The Rocket R Cinquantotto is the successor espresso machine to the R58 Dualboiler. We'll take a look under the hood of the Rocket Cinquantotto and can't help but categorize the machine in the context of other espresso machines. For whom does investing in a dual boiler make sense? What is the added value of such an espresso machine, and how is the result reflected in the espresso cup?
An Investment for Life and in Plenty of Material
The Rocket R Cinquantotto weighs a hefty 29 kg, making it one of the heavyweights among home espresso machines. Lots of stainless steel and two boilers, as well as a depth of 46 cm, a width of 31 cm, and a height of 42 cm contribute to this. When measuring the width, Rocket omits the display mounted on the left side of the machine, which takes up another good 5 cm. Although the display can be unplugged, its appearance is a clear improvement over the display of its predecessor, the R58. And since it also offers practical functions like temperature control and Eco mode settings, it will usually remain attached to the machine. However, the long cable also allows the display to be hidden behind the machine.
The Rocket R Cinquantotto costs CHF 2990 in Switzerland. In Europe, we've seen the machine for 2499 Euros, for example at Stoll Espresso. For the sake of completeness, it should be mentioned that we also sell the machine in Switzerland upon request. However, we conduct our test reports as a coffee school and academy and feel free to point out the flaws and strengths of every machine. In Switzerland, the Rocket R Cinquantotto is available not only from us but also, for example, from Philippe at Home Barista Shop in Aarau, from Flo at Kaffeewerkstatt in Zurich, or from Lukas in Märstetten at Kaffee-Erlebnis.ch
The Rocket Cinquantotto with a rotary pump can be connected to the mains water supply and can also be operated with a tank. The respective connections are already installed and can be used without further ado, and a suitable flexible hose is included in the scope of delivery.
The Dual Boiler Principle as Illustrated by the Rocket R Cinquantotto
Dual boiler espresso machines are a distinct category of machines. They differ from heat exchanger machines and single boiler machines, as the name suggests, by having an additional boiler. A usually smaller boiler is reserved for the precise temperature of around 93 degrees for brewing water. Another larger boiler provides the steam pressure used for frothing milk. The temperature of the larger boiler reaches between 120 and 130 degrees Celsius.
The brew boiler of the Rocket R Cinquantotto holds 0.58 liters, and the steam boiler holds 1.75 liters. In the case of the R Cinquantotto, both boilers are made of copper. The big advantage of a dual boiler is the ability to control the temperature of the boilers independently. This allows for achieving the perfect brewing temperature without compromising on steaming power.
For this reason, dual boiler espresso machines were, in principle, the best espresso machines for precise espresso preparation for years. In the field of commercial machines, this technology was pushed to its limits by Dalla Corte in 2001 with the multi-boiler approach. A separate boiler was installed above each group with a portafilter holder, which could be individually regulated in temperature.
The Rocket R Cinquantotto does a good job regarding individual temperature setting and implementation for the groups. A drawback, however, is that a possible offset cannot be adjusted.
But what about temperature consistency, and is the Cinquantotto also a machine with which different temperatures can be quickly tried out and different espressos brewed precisely?
6 consecutive espresso shots with the Rocket R Cinquantotto.
The Advantage and Disadvantage of Inertia – Temperature Consistency
Perhaps this first: We drank magnificent espressos. The Rocket R Cinquantotto can be set precisely and then performs the temperature perfectly. The average perfect espresso brewing temperature is about 92 – 94 degrees Celsius, and our model reached it. The machine was not only very precise during extraction but also only increased by a total of 1.2 degrees over five consecutive extractions. This is an excellent value and allows for many good extractions in a row, even with a rush of guests or in the context of a small catering offer.
However, the espresso machine is very sluggish. This is something it shares with all espresso machines featuring the Faema E61 brew group and the principle of a relatively large boiler. It takes 25 minutes for everything to heat up before the first shot. This sluggishness manifests itself in the consistency from shot to shot. If we compare the Rocket R Cinquantotto with an inexpensive thermoblock espresso machine, the latter looks like a fluctuating heart ECG. The dual boiler, on the other hand, shows a gentle, consistent temperature line.
Temperature curves of Sage Barista Touch with cold portafilter on low, Prima by Victoria Arduino, and Cinquantotto.
However, this inertia has another disadvantage. While the Cinquantotto's temperature can be easily adjusted via the display, it takes time for the new target value to be reached. An upward correction can be achieved relatively quickly with one or two blank shots, but a downward correction requires significantly more patience.
Here, the Rocket R Cinquantotto highlights the limitations of the classic dual boiler. The immense amount of heated material is not flexible and cannot be ready at different temperatures from shot to shot. Its quality lies in its static nature and consistency. For this reason, a dual boiler can reach different temperature ranges. As a machine for playing, experimenting, and as a partner alongside a single dosing grinder, with the goal of experimenting and trying out different recipes and temperatures, the Rocket R Cinquantotto is only conditionally recommended.
The Independence of the Flexible Steam Boiler and Latte Art
My barista colleague Michel Aeschbacher raves about the steam performance of the Cinquantotto in our detailed video. A lot of power is blown into the pitcher, yet the milk doesn't heat up too quickly. This makes frothing for latte art and preparing cappuccinos and latte macchiatos a joy. The slower heating allows for longer frothing during the rolling phase, thus creating a delicate milk foam.
If the pressure is too high or too low, the individual control of the steam boiler can help. It's a bit of a shame, however, that the upper limit is 126 degrees Celsius. This is less of a pity for home use than for the small-scale gastronomic application mentioned earlier.
More pressure would equate to more speed. This would accelerate preparation and get the drink to the guest faster. The milk performance of the Rocket R Cinquantotto is therefore only conditionally recommended for gastronomy. Here it is clear: machines like the GS3 from La Marzocco or the Victoria Arduino Prima are much better suited with their commercial components.
High Power Consumption but Good ECO Mode Replacement
During an hour of heating with five espresso extractions, the Cinquantotto consumes 0.38 kW/h. That's a lot. An Ascaso Steel Duo PID consumes a quarter of that at 0.09 kW/h. After 90 minutes of inactivity, the Cinquantotto then enters an automatic ECO mode and switches off.
A soon-to-be-released test on power consumption and Eco mode will suggest turning off a machine immediately after use if no espresso is expected to be brewed for the next two hours. The Rocket R Cinquantotto offers additional possibilities for this through its display control. For example, two time windows per day can be programmed for when the machine should turn on and off again. This is very practical and especially effective for an espresso machine that takes a good 25 minutes to heat up. This way, it's already ready when the daily morning espresso is to be brewed.
Conclusion and For Whom the Rocket R Cinquantotto Is the Right Machine
An investment in the Cinquantotto is a long-term investment that will amortize over many years. The manufacturer Rocket builds solid machines to last for an eternity. In part, other manufacturers who build cheaper machines with equivalent espresso performance still have to prove this claim.
Nevertheless, the question remains what justifies an investment in a Cinquantotto, even when the focus is only on one's own home with Mozzafiato and Appartamento.
The temperature consistency of the Appartamento is almost equivalent. The Mozzafiato is also similar and can additionally be controlled by PID in the temperature range, although the heating time in our test was longer. The significant difference in the Cinquantotto's temperature individuality comes into play primarily when the brewing temperature is to be precisely controlled. Here, however, its sluggishness is an obstacle, even if the display suggests flexibility. In practice, the temperature for a bag of espresso will probably be slightly adjusted, and thus an even better result in the cup can be achieved. But here we are operating at levels of sensory assessment that we, as coffee sensory experts, rarely encounter in everyday life.
In my opinion, the R Cinquantotto is not really suitable for baristas who simultaneously have various espressos open and want to serve one guest one profile and another guest a different one. For this, there are significantly better espresso machines that, like the Decent Espresso, also allow for different pressure and flow profiles in addition to temperature adjustment.
