Izzo Alex Duetto Review: Sleek, Shiny and Everything Nice!

I just recently learned about the Izzo Alex Duetto IV Plus, and realized I had been sleeping on this prosumer beauty for quite a while now. So, I wrote this Izzo Alex Duetto review to make up for lost time.

This Italian gem is truly a remarkable machine, with a stylish design, durable build and user-friendly interface. I can’t sing its praises enough! So, without further ado, let’s get into it.

Overview: Izzo Alex Duetto Review

Izzo is an Italian company known for producing durable and high quality home espresso machines. As it happens, they also produce commercial espresso machines at their Milan factory, which I imagine is why their prosumer models are so well-built.

Naturally, that brings us to the Izzo Alex Duetto IV Plus. This gorgeous prosumer espresso machine is ideal for homes with several nit-picky coffee people, thanks to its consistent shot quality, durable build and quick recovery time between shots.

In fact, the professional motor, dual boilers and powerful rotary pump mean that this machine could even be used in a low-volume coffee shop or bakery. For a commercial-capable machine, the Alex Duetto’s $2,850 price tag is quite the bargain. That said, it’s definitely expensive for a home machine.

Still, if you have the cash and are serious about good espresso, I’d say the Alex Duetto represents good value for money. Let’s take a look at the build and features to back that claim up, shall we?

First off, the Alex Duetto has a sleek and durable stainless steel body, with other mixed metals thrown into the internal build. Plus, it has impressive thermal stability due to the commercial E61 group head and dual PID controlled copper boilers.

What’s more, this lever action machine has an intuitive user interface and automatic pre-infusion. Incidentally, that means even novice baristas shouldn’t find it too difficult to pull the perfect shot. At the same time, the Alex Duetto has all the features a professional barista longs for.

Of course, it only makes sense to get a premium espresso grinder in order to reach the full potential of the Alex Duetto’s prosumer features.

Izzo Alex Duetto IV Plus Features

Now that you know the basics of this Izzo Alex Duetto review, let’s go over the details.

Size and Design

Let me start with the obvious: the Izzo Alex Duetto IV Plus is absolutely gorgeous. I would even go so far as to say that the aesthetic of this machine is up there with the jaw-dropping Lelit Bianca.

This Izzo espresso machine is replete with shiny stainless steel, sleek lines and a modern vibe. In fact, even beginner baristas would likely feel like a pro just by having this machine in their collection.

I even like the black plastic accents on the portafilter, brew lever and steam and hot water knobs. Sometimes plastic accents can look tacky, but in this case I think they add to the industrial design.

As you can see, I could talk about the Alex Duetto’s looks all day. But I gotta keep this Izzo Alex Duetto review moving!

So, it’s got a stainless steel frame and casing, with some steel, copper and chrome-plated brass making up the internal components. Needless to say, all this metal is quite heavy – 72 pounds (32.6 kilograms) of heft, to be exact.

Due to the weight and dimensions of the Alex Duetto IV Plus, you’ll want to measure your cabinets and counter space before placing your order. After all, this machine isn’t necessarily compact, sitting at 16.5 inches (42 centimeters) tall with a 14.3-inch (36-centimeter) wide footprint and a depth of 17.3 inches (44 centimeters).

On another note, you can choose to operate the Alex Duetto either with the isolated 81-ounce (2.4-liter) water tank or plumbed into your waterline. Naturally, you’ll have to find a location with water line access if you go that route.

Finally, let’s talk cups. The Alex Duetto has a generous 6-inch (15-centimeter) cup clearance, while a cup warmer adorns the top of the machine.

User Interface

Since the Alex Duetto IV is a lever action espresso machine, you won’t see many buttons. Rather, the user interface is composed of the brew lever, steam and hot water knobs, a few switches, a dual manometer and a PID controller.

I’ll break that down a bit more. The dual manometer allows you to monitor the group pressure and steaming pressure, with the ideal ranges marked in green.

Meanwhile, the PID controller consists of a display with a black screen, which you navigate using button arrows.

As far as the switches go, two of them are power switches for the dual boilers. The third switch, hidden behind the drip tray, allows you to switch the water input between the water tank and the water line.

While I’m on the subject, I should mention that the tank has an audible low water sensor that cuts power to the heater when water levels are too low. Alternatively, you can just avoid this whole scenario by plumbing the machine into your water line.

PID Temperature Control

The Izzo Alex Duetto IV Plus wouldn’t be a premium prosumer without a PID controller, now would it?

For the uninitiated, I’ll explain. PID stands for Proportional-Integral-Derivative, but I’ll leave the technical definition for the STEM coffee nerds out there. Instead I’ll focus on what this means for you.

In essence, the PID controller keeps the dual boilers at ideal brewing and steaming temperatures. In fact, the controller in the Alex Duetto allows you to set the temperature yourself with 1 degree precision.

Plus, you can set the coffee and steam boilers separately. Admittedly, I don’t know many home baristas that are nit-picky about their steaming temperature. That said, this feature is useful for brewing tea or making americanos with the hot water dispenser.

What’s more, the display of the PID controller automatically turns into a convenient shot timer when you raise the brew lever to pull a shot.

Dual Boilers

For the espresso connoisseurs who also fancy a milk drink, I’ve got news for you: this baby’s got dual boilers.

In other words, you can steam milk and pull shots at the same time. Plus, with designated coffee and steam boilers you don’t have to worry about any temperature surfing or thermal inconsistency, which can be a problem with single boiler machines. Again, you can adjust the temperature of both boilers using the PID controller.

Even better, the 61-ounce (1.8-liter) steam boiler and 27-ounce (800-milliliter) coffee boiler are quite large and have quick recovery times. So, you can pull shot after shot without missing a beat. As I mentioned, that’s why this Izzo espresso machine would also be well suited for a low-volume shop.

Anyway, the dual boilers are insulated and made of copper, making for great thermal stability. Plus, independent power switches on the side of the machine mean you can turn the steam boiler off when you’re not using it.

Finally, red indicator lights on the machine let you know which boiler is powering up at any given time.

Rotary Pump

With the Alex Duetto, there’s no need to worry about waking the whole house up when you brew your first cuppa: this machine is equipped with a quiet rotary pump.

Well, there’s no helping the screech of a steam wand, so you’ll still want to avoid steaming milk at 5 am. But you get the idea.

Plus, techy espresso nerds will be pleased to know that the over pressure valve (OPV) is super easy to access. Incidentally, adjusting the OPV allows you to calibrate the rotary pump to your ideal brew pressure. If you have no interest in this process, don’t worry – leave the OPV at its default setting and you’ll be just fine.

E61 Group Head

Here’s another prosumer feature for ya: a commercial E61 group head.

As it happens, the group design is great in many ways. For starters, it’s got thermosiphon circulation, which promotes thermal stability by constantly cycling hot water through the group.

Oh, and the material itself also helps out with thermal stability, seeing as the group head is constructed with chrome-plated brass. That said, the group also has some stainless steel parts, including the gicluer valve and mushroom.

Moving on, the E61 group is equipped with a 3 way solenoid valve, which releases pressure from the group head after brewing. Plus, this has the added benefit of preventing a soupy mess in your portafilter.

Finally, the Alex Duetto features automatic pre-infusion, which pre-wets the coffee bed at low pressure before increasing the group pressure for full extraction.

Portafilter

In some ways, the portafilter is the most important part of a home espresso machine. After all, it’s where the magic happens!

The Alex Duetto comes with two magic-makers: a single spout portafilter and split portafilter. I would’ve liked to see a bottomless portafilter too, but alas; you’ll have to buy your own if you want to get those Insta-worthy pour videos.

Like the group head, the 58-millimeter portafilters are made of chrome-plated brass. Along with two brew baskets, you also get a stainless steel backflushing blank for cleaning the group head. I’ll talk more about cleaning a bit later in this Izzo Alex Duetto review.

What’s more, the portafilter has an ergonomic and angled handle, making tamping and pulling shots even easier. Plus, the black plastic handle seems like it would be comfortable to hold.

Finally, given the quality of the portafilter, it only makes sense that Izzo provides you with a quality espresso tamper, free of charge.

That’s right, you won’t find a flimsy plastic 2-in-1 coffee scoop and tamper when you unbox this machine! Rather, the Alex Duetto includes a high quality metal tamper.

As it happens, it doesn’t come with a coffee scoop at all – plastic or otherwise. So, you’ll have to rely on a trusty coffee scale to dose your espresso beans.

Steam Wand

It should come as no surprise that this dual boiler espresso machine prioritizes milk steaming. Consequently, the Izzo Alex Duetto has a stylish stainless steel steam wand. 

The steam wand comes with both a 2 hole tip and a 4 hole tip, so you can use whichever suits your milk foam preferences.

What’s more, the steam wand’s no-burn construction means you can steam milk without having to worry about burning your fingertips. Incidentally, this design isn’t unique to Izzo espresso machines, but it’s still a nice touch.

How to Use the Izzo Alex Duetto IV Plus

First thing’s first: if you want to use the Izzo Alex Duetto, you’ll need to practice a bit of patience.

This is because it takes 30 to 45 minutes for the machine to fully preheat and reach a stable temperature. I know that’s a long time, but I promise it’s worth it if you want your first shot of the day to be as good as your last.

Plus, by the time the machine is preheated, any cappuccino cups you have sitting on the cup warmer will be toasty warm and ready for some ‘spro.

Anyway, to make a cappuccino with the Alex Duetto IV Plus, turn the boilers on using the power switches on the side of the machine. After 30 to 45 minutes of waiting, you can do your puck prep as usual.

Grind your desired dose into the portafilter, then distribute and tamp with even pressure. Next, tare an espresso cup on your coffee scale. After all, the Alex Duetto doesn’t have any volumetric dosing, so you’ll need to pull your shots manually.

Secure your portafilter in the group head, then place the cup and scale on the drip tray. Raise the brew lever to start pulling the shot, then lower it again when the shot has reached your desired specs.

If you’re good at multitasking, you can even steam your milk while the shot pulls. As always, remember to start with cold milk and to purge the steam wand before and after steaming. Then, pour some cool latte art and show off to your fellow coffee friends!

Izzo Alex Duetto Cleaning

I’ve got a little secret for you: cleaning and descaling coffee makers doesn’t have to be a huge chore.

On the contrary, if you read through the guide I’ve linked above, you’ll see that keeping your espresso machine squeaky-clean is super easy. At least once you’ve made a habit out of it.

Fortunately, Izzo has included a stainless steel backflush blank to get you started. Any professional barista knows that it’s good practice to regularly backflush an espresso machine, and it’s no different with home machines.

After all, backflushing with or without cleaning powder is an easy way to rinse the group head, shower screen and gaskets. I’d recommend spending a few bucks on a cleaning brush and a couple of microfiber towels to help you out with this process.

What’s more, you’ll want to wipe any milk residue off the steam wand after steaming milk, then purge the wand to keep the tip holes clear. But again, this whole process is pretty simple and will take less than a minute. When the trade-off of this chore is fresh-tasting espresso every day, I’d say that’s well worth it!

Izzo Alex Duetto Technical Specifications

Verdict: Izzo Alex Duetto Review

Now that I’ve reached the end of this Izzo Alex Duetto review, I can say with confidence that I would be more than happy with this machine as my daily driver.

This machine is well-made, makes cafe-worthy espresso and should last for years to come. Besides, the Alex Duetto would look just gorgeous on my kitchen counter. How could I say no?