The Tea features an all-polished, solid stainless steel housing throughout like the Millennium, but with sharper lines and a less rounded look.  The Internal corrosion resistant support frame provides a solid platform for the Tea, which contributes to its solid structure. The frame allows the body panels to be easily removed for internal maintenance.  

Where most competing machines have several switches and buttons, the Tea only has two controls. The main power switch is located on the left front of the control panel. A red light illuminates when the main power is turned on.

The Tea has a unique lever that controls the brewing function. To start the flow of espresso, simply lift the brew lever, and then lower it again to stop the flow. The boiler pressure gauge located on top of the control panel shows when the pressure in the boiler is at its optimum level for brewing espresso or frothing milk.   There is also a red light located to the left of the pressure gauge that illuminates when the boiler is heating.  When the green light located to to right of the E61 grouphead illuminates you are ready to brew espresso or steam milk.  The second gauge on the control panel reads your brewing pressure, a nice feature that the Millennium does does not have.

Hot water is dispensed from the faucet by opening the hot water valve, which is located on the right side of the control panel. To dispense steam, open the steam valve located on the left side of the control panel. Steam will then dispense from the steam wand located on the left side of the machine.

The Tea comes with two stainless steel filter baskets. One for a single shot and one for a double shot of espresso.

The Tea espresso machine features an E61 group head, a remarkable innovation in espresso machine technology. The group head is where the portafilter (coffee handle) is inserted into the machine just before brewing. The E61 group head is made of heavy chrome plated brass. It uses what's called a thermal siphon system that circulates hot water through the heat exchanger and throughout the brew head to keep it consistently hot between uses.

The Tea features a 1.4-liter (47 oz) copper heat exchanger boiler. The large capacity boiler makes the production of espresso drinks easy because there is no waiting for the machine to "recover" between shots of espresso or after steaming milk. Its heat exchanger system and powerful 1400-watt heat element allow for continuous, and simultaneous brewing of espresso and frothing of milk. Initial heat-up time is 5-7 minutes, which is amazingly quick for a machine of this caliber.  

The boiler is equipped with an automatic boiler refill system that detects if the water level in the boiler falls below a certain point. If it does, the pump will automatically refill the boiler to the proper level. This insures optimum performance of the boiler and helps prevent over-heating if the machine goes unused for prolonged periods of time while the power is on. If the water tank should inadvertently run dry, a sensor will turn off the boiler to prevent accidental over heating of the heating element. Therefore, you may leave the machine's power on 24 hours a day.

The Tea is equipped with a device called a pressurestat that allows you to adjust the pressure within the boiler. The boiler pressure gauge on the front of the machine will indicate the proper operating range for brewing espresso between 1 and 1.5 BAR. Although we calibrate and test the pressure before shipping, occasional adjustments may need to be made for optimum performance. You may call our customer service center and we will be able to assist you in this simple procedure.

While many machines in this class feature a cup warming surface, the Tea earns an A for keeping your espresso and cappuccino cups very warm. The warming surface receives radiant heat from the boiler and since the boiler is mounted horizontally (vs. vertically like most competing models), heat dispersion across the warming surface is better. The cup surface also has holes above the boiler, which allows escaping heat to flow around the cups to increase the effectiveness of the heating process.  Isomac also went a step further than competitors and added stainless steel rails to keep your cups in place.

The extra deep drip tray is made of stainless steel and can be removed easily for cleaning. The cup try has a stainless steel grate that fits over the drip tray, very nice touch.

The machine ships with two portafilters made of chrome-plated brass (with a strong plastic handle), which accepts a commercial-standard size 58 mm filter basket. One portafilter has a dual dispensing spout while the other has a single spout. The Tea comes with 2 stainless steel filter baskets, one for a single shot and one for a double shot of espresso.

The Tea is one of the very few machines that features a faucet for dispensing hot water from the boiler. The faucet has its own control knob located on the right side of the control panel. Many add hot water to their espresso to make an Americano, or perhaps you would like to make hot chocolate, tea, or cider without using a kettle.  Isomac also went one step further and added heat resistant grips on the hot water wand, so it can easily swivel accommodating any size cup.

The 3 liter water reservoir allows for large numbers of drinks to be made before refilling - ideal for commercial use. You may also refill the water reservoir during operation. The Millennium does not require an outside water source to be plumbed to the machine.

The Tea has a full-featured pump system that provides the perfect brewing pressure by using a vibration pump, which provides the exact pressures needed to deliver perfect espresso. The lines from the pump, to the boiler, and from the boiler to the grouphead are all commercial grade items, with a big, beefy piece of cast brass helping to complete the trip.

It goes without saying that a machine of this caliber features an industrial grade pressure relief system, identical to those found in commercial machines. The valve reduces the water pressure on the coffee grounds once the brew switch is turned off. This produces dryer coffee grounds and makes it easier to discard the used espresso grounds (espresso puck) from the portafilter.

The power supply and durable electrical system allow the Tea to be left on all day so that it's always ready to serve espresso or heat milk. The heating element heats the water in the boiler in less than 10 minutes from initial power-up.

Part of routine maintenance, the Tea allows you to perform a back flush. This capability is found on most commercial espresso machines. It is a reverse flow procedure that cleans the grouphead (where the water is dispensed into the coffee grounds) to remove coffee residue and particulate buildup. The rinse water is pumped into the drip tray for later disposal. The whole process only takes about 2 minutes and it should be performed every few days.

Two portafilters, two stainless steel filter baskets for making either single or double shots of espresso, measuring spoon, coffee tamper, cleaning brush, espresso machine cleaner, and detailed instruction manual.

• Colors: Polished stainless steel
• Power: 1400 watts - 120 volts
• Size: 15.75"H x 10.6"W x 17"D  
• Weight: 46 pounds
• Body Material: Solid Stainless Steel
• Warranty: One year parts and labor