# Any Isomac owners?



## bz99s (May 30, 2012)

Hi,

Looking to upgrade to expobar dB however also considering an Isomac Tea PID. I appreciate one is dB and the other is hx, however either would suit my needs. I like the idea of dB for consistency without the need to flush.

Plumbing in is an option so it wouldn't be too much of an issue for regular flushing.

The only downside to the tea is the suppliers- one being an eBay chap for just under a grand from Italy and the other being coffee Italia for £1010. I know aftersales would be an issue however I am fairly competent with all the advice you guys could give me should there be a minor issue and there is a local company who serviced my old Bezzera.

Does anyone have a Tea Pid- it states it a 2015 model however I believe that is the Tea 3. Not a great deal of reviews online for this revision. Are there any owners who can comment on model or brand?

Thanks.


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## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

I have an Isomac Tea v1 and am very happy with it. It uses a pressurestat rather than a PID but then again I'm not entirely sure how a PID helps on a HX machine other than allows the water temp to be easily adjusted between beans rather than having to delve inside and adjust the stat? My feeling is that the "PID" is more od a marketing statement, i.e. the public see a PID as meaning it's a better machine.

I think in general most people would say a DB is probably 'better' than an HX, but at the end of the day it all comes down to cost. I picked up my TEA second hand for a relatively cheap price (~£300), I doubt I'd have picked the Isomac if I had more money and so more choice. Not that there is anything wrong with the Isomac, it's just not the prettiest of looking machines. One thing that has always struck me as an advantage of the HX over a dB is that the brew water is always "fresh" and hasn't been left sitting in the boiler.

I would think ANY company that services espresso machine would be able to service an Isomac. All these machines are pretty similar in nature and agricultural in their design. Ferrari Espresso sells Isomac parts and will service them. They aren't the cheapest supplier but I've always had excellent customer service from them: http://www.ferrari-espresso.com/


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## bz99s (May 30, 2012)

Thanks. Just bit the bullet and ended up ordering a Bezzera Mitica. I hated the constant researching and I am now just looking forward to getting my hands on it.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Congrats, Bezzera is a fantastic manufacturer and its a beautiful machine.


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## Eyedee (Sep 13, 2010)

What made you choose that over the Exposer DB.

Ian


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Eyedee said:


> What made you choose that over the Exposer DB.
> 
> Ian


Exposer ....Its more " flashy..."


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## bz99s (May 30, 2012)

It wasn't an easy decision. I did like the idea of a dual boiler with pid. I kind of got fixated on the idea that having a PID with constant temp would be the best thing for me however I preferred the look of the Bezzera and I know how much of a work horse they can be since being given one that came out of storage years ago. Its just a shame I didn't persevere with learning how to use it instead of selling it and getting to grips with the basics on a gaggia classic.

A lot of my final decision was down to my needs- an hx fulfilled my needs and the Mitica has a large 2 litre boiler and 4 litre tank. The latter being useful for the cooling flushes as I have ultimately decided not to plumb in, which is no longer an option for me.


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## Eyedee (Sep 13, 2010)

My question was pure curiosity, congratulations on a great buy.

Ian


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## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

Congratulations. Lovely looking machine.

I'd recommend looking into getting one of "Eric's" E61 Thermometer for it as they take a lot of the guess work out understanding how long to flush and wait etc.

You can get them direct form Eric Svendson : http://users.rcn.com/erics/Pricing_Inventory_Ordering.pdf

or from Chris Coffee : http://www.chriscoffee.com/E61-Group-Digital-Thermometer-Adapter-p/sss-04.htm


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## bz99s (May 30, 2012)

Thanks.

I have heard of this thermometer, i presume no one

knows of a uk supplier as a search reveals nothing?

I'll do some experimenting first before spending any more cash!


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## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

No. No UK supplier. You can buy them direct form Eric but the postage costs and import costs do push the price up. I did a mini bulk buy of 5 of them a few months ago and I seem to remember they ended up costing about £85 each. It might be worth posting a message on the "Wanted" forum to see if anyone has one they are willing to sell.

If you do get one seconds hand be careful when fitting it as when fitting them for the second time you should tighten them as much as the instructions state for an initial install. This is because the ferrules will have already been deformed. In fact if you do get one second hand let me know as I have a few spare "new" ferrules that Eric sent me as part of my order.


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