Quick Mill · Heat exchangerRubino Plus (0981P)
A compact E61 heat-exchanger with PID, an OLED shot timer, programmable pre-infusion, and a dual pressure gauge — Italian-made in the same tight footprint as the base Rubino, now with more instrumentation for the data-minded home barista.
The short version
The Rubino Plus fits a proper HX workflow with an E61 group and genuine PID into one of the narrowest stainless chassis at this price point.
Accept that it is still a vibratory-pump tank-only machine with the classic cooling-flush routine, and that the dual-gauge and OLED add control without adding boiler sophistication.
Why people buy it
- Genuinely narrow at 26.5 cm wide — one of the most compact E61 HX machines on the market
- PID plus OLED shot timer and programmable pre-infusion on an HX is unusual at this price tier
Why they don’t
- Vibratory pump: quieter than bare vibe, but not silent like a rotary — mornings are announced
The full tally
- Genuinely narrow at 26.5 cm wide — one of the most compact E61 HX machines on the market
- PID plus OLED shot timer and programmable pre-infusion on an HX is unusual at this price tier
- Dual gauge (boiler and pump pressure) gives real-time feedback most HX competitors in this bracket omit
- Quick Mill's exclusive pulsor on the vibratory pump measurably reduces noise and pressure ripple
- Vibratory pump: quieter than bare vibe, but not silent like a rotary — mornings are announced
- No plumb-in option; tank-only means water discipline and regular descaling are entirely on the owner
- HX cooling-flush ritual is still required before each shot despite the PID — the PID controls boiler temp, not brew-water temp directly
What the community knows
Years of owner threads, distilled — well regarded.
Proven Italian HX platform with genuine durability and parts availability in EU/UK/AU markets, but North American obscurity and limited PID Plus aftermarket discussion keep it under-recommended despite solid value and 4mm+ build quality — owners who find it report excellent…
Built to last
years before you outgrow or replace it
Value
price-to-performance the community respects
Reliability
shows up every morning, year after year
All 9 community measures
price-to-performance the community respects
shows up every morning, year after year
parts and repairs — you are never stranded
mods, guides, and community know-how around it
kind to first-timers
years before you outgrow or replace it
how far the cup can go, per dollar
speed and simplicity, day to day
Worth knowing before you buy — Most North American buyers end up researching Rancilio Silvia Pro or Lelit Victoria in this bracket instead, even though Rubino Plus offers comparable shot ceiling and better serviceability in actual Italian dealer networks.
The measurements
Scored 0–5 on the same rubric as everything on file — the words matter more than the numbers.
The measurements
0–5, one rubric- Shot ceiling
- serious3.5
- Steam power
- confident3.5
- Built to last
- durable4
- Easy daily
- demanding1.5
Position in the market
Every dot is a rival, measured the same way. The gold one is this.
- Mid-pack for shot ceiling
- a higher ceiling than 109 of the 237 machines we’ve measured
- You pay for this one
- 38% of machines this capable cost more
- Upper half for build
- sturdier than 56% of the field, by the community’s own record
Every dot is a machine measured on the same rubric. See the whole market
Living with it
The part spec sheets skip: counter space, upkeep, and what owners learn later.
The honest note — Owners wanting rotary-pump quiet, plumbing, or genuine dual-boiler brew/steam independence typically step to a Quick Mill Andreja Premium or Vetrano 2B, or cross-shop ECM Synchronika / Profitec Pro 600 at the next tier.
The full spec sheet
- Type
- Heat exchanger (HX)
- Heat-up time
- ~15 min
- Steam power
- 3.5/5
- Brew + steam at once
- Yes
- Guest recovery
- 3/5
- Shot quality ceiling
- 3.5/5
- PID temperature control
- Yes
- Milk system
- Manual steam wand
- Removable brew group
- No
- Hot-water tap
- Yes
- Cup clearance
- 10 cm
- Workflow demand
- 3.5/5
- Maintenance
- 3/5
- Noise
- 3/5
- Build longevity
- 4/5
- Dimensions
- 26.5 × 45 × 36.5 cm
Before it arrives
What completes this machine — the faded pieces can wait.
Descaler & backflush kit — Electric boilers scale up and grouts gunk up — a descaler plus backflush routine is what keeps the machine alive for a decade.
- Descaler & backflush kit — Electric boilers scale up and grouts gunk up — a descaler plus backflush routine is what keeps the machine alive for a decade.
- Coffee scale with timer — Espresso is a ratio. A 0.1g scale with a built-in timer is the single biggest consistency upgrade for any manual machine.
- Knock box — Somewhere to bang the spent puck that is not your kitchen bin.
- Calibrated tamper — The bundled tamper is usually an afterthought; a fitted, calibrated one makes prep repeatable.
- WDT distribution tool — Breaks up clumps before tamping — a cheap fix for channeling on any portafilter machine.
- Espresso cups & glassware — Proper demitasse and latte glasses keep the drink hot and look the part.
Feed it right
Week one is dial-in — and stale beans will lose it.
Coffee more than a few weeks past roast won’t extract predictably, and a new machine gets blamed for it. A machine in this class will show you the difference between roast dates — it deserves beans that change week to week.
Pick your coffee — any of these dials in beautifully here:
Sergio - Brazillian Fazenda Joia Rara Aerobic FermentedSCA 88Medium-light · Cerrado Mineiro · Aerobic FermentedHoney · OrangeEnough brightness to show what this gear can separate.CA$29.18 · roasted to order
Honeycrest - Costa Rican Volcán AzulSCA 87Medium-light · West Valley · Red HoneyRaisins · Maple SyrupEnough brightness to show what this gear can separate.CA$19.50 · roasted to order
Wild Ember - Ethiopian Buno Dambi UddoSCA 92Medium roast · Odo Shakiso, Guji Zone, Oromia · NaturalBlueberry · MarmaladeEnough brightness to show what this gear can separate.CA$26.83 · roasted to orderNo proper grinder yet? Sort that first — it decides more of the cup than the machine does. We ship whole bean, roast-dated, timed so it lands fresh the week your burrs do.
Roasted to order, daily, in Ajax, Ontario · ships Canada-wide. We’re the roastery behind this database — measuring the machines is how we make sure the coffee gets a fair shot.
On film
How it runs on camera, from around the community.
Common questions
What does the Rubino Plus add over the base Rubino?
The Plus adds PID temperature control, an OLED display showing temperature, shot timer, and water level, programmable pre-infusion and eco mode, and a second pump-pressure gauge alongside the boiler gauge. The footprint and boiler size stay the same.
Does the Rubino Plus still need a cooling flush?
Yes. The PID regulates the boiler's steam-side temperature, but the HX architecture still delivers water that is hotter than brew target through the exchanger. A short cooling flush before each shot is required to bring brew-water temperature down to the extraction sweet spot — this is inherent to all HX machines regardless of PID.
Can the Rubino Plus be plumbed in?
No. It is a tank-only machine with a 3-litre reservoir and a low-water sensor. There is no provision for a direct water line.
What grinder should I pair with the Rubino Plus?
At minimum a dedicated espresso grinder with stepless or fine-stepped adjustment — a Eureka Mignon Specialita or equivalent. A Niche Zero or DF64 suits a single-dose workflow well. The PID and shot timer make precise dialing-in worthwhile, so skimping on the grinder wastes the machine's capability.
Is the boiler copper or stainless steel?
The Quick Mill manufacturer page for the Rubino Plus specifies a 1.8 L insulated stainless heat exchanger boiler. Some retailers and reviews of the base Rubino (0981) describe a copper boiler. There may be a material difference between the Plus and the base model, or the manufacturer updated the spec. Verify with your dealer before purchase.
Worth comparing
Rocket Espresso
Giotto FAST (2025)
Rocket's 2025 redesign of its iconic Giotto, now with an actively heated E61 group that cuts warm-up to around 12 minutes — without abandoning the insulated 1.8L copper HX boiler and rotary or vibratory pump options that made the line.
US$2,400–3,100 · CA$4,595–4,995
Izzo
Vivi PID
A compact, hand-assembled Italian HX machine built around an E61 group, 1.8L insulated copper boiler, and PID shot-timer display — more machine than its footprint suggests.
US$1,600–2,000
Profitec
Pro 400
The most compact machine in Profitec's lineup packs a full E61 group, 1.6-liter stainless HX boiler, three preset boiler temperatures, and switchable pre-infusion into a 9-inch-wide chassis — genuine prosumer hardware at a price well below dual-boiler territory.
US$1,599–1,699 · CA$2,210–2,700
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