Di Pacci — Heat-Exchanger E61 Espresso Machine
Quick Mill Rubino Blu Espresso Machine
The Quick Mill Rubino Blu gives you café workflow — pull a shot and steam milk at the same moment — in a machine only 265mm wide.
The Quick Mill Rubino Blu is a single-group heat exchanger machine built around an insulated 1.8-litre copper boiler and an E61-style brew group, fed by a 3-litre removable tank. The heat exchanger is the whole point: brew water passes through a coil inside the steam boiler on its way to the group, so espresso and steam are available simultaneously rather than one after the other. For a household making two flat whites back to back, that removes the single most annoying wait in home espresso.
What separates the Rubino from most machines with this capability is size. Heat exchangers usually arrive as wide, deep boxes that dominate a bench; the Rubino fits into 265mm of width and 450mm of depth while still carrying a full-size group, a 20kg chassis and a tank most prosumer machines would envy. The Blu finish is the coloured version of the same machine sold in stainless and matte black. Sitting a step below the PID-controlled Rubino Plus in Quick Mill's range, it keeps the mechanical simplicity — a pressurestat, a boiler gauge, three switches — that makes these machines cheap to live with over a decade.
1.8LInsulated copper HX boiler
Brew + SteamSimultaneously, no switching
10 AMPStandard Australian power point
265mmBench width required
🇮🇹 Made in Italy ♨️ Heat Exchanger 🔵 E61-Style Group 🔇 Pulsar Quiet Pump 💧 3L Removable Tank 🥛 Anti-Burn Wands 🔧 12-Month Warranty ✅ In Stock — Australia
Best for: 🏠 Home Baristas · 🥛 Milk-Drink Households · 📏 Tight Benches · ⬆️ Single-Boiler Upgraders · 🏢 Small Offices & B&Bs
Free standard shipping Australia-wide on orders over $200. Standard shipping is $14.95 for orders below $200. Same-day dispatch for orders placed before 2PM, with secured, tracked delivery. Plumbed installation is not applicable — the Rubino is a tank-fed machine only.
Key Features of the Rubino Blu
♨️ Brew and steam at once
The heat exchanger means the steam wand is live while you are extracting, so milk for a second drink is ready before the first shot finishes dripping.
🔵 E61-style brew group
A heavy chromed brass group with a stainless mushroom, warmed continuously by a thermosyphon loop — it holds temperature between shots instead of drifting.
🔇 Pulsar vibration pump
Quick Mill's pressure stabiliser cuts pump noise by around 30%, which is the difference between waking the house and not.
💧 3-litre tank with sensors
A magnetic low-water sensor cuts the pump and heater before the boiler can run dry, and automatic refill keeps the boiler topped up without you thinking about it.
🥛 Anti-burn multidirectional wands
Separate stainless steam and hot water wands that stay cool enough to touch, so wiping down after milk does not mean burnt fingers.
📏 Genuinely compact
At 265mm wide and 365mm high it slides under a standard overhead cupboard, which most heat exchanger machines cannot do.
What a Heat Exchanger Actually Changes
A single-boiler machine has one tank of water doing two jobs at two different temperatures. Brew water sits near 93°C; steam needs about 125°C. So you brew, flip the steam switch, wait for the boiler to climb, steam, then wait for it to cool back down before the next shot. A heat exchanger removes the waiting by running a separate pipe of fresh brew water through the middle of a hot steam boiler.
- The 1.8-litre boiler sits at steam temperature permanently, so the wand is ready whenever you open the tap.
- Brew water travels from the tank through a coil inside that boiler, picking up heat on the way to the group — it never touches boiler water.
- A thermosyphon keeps that water circulating through the E61 group even when idle, which is why the group feels hot to the touch and why temperature is stable shot to shot.
The practical result is that two milk drinks take about the time of one. The trade-off is the cooling flush: because brew water sits in the coil absorbing heat while the machine idles, you run a short burst through the group — roughly three to five seconds — to dump the overheated water before locking in the portafilter. Learn that one habit and the Rubino behaves like a café machine.
Complete Technical Specifications
| Product Information |
| Model |
Quick Mill Rubino, model 0981 — Blu finish |
| Machine type |
Single-group heat exchanger, semi-automatic |
| Manufacturer |
Quick Mill, Italy |
| Warranty |
24 months parts & labour, Australian warranty via Di Pacci |
| Boiler & Group Head |
| Boiler |
1.8 litre copper heat exchanger, thermally insulated |
| Boiler configuration |
Single boiler with heat exchanger — brew and steam simultaneously |
| Group head |
Quick Mill brew group, E61 style, with stainless steel mushroom |
| Group heating |
Thermosyphon circulation — group stays at temperature while idle |
| Portafilter |
58mm, single and double baskets |
| Pump & Pressure |
| Pump |
Vibration pump with Quick Mill Pulsar pressure stabiliser |
| Noise reduction |
Approximately 30% quieter than a standard vibration pump |
| Gauge |
Single boiler pressure gauge |
| Pressure control |
Pressurestat with safety and vacuum valves |
| Pump protection |
Thermal cut-out |
| Steam & Hot Water |
| Steam wand |
Stainless steel, anti-burn, multidirectional |
| Hot water wand |
Separate stainless steel anti-burn wand |
| Taps |
Ergonomic Quick Mill steam and hot water taps |
| Water & Controls |
| Water tank |
3 litres, removable |
| Plumb-in |
Not available — tank fed only |
| Boiler refill |
Automatic, with electronic level probe |
| Low water protection |
Magnetic sensor cuts pump and heating element |
| Temperature control |
Pressurestat — no PID on this model |
| Standby |
Stand-by mode button |
| Physical & Power |
| Dimensions (W × D × H) |
265 × 450 × 365 mm |
| Weight |
Approximately 20 kg |
| Body |
Stainless steel chassis, Blu finish panels |
| Cup warmer |
Stainless steel passive cup warming tray |
| Feet |
Adjustable stainless steel |
| Power |
1500 W |
| Voltage |
230–240V / 50Hz |
| Power point |
10 AMP — standard Australian outlet |
What's in the Box
- Quick Mill Rubino Blu espresso machine
- 58mm portafilter with handle
- Single and double filter baskets
- Blind basket for backflushing
- Plastic tamper
- Drip tray and grate
- Removable 3-litre water tank
- Australian power lead
- User manual
Rubino vs Rubino Plus
The Plus is the same chassis and the same heat exchanger platform with electronic control added. Nothing about the espresso hardware changes — the difference is how much the machine tells you and how much it manages for you.
| Feature |
Rubino Blu |
Rubino Plus |
| Boiler |
1.8L insulated copper HX |
1.8L insulated stainless HX |
| Temperature control |
Pressurestat |
PID with temperature probe |
| Display |
None — gauge and switches |
OLED with shot timer |
| Gauges |
Boiler pressure only |
Dual — boiler and pump pressure |
| Pre-infusion |
Not programmable |
Programmable |
| Eco / standby |
Standby button |
Programmable eco and standby |
Di Pacci recommendation: Take the Rubino Blu if you want the heat exchanger workflow and are happy to judge temperature by the flush, which is how these machines have been run for forty years. Don't bother with the Plus if you are not going to use a shot timer or chase temperature by the degree — you would be paying for a screen you glance at twice. Do take the Plus if you drink light roasts, where a few degrees genuinely changes the cup, or if you want the machine to run its own pre-infusion.
Grinders That Suit the Rubino Blu
A heat exchanger is only as good as the puck in front of it, and the Rubino has no pressure profiling to rescue a bad grind. These are the grinders worth putting next to it.
| Grinder |
Burr |
Why it pairs well |
| Eureka Mignon Specialita |
55mm flat |
Quiet, stepless and about as wide as the Rubino — the natural bench-mate if space is the reason you chose this machine |
| Niche Zero |
63mm conical |
Single-dosing with almost no retention, so you can switch between a milk-friendly roast and a filter bean without purging |
| Turin DF64 Gen 2.5 |
64mm flat |
Flat-burr clarity at a price that leaves budget for the machine, with an SSP burr upgrade path later |
| Mazzer Mini Electronic |
58mm flat |
Commercial-grade build that will outlast the machine — worth it if the Rubino is feeding a small office or B&B |
Browse the complete home grinder range for more options.
Who This Machine Is For
✓ Ideal if you:
- Make milk drinks daily and are tired of waiting for a single boiler to switch modes
- Have under 300mm of bench width but refuse to compromise on group head size
- Are upgrading from a Silvia, Anna or similar single boiler and want the next real step
- Prefer mechanical simplicity — fewer electronics is fewer things to fail in year eight
- Want a machine an Australian service team can get parts for
- Run a small office, studio or B&B without a water line to plumb into
✗ Consider alternatives if you:
- Want set-and-read brew temperature — the Quick Mill Elevate gives you PID and independent boilers
- Are buying your first espresso machine and have never dialled in a grinder — start with the Quick Mill Pippa or the Lelit Anna PL41
- Need to plumb into mains water — the Rubino is tank-fed only, with no plumb-in conversion
- Have less than 450mm of bench depth, or a shelf lower than 365mm above the bench
- Drink only black espresso — you are paying for steam capacity you will never use
Quick Mill Rubino Blu — Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Quick Mill Rubino Blu need a special power point?
No. The Rubino draws 1500 watts at 230–240V, which is roughly 6.5 amps, so it runs on any standard Australian 10 amp outlet. You do not need an electrician or a dedicated circuit. Avoid running it on the same power board as another high-draw appliance such as a kettle or toaster.
Can I brew espresso and steam milk at the same time?
Yes — that is the defining feature of a heat exchanger. The 1.8-litre boiler holds steam permanently while brew water passes through a separate coil inside it, so opening the steam tap mid-extraction does not interrupt the shot. For a household making two or three milk drinks in a row, this roughly halves the time compared with a single-boiler machine.
What is a cooling flush and do I have to do one?
Yes, on any heat exchanger. While the machine idles, the water sitting in the heat exchanger coil keeps absorbing heat from the steam boiler and gets too hot for espresso. Before you lock in the portafilter, run the group for about three to five seconds to push that overheated water out. It takes one morning to learn and becomes automatic.
What is the difference between the Rubino and the Rubino Plus?
The espresso hardware is the same platform — same 1.8-litre heat exchanger, same brew group, same vibration pump. The Plus adds PID temperature control, an OLED display with a shot timer, a second gauge for pump pressure, and programmable pre-infusion, eco and standby modes. The Rubino Blu uses a pressurestat and a single boiler gauge instead. If you want to control brew temperature by number rather than by flush, take the Plus.
Can the Rubino be plumbed into a water line?
No. The Rubino is a tank-fed machine only, with a 3-litre removable reservoir and no plumb-in conversion kit. The tank is unusually large for a machine this size, so most households refill it every few days rather than daily. If you need a plumbed machine, call us on (02) 9758 0760 and we will point you at the models in the range that take a mains connection.
Is the Quick Mill Rubino a good machine for a beginner?
It is a reasonable first machine only if you are prepared to learn two things at once: dialling in a grinder and timing a cooling flush. There is no PID readout and no shot timer to guide you, so feedback comes from the cup. If you have never made espresso before, a single-boiler machine is a gentler start. If you have been using a Silvia or an Anna for a year, the Rubino will feel like a natural step up rather than a leap.
How long does the Rubino take to heat up?
Allow around 20 to 25 minutes from cold before the first shot. The 1500 watt element brings the boiler up to pressure faster than that, but the E61-style group is a heavy lump of brass and needs the extra time to come to temperature via the thermosyphon. Pulling a shot on a cold group gives you a sour, under-extracted result no matter how good the coffee is. A plug-in timer is the standard fix.
What maintenance does the Rubino need?
Backflush with a blind basket and detergent weekly, wipe and purge the steam wand after every milk session, and replace the group gasket roughly annually depending on use. Because the boiler is copper, water quality matters — use filtered or bottled water in hard-water areas to slow scale build-up. Di Pacci's in-house service team stocks Quick Mill parts and can service the machine locally rather than sending it offshore.
Why Buy the Rubino Blu from Di Pacci
Authorised Quick Mill dealer with genuine Australian stock and full manufacturer warranty, an in-house service team with parts in stock, five showrooms (Sydney/Roselands, Melbourne, Perth, Port Macquarie, Queensland), in-store demonstrations, expert pairing advice, finance options, free shipping over $200, and a 12 months parts & labour warranty. Di Pacci Coffee Co. has been in coffee since 2003.
