Breville Dual Boiler vs Rocket Appartamento: Should You Go With The Popular Or The “Underground” Brand?

I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Read more

Are you hurrying to retire your old Breville or Delonghi espresso machine? Check out the debate of Breville Dual Boiler vs Rocket Appartamento! These are 2 formidable options for mid-range machines with advanced brewing technologies. But with just some quick investigation and a few test brews, I can already pick Breville Dual Boiler as the true winner.

The Breville Dual Boiler is the more worthwhile of the two products. Any home barista can use it thanks to its simple interface that doesn’t take much time to get acquainted with. Additionally, it has low-pressure pre-infusion, automated flow-stop, and PID temperature control. Users can rest assured of a perfect brewing temperature with the dual boiler. This machine is for you if you appreciate experimenting with a quality espresso machine.

Rocket Appartamento is a very handsome machine. It has a great industrial style with a polished stainless steel frame and cup tray. It froths milk fairly quickly and can get a very creamy texture for the perfect latte. However, I don’t find the features worthy of its price tag, especially when it doesn’t come with any special temperature control technology or advanced heating system.

Breville Dual Boiler vs Rocket Appartamento: Comparison Char

Image
The Winner (#1)
Breville BES920XL Dual Boiler Espresso Machine,84 oz, Brushed Stainless Steel
THE RUNNER-UP (#2)
Rocket Espresso Appartamento Espresso Machine, Red
Model
Breville Dual Boiler
Rocket Appartamento
Dimensions
14.7 x 14.8 x 14.7 Inches
10.8 x 16.7 x 14.2 inches
Capacity
81.2 oz
84.5 oz
Material
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel
Color
Brushed Stainless Steel
Stainless steel
Weight
30 Pounds
44.1 Pounds
Power
1700W
1350W
Adjustable shot temperature
Optimal Water Pressure
Fully-automatic machine
Heating system
Dual boiler
Heat-exchange boiler
Airy milk foam
PID controller
LCD Display
Brew and froth at the same time
Interface
Buttons and rotary knob
Switches and rotary knobs
What I like
Price
Price not available
Price not available
The Winner (#1)
Image
Breville BES920XL Dual Boiler Espresso Machine,84 oz, Brushed Stainless Steel
Model
Breville Dual Boiler
Dimensions
14.7 x 14.8 x 14.7 Inches
Capacity
81.2 oz
Material
Stainless Steel
Color
Brushed Stainless Steel
Weight
30 Pounds
Power
1700W
Adjustable shot temperature
Optimal Water Pressure
Fully-automatic machine
Heating system
Dual boiler
Airy milk foam
PID controller
LCD Display
Brew and froth at the same time
Interface
Buttons and rotary knob
What I like
Price
Price not available
More info
THE RUNNER-UP (#2)
Image
Rocket Espresso Appartamento Espresso Machine, Red
Model
Rocket Appartamento
Dimensions
10.8 x 16.7 x 14.2 inches
Capacity
84.5 oz
Material
Stainless steel
Color
Stainless steel
Weight
44.1 Pounds
Power
1350W
Adjustable shot temperature
Optimal Water Pressure
Fully-automatic machine
Heating system
Heat-exchange boiler
Airy milk foam
PID controller
LCD Display
Brew and froth at the same time
Interface
Switches and rotary knobs
What I like
Price
Price not available
More info

Last update on 2023-05-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Breville Dual Boiler vs Rocket Appartamento: Differences

Breville Dual Boiler wins 3-0 and ties twice against Pocket Appartamento. It boasts a very abundant set of technologies that make sure the brewing temperature and process are as optimized as possible. On the other hand, Rocket Appartamento appears too overpriced with its simplistic features.

Espresso extraction

Winner: Breville Dual Boiler

Brewing technologies

Breville Dual Boiler comes with these brewing techniques:

  • PID temperature control
  •  Automatic flow-stop with adjustable brewing volume and temperature
  •  15 bars pump pressure that extracts at 9 bars
  •  Pressure gauge
  • Low-pressure pre-infusion
  •  One-touch espresso and double espresso
Breville Dual Boiler boasts low-pressure pre-infusion
Breville Dual Boiler boasts low-pressure pre-infusion

These are the techniques that assist the machine in the entire brewing process. And I have been able to extract very rich and full-bodied espresso shots with velvety crema with this device. In addition, the PID temperature controller allows as minimum temp fluctuation as possible, ensuring consistent flavor quality. The machine also is fully-automatic, which is what I’m looking for with its price tag.

As for Rocket Appartamento, besides the same vibratory pump that it uses to extract espresso, no especially advanced technology supports the extraction in the long run. Right now, the flavor and crema are good, but the quality will wear off quicker than Breville Dual Boiler.

Heating element

With a dual boiler system, Breville Dual Boiler can minimize the temperature fluctuation between brewing and frothing sessions, given that each action has a dedicated heating compartment. As for Rocket Appartamento, it is designed with a heat-exchange boiler that functions the same way a dual boiler system does, just with lower efficiency. With this pair, you can extract espresso and froth milk simultaneously to save time.

Milk frothing

Tie

Both machines can froth quality milk foam, with Rocket Appartamento foaming slightly quicker. To froth dry foam for cappuccino, it takes Rocket Appartamento about 30-35s while Breville Dual Boiler needs about 45s. The difference isn’t much, and both foam quickly, so I don’t consider Breville Dual Boiler on the lower ground in this round of comparison.

Texture-wise, this pair is diverse. You can make steamed milk for flat white or dry foam for latte macchiato with both of them. I have nothing to complain about in this regard.

Rocket Appartamento can froth foam very quickly
Rocket Appartamento can froth foam very quickly

Interface

Winner: Breville Dual Boiler

Breville Dual Boiler’s interface is easier to navigate. Thanks to its illustration and instruction, I find it more well-organized, with a clear purpose for each button. As for Rocket Appartamento, it comes with switches, lever, and dial knobs scattered over the entire frame of the device. The accessibility is less convenient, and it takes a bit of a learning curve to understand the brewing lever and the steam and hot water knobs right.

Cleaning

Tie

To clean these machines, we must purchase some cleaning tablets and a backflush disc, and the process can’t be easier.

Place the backflush disc in the portafilter and the tablet in the middle. Run the machines’ cleaning process, or in the case of Rocket Appartamento, start the brewing like you normally do with coffee grounds. The pump pressure will rush water through the system, which will get blocked by the backflush disc, allowing water to travel back into the system and clean it from any leftover coffee ground or gunk.

Also, these devices come with an alert for cleaning or rinsing. So you should know when it’s time it needs maintenance. But it’s always nice to clean things frequently if you can.

Price and value

Winner: Breville Dual Boiler

With many more advanced technologies like PID temperature control, dual boiler, automatic flow-stop, LCD display with precise timer, etc., Breville Dual Boiler boasts much better price and value with its lower price point than Rocket Appartamento. With the latter’s cost, I can easily get a much better mid-range machine with one-touch beverages and superior brewing performance. Therefore, it’s more worth buying Breville Dual Boiler in this debate.

Breville Dual Boiler vs Rocket Appartamento: Similarities

Don’t skip the similarities between Breville Dual Boiler and Rocket Appartamento because there are 2 things that will greatly affect your home-barista experience.

Simultaneous brewing and frothing

It’s very surprising that both of them can brew and froth simultaneously, overall, because it’s not a very common feature, even for dual heating elements. However, rocket Appartamento is a shocker to me because it is equipped with a heat-exchange boiler, which means it’s a single boiler with special technology. With this system and Breville Dual Boiler’s dual element, this pair allows concurrent brewing of espresso and frothing of milk foam.

Breville Dual Boiler can brew and froth at the same time
Breville Dual Boiler can brew and froth at the same time

Are you trying to serve a large group a round of latte? Or are you simply in a rush to get to work or university? This feature will appear highly convenient when you are in these situations.

58mm portafilter

58mm portafilters aren’t rare in mid-range machines, but not all come with this commercial-style size. With a 58mm portafilter, you can switch up between more variable filter basket sizes, allowing more diverse espresso strengths and flavors. Do you want to open up the opportunity to play around with grind sizes and espresso flavors? It’s possible with these mid-range models.

Quick Rundown Of Breville Dual Boiler

Breville BES920XL Dual Boiler Espresso Machine,84 oz, Brushed Stainless Steel
  • Please refer to user guide or user manual or user guide (provided below in PDF) before first use

Last update on 2023-05-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Pros
  • Delicious and aromatic espresso of barista caliber
  • Precise and programmable temperature controls
  • A stylish and modern appearance
  • Pressure gauge helps keep up with the pump pressure
  • One-touch espresso and double espresso with quality flavor
Cons
  • Quite expensive machine in middle range

Quick Rundown Of Rocket Appartamento

Rocket Espresso Appartamento Espresso Machine, Red
  • Heat Exchange Boiler: A 1.8-liter heat exchange steam boiler allows you to brew espresso and froth milk at the same time.
  • Heated Group Head: A small flow of water off the boiler keeps your machine's group head warm for more consistent shot temps.
  • Small Footprint: The reduced dimensions of the Appartamento suit it for small counters and space-restricted kitchens.
  • Manual Control: Learn to brew all on your own with mechanical steam and brew controls.
  • Three Year Warranty: We're proud to offer three years of parts and labor support for every Rocket machine purchase.

Last update on 2023-05-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Pros
  • Sleek and industrial-looking machine that will shine your kitchen
  • Delicious espresso flavor and aroma
  • Steam pressure gauge for more control over the technical frothing
  • Fast milk frothing for latte in 15s
  • Rinse/clean alert
Cons
  • Overpriced machine
  • Manual control with no automatic flow-stop

Product Video

Related Articles to Breville Dual Boiler

  1. Breville Dual Boiler vs Profitec 300: Are These Machines Worth Their Price Tags? Which One Is The Winner?
  2. Breville Barista Touch vs Dual Boiler: One Is Clearly Better Than The Other!
  3. Breville Dual Boiler vs Barista Pro: Top 3 Main Reasons Why the Dual Boiler Cost More
  4. Breville Dual Boiler vs Infuser Comparison: Which Gives Out More Impressive Performances?
  5. Breville Dual Boiler vs Oracle Review: Comparing 2 Barista-quality Espresso Machines To Determine Which One You Should Go For
  6. Breville Dual Boiler Vs Rancilio Silvia: A Hot Competition For The Coffee Lovers
  7. Breville Dual Boiler Vs Barista Express: A Wonderful Comparision For You
  8. Breville Dual Boiler Vs Rancilio Silvia Pro: Are They Value For Money To Buy?
  9. Breville Oracle Touch Vs Dual Boiler: Which One You Should Choose
  10. Top 7 Best Breville Espresso Machine Reviews

References:

5/5 - (1 vote)

Leave a Comment