The Quick Mill Evo 70 belongs to the family of thermoblock espresso machines. We took a closer look at it as part of our thermoblock test series . This text is a brief summary of our findings. At the end of the thermoblock series, this article will be supplemented by a comprehensive comparison test.
Our goal: We seek out the best espresso machines for different needs. We want to determine what quality you can get for what price. And we want to prevent you from buying junk. At the same time, we recommend machines that excel at certain things.
Unfortunately, we still haven't found the best espresso machine, and I fear we won't. Espresso machines are very different, with different strengths and weaknesses.
The strengths of the Quick Mill Evo 70
We tested the Quick Mill Evolution 70 3145. This is the model with an integrated grinder. The same machine is also available without a grinder with the model number 3140.
The Quick Mill Evo 70 achieves a relatively stable brewing temperature within the target range of 93–95 degrees Celsius. Thanks to the integrated PID control, this temperature can be adjusted. A constant temperature is difficult to achieve with most thermoblock espresso machines. This is a major advantage for the Quick Mill Evo 70. The espresso tastes accordingly good.
- The machine is robustly built. The entire exterior is made of shiny stainless steel.
- The water tank can be easily removed from the side.
- The beverage volume can be determined volumetrically and is easily reproducible.
- The machine heats up very quickly, making it similar to other thermoblocks. What's better about the Quick Mill Evo, however, is that the portafilter also heats up, reaching a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius after just five minutes. This is important for maintaining the brewing temperature later on.
The weaknesses of the Quick Mill Evo 70
The Quick Mill Evo 70 exudes a bit of the charm of an aging espresso machine. The controls are so analog that the touchscreen generation will probably have a hard time figuring them out. "Hold the button while turning on. Press this button 3 times. Wait for the 5 flashes." That's roughly what the instructions say when you want to change the temperature setting.
- A built-in tamper facing upwards doesn't serve its purpose. It's impossible to tamp straight, nor can you build up power. Perhaps the most important thing when using the Quick Mill Evo 70 is to buy a proper 58mm tamper.
- Although the machine has a portafilter mount for 58mm portafilters, unfortunately, standard portafilters don't fit. This is due to the flattened Sage sieves. This makes purchasing additional equipment, such as new sieves, more difficult and limits the selection. It's incomprehensible that Quick Mill deviates from the industry standard here.
- The drip tray is wide, but rather small. The space hasn't been fully utilized. The curved drip tray that sits on top is very simple.
- The machine may shine beautifully, but every time you touch it, you leave fingerprints behind. This can drive photographers and more crazy.
- The milk frothing button is factory-programmed with a steaming time that's far too short. It's very important to program it much longer so you don't have to constantly restart the steamer while frothing milk, which can ruin the foam.
Buy with or without integrated espresso grinder?
Clear answer: without!
No, the integrated coffee grinder isn't inherently bad. And while the first model we bought produced smoke, the second one ground perfectly fine. But a built-in grinder has no advantages other than its compactness, only disadvantages.
- Your machine is inextricably linked to the grinder. If one fails, you can't simply put it aside or replace it.
- You're limiting your quality. It's better to invest more in a good grinder and a simple espresso machine upfront, and then upgrade the espresso machine later—or vice versa.
- By the way, when setting the Quick Mill Evo espresso grinder, we were at the finest setting. If we had chosen a darker coffee, we wouldn't have been able to grind it finely enough.
- The grinder is also located very deep in the machine, which causes the beans to get hot. This can negatively impact the flavor.
Therefore, a clear recommendation. Instead, go for the Quick Mill Evo 70 03140. This is a model without a grinder.
