Rocket Espresso Giotto and Mozzafiato FAST Review

Rocket Espresso has been hard at work to reinvigorate their line of home E61 group espresso machines and in-fact the actual E61 itself. In 2024, Rocket Espresso released an updated version of their iconic Appartamento Espresso machine, the Appartamento TCA which was the first to feature this new group design. Now in 2025 Rocket’s dynamic duo, the Giotto and Mozzafiato are taking their turn and showing us the true intent behind the new design.

Rocket’s New E61

Rocket didn’t bury the lead with their new Giotto and Mozzafiato FAST machines and neither will I. FAST refers to the new actively heated E61 group, which features an embedded heating element and temperature probe. It’s no secret that the heat-up times (or perhaps more specifically the time it takes for the group and portafilter temperature to stabilize) has been criticized by some and used to prognosticate the doom of E61 machines entirely by others. It’s no surprise that manufacturers have taken notice of this discourse and begun to address it. ECM did exactly that with their Synchronika II, adding a cartridge heater just above the discharge tube in the small gap between the group and the front panel.

By increasing the size of the E61 with a new angular design, Rocket introduced enough space to embed a heating element higher up within the group instead. When facing the machine, the heating element is embedded in the right side of the group, just below the mushroom with the group’s temperature probe on the opposite side. When we unboxed our first pair of FAST machines at the office, the first thing we did was attach several probes to the group on the left, right and top and recorded the rise in temperature. Rocket’s claim is that the FAST machines will be ready to brew and steam with stabilized temperature at the group in as little as 15 minutes. In our testing, at around the 14 minute mark the three temperatures began to stabilize.

If you look at the chart you’ll see that the highest temperatures recorded were around 180°. It’s important to note that we were reporting surface temperatures that were exposed to open air and actively radiating heat as opposed to internal temperatures. Fortunately, you’re actually able to access temperature data from the group’s probe via the PID so you can see the reported temperature at any time. We’ll get into that in just a bit.

What Else Has Changed?

Apart from the biggest update which is the new brew group, several other functional and aesthetic changes have been implemented on the FAST models. Most notably, the aesthetics of the machines have been refined to match machines like the Appartamento TCA and Bicocca. The brew group, brew lever, steam and hot water knobs have been standardized on the FAST machines, securing their place in the modern Rocket lineup.

This is a great change because it means that the machines are compatible with our wood upgrade kits from Wiedemann. The walnut in particular is a nice match for the wood handle on Rocket's knock drawer and you can also grab a matching lid for any of Rocket's espresso grinders like the Spluga shown above.

The PID

Similar to previous models, Rocket still hides the controls to the PID behind the drip tray, but they’ve split the difference and put a very small display above the power button on the left side of the machine. The display does everything you’d expect from a PID screen, displaying current temperature, menu options, and of course doubling as a shot timer when brewing. I’m sure many will actually appreciate this change, though personally I miss the very clean, circular shot timer Rocket introduced on the previous Cronometro models. One other thing to note is that the multicolor LED beneath the PID display functions much the same way as the Appartamento TCA’s to communicate alerts via flashing and color.

In terms of PID functions, the FAST machines feature an updated three button suite to access and control functions. Pressing and holding the leftmost button allows you to view (but not change) the current boiler temperature, brew group temperature, whether or not there is enough water in the boiler or reservoir, and the current software versions for the master software and for the OLED display. Pressing and holding the center button accesses the programming menu. Here you can change the temperature of the boiler from 244 - 253°, change the units of measurement, enable eco mode (automatically disabling all heating elements after 30 minutes of inactivity) and change the water source (only applicable to FAST R models).

Additional Details

Closing out my thoughts on the PID display on the FAST machines, I wanted to mention a few details that I observed in testing and using the machine. First is that the display will not actively report the current temperature inside the boiler. This reminds me a bit of the Lelit Victoria or the ECM Mechanika Slim PID. Granted, you can view the current boiler temperature by accessing the menu I mentioned above, the same goes for the group temperature. The display also powers off fairly quickly, so when you're not actively using the machine, its default state is a blank rectangle. One other thing to note is that when the machine first powers on, it displays a snowflake icon to indicate heating. However, this only tracks boiler temperature and not the temperature at the group, so the icon will disappear before the brew group reaches its final temperature.

Model Specific Changes

The Giotto

The Giotto retains its angular flared out panels that have defined the machine for over a decade, but on the FAST they’ve been made more symmetrical vertically and yet less so horizontally. Compared to previous models, the panels also extend upwards past the top of the machine to form the walls of the cup tray as opposed to traditional railings of old. There’s also a black metal frame on the interior of the cup tray that accents the side panels via an angular cutout. You can see for yourself below just how much has changed.

The Mozzafiato

The Mozzafiato has a bit less historic of a design than the Giotto, having replaced the Rocket Cellini when it first debuted, but it’s nonetheless an eye-catching machine. This time around the design remains much the same with a set of thick, flat panels extending slightly past the full height of the machine with handle shaped cut-outs and a metal rod forming the walls of the cup tray. The formerly rectangular panels are now angled inwards at the top, giving the machine a more dynamic profile. Rocket has also brought the Giotto and Mozzafiato closer together, now using the same set of one-piece aluminum feet on both machines rather than using two distinct sets.

Performance

V vs. R

Just like Rocket always has, the Giotto and Mozzafiato models have been produced in two specific lines, V and R. The letters stand for the type of pump used in the machine, so V is a vibration pump and R is a rotary pump. Aesthetically, the only difference from the exterior of the machine is the color of the pressure gauges and the name on the machine's badge. The V models have black gauges and the R models have white. From a functional standpoint, the R models can be connected to a water line and have a higher maximum flow rate and reach extraction pressure faster.

Brewing with the FAST

With the fast heat-up being the marquis feature of these machines, it was the one I was most interested in testing. First, I timed boiler heating and brew group heating. The boiler (which I set to the highest temperature of 253° F reached temp in just 8 minutes and 13 seconds. The group reached 194° F in around 13 minutes and floated between 194° and 196° after that. I’ve spoken with Rocket’s engineers to confirm that 91° C is the maximum temperature that the group will actively heat to (allowing the remainder of heating to be handled by the thermosiphon). If the temperature dips below 91 the element in the group heats again. Because the resolution on the PID in Fahrenheit is less accurate than Celsius and because the PID doesn’t display temperatures with decimals, it’s safe to say that the 15 minute heat-up advertised by Rocket is fairly accurate.

Brew Temperature Testing

I performed the same battery of testing for brew temperatures as Marc, using a portafilter mounted temperature probe to capture brew temps during extraction. The boiler was set to the maximum temp of 253° C and I took temperatures at several different moments and intervals. My first shot was pulled as soon as the boiler had reached its set temp and the brew group reached its actively heated temperature of 195.8° C. Brew temps peaked at 196.1° F with an average of 194° F. This isn’t surprising for a first shot but still impressive for a machine that’s ready in around 13 minutes. My second shot I pulled five minutes later which had a max temp of 198.6° and an average of 197.4°. After that I pulled 7 more shots, each at a 3 minute interval, which I’ve graphed out for you below.

As you can see from the test, temperature frequently remained within a range of 2° from 200°. It’s worth noting as well that when idle for several minutes I recorded temperatures in-puck as high as 203° which is not uncommon for a heat exchanger. Overall, I would recommend letting the machine heat for at least 13 minutes and flushing water through the portafilter. After another three or so minutes the temperature will be comfortably within SCA range and perfect for medium roasted coffee. It’s also worth noting that the FAST machines are heat exchangers and your first drink of the day is very likely to be a milk drink, so let’s talk about steam.

Steaming with the FAST

Rocket has always done well when it comes to the steaming performance on their espresso machines and the Giotto and Mozzafiato FAST are no exception. I tested steaming at the lowest (244° F / 0.95 bar) and highest (253° F / 1.2 bar) temperatures. For my test, I frothed 142g of refrigerator temp milk to 140° F, recording the time and the amount of water added. At 253° things floated around 16-16.5 seconds while at 244° the average was closer to 17-17.5 seconds.

Steaming at 244°

Steaming at 253°

The key takeaway is that the time differences between the minimum and maximum temperatures is fairly negligible. Where things really differ is in the amount of pressure and ultimately the control afforded by it. I’d recommend keeping the machine at a lower temperature if you have smaller pitchers and are frothing less milk, the greater control will definitely help with that.

Rocket also makes a set of four interchangeable steam tips that can be installed on either of the FAST machines in order to modify the steam dispersion. Each kit comes with an updated 2 hole tip as well as a 3 hole tip and two styles of four hole tipe.

Final Thoughts

If you’re someone who is looking to join the Rocket club, it’s fair to say that the new Giotto and Mozzafiato FAST are worth the price of admission. The truth is that performance wise, these machines will have you slinging lattes and cappuccinos in 15 minutes and they're stable enough to keep up consistent temperatures even while pulling multiple back-to-back drinks. Admittedly, these aren’t the most feature laden espresso machines on the market, but Rocket knows who they made this machine for. If you recall our interview with Brent Backhouse earlier this year, he’s a milk drinker through and through, and I can’t recommend these machines enough for that. If you’re someone who wants consistent performance but aren’t as interested in splitting the atom on every shot, it’s time to live life in the FAST lane.

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