COFFEE
Rocket have made a bit of a name of themselves in the prosumer market, in fact they have become the leading international brand in high end domestic espresso machines. Fact.
Back in 2017 they brought out the original Appartamento, with it's bold and off piste twist on design that really took the market by storm. They took what was essentially a simple Heat Exchanger design, an E61 group head and a leva controller (done by themselves before and other brands many times), but framed it in a beautiful case with an aesthetic like never before.
Seven years on, they finally released the next generation of the original Appartamento, the TCA. And it's fair to say they have done an exceptional job on pushing it to the next level, considering both features and of course, looks.
Here's all the key information you would want to know if you are considering buying a TCA as a first machine or as an upgrade.
Out the box:
The very first thing we noticed is that Rocket have added a very slick / creative change to their boxes. There are now three plastic circles (with a catch) at the bottom of the box, which when turned releases the whole top of the box from the base, allowing you to access the machine without needing to lift it out of the whole box, making it so much easier to un-open. Neat touch.
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Once out the actual box, the machine comes in it's usual Rocket branded cover with a pull tie for removing. Once removed you get the instant WOW factor of the new design, and it's very impressive.
Initial thoughts on looks:
This version is the Black / Black option, which is a powder coated machine, with the inner panels (behind the circle cut outs) also being black, creating a very slick aesthetic that is the first of it's kind, and extremely well designed.
It's noticeably narrower in width, and looks slightly less bulky than the original design, which we think works really well.
The overall machine is much more 'branded', with a large vertical ROCKET logo coming directly down the middle of the back of the machine.
| The E61 group head has been changed in design, with a more pointed angle to the metal connection between the group and the boiler. |
The portafilter is at more of a lowering angle (lower towards you), with a remodelled handle that feels nice to use. |
Overall it looks very high end, amazing finish and a considerable upgrade on the original.
Key changes:
The TCA retails for about £250 more than the original, so what do you get for your extra spend?
1) Firstly, there is a new V-shaped group head. This is still an E61 with the same design and ability around stable brew temperature.
2) It contains an adjustment mechanism for Boiler pressure (and knock on temperature control) adjustment offering: low (0.9bar), med (1bar), high (1.1bar), very high (1.2bar). This adjustment is made via the programming mode using group lever and indicator lamp to cycle though menu options and confirm selections.
> Parameters that can be adjusted are boiler pressure (and therefore brew temp), and ECO Mode On/Off.
3) The TCA has received an updated portafilter design that is more ergonomic and functional.
4) It has a vastly improved chassis construction over the previous generation of Appartamento that is much stronger.
5) The water reservoir level sensor has been upgraded to the new style on par with the version in the R58 aka Cinquantotto.
The aesthetic:
Aesthetically the TCA is a bit of a masterpiece. In classic Rocket style, they have found a way of making the simple things beautiful, with fine lines and connections being clean and uber professional.
Even though Rocket have added a range of new control features, they have done it in a way that is neat and hidden, and not in any way infringing on the overall look of the machine itself. Sometimes things like PID's can make the clean image of the actual machine look a little ugly, but in this case, Rocket have added some neat stuff and retained a super minimalist look, with style on tap.
Compared to similar models:
The TCA is a slick looking HX machine, but with a hack that achieves the bonus of temperature and pressure control. The only other machine that can achieve this in this range is the Profitec PRO400.
The two machines are technically very similar, as the PRO400 also jumps between 3 set temperatures (Low, Med, High) via a switch at the base of the machine. However, the designs and price are where they stand a fair way apart. The PRO400 sits around £1300, while the TCA is a higher £1600, which is mainly down to the higher spec / finish of the Rocket TCA. It's like comparing a VW and an Audi.
Conclusion:
The TCA is an insanely good pro-sumer espresso machine with style in spades. It's technically very strong, with some amazing features, but ones that are easy to use and provide a very technical and advanced machine, in a format that can be used by people at different levels of technical ability.
We consider the TCA to be a another Rocket masterpiece, that will be sure to become another classic in their range before you know it.
We current have stock of three versions that we feel represent the best of the range, including:
