Review of the latest version of the popular thermoblock machine
Reading time: 3 minutes. This article is a short blog post. You can find the detailed blog article here on our Swiss site.
Disclaimer: We sell the Ascaso Steel Duo PID in our shop in Basel, but we still try to test as impartially as possible.
At the beginning of 2021, we tested the Ascaso Steel Duo PID and were very impressed in many respects. The Duo thermoblock excelled with fast heat-up time, energy efficiency, and good temperature stability. But we also had one point of criticism: the steam performance. There simply wasn't enough power. Can the update improve this weakness?
The steaming performance of the new Ascaso Steel Duo PID
25% more steaming power. That's the promise of the Spanish manufacturer. And indeed, the machine has more oomph. 0.6 liters of milk can be brought to temperature in 30 seconds, and the rolling phase covers all the milk in the pitcher. The steam pressure can be adjusted manually on the machine. When the steam thermoblock is started, milk frothing begins with the turning of the wooden wheel. And it starts immediately. No pressure needs to be built up; it can start right away. To avoid coarse-pored foam, however, the pressure should be briefly released beforehand. The 30-35 seconds allow even inexperienced frothers to achieve a good and latte art-capable microfoam result.
Potential for improvement of the Ascaso Steel Duo PID
Even if the update does a lot of things right, we still have a few wishes for Ascaso:
- The baskets and tamper should be of better quality.
- The volumetric dosing should be revised. The installation of the flowmeter before the expansion valve prevents a constant volume in the cup. If you want to maintain your brew ratio, you should use a scale.
- The cup warmer overheats and should be controllable.
- The cups vibrate during dispensing and slide backwards.
Notes on heat-up time and temperature
When you start the machine, it's ready for the first espresso after 5 minutes. That's brilliant and a world of difference from the 25-30 minutes of other machines. Unfortunately, we found that the brewing temperature of the delivered machines deviates between 2 and 4 degrees from the displayed brewing temperature. It is therefore worthwhile to buy it from a local specialist dealer who can measure it with a professional measuring device and calibrate the machine correctly. Once calibrated, the machine remains quite consistent.
Temperature increase at standstill
Another peculiarity we discovered: After a longer period of inactivity, the machine heats up beyond its target temperature. It should therefore be rinsed briefly before preparing espresso to bring it back to the correct temperature.
Upgrades for the Ascaso Steel Duo PID
The German importer Espressopool offers an update service for the old Ascaso model. Otherwise, we recommend investing in high-quality 18 gram baskets and a high-quality and suitable tamper. For our Ascaso Steel Duo PIDs in our academies in Basel and Dinslaken, we use this double basket and this shower screen.
Buy Ascaso Steel Duo PID
The following specialist shops* sell the Ascaso Steel Duo PID, and we recommend buying a machine from these businesses. They all offer to adjust the machine's offset.
Germany: Bohnendealer, Craft Coffee Gear
Switzerland: deon
Austria: Bohnendealer, DieRöster
*We look for specialist partners for you that we know provide good work and good service. We are in close contact with the dealers. These are affiliate links. If you order via this link, it won't cost you more, but we'll receive a small commission, which we'll invest in new test equipment.
Conclusion: on the 2022 version
The Ascaso Steel Duo PID does many things very well. Those who work with a scale anyway, or can live with fluctuations in water volume due to volumetric dosing, can enjoy the advantages of thermoblock technology (fast heat-up and low energy consumption). Milk frothing, or rather, steam performance, has been noticeably improved.
