So I am a week in with the daily driver TCA on my bench and it's been an interesting journey. Here are some initial rough and dirty thoughts on the experience so far.
Context: This machine followed a souped up gear pump Linea Mini and a custom Faema President - two of the best machines I have ever used.
Pros
- Looks good in the metal. Better than the marketing photos suggest.
- Quieter pump. With this example at least, the pump is better isolated. It's noticeably quieter than the average vanilla Appartamento.
- Excellent coffee. Throw medium roast at it and the coffee has been excellent. I am not in any way feeling let down in the cup.
- Good, strong steam. Around 10 seconds to 65°C with a 300ml jug.
- Improved drip tray. It extends further from the body (handy when backflushing) and no longer contains a step, so capacity is improved.
- Steam and hot water valves. A HUGE pro. The anatomy of these has finally changed - the valve bodies are now longer and it's no longer possible to scratch the front panel of the machine with the wands.
Cons
- Chassis material. The chassis appears to be galvanised (Rocket calls it Magnelis® - a corrosion-resistant zinc-aluminium alloy). It had already gained a water mark before we received it, and it is not coming off. Rocket has traditionally powder-coated their chassis and this feels like a build cost saving.
- Plastic tank cradle. The stainless steel tank cradle of previous models has been replaced with plastic. This feels like a step backwards.
- The new handles. Personal taste - but I miss the more ergonomic profile of the older portafilter handle design.
Pro or Con?
The switch to Magnelis® for the chassis is interesting. On paper, it's a corrosion-resistant coating. In practice, it marks easily and those marks are permanent. Whether this is a dealbreaker depends entirely on how you keep your bench.
In Summary
The TCA is a well-performing machine at a competitive price point. The coffee is excellent and the usability improvements (steam wands, drip tray) are meaningful. The material and component downgrades are real, but they don't affect the espresso.
If you're coming from an older Appartamento or a comparable HX machine, you'll feel at home immediately. If you're comparing against the current field at similar price points - we'd encourage you to come in and pull shots on a few options.
To be continued…