Great machine, competetive price, competitve quality that'll keep you happy for years...especially if you do the steam wand mod to burn-me.
Positive Product Points
Stable machine, easy to use. PID easy to modify. Great steam capability. Easy to maintain.
Negative Product Points
Manufacturer installed low quality insulation which had to be replaced. Manufacturer installed hot water pipe poorly and it had to be replaced. No burn steam wand, although easily modified, produces wet steam.
Detailed Commentary
Overall, I love my Duetto II. After reading and contemplating between DB and HX, I finally decided what I wanted and am very happy with my decision. The machine has great thermal stability, and the PID gives the actual group temperature, so it's easy to pull shots right where I want them. The programming for the PID is also very easy to access and modify. I was able to bring my steam pressure up slightly from the factory (or CCS) setting just by changing the steam boiler temp in the PID settings.
I was a little disappointed with the steam quality from the no burn wand, and for a few months was wondering why I was able to produce better frothed milk with my old Silvia v1 (with the articulating wand modification). For a while, I thought it was simply that the Silvia's lower pressure gave me more time to interact with the milk, but then I read on CG that another owner had pulled out the plastic tube inside his wand and gotten much, much drier steam. I tried it too and WOW, what a difference that made! My milk frothing is eons beyond what it had been on the old Silvia.
Today, I had to replace the hot water pipe (goes from the steam boiler to the hot water valve). It was necessary because whoever built my machine didn't quite tighten the nut behind the valve enough and the constant leak caused some corrosion of the upper inch or so of the pipe. I got a new one for free from CCS. It was a bit of a bear to get to the lower nut, but a phone call later (the CCS service guys are awesome) and I was taking the steam boiler part way out of the machine and got the job done pretty quickly.
Next task is to plumb in, and then I can't see what else I'd want...maybe a Robur, lol!
Buying Experience
Chris' Coffee service is fantastic! I've been dealing with them for years and they've always been a paradigm for customer service. From Mary in sales to the guys in the service department, to Chris himself...they are courteous, helpful and responsive to a level you typically only dream of. Even better is, they won't sell you something you don't need...well, I guess they would if you insisted, but they'd probably be rolling their eyes at you.
