine!

I do agree with Alf regarding the inevitable scratches or as my wife like to call it, "normal wear & tear" that should be accepted on any well-used and loved machine rather than trying to keep it in pristine showroom condition looking like it was never used, never enjoyed.

I also agree with Jeff that the machine takes about 1-hour to fully transfer its heat from the brew boiler to the E61 group via a thermosiphon circuit of relatively small diameter pipes. We've always had our machine in 15amp mode and on a Wemo WiFi programmable timer schedule to turn 'ON' automatically 1-hour before daily use.

We sadly/happily have our Alex Duetto III up for sale now and were hopeful either a friend or relative might want to purchase Alex. I wanted to sell it to someone I know because I know it's such a great machine and I'm not worried about the buyer being unhappy because I know the machine is in top shape. I'd be glad to help a relative or friend to repair or maintain it. I'd also like to see it again and perhaps pull another shot on it every so often once it's gone. So far no takers. Anyone local interested can PM me through this site.

So, why are we selling our beloved Alex that served us so well? Well, let's put it this way, every machine has its own nickname. The Duetto was called 'Alex' and the new machine is called, the 'Stevester Speedster'!

[SkyBlip (original poster)]

Nobody whose wandering innocently around this forum should take anything I say as coming from experience or knowledge!

Yes, that's right, I forgot about the grouphead needing to heat beyond "ow, that hurts". Thanks you Jeff and BB61 for correcting the record on that, and the needed good advice.

Outlet TIMER: I do have this P&S PLT26351 PLUGLOAD TIMER (Pass & Seymour) 20A, 125V Heavy Duty Spec Grade Plug Load Timer Receptacle. But the Duetto (20A) plug housing blocks the timer's control panel door, so I haven't tried it out. Plugload Timer's specs.

OK sure, I won't obsess on scratches etc, just alert other poor thinker-aheaders to expect the rail, once just one screw is removed, to spin around with it's sharp as a record needle on wax, doble-grooove inscribing lyrical "oops!" graffiti.

Lots of learning curve for me on the flow control, and having fun.
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CRYING GRINDER:
By the way, just got the Turin DF83 v2 today, shipped direct from China. Boy Hodwy, that thing is loud. I'd tried to weed out any grinders with reported auditory annoyances or just loud ones, too. Disappointing, but otherwise I'm liking it, a lot.
[**EDIT - continued at Turin DF83.]

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[I'm pretty forum decorum ignorant -is it a conscious thing not to have "Brand X, Model Y" discussion 'owners' threads? I'd have put some of this DF83 experience there if it were a thing, but I'm certainly not qualified nor active enough to go introducing general discussion topics.]

**crap - "oops!"