The Rocket R Cinquantotto is the successor espresso machine to the R58 Dualboiler. We take a closer look under the hood of the Rocket Cinquantotto and in doing so, we can't help but put the machine in context with other espresso machines. For whom does investing in a dualboiler make sense? What is the added value of such an espresso machine and how does this reflect in the espresso cup.
An investment for life and in plenty of material
A full 29 kg is what the Rocket R Cinquantotto weighs, making it one of the heavyweights among home espresso machines. Plenty 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 all contribute to this. When measuring the width, Rocket does not account for the display mounted on the left side of the machine, which takes up a good 5 cm. Although the display can be unplugged, the aesthetics are a clear improvement over the display aesthetics of the predecessor R58. And since it also brings some practical functions like temperature control and Eco mode settings, it will usually be left on the machine. The long cable also allows you to hide the display behind the machine.
The Rocket R Cinquantotto costs CHF 2990,- in Switzerland. In Europe we have seen the machine for 2499 euros, for example at Stoll Espresso. For the sake of completeness, it should be mentioned here that we ourselves distribute 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 errors and strengths of each machine. In Switzerland, the Rocket R Cinquantotto is available from us as well as, for example, from Philippe at the Home Barista Shop in Aarau, from Flo at the Kaffeewerkstatt in Zurich, or from Lukas in Märstetten at Kaffee-Erlebnis.ch
The Rocket Cinquantotto with rotary pump can be connected to mains water and also operated with a tank. The respective connections are already in place and can be used without any further ado, and a corresponding flex hose is included in the delivery.
The dualboiler principle using the Rocket R Cinquantotto as an example
Dualboiler espresso machines are their own machine category. They differ in particular from dual circuits and single circuits by an additional boiler, as the name suggests. A typically smaller boiler is reserved for precise temperature brewing water of around 93 degrees. Another larger boiler provides the steam pressure with which milk foaming is achieved. The temperature of the larger boiler reaches temperatures between 120 and 130 degrees Celsius.
The brew boiler of the Rocket R Cinquantotto holds 0.58 l and the steam boiler holds 1.75 l. In the case of the R Cinquantotto, both boilers are made of copper. The great advantage of a dualboiler is the ability to control the boiler temperatures independently of each other. In this way, the perfect brew temperature can be achieved without compromising on steam power.
For this reason, dualboiler espresso machines were in principle the best espresso machines for precise espresso preparation for many years. In the field of commercial machines, this technology was taken to the extreme by Dalla Corte in 2001 with the multiboiler approach. A separate boiler was installed above each group with portafilter suspension, which could be individually regulated in temperature.
The Rocket R Cinquantotto does a good job when it comes to individual temperature adjustment and implementation of the groups. However, a slight downside is that any possible offset cannot be adjusted.
But what about temperature stability and is the Cinquantotto also a machine that allows you to quickly try different temperatures and brew different espressos with precision?
6 espresso shots with the Rocket R Cinquantotto in succession.
Advantages and disadvantages of inertia – temperature stability
Let's get this out of the way first. We drank magnificent espressos. The Rocket R Cinquantotto can be adjusted to the point and then performs the temperature like a charm. The average perfect espresso brew temperature is around 92 – 94 degrees Celsius and our model reached that. The machine was not only very precise in terms of extraction, but also only increases by 1.2 degrees over five consecutive shots in total. That's a top value and really allows many good shots in succession, even when there are crowds of guests or in the context of a small gastronomic operation.
However, the espresso machine is very sluggish. This is something it shares with all espresso machines with a Faema E61 brew group and the principle of a relatively large boiler. Before everything is heated through, 25 minutes pass before the first shot. This sluggishness shows in the stability from shot to shot. If we compare the Rocket R Cinquantotto to a cheap thermoblock espresso machine, the latter looks like a jagged heart EKG. The dualboiler, on the other hand, is a gentle line at temperature.
Temperature curves Sage Barista Touch with cold portafilter on low, Prima from Victoria Arduino and Cinquantotto.
However, the sluggishness has another drawback. Although the Cinquantotto can easily adjust temperature via the display, it takes time to implement the new target value. A correction upwards is achieved relatively quickly with one or two idle shots, but a correction downwards requires significantly more patience.
Here the Rocket R Cinquantotto illustrates the limits of the classic dualboiler. The immense amount of heated material is not flexible and not ready to operate at different temperatures from shot to shot. The quality lies in the stability and consistency. For this reason, a dualboiler can reach different temperature ranges. As a machine for playing, experimenting and as a partner alongside a single dose grinder, with the aim of experimenting and trying 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. Plenty of power is blown into the pitcher and yet the milk doesn't heat up too quickly. This makes frothing for latte art and the preparation of cappuccino and latte macchiato a pleasure. The slower heating allows for long frothing in the rolling phase and thus the creation of 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 that at 126 degrees Celsius it's the limit. This is less of a shame for home use than for the small gastronomic operation mentioned earlier.
A bit more pressure would equate to more speed. This speeds up preparation and gets the drink to the guest faster. The milk performance of the Rocket R Cinquantotto is therefore only conditionally recommended for gastronomy. Here you clearly notice: Machines like the GS3 from La Marzocco or the Victoria Arduino Prima are much better suited with their gastro components.
High power consumption but good eco mode alternative
In the warm-up hour with five espresso shots, the Cinquantotto consumes 0.38kW/h. That's quite a lot. An Ascaso Steel Duo PID consumes a quarter of that at 0.09 kW/h. After 90 minutes of non-use, the Cinquantotto then automatically switches to Eco mode and shuts down.
A test on the subject of power consumption and eco mode coming soon will give the tip to turn off a machine right after extraction if no espresso is expected to be brewed for the next two hours. The Rocket R Cinquantotto allows additional options through control via the display. For example, two time windows per day can be programmed when the machine should turn on and off again. Very practical and especially effective for an espresso machine that takes a good 25 minutes to heat up. That 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 pay for itself over many years. The manufacturer Rocket builds solid machines for half an eternity. In part, other manufacturers still need to prove this, those who build cheaper machines with equivalent espresso performance.
Nevertheless, the question remains what justifies an investment in a Cinquantotto, even if the view is only directed at your own home with Mozzafiato and Appartamento.
The temperature stability of the Appartamento is nearly equivalent. The Mozzafiato is equally on the go and can also be controlled via PID in the temperature range, although the warm-up time was longer in our test. The significant difference in the Cinquantotto's temperature individuality comes into play especially when temperature is to be used for brewing. However, here the sluggishness is an obstacle, even if the display suggests flexibility. In practice, you will probably adjust the temperature slightly for a bag of espresso and thus achieve an even better result in the cup. But we're in heights of sensory assessment ability that we as coffee sensory professionals rarely go in everyday life.
In my view, the R Cinquantotto is rather not suitable for baristas who simultaneously have different espressos open and want to serve one guest one profile and another guest another. For this there are significantly better espresso machines that, like the Decent Espresso, also allow different pressure and flow profiles in addition to temperature adjustment.
