Isomac Giada User manual

Isomac super giada A closer look v3.doc
ISOMAC
SUPER GIAD
A
A Closer Look
The details were correct at the time of writing, but the manufacturer and
Bella Barista reserve the right to change the technical specification of
the packaging, machines and any accessories supplied with the
machine (including quantity and type of accessories supplied)

Bella Barista
Nene Court, The Embankment,Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 1LD
Tel: [phone]
e-mail: claudette[email protected]
©BellaBarista Page2of8
Overview
The cardboard box was not as sturdy as used for the more expensive models reviewed to
date (Zaffiro, Millennium and Relax) with no extra space for accessories to be added, the
supplied accessories were placed in the water tank.
It is reasonably well built using good quality components and has a solid feel, the steel is
good quality. The portafilter is a non standard 53mm size and has some weight to it, although
much lighter than e61 type portafilters.
The cup warmer tray is a very good size for this class of machine and gives enough height
under standard size kitchen cabinets for cups etc... Filling is easy with a plastic cook’s jug.
The steel gauge is thinner than the Zaffiro, but still quite heavy and very good quality, the drip
tray is, nice quality, very large indeed for the class of machine and has sufficient capacity for
all day use before emptying in most households.
.Servicing the Super Giada will be very easy; strip down is fast and simple with only 2 screws
needing to be removed to gain access for the majority of the repairs and little potential for
error. Pump replacement is simplicity itself, with plenty of access around the pump. Internally
the Super Giada is much simpler than HX machines; the positioning of components means
that minor water spillage/leakage is very unlikely to cause any damage. This is a good point
as most customers will not bother removing the tank for filling. It will be easy for the reseller to
support the Super Giada, due to the easy access to internal components, good simple design
and component replacement strategy that will be adopted.
I have advised that the “half price essential barista pack” offer should be reviewed and
a different offering made especially for this machine, as many of the items are
unsuitable for the Super Giada
In summary; The Isomac Super Giada is an espresso machine that will outlast cheaper
brands and give many years of service. It looks great in the kitchen and is particularly suitable
for the smaller kitchen. If you can’t justify the expenditure on a more expensive machine, but
still want Isomac quality, this is an ideal choice. Isomac are a major player in the Coffee
machine market and have been supplying machines since 1977.

Bella Barista
Nene Court, The Embankment,Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 1LD
Tel: [phone]
e-mail: claudette[email protected]
©BellaBarista Page3of8
How it arrived and unpacking
Not the usual sturdy box, noticeable weaker than the one used with the more expensive
machines. No room on the inside to pack accessories that will come with the Super Giada.
The bubble wrap is probably a very good idea for this box.
It is quite easy to get the Super Giada out of the box as there is plenty of space at the sides to
reach down and get a good grip and the Super Giada is not too heavy.
The Isomac manual is even worse than usual It is of a very poor standard and totally
incorrect in places. The diagrams of the machine and legend are completely wrong and
none of the component parts are labelled correctly. The only reason for keeping it in with the
shipped machine is all the standard disclaimers and text which we do not reproduce in the BB
user guide. The UK written Bella Barista Guide will prove a valuable addition to the Super
Giada, especially as the system of lights can be confusing (green light on for not ready!?)
Once in position on the counter the Super Giada looks nice (in common with all Isomacs) and
does not dominate on standard sized work surface. The Super Giada is especially ideal for
the smaller kitchen or where space is at a premium. There is sufficient of room under
standard height kitchen cupboards to place espresso/standard cups on the good sized cup
warmer tray. A corner positioning of the Super Giada is ideal, especially when located near a
sink

Bella Barista
Nene Court, The Embankment,Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 1LD
Tel: [phone]
e-mail: claudette[email protected]
©BellaBarista Page4of8
Preparing the Super Giada for use
Before you switch on
There is nothing to remove, peel off, portafilter baskets to assemble or any thing else to do
other than lift the Super Giada onto the counter, wash the cold water tank, fill it with filtered
water and remove any tape holding cup trays and the like.
Flushing the Super Giada before 1st use
I never like the idea of using a machine without thoroughly flushing it through, especially
considering that the Super Giada may have stale water from factory testing (many months
old), or manufacturing residues, Isomac mention nothing about doing this in their handbook,
but this procedure is included in the UK Bella Barista guide “Getting the best from your Super
Giada”.
Key Features
Item/Description Picture Comments
The Super Giada had a larger “dead-
band” than on more expensive Isomacs
in the range. This “dead-band” coupled
with a 0.2 litre boiler means “surfing the
boiler” (pulling a shot at the top of the
boilers heating cycle), is an essential
technique.
“Dead-band” = The temperature range
between the thermostat switching on
and off
Unlike more expensive Isomac
machines, the brew water
thermostat is not adjustable.
The brew pressure of the Super Giada
seemed on the high side. This does
mean you will need a good grinder.
We will be discussing any reasons for this with Isomac to
ensure the settings are optimal
Drawing hot water for an Americano is
possible, but with the size of boiler,
that’s about it. Anything more and you
will have to wait a few minutes for the
machine to warm up again
This is purely due to the size of boiler and would be common
with any machine of this type.
No low water sensor of any kind. Sound
of pump changes when water runs out. You need to keep a good eye on the level of water in the tank.
The light system is not intuitive. The
green light is on when the machine is
not ready and the boiler is heating.
I don’t expect Isomac to do anything about this. Just an
observation
Don't like cheaper puffy plastic label The metal ones that these (I
understand) replace were
excellent and gave an
impression of quality. I am sure
many could end up falling off
with time, especially with the
positioning by the drip tray.
We will be talking to Isomac
about this; we personally do
not feel the new design label is
an improvement.

Bella Barista
Nene Court, The Embankment,Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 1LD
Tel: [phone]
e-mail: claudette[email protected]
©BellaBarista Page5of8
The built in tamper actually works ok,
but is a little awkward to use and also
you do get coffee grounds on the drip
tray.
I would always recommend you
get a steel tamper for the
53mm basket. The Isomac
ones fit fine.
Steam wand is quite low and you will
have trouble with a Milk jug larger than
400ml (to be honest though you won’t
be steaming milk volumes larger than
200ml
The case should really be about 10 cm longer to have the
steam wand that much higher.
It would also allow you to get a mug under the group, not just
cups!
The brew group is unusual, with a large
brass nut that makes an impression on
the puck. Not sure this affects
extraction, but feels unusual.
Portafilter has to be locked to 5 o’clock
quite firmly to prevent leaks
Small gap in group makes it
difficult to clean gasket area,
portafilter design makes it
prone to grounds going up the
sides of the shower screen
assembly.
There are, however, some
solutions in the BB UK guide to
the Super Giada
No 3 way solenoid Valve For the techies, this is a special electrically operated valve that
diverts water as required to the group, or steam wand or into
the drip tray. The Super Giada uses other methods to achieve
a similar effect. It does mean you can’t backflush the machine
though.
On the plus side, its one less electrical component to go
wrong!
The water tank is nice quality, but has
no lifting handle, which makes it a little
harder to lift out.
It’s the same tank as used on the Zaffiro and Millennium etc.
At first I thought they had made a mistake, as I can’t believe it
saves any money not fitting it to this model when it’s fitted to
the others.
We will be talking to Isomac about this
The steam wand is a lovely bit of retro
design, but does drip unless closed
quite firmly
This was also mentioned by other reviews on the internet, so
seems to be a common feature with the Super Giada. It’s not a
problem, but strange that it’s confined to this model.
Reasonably heavyweight group head
but shot needs to be pulled at the top of
the boiler cycle. Components and
spares will be specific to the Super
Giada and group type
Group head attached to the bottom of boiler and forms part of
boiler casing (no thermosyphon), will get really hot when
steaming and take a while to cool down.
Metal pin switches are a nice retro touch
and have a good feel These switch normally, up and down

Bella Barista
Nene Court, The Embankment,Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 1LD
Tel: [phone]
e-mail: claudette[email protected]
©BellaBarista Page6of8
The Super Giada is a good steamer and
easily makes plenty of microfoam.
Certainly more powerful than the
Millennium and other HX machines
within the Isomac range.
It of course won’t have the same
capacity and can only steam around
200ml volume before it runs out of “puff”
It’s unbelievable but true. The Super Giada steamed 200ml of
water to 60c in 20 seconds. A millennium did 400 ml 70
seconds!
You know instantly when operating the steam wand that this
machine is a powerful steamer!
Water tank is nice quality and well
finished. Big 3l capacity.
All components very accessible,
especially the pump. Pump replacement
will be a very easy and quick job.
Reasonable quality internal
components, but use of some plastic
pipes.
Case doesn’t come off, but top plate,
under cup warmer, does for access to
internal components and its easy to
remove (2 screws)
Reasonable size brass boiler 0.2 lit ,
enough water to gives some thermal
stability during the shot
Very large drip tray only needs emptying
once a day. Nice quality feel
Quick warm up, machine ready in 10
min
Nice large cup tray.
Larger than my Zaffiro cup tray!
A piece of perforated non-slip
matting would work perfectly
to stop the tray getting
scratched. Pity the
manufacturers don’t supply
this

Bella Barista
Nene Court, The Embankment,Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 1LD
Tel: [phone]
e-mail: claudette[email protected]
©BellaBarista Page7of8
Portafilters
These are non-standard 53 mm reasonably heavy weight portafilters. When filled with the
correct amount of coffee, the shower screen and brass nut does tend to press on the puck.
This makes the portafilter harder to lock into the group.
It is also unusual in that it is the first machine reviewed where the handle must be locked
round to the 5 o’clock position quite firmly to prevent leaks. The holes where the coffee exits
the portafilter are angled to take this into account.
It does seem to work reasonably well and you do get a nice dry puck.
Please note that your machine will be thoroughly inspected by Bella Barista prior to delivery
and they will already have ensured that the Super Giada is operating correctly when you
receive it and the brew pressure adjusted if necessary.
Adjustments on this machine are best not attempted by the home user. Damage as result of
incorrect adjustment will not be covered under warranty

Bella Barista
Nene Court, The Embankment,Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 1LD
Tel: [phone]
e-mail: claudette[email protected]
©BellaBarista Page8of8
Espresso
The Super Giada makes good espressos and maintains the temperature during the pour.
Domestic volumes of espresso one after another will be achievable with the Super Giada.
Although a short delay between shots may be advisable if the boiler heater light is on.
Steam Production
The Super Giada is a strong steamer. The steam wand is well designed, the holes are not too
large and the milk swirls easily, warms quickly and you will have no problems producing
copious amounts of microfoam at your first attempt.
Hot Water
The Super Giada does allow you to draw hot water, although the volumes are relatively small,
enough to make that Americano, possible a small cup of tea. It is necessary to allow the
system to recover before pulling more espressos. This makes it advisable to draw hot water
after you have made all your espressos and before switching into steam mode for milk. In
truth with a boiler of 0.2 litres, the machine is not really designed for hot water production.
Final Thoughts
The Super Giada looks really nice has a sort of retro feel and is easy to keep clean, a quick
wipe with a damp cloth and a buff with a microfibre cloth is all that’s generally required to
keep it looking great. The more complex tasks such as descaling are actually very easy to do
and the supplied UK guide explains how to do them in detail.
The Super Giada is less complex than more expensive machines and would be ideal if you
want great coffee and are a relatively low volume consumer. It’s a machine for the smaller
kitchen and for those on a tight budget who still want Isomac quality The Super Giada
actually comes up to steam pressure fairly quickly, although it takes a while to cool down
again if you want to make an espresso after steaming.
If you are a coffee expert, you probably want one of the more expensive machines in the
Isomac range. If your not an expert, but you still want to be able to make a great cup of coffee
now and then (better than you buy outside), the Super Giada is ideal, especially for that
rushed espresso in the morning with its sub 10 min warm up time!
If you don’t have the space for a larger machine, or on a tight budget, the Super Giada
gives you the ability to make coffee just like the professionals, in a small and very
pretty package.