Ascaso Steel DUO PID Espresso Machine 9-Month Review and Tips

Though in the voiceover, I said "6 month review," it's actually been 9 months since I've had and been using this espresso machine. And I am quite happy with it! Though I received it as part of some paid work for Espresso Parts, I do think the ~$1800 USD price tag is worth it! Hopefully my video helps you decide that for yourself. Also, I do have a 10% affiliate discount code, if that helps at all 😅

Affiliate Discount Code "LEENA" works at:

*Some links above are affiliate. I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Intro and Features Overview - 0:00
Differences from Barista Pro - 4:25
20 Amps/Power - 5:50
What's in the Box - 6:26
Ease of Use/Programming - 8:05
DUO Ability - 12:00
Steam Power - 12:44
Portafilters/Baskets - 16:06
Cons/Annoyances - 18:14
Discounts/Help - 21:30

[melbm]

Just a little tip: to access the menu on the display, you don’t actually have to push both buttons at the same time. You can press the right one first, and then the left one as well while keeping the right button pressed.

[gailoakley]

You always make great videos, especially when reviewing a product. You go into every detail of the product and explain everything so throughly, and your voice is so calming too. Hoping that you will do a review on the Allground Grinder. Thank you for doing this review.❤️

[Jeremy-kgzr]

The tip about programming a "dummy" long shot so that you can just flip the lever to start the shot pull, and then flip it again to stop it, is a game changer! I'm really interested in the Ascaso Uno, but am pretty turned off by the auto timed shot aspect. You just fixed it. Also nice to know that the branding on the front is easily removable. I think it would look a lot cleaner and less tacky/gaudy without it, given that they put their branding on the machine Three times within ~6" on the front. Thank you for the fantastic review, and the pro-tip!

[razashah]

Looking at this and the rancilio pro dual and I'm leaning towards the rancilio. Thanks for the detailed review. I was trying to keep count of how many times your nails changed colour😂

[TDtheGreenMD]

Thanks for your great review! I bought a prosumer expensive machine with double boiler. It arrived broken to my house. I was going to get the same machine again, but then saw your video on this Ascaso. I ordered one from Ascaso website with your discount code and so glad I got this type of Thermoblock machine instead!

[_native_backlogged_Gamecat]

Congrats for the great video, best ever watched around here🎉
Thanks for the useful info, I most likely will pair it with an atom w65 grinder soon

[Mx-Er]

my machine is supposed to arrive tomorrow. your video made me look forward to it even more. thanks! :)

[JacobBumgarner]

This was a wonderful review. Thank you!

[dom]

Great video! Thanks for the insights with the volumetrics progamming and possibility to stop the shot manually when using a scale 🙌

[veetour]

Great review. The filming and information highlighted a great espresso machine.

[HeshamHafez]

Professional, detailed and to the point 👏

[MartK-]

Thanks for the info. Did you discover or buy anything to stop (or dampen) the shaking and rattling?

[RajNotTelling]

Firstly. Thank you for giving us such enjoyable and informative video’s, you’re quite entertaining too.
I just wanted to talk about the migration from a 54mm non-pressurised filter basket to a 58mm non-pressurised filter basket.
The 54mm baskets, due to their depths, can be quite forgiving, for somebody who’s a novice to the espresso world, who wishes to hone their skills, or not.
The learning curve, though a little intimidating and daunting, is manageable for most, with results in the cup ranging from awful to particularly good, depending on skill and experience.
Whereas, with a 58mm basket, it is possible to achieve those great to excellent/fantastic shots, though the slightest error in puck prep can still lead to awful/mediocre shots.
Just over a year ago I upgraded from a Sage/Breville Bambino Plus to a Rancillio Silvia Pro X, though I have kept my original manual grinder, a 1Zpresso J-Max.
I certainly would not have been able to make the leap without honing my barista/puck-prep skills on the 54mm Breville/Sage Bambino Plus.
I made the decision towards a Rancillio, as I was a little fed up with the serviceability and expected service life of the Sage/Breville machines, although the Breville/Sage Dual Boiler was always at the back of my mind.
With all that being said, I sorely miss the 3sec warm up brew and stream time!
20mins to fully warm the group head and portafilter can seem like an eternity when you have a sore head after the night before…
The Ascaso was a consideration with the thermoblock heating system.

Thank you for sharing your experiences on your barista journey with us all.😀

[shamiskhamis]

Thanks for this video I really learned a lot from you and I appreciate your effort 💯

[aloogawooga]

Been looking at this machine for MONTHS and I really appreciate the review. One question though, how's the performance for pulling back to back shots? Does the brew temp drop? Is the steam strong enough to handle multiple steams? I plan on having this as my first machine and I want something that can last me a good while. Much thanks!

[DigitalicaEG]

I’m considering upgrading to this, but I’m coming from a 54mm basket size Breville machine. I’ve invested quite heavily over the years into accessories and filter baskets…etc which I’ll have to rebuy for this machine if I do go for it. I already have a very decent grinder as I’ve listened to most people’s advice on always upgrading the grinder first which was really a huge step up in coffee taste indeed. But now I’m wondering if I’ll taste anything of a difference between it and my Breville 54mm. Thoughts?

[westcoastbestcoast]

Thanks for the detailed review! I have the barista pro, had it for about 2 years. If you had to buy the ascaso, do you think you'd be happy with your upgrade over the barista pro? My main problem currently is I often have my family come visit (I'm not originally from the US) for long periods of time, so sometimes I'm making 4 flat White's each morning for a month at a time and not being able to steam my milk while I'm pouring a shot drives me a little crazy and takes my enjoyment away. But, it's a lot of money to spend on an upgrade....

[tower]

Thank you for the video! Im a BBP customer thanks to your content. I do have a question, how’s the expresso flavour vs the BBP? Can you get better tasting expresso (all things being equal)? Is the better machine and price difference worth the upgrade? Thanks!

[AnotherAnonymousMan]

Fantastic review! Now I wanna know about that grinder you got there... o_o

[KenTen-bk]

Appreciate the detailed review. So all in all, is upgrading to an Ascaso from a Breville Barista Pro worth it? I was hoping you'll mention the coffee quality difference.