Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Dalla Corte Studio feedback?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Dalla Corte Studio feedback?

    Hi guys,

    I have been using my beloved Rocket Evo v2 for 6 years and have loved every moment of it.

    However, I have reached the time where I want to try something new and upgrade to a different machine, which I intend to do by the end of this year.

    There are two machines that my list has come down to:
    1. Dalla Corte Studio
    2. LM Linea mini

    I have done tons of research on the LMLM and to be honest I was pretty much set on this machine because it satisfied all my requirements for a machine. Commercial build quality, temp stability and great steam power.

    Upon my research though I stumbled across a machine that I had never heard being the Dalla Corte Studio. So I began doing as much research as possible to try and learn about this machine and read feedback from owners. However, I was only able to find a very limited amount of info online and all of it was from overseas resources.
    What attracted me was its price given that it has fully saturated group head and its reported temperature management (manufacturer is claiming 0.1c temp accuracy, which sounds a bit absurd). Yes, I am aware of the 54mm portafilter and to be honest the idea makes a lot of sense to me.

    So my question is, has anyone actually used or own this machine and would be able to give me feedback regarding it?

    All help would be greatly appreciated!

    Thanks, Ali


  • #2
    I have no personal experience with any DC products but reading your post also did some searching. Agree very interesting and read Peter S-V-K’s review...... not sure if it would be a machine for me but I would have to consider it carefully especially at the current price offered by one of our sponsors! Question, does it do hot water as I can’t see a second wand but it is not mentioned as a negative and no HW dispenser makes little sense. No hot water would be a deal breaker here.......

    Comment


    • #3
      Yeah, you're right I didn't even notice that!

      Hot water isn't a deal breaker for me, but it's certainly weird that it's not a feature.
      I very rarely use the HW tap, only if cups are cold and I need to preheat. Without the HW tap you can flush some water through group to achieve this anyways.

      thanks for your response !

      If anyone has any experience with this machine please let me know !

      Comment


      • #4
        Hmm, I've never seen this machine either...but I have to say I really like the design.

        Strange that they state "58mm portafilter basket kit available, if required"...Does that mean the machine needs to be modified to fit a 58mm? Strange design choice there, I can't say that I would really want to buy a machine that I can't use standard 58mm baskets in.

        Comment


        • 338
          338 commented
          Editing a comment
          Ali, to give you the alternative viewpoint, I use a 54mm LSM lever group and if I had the choice of groups with the Dalla Corte I would choose the 54mm as more forgiving. DC say on their site that it also puts 30kg less pressure on the puck - https://int.dallacorte.com/en/magazi...ter-n-428.html

      • #5
        It seems like Peter SVK still has his Studio.
        He is a lovely bloke with a design/engineering background.
        I highly recommend getting in contact with him for his feedback if you are thinking about buying one.

        Comment


        • #6
          More info on the 58mm kit

          https://www.home-barista.com/espress...it-t59943.html

          Comment


          • 338
            338 commented
            Editing a comment
            Interesting thread, thanks Ninja!

        • #7
          Yeah I read the peterSVK threads on home barista.
          amazing threads and amazing guy.
          But it didn't really give me the insight I was looking for, however, you have given me a good idea! I think l try contact him directly and ask him some Q's.

          Regarding the 54mm vs 58mm, there is so much discussion on home barista about it.
          Ultimately, from my reading I concluded 2. things:
          1. Just like many things in this hobby, people have differing opinions based on experience and preferences, and there's no one better than the other. 2. People get heated over such small things.

          My personal opinion, the concept of it being more forgiving due to the way water flows through the smaller diameter makes sense, but obviously I'm not an expert and can't verify this. Furthermore, I imagine good puck technique is more important.
          ​​​​​
          Ill see if any of the sponsors selling it have one to play with, I think that will be the only way to satisfy my curiosity.

          Thx for the replies so far

          Comment


          • #8
            Smaller groups being more forgiving for the same dose due to thicker puck is a known phenomenon. Generally the narrower / thicker pucks are better for darker roasts, and wider / thinner pucks work better with lighter roasts. (Not necessarily dark or light but darker / lighter). This is believed to be related to the changes in penetrative difficulty as roasts develop (i.e. if you roast more of the bean away it's easier for the water to get through). Older group designs (DC, LSM) tend to be smaller, once roasts started getting a bit lighter the ideal stock to width ratio was decided to be around 58mm. You'd have a lot more difficulty pulling a Nordic roast in a 54mm group. Like you said they're not right or wrong, just different.

            Comment


            • #9
              Hi Ali,

              I have worked in cafes using the Dalla Corte Evo2 2/3 group and also own a DC Studio (approximately 12 months). The 54mm design is a flavour profile/idea from Dalla Corte which does make sense however a 58mm conversion can be ordered with the Studio. You get the portafilter and baskets in a box, then you just have to change the shower screen and shower screen holder. I ordered my machine with the 58mm head to make it easier for accessories e.g. tamper/OCD/baskets. This can be done at anytime and is not difficult nor are you required to make a decision when you purchase the machine which means you can always try the 54mm to start and order the conversion kit later on.

              For me I wanted something a little different for home (an advantage of already knowing and using Dalla Corte equipment did help) but the features of the machine including DB, lever steam & volumetric activation, rotary pump are nice. Having a hot water spout on my coffee machine did not concern me because I use a Brewista kettle for pour over and tea. I use the machine as a tank however you can plumb the machine to mains water also. One of the features I like most with the Studio is the digital display which shows shot time and flow rate per second. I generally find myself between a couple of coffee brands/blends and have found sweet spots for the flow rate which is a nice reference point for each blend I use.

              Hope this helps Ali but happy to answer any questions you may have!

              Comment


              • #10
                Oh this is perfect!

                I did see that you could order a conversionm kit.
                Apparently you have to use the baskets that are provided with it though? (Which is no issue)

                Can I ask do you prefer using the 58mm?
                ​​​​​​
                I really dig the design of the group head. In particular, the easy temperature adjustability really intrigued me.
                Have you been able to play around with temperature to get improved results?

                Also what has your experience with the steam been like?

                thanks

                Comment


                • #11
                  Hey Ali,

                  Glad the info helped some what.

                  Basket is no real issue to me (I will confirm later for you as I have a couple of VST baskets tucked away somewhere), I focus more on the actual grind/distribution and tamp and as long as I get those factors it pours as good as any machine I have used, commercial or domestic so I'm happy.

                  The steam is awesome (components are actually identical to the Dalla Corte commercial range which is nice to know they haven't gone cheap being a domestic machine).

                  Menu is easy to navigate with the knob/button, just scroll left/right and enter for temperature adjustment, or any other parameter. It depends which coffee I use but one blend I always get I keep the temperature 93.5 but change it when I get single origin (temperature varies on regions). Temperature is displayed on the screen so it's easy to adjust and monitor as you go.

                  I have used the commercial machines previously and I do like the extraction and flavour produced from the 54mm heads but as mentioned previously being a personal machine for home I opted for the 58mm purely for convenience to purchase accessories easier, OCD/tamper etc but I really don't have a preference regarding the 54/58mm, I think they both make cracking espresso and keeping in mind it isn't a drama to change at a later date...

                  Hope that helps Ali..

                  Comment


                  • MickC86
                    MickC86 commented
                    Editing a comment
                    Just checked the fitting of the VST20g (and a Pesado18g) basket in the 58mm portafilter and it does overhang a little which does not fit properly into the Studio head...whether or not that is an issue for you that's your call but the standard baskets with the 58mm kit are IMS

                  • aliel
                    aliel commented
                    Editing a comment
                    Hey mate, helps a ton! thanks for your feedback

                  • San
                    San commented
                    Editing a comment
                    I've got in touch with Della Corte and they confirmed that both, 54mm & 58mm, Della Corte grouphead sizes are proprietary designs and VST, Pesado, Pullman or Breville baskets and portafilters can't be used with Dalla Corte machines.

                • #12
                  I just wonder if anyone has an experience with Dalla Corte Studio coffee machine? It has been designed by co-designer of the famous e61 group head and has good specs on a paper but I couldn’t find any reviews on it (except of “one year experience” on the UK forum).

                  Any thoughts? Any owners’ feedbacks?

                  Comment


                  • #13
                    No I haven't yet, but interested

                    Comment


                    • #14
                      I've contacted Australian distributor but they're pretty much sales oriented and have nil technical understanding of what they're selling: the sales person asked me to explain what "pre-infusion" means... When asked for a spec sheet, got a marketing leaflet. Couldn't find a display machine in Melbourne, can't even dream about "test drive" it.

                      Is anyone has experience using Della Corte Studio?

                      Comment


                      • Caffeinator
                        Caffeinator commented
                        Editing a comment
                        Possible red flag. I'd be looking for competent local support in case something goes pop or it needs service. Box of proprietary parts can be risky.

                    • #15
                      I found Della Corte Italy to be very helpful and responsive however the local distributor is completely opposite: I found the local distributor sales' person is very incompetent and contradicts information provided by DL Italy. This sale's person can't even clarify what version of the Studio they stock until you buy the machine, only then they'll "need to open the box and check what machine is inside" - it's ludicrous. DL Studio had few modifications recently: pump upgraded from 50l to 70l (to address some of the issues), added valve to empty a steam boiler (very important as the machine doesn't have a hot water tap), a new firmware and might be more but that's all what I could find so far. I couldn't find many users in Australia to gain their feedback - only one responded on this forum.

                      There is a new version, DL Studio Aqua, has been released in Europe that has a water tap, both pressure gauges in the front, above mentioned improvements and maybe something else (?); based on the German forum it's about 500 euro more expensive that the current Studio.

                      All in all, I have to agree with Caffeinator that it's very important to have a competent local support in case something goes poor and that a box of proprietary parts can be risky - so it's a pass for me for now.

                      Comment

                      Working...
                      X