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. By the end of the thermoblock series, this article will be supplemented with a comprehensive comparison test.
Our goal: we're looking for the best espresso machines for different needs. We want to find out what quality is available at what price. And we want to keep you from buying junk. At the same time, we recommend machines that are good at certain things.
We unfortunately still haven't found the best espresso machine and I fear we never will. Because espresso machines are very different and have different weaknesses and strengths.
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 under model number 3140.
The Quick Mill Evo 70 achieves a relatively stable brewing temperature in the target range of 93 – 95 degrees. Thanks to the integrated PID controller, this can be adjusted. Maintaining a constant temperature is difficult with most thermoblock espresso machines. A major plus for the Quick Mill Evo 70. The espresso tastes accordingly good.
- The machine is robustly built. The entire exterior consists of shiny stainless steel.
- The water tank can be conveniently removed from the side.
- The drink volume can be set volumetrically and is highly reproducible.
- The machine heats up very quickly. In this regard, it's similar to other thermoblocks. However, what's better with the Quick Mill Evo is that the portafilter is also heated and reaches a temperature of 60 degrees after 5 minutes. This is important for maintaining the brewing temperature later.
The Weaknesses of the Quick Mill Evo 70
The Quick Mill Evo 70 has a somewhat dated charm. The controls are so analog that the touchscreen generation would probably struggle with it. "Hold the button while turning on. Press here 3 times. Wait for 5 lights to flash". That's roughly how the manual reads if you want to change the temperature settings.
- A built-in tamper at the top doesn't serve its purpose. You can neither tamp straight nor build up force. Perhaps the most important issue when using the Quick Mill Evo 70. Buy a proper 58mm tamper separately.
- While the machine has a portafilter holder for 58mm portafilters, standard portafilters unfortunately don't fit. This is because the Sage baskets are flattened. As a result, purchasing additional equipment such as new baskets is made difficult and the selection is limited. It's incomprehensible that Quick Mill deviates from the industry standard here.
- The drip tray is wide but rather small. The space wasn't fully utilized here. The simply placed bent drip sheet is very basic.
- The machine does shine beautifully. However, every time you touch it, you leave fingerprints. This can drive not just photographers crazy.
- The steam button comes factory-programmed with far too short a steam time. Very important: definitely program it much longer so you don't have to constantly restart when steaming milk and thereby ruin your foam.
Buy with or without an 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 normally. But a permanently built-in grinder has no advantages apart from compactness – only drawbacks.
- Your machine is inextricably linked with the grinder. If one fails, you can't simply set it aside or replace it.
- You limit your quality. It's better to invest more upfront in a good grinder and simple espresso machine, and then you can upgrade the espresso machine later – or vice versa.
- By the way, when adjusting the Quick Mill Evo's espresso grinder, we were at the finest setting. If we had chosen a darker coffee, we wouldn't have been able to grind fine enough.
- The grinder is also positioned very deep in the machine, which causes the beans to heat up. This can negatively affect the taste.
Therefore, a clear recommendation. Better go for the Quick Mill Evo 70 03140. That's the model without a grinder.
