The Ascaso Steel Duo PID positively surprised us in our first test. The machine from the Spanish company is a dual thermoblock. It offers everything that defines a modern and good thermoblock espresso machine. Not only does it heat up as quickly as thermoblock machines typically do, but it is also temperature stable, and how stable it is particularly surprised us in our test in early 2021. Due to its fast heat-up time, the machine is also very energy-efficient and consumes up to three times less power than heat exchanger espresso machines or dual boilers.
However, we had one point of criticism with the old model: the machine's frothing performance left something to be desired. The old version of the Ascaso Steel Duo PID with the steam thermoblock didn't deliver enough power into the pitcher. The manufacturer from Barcelona has now addressed precisely this issue. For this reason, we have dedicated another video to the Ascaso Steel Duo PID New.
Buy Ascaso Steel Duo PID
The following specialist stores sell the Ascaso Steel Duo PID, and we recommend purchasing a machine from these businesses. All of them offer to adjust the machine's offset.
- Germany: [Partner links] Stoll Espresso, Bohnendealer, Craft Coffee Gear, Lücke Technik
- Switzerland: [Partner links] deon
- Austria: [Partner links] Bohnendealer, DieRöster
We are looking for specialist partners for you whom we know do good work and offer good service. We are in close contact with these retailers. These are affiliate links. If you order through these links, it won't cost you more, but we will receive a small commission that we will invest in new testing equipment. We are still working on this and are looking for competent partners for you in the DACH region.
The Frothing Behavior of the New Ascaso Steel Duo PID
The frothing performance of the Ascaso Steel Duo PID has been fundamentally revised. The manufacturer speaks of a +25% increase in power. And indeed, the machine now has significantly more power for frothing. The steam pressure can now also be manually adjusted in the machine. The machine powerfully froths a 0.6-liter pitcher to temperature in about 30 seconds. It can effectively circulate all the milk during the rolling phase.
A positive change is that milk frothing is no longer started directly via the toggle switch on the machine, as it was with the old model. Instead, the switch now only starts the steam thermoblock. Frothing is only initiated by turning the side wooden wheel. This eliminates another point of criticism we had. The steam starts directly by turning the wooden wheel and doesn't build up first. This was the case when the thermoblock was still started via the toggle switch.
With the new setup, we recommend purging the steam wand thoroughly first. A lot of pressure and condensation quickly build up in the wand and line, and these would otherwise cause too much pressure to be blown into the milk pitcher when the steam is first started. If not observed, this can lead to many large bubbles that are not easy to remove.
The Ascaso Steel Duo PID still heats the milk at a leisurely pace. It takes about 30 - 35 seconds until the foam reaches temperature. During this time, even latte art beginners can go through the stretching and rolling phases without stress.
On the left, the new, on the right, the old Ascaso Steel Duo PID. The color is not new. White is still available. What is new is the wooden steam wheel.
Potential for Improvement of the Ascaso Steel Duo PID
With the update of the Duo PID, the manufacturer Ascaso has taken seriously the criticism from us and many home baristas. This not only speaks for Ascaso but also gives hope that the machine will continue to be developed.
Even today, the Ascaso Steel Duo PID is for me, as a barista and author of this article, one of the five most interesting espresso machines for home use. If Ascaso addresses the following points, the espresso machine will climb further in my personal ranking:
- The cup warmer still overheats and gets much too hot. I would like to be able to simply switch it on and off.
- Due to the machine's incline, the cups slide backwards during extraction and vibrate against each other.
- The accessories are a relic from the past. The included double basket holds barely 15 grams, and the perforations stop far from the rim. However, this can be easily improved by upgrading the basket.
- The included tamper is suitable as a paperweight. Using it is frustrating, as the sides look similar but are of different sizes. The ergonomics are also not really hand-friendly.
- However, the biggest challenge is the volumetrics. The Ascaso Steel Duo PID can dispense a desired amount of coffee water. Firstly, this is a major selling point of the machine compared to almost all heat exchangers and other espresso machines that have to be started and stopped manually. It is therefore important to note that we are criticizing something here that other machines do not even provide as a function. However, in the Ascaso Steel Duo PID, the expansion valve is located behind the flow meter. This means that when a certain pressure range is exceeded, water is sometimes not delivered to the coffee puck but diverted. So, if your espresso changes with finer grinding and uneven preparation, it is possible that the amount of water will also be reduced. Your brewing time will, however, tend to remain the same. It is therefore useful to take a look in the cup, or to regularly use scales, to check whether the fill volume corresponds to your desired brewing ratio.
Notes on Espresso Extraction and Temperature
If the Ascaso Steel Duo PID has been correctly adjusted by your local specialist dealer, it will be at operating temperature after five minutes. This is a real strength of the machine. While with many espresso machines, the day has to be planned around the espresso machine so that it is hot in 25 to 30 minutes, the Ascaso can be brought to temperature quite spontaneously.
This makes the Ascaso Steel Duo PID well suited for brewing very good espresso after a short time (see also recommendation for baskets and tampers).
However, all the espresso machines we tested were delivered with the wrong offset. The brewing temperature deviated by between 2 and 4 degrees from the displayed brewing temperature. For this purpose, we measured 3 machines with calibrated thermometers.
The machine's offset can and must be adjusted by your local specialist dealer. You should pay attention to this when buying the machine. It requires a professional Scace temperature measuring device. This measurement cannot be done at home with a simple thermometer.
In this short video, we explain how to make changes to the offset and steam settings.
Temperature Increase during Idling
A newer finding for us is that the Ascaso Steel Duo PID overheats beyond the target temperature when left idle for +15 minutes. However, it can be brought back to the target temperature by flushing.
We have set the brewing temperature so that it is slightly below the target temperature for the first shot and then precisely in the range for the second shot. By the third shot, the portafilter is heated through so that the temperature is perfectly 93 degrees.
These settings can be adjusted according to your needs. As a guide, consider what your preferred brewing time is. With the temperature set here, we have chosen a good compromise. Although the first shot is still slightly below the target, all subsequent shots, even if the machine is on longer, are exactly within the target range (don't forget to flush before long idle times).
These two graphs show the overall very stable temperature consistency when using the KM protocol with a 1-minute interval between extractions. We measured a standard deviation of 0.75 here, which is a very good value.
Upgrades for the Ascaso Steel Duo PID
In Germany, Espressopool, as the importer of the Ascaso Steel Duo PID, offers an update service for the old Ascaso model. This will also be available from local specialist dealers.
For the machine, we recommend different baskets and a suitable tamper that matches the baskets. Your local specialist dealer can advise you on this. For example, we upgrade our Ascaso with an 18-gram IMS Competition basket (DE, CH).
The portafilter accommodates 58mm baskets. A tamper of the appropriate size ranges from 58 - 58.4 mm.
Also check out our own tamper, which we produce locally in the Lower Rhine region. You can find our KM Tamper in Germany/EU and in Switzerland here.
Ascaso Steel Duo PID Plus in Review
Ascaso has recently introduced the Steel Duo PID Plus. What changes compared to the basic version?
The "Plus" is an upgrade and brings some innovations compared to the Ascaso Steel Duo PID basic version. The model costs about 300 dollars more and essentially features external changes.
Striking are the wooden steam lever and the modified drip tray. In addition, a set of better baskets is included, as well as a different shower screen. A bottomless portafilter is now also included in the scope of delivery. The only internal update is the omission of the cup warmer, which many home baristas had removed themselves in the basic version as it was completely unnecessary. The machine radiates so much heat upwards that an additional cup warmer is not needed.
Scope of delivery:
- Heavy 58mm metal tamper with a weight of 750 grams. 1mm distance to the basket (average).
- Laser-cut and well-finished baskets: 7g, 14g, 18g & 21g. The baskets tend to hold a bit more.
- Blind basket and brush
- Single-hole and three-hole steam tip
- Bottomless portafilter
- Even and well-finished shower screen
- Modified drip tray that causes less cup movement, but still generates noise during extraction.
The cup warmer has also been removed. In previous models, many home baristas disconnected this themselves. The waste heat from the machine is perfectly sufficient to warm the cups.
Classification of the Plus Version Upgrades
The upgrades of the Ascaso Steel Duo PID Plus are all sensible. The new equipment is high-quality and makes the machine better. With the improvement of the drip tray, an improvement has been made that leads to less movement of the cups. Nevertheless, vibration is still visible, and the grid wobbles in the now static drip tray. It remains questionable why Ascaso does not separate the drip grid from the metal of the machine with rubber protectors, thus absorbing the vibration.
Removing the cup warmer is sensible. However, the much larger point of criticism of the storage area is the incline. The cups constantly move backwards during extraction and clatter against each other. Truly frustrating because it's unnecessary. Here, a design decision creates unnecessary noise.
The new steam lever is grippy and beautiful. Working with it definitely feels more harmonious than with the rotary steam knob. However, this does not improve the machine's performance.
The significantly better baskets are pleasing. They have cleanly laser-cut holes and support more even extraction. With the tamper, a little more flushness with the rim would be desirable. However, the new tamper is definitely better than the tamper dumbbell supplied with the basic version.
Overall, the additional price of 300 CHF/Euro for the Plus version is certainly not a bad investment. However, apart from the brewing lever, the essential improvements can also be purchased individually for significantly less money.
Nothing changes in the overall performance. Both our renewed energy consumption measurement and temperature measurement confirm the Ascaso Steel Duo PID Plus as a very good espresso machine.
However, the most urgent upgrade wish remains unfulfilled: the position of the flow meter and the resulting inconsistent output volume.
