Aroma ICONICA Matté Finish - ESE pad machine

The Aroma ICONICA in the quick shopper overview:

• new elegant design with proven aroma technology 
• available in different colors/designs
• Thermoblock made of brass
•  elegant wooden cover lever
• Contact thermostat 93 degrees
• Overheating protection
• High performance vibration pump
• Stainless steel drip tray
• Removable pad holder for easy cleaning
• large 2 litre tank
• For cup heights up to approx. 8.0 cm

Aroma ICONICA – Aroma ESE pad machines in a new look

ICONICA - The word symbolizes what the machine stands for: the Neapolitan tradition of coffee art meets the future of espresso in pods. The Italian Dolce Vita was the source of inspiration for the design, which is reflected in the soft, curved lines of the machine.

The ESE Iconica pod machine represents a fundamental moment for Aroma: a real change of style, where the geometric and solid shapes known from the Aroma Plus give way to sinuous elegance. Every detail has been carefully designed, each machine with a different chic detail. What has not changed, however, is the choice of materials, made in Italy, and above all the guarantee of consistently high-quality coffee preparation. The different versions of the Aroma ICONICA are inspired and named after the divas of the golden years of Italian cinema.

Removable pod holder
You can easily remove and clean the pod holder of the Aroma Iconica. It is recommended to clean the portafilter with water at least once a week to maintain the optimal performance of the machine.

Additional cup shelf for small cups
With the practical cup riser included, your espresso cup is also very close to the source :) Without the additional cup shelf, cups with a maximum height of approx. 8 cm are suitable.

Adjustable pressure
It is possible to adjust the pressure of the lever to find the optimal pressure for the different pods available on the market. The plunger of the brewing group can even be rotated manually and without tools.

Extra large tank
An elegant tank compartment is located on the back of the machine. This is equipped with a generous 2-litre tank, which is very convenient as you don't have to refill it so often.

Thermoblock
The thermoblock is the flagship of the entire aroma production. It was developed through years of testing and refinement and enables even and constant heating of the water, which ensures a great crema in the espresso and temperature stability.

Clarification: Information about thermoblock, brewing group, etc.

As far as the quality of the thermoblock and the brewing group is concerned, there is a lot of different information and pictures on the Internet that may cause confusion. Visually, the metal brewing group does not look like typical brass. But it is. It is just treated with a special alloy. We are in close contact with the manufacturer and have therefore gathered our data first hand!

The external visual impression of the brewing group can be deceptive, many initially believe that the thermoblock is not made entirely of brass due to its metallic color. However, this is only because it 

is coated with a special alloy on the outside - this has no effect on the internal values. With the 100% brass unit, top temperature stability is guaranteed and is absolutely sufficient for 99% of all coffee extractions! We have dispensed with the so-called "zero release" optimization for the brewing group that AROMA offers, as this does not improve the already very good temperature stability and we could not see any added value in it. According to the manufacturer, this optimization of the brewing group only prevents any possible leaching of heavy metals. This brewing group then looks completely metallic, like actually only aluminum. Hence the confusion! You can see the conventional brewing group in the adjacent picture.

We consider the 93° variant of the contact thermostat to be ideal, as this brewing temperature works well for almost all coffee roasts and is proven to be the best. The alternative 98°C thermostats are only recommended for very special roasts and in consultation with certain roasters. 99% of the time, the 93°C thermostat is the ideal one.

It is best to always use lime-free water

To ensure that your AROMA ESE PAD coffee machine always works perfectly, we recommend that you use water that is as low in limescale or free of limescale as possible. If you have no way of softening the water yourself, you can also use VOLVIC or our eAqua water , which in our experience is best suited to espresso machines. Because even though you can descale the AROMA ESE pad machine with acid, we are not big fans of these products as there is a risk that residue will always remain in the machine. The Aroma does not work with an internal boiler but with a continuous flow heater . A small spindle runs through this so-called thermoblock through which the water circulates and heats up. However, this spindle is so fine and thin that even small limescale deposits can lead to blockages. Then no water or descaler can flow through and a backflow forms which can cause the connecting hoses to burst.

Technical data of the Aroma Iconica ESE coffee machine

Brass Brewing Unit Specifications

• Thermoblock made of solid brass
• Double torpedo made of brass
• Brass pad press
• Brewing thermostat: 93°C
• Safety thermostat: 145°C
• Energy: 480 watts
• Manually adjustable contact pressure

How to clean and care for your AROMA Iconica

If the machine does become calcified, you can clean it as follows. This is very easy with this machine. A standard liquid descaler is completely sufficient. Pour the amount indicated on the packaging into the water tank with the appropriate amount of water and let the mixture run out of the outlet tap at the front. To be absolutely sure that everything dissolves, you can stop the process after a while and let the agent work for a while before continuing the process. Once the tank with the cleaning mixture is empty, simply run another 2 liters of clear water through the machine and the AROMA machine is completely descaled. To be on the safe side, throw away the first espresso you brew.

A brief overview of the ESE pad sizes

The 44mm pads are the most common ESE standard size ( Easy Servings Espresso = ESE ). All other sizes do NOT fit this machine.