Talk Coffee Blog — 2024-03-31

Rocket Espresso Appartamento TCA as my daily driver - first thoughts

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 1. **Looks good in the metal.** Better than the marketing photos suggest. 2. **Quieter pump.** With this example at least, the pump is better isolated. It's noticeably quieter than the average vanilla Appartamento. 3. **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. 4. **Good, strong steam.** Around 10 seconds to 65°C with a 300ml jug. 5. **Improved drip tray.** It extends further from the body (handy when backflushing) and no longer contains a step, so capacity is improved. 6. **Steam and hot water valves.** A HUGE pro. The anatomy of these has finally changed - the valve bodies are now longer a