Our review of Rocket Appartamento

Then Rocket Appartamento released, it has been one of the best-selling espresso machines by the Italian espresso machine manufacturer Rocket Espresso Milano. It's compact, has a luxurious feel, and critics say it brews very well. espresso considering its attractive price. In this article we share our experiences and opinions About Rocket Appartamento and hopefully can give you a good idea of what this espresso machine is capable of.

Rocket Espresso has been around since 2007, creating handcrafted premium espresso machines for both commercial and home use. Where every detail is highly finished and carefully designed to last a lifetime. Yes! These espresso machines with good care can last a lifetime. With internal components from the Rockets commercial espresso machines, you can produce café-quality espresso in your home.

The espresso machine comes well packaged. The machine comes with several accessories such as two portafilter, one with one outlet and one with two outlets, single/double cup, baker for “Backflush” cleaning, microfiber cloth with Rocket brand, cleaning tablets, water hardness test strip, aluminum tamper and a brush. It also comes with a USB stick with in-depth knowledge About use of the espresso machine and a well-thought-out instruction manual.

Our first impression with Rocket Appartamento was very good, however, one thing that was noted was the rail for the cup tray which is made of plastic which felt very cheap considering that everything else was experienced as very luxurious and well made. Luckily, there are aftermarket rails made of metal that can be purchased.

Appartamento comes with two separate valves for hot water and steam. Some other manufacturers omit the hot water outlet to save on costs. Rocket has always had large and user-friendly knobs for hot water and the steam wand with its classic R on the left knob.

The best thing about the espresso machine is that it has an E61 group which gives it a cool look and has an important function for espresso brewing. By pulling up the left lever, you open the three-way valve and activate the pump. The E61 group constantly circulates hot water from the pump to the brewing head and thus provides a stable brewing temperature. A tip! About you don't like the sticker that warns you About The brewing head gets very hot, remove it before first use as it is much easier to remove.

Something we were disappointed with was that Appartamento has only one pressure gauge. This pressure gauge only shows the pressure of the boiler and not the actual brewing pressure. The advantage of knowing the pressure in the boiler is that you can correlate the boiler pressure to the brewing temperature and be able to see About the machine is ready for brewing or not. However, despite this, we would like them to have installed an extra pressure gauge for the actual brewing as it can show About you have pressed the puck well or have had the right amount of coffee in the cup. The design of the pressure gauge itself looks really good.

A good feature that Appartamento has is that it warns you when the water tank starts to run out by the green diode on the front of the espresso machine starting to flash. On the front there is also a Rocket sign that reminds you About that you have purchased a premium quality espresso machine.

Rocket has always had small drip trays which results in it needing to be emptied regularly considering that Appartamento is an espresso machine with a heat exchanger with a pressure switch, you need to flush water through before each brewing. A nice touch that Rocket What we have done is to have magnets on the drip tray, which ensures that the tray sits properly and always ends up in the right place. 

Rocket Appartamento is designed for home use and therefore built as compactly as possible with low and wide feet unlike other models which have high and narrow ones. Because Appartamento has a kettle with a vibration pump, the machine cannot be connected directly to water but has a 2.5 liter fresh water tank. The advantage of having a water tank is that you can place the espresso machine anywhere. On the underside of the machine there is a green button where you can activate Eco mode. Eco mode means that the machine switches off 90 minutes after the last brewing. This can come in handy About you happen to forget to turn off the machine before you leave home. Personally, I would use a timer that can be controlled by an app as the machine needs approx. 20 to 30 min to get fully warm. By using a timer with an app you have the option to start the machine at any time and also be able to create an on/off schedule to always have a warm and ready machine. 

Use

Grinding, pressing the puck and brewing. The entire brewing process with Appartamento is very simple and easy. Something to consider when brewing is to flush the brewing unit with water, as after the machine has been on for a while, very hot water can collect at the brewing unit. By flushing the water, you cool the brewing water down to the correct temperature. About If you brew more than 3 coffee drinks at once, the Appartamento's boiler may need to recover and this may take a few minutes.

Milk frothing

Steam function on Rocket Appartamento works very well as expected but was felt to be a bit weak compared to Rocket's other models. The reason is that Appartamento has the smallest boiler in the Rocket range. But all things considered, you won't be disappointed with the Appartamento's milk frothing and it's fully capable of frothing cappuccino and latte milk with perfect texture. Being able to froth latte milk is an art and something that needs practice. Appartamento comes with a steam wand with two holes but About If you would like to froth the milk faster, we recommend replacing the end of the steam wand with one that has 3 or 4 holes.

Rocket Appartamento has a pressure switch which in practice means that the heating element is turned on or off based on the pressure of the kettle. This technology has been used for years and is a very safe method that has always worked. About If you wish to change the brewing temperature, you need to do so by adjusting the pressure switch in the machine.

Our thoughts on Rocket Appartamento

Espresso machines by Rocket have always been our favorites and Appartamento will not disappoint you. Appartamento is an espresso machine that is worth every penny with its unique appearance and functionality. Owning such an espresso machine is like having an Italian work of art in your kitchen. Appartamento is a very simple machine compared to the other models of Rocket which have double boilers and can be directly connected to water, etc. but in reality most people don't need machines that can produce like a commercial espresso machine in their kitchen.

Who is the espresso machine for?

• Someone who wants to take their espresso brewing to the next level. A very serious but simple machine.
• Someone who wants to own their second espresso machine or needs an espresso machine for their office or summer home.
• Someone who is looking for a small and compact espresso machine that delivers just as well as large ones. 

Advantages:

• A small and compact package, Appartamento Fits in most kitchens.
• Comes with exceptionally good accessories and supplies with a tamper made of all metal which does not occur with other brands.
• Has both a steam wand and hot water outlet. This is not always the case with compact espresso machines.
• The heat exchanger allows you to froth milk and brew espresso at the same time which is a unique advantage of an espresso machine with a boiler.

Disadvantages:

• Only has one pressure gauge. An extra pressure gauge for brewing would be something that one would like to see in the future with a Rocket Appartamento.
• The rail for the cup tray felt cheap.
• Because the machine is compact, there is not much room for cups on the cup tray.
• The drip tray could be larger.
• Need to perform a short flush before each brew to cool down the brew head.

Things that are good to know About Appartamento

• It has a vibration pump. Can be perceived as loud.
• The internal 2.5L water tank needs to be refilled fairly regularly. Remember to use good quality water to avoid damage due to limescale build-up.
• Appartamento is a small, compact heat exchanger. It is not designed for commercial environments but is fully capable of brewing for the whole family.
• Appartamento has a pressure switch that regulates the brewing temperature unlike more modern PID temperature control systems which are better and more stable regulation systems. If you are looking for a similar espresso machine with PID, we can recommend our Rocket Cronometro V.

Good to think about About you are thinking of buying one Appartamento

• Make sure to buy a good coffee grinder About you are thinking of buying an expensive espresso machine. We can recommend Eureka Mignon Specialita or Rocket FaustinoThe espresso machine can only produce as good as the grinder can deliver and therefore it is important to have a grinder that is capable.
• Buy a bottomless portafilter! It's one of the most satisfying things about espresso brewing where you can watch the espresso pour down the portafilter. Yes, it may sound a little nerdy.  
• For those of you who plan to drink coffee drinks with milk, we recommend purchasing a milk jug to froth the milk. We offer jugs of Rocket but any milk jug that is specifically designed for milk frothing would be suitable.
• Tamping mats are something that seems unnecessary but believe me. After using one you will change your mind. A tamping mat protects the surface from damage and also simplifies your process of preparing your coffee puck.
• A Knock Box is a must! Instead of sitting and knocking out your coffee grounds after brewing at the kitchen compost, a knock box is a perfect answer to the problem and will definitely make your life easier.
• Always have a microfiber cloth by your side to keep the espresso machine's fine mirror-like finish clean.