Hi all
Finally, after 12 months+ of plunger, much research and plenty of advice from this site, weve taken the plunge! Thought others looking at this new machine might like a box opening rundown...
A trip down to Canberra, a great morning spent with Attilio and the crew down at Cosmorex, and we picked up a 1.3l Diadema Reale and a Macap M4. And with their current specials, even managed a Pullman Tamper! (and whos idea was it to put in those plastic tampers as standard - they certainly leave plenty of clearance in the commercial portafilter - ie 10mm!).
Got the kit home friday, and what a difference! Attilio had dialed in the grind on the Macap while I was there, and given me some great advice on grinding-to-order with a doser machine, so the first double shot was spot on, with very little wastage. And a beautifully quiet machine, compared to our plastic, 10 year old Gaggia!
The Reale warms up surprisingly quickly (15 mins if you run some water through the group when the boiler is hot enough) and the build quality is amazing - as an ex-industrial arts teacher, I can appreciate some precision engineering!
Some great features include a water tank that top draws - no more leaking seals at the bottom! A roller bearing on the lever cam - very smooth action. Great drip tray too - huge and the handle screw holes are not into the actual tray, but into a folded edge - no leaks! And there is an overflow system, a reduced seam weld on the front right corner, so it happens to overflow, it goes out the front rather than back into the machine, unlike my old Breville!
Steaming with the 2-hole tip is amazing, no worries getting great texturing here! And the movement and travel in the wand is also very good.
The Pullman tamper likewise is a beautiful piece of workmanship, and fits like a glove to the standard double basket, which says a lot for the Diadema precision in the basket. Now its just my tamping technique that needs work.....!
But overall, Im absolutely thrilled - beautiful coffee at home that surpasses many of the local cafes out here in the bush - bring it on!
A big thanks to Attilio and Jess at Cosmorex for all their help, advice and service - well worth the drive down. For those who are interested, here is a little pic of the installed kit! (I think - havent posted images yet!)

Finally, after 12 months+ of plunger, much research and plenty of advice from this site, weve taken the plunge! Thought others looking at this new machine might like a box opening rundown...
A trip down to Canberra, a great morning spent with Attilio and the crew down at Cosmorex, and we picked up a 1.3l Diadema Reale and a Macap M4. And with their current specials, even managed a Pullman Tamper! (and whos idea was it to put in those plastic tampers as standard - they certainly leave plenty of clearance in the commercial portafilter - ie 10mm!).
Got the kit home friday, and what a difference! Attilio had dialed in the grind on the Macap while I was there, and given me some great advice on grinding-to-order with a doser machine, so the first double shot was spot on, with very little wastage. And a beautifully quiet machine, compared to our plastic, 10 year old Gaggia!
The Reale warms up surprisingly quickly (15 mins if you run some water through the group when the boiler is hot enough) and the build quality is amazing - as an ex-industrial arts teacher, I can appreciate some precision engineering!
Some great features include a water tank that top draws - no more leaking seals at the bottom! A roller bearing on the lever cam - very smooth action. Great drip tray too - huge and the handle screw holes are not into the actual tray, but into a folded edge - no leaks! And there is an overflow system, a reduced seam weld on the front right corner, so it happens to overflow, it goes out the front rather than back into the machine, unlike my old Breville!
Steaming with the 2-hole tip is amazing, no worries getting great texturing here! And the movement and travel in the wand is also very good.
The Pullman tamper likewise is a beautiful piece of workmanship, and fits like a glove to the standard double basket, which says a lot for the Diadema precision in the basket. Now its just my tamping technique that needs work.....!
But overall, Im absolutely thrilled - beautiful coffee at home that surpasses many of the local cafes out here in the bush - bring it on!
A big thanks to Attilio and Jess at Cosmorex for all their help, advice and service - well worth the drive down. For those who are interested, here is a little pic of the installed kit! (I think - havent posted images yet!)



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