Good thermoblocks are rightfully the rising stars in the espresso machine sky. And the Quick Mill Luna is moving into the fast lane in the slipstream of another popular dual-thermoblock machine. This is due not only to the Quick Mill machines' good build quality but also to their relatively low purchase price: we can find the machine in Germany starting at 1200 Euros, and it's also available in Switzerland from 1400 Swiss Francs.
The elephant in the room is the Ascaso Steel Duo PID, which costs 1900 Euros in Germany and about the same in Swiss Francs in Switzerland. Can the Quick Mill Luna keep up at a significantly lower price? In this review, we'll look at the Luna's performance. In a future review, we'll directly compare the machines (Q4 2024).
Quick Mill Luna Overview
It's a pleasure to start with the positive aspects, of which there are several. The Quick Mill Luna is a thermoblock from Quick Mill. The family-run company, founded in 1945, manufactures its machines in Senago, near Milan. The manufacturing quality of the Luna leaves nothing to be desired in our test. The curved stainless steel casing feels high-quality, and we found no sharp edges, not even on the drip tray.
The espresso machine is equipped with two thermoblock elements, with 600 and 1000 watts of power, respectively. Simultaneous frothing and espresso brewing are possible, as both units operate independently.
Weighing 12 kilograms, the Quick Mill Luna stands stably on the table. It is 35.7 cm high and 28.8 cm wide, with a depth that varies depending on the protruding plug and portafilter as follows:
- The base depth is 32.3 cm,
- with the plug, the machine is 33.2 cm,
- and with the portafilter, we measure 39.7 cm.
The distance between the portafilter spout and the drip tray is 9.3 cm. This is practical for larger cups or for anyone who likes to use a scale under the cup to control the dispensed quantity in the cup. (This is something that makes absolute sense with the Luna, despite the volumetric dosing.)
The Quick Mill Luna is equipped with programmable volumetric dosing, which we will discuss in more detail below. The frothing time and hot water dispensing time for tea can also be programmed. The hot water dispensing for tea is more precisely described as tea water trickling, which is dispensed via the steam wand. Not much comes out!
The Luna comes with the typical Quick Mill tamper, which seals cleanly with the rim. While this tamper fits, non-Quick Mill equipment once again has a tough time. Both the 3-lug bayonet of the portafilter is not compatible with other espresso machines, and the flat seating of the baskets. This is typical for Quick Mill. Tampers larger than 58.2 cm don't fit well, let alone baskets from other manufacturers. No question: Quick Mill technology works for itself. However, the login effect is particularly regrettable, given the numerous tools in the 58mm portafilter range.
Heat-up Time and Temperature Performance
Anyone who wants to drink espresso quickly in the morning or during the day will appreciate a fast heat-up time. Thermoblocks usually have an advantage here compared to espresso machines with boilers due to the good conductivity of the aluminum block and the immediate heat transfer to the brew water. With the Quick Mill Luna, we measure a heat-up time of 8 minutes to reach a temperature of 92 degrees in the first shot. However, one or two more minutes are good for the machine. This is an assertion that we can also confirm based on our logs. The longer the machine is on, the more stable it becomes, especially with a higher sequence of shots.
With few shots after the heat-up time of 8 or even 20 minutes, the machine is not stable! The brewing temperatures fluctuate strongly. While we still measure an average temperature of 92.8 degrees for the first shot, the third shot is only an average of 89.23 degrees – and we are talking about seconds 5 to 25 of the extraction. All shots tend to overshoot at the beginning and then drop during the shot, only to stabilize again towards the end. Over the 5 shots in the Kaffeemacher temperature protocol, we measure a maximum temperature difference of 7.63 degrees! The standard deviation (STDEV) is 2.77. This is the worst value we have ever measured with this protocol.
Interestingly, the Quick Mill Luna performs better under frequency and with longer standing times. With the WBC protocol, we brew 14 shots, with a final frequency of 35 seconds between extractions. The aim is to test the performance under load, e.g., for gastronomy. The standard deviation of 1.18 over 14 shots can certainly keep up with many dual boilers. Although the difference between minimum and maximum temperature, at 5.74 degrees over all shots, is still a rather high value. However, these values are also due to the fact that the Luna is not quite at temperature for the first shots of the series. Only with shot 5 does the Luna reach a stable 92.7 degrees, and then maintains this well with only one outlier upwards over the subsequent 9 shots.
In this context, one phenomenon should not go unmentioned. The PID control, which can be easily adjusted via the display, repeatedly shows a deviating temperature. This can also be seen in our video, where in the middle of the video the temperature in the display drops to 89 degrees for no apparent reason, and we have to wait until it stabilizes again.
Consequences of Temperature on Espresso Flavor
What impact does all this have on espresso extraction? That's a difficult point. Ideally, fluctuating temperatures have no impact if you hit the right target window. However, our measurements show that the Luna does not demonstrate reliable temperature performance. Sometimes you get the temperature you want. However, it sometimes fluctuates significantly – especially with the first and second shots. And these are the ones that are relevant to us in everyday use.
Therefore: if precise temperature is important to you, the Quick Mill Luna is not a good choice!
This does not mean that you cannot get very good espresso with the thermoblock. And in the end, the taste in the cup is decisive.
By the way: the offset of our machine was well set at the factory. It was at 9, and we only had a 1-degree deviation from the display. (Depending, of course, on how the respective shot went. Difficult. 😟)
Strong Energy Performance
In terms of power consumption and energy efficiency, the Luna is among the best machines on the market. 5 double shots, including heat-up time, only draw 0.08 kWh, with the steam boiler switched off. An espresso with heating takes 0.038 kWh. If we switch on the steam boiler, we get a value of 0.11 kWh for shots. A cappuccino then requires 0.092 kWh.
These are good values!
Frothing at the Slowest Speed
In terms of frothing speed, the Quick Mill Luna takes last place in our test series. The thermoblock takes 80 seconds to bring the milk to temperature. This is really slow. The machine's power is sufficient to get the milk rolling. But a lot of time is required. It's better to froth only a small pitcher directly. Those who take their time can produce good foam with the Luna. There are no problems with that. And once accustomed to the machine, users will probably have little to complain about with the slow frothing. Compared to other machines on the market, however, this is very, very slow.
It is advisable when frothing not to make a clear distinction between the rolling and stretching phases. It is better to continuously roll a little air under the milk while the entire milk circulates. If too large bubbles form, there is a great danger that they can no longer be broken down due to the low rolling power.
Volumetric Dosing, Pressure Release, and the Puddle
The Quick Mill Luna has programmable volumetric dosing. This would be a strong argument for the machine if it worked precisely. Unfortunately, the dispensed quantity fluctuates with the resistance of the coffee puck, meaning that the volumetric dosing is actually not usable, or only usable, if the grind size is already perfectly set and no other factors change. For example, if you return to the machine after a day, you will almost certainly have fluctuating coffee quantities in the cup. A scale helps here, with which the dispensed amount of espresso can be manually controlled. This is incidentally also the procedure for all espresso machines with a Faema E61 group head – so nothing special. But the programmable buttons promised us more.
What is unfortunately missing is a pressure relief valve, which means that the pressure after extraction initially remains on the puck. This often results in a puddle, and if we detach the portafilter too quickly, there is a risk of coffee sludge splashing out. Not ideal for an espresso machine costing over 1000 Euros. Other machines in this price range do much better.
At least this has the side effect that we only need to clean the shower screen, but do not need to backflush the machine for cleaning.
Conclusion on the Quick Mill Luna
The Quick Mill Luna leaves me particularly puzzled because of its poor temperature performance. It is usually approximately at temperature, but not a reliable partner when it comes to accuracy. I find it problematic that especially the first shots are not consistent, because that's exactly what I imagine the machine to be used for. A solution is probably only to run some hot water through the portafilter first to stabilize the machine. The WBC protocol shows that the Luna then gets better and better.
In terms of build quality, the machine is exemplary, especially for the price. We've seen a lot of machines that cost 1000 Euros more and had significantly more plastic or sharp edges.
The machine's steam power is sluggish. The circulation is sufficient, but the heating is very slow.
Compared to other dual-thermoblock machines, the Quick Mill Luna is significantly cheaper. However, in the same price range, there are also some entry-level dual boilers. These have all the arguments on their side, especially in terms of consistency and frothing performance, but they are slower in terms of heat-up time. But are a fast heat-up time, good build quality, and low energy consumption sufficient as main arguments to buy the Luna? I have my doubts.
What do you think? Do you perhaps have the machine at home and are very satisfied? Did we overlook anything important? We look forward to your comments and feedback.
