This is my third espresso machine in 15 years (the other two were NOT Gaggia). This is also my best espresso machine in 15 years. One must learn and practice the art of a barista to create the perfect espresso with this machine--but a perfect espresso is what you get. If you are passionate about espresso (cappuccinos especially ;^) and wish to experience that love at home AND are able to give the attention a quality espresso deserves, then this machine is for you.
It takes a little time and a little effort to learn the proper grind and tamping pressure--once that is accomplished (not a difficult task) one can easily claim to make the best espresso in the county--(at least equal it)!
Charles L Bates
Good machine.,
A great machine. No issues at all, it needs to be cleaned a few times a year, and makes a nice hot, espresso.
Paul Humphreys
Easy to use, real Italian Espresso, use your own Fresh ground coffee,
Wow! This is very good! Grind up your own coffee and get the frothy, creamy foam from nothing but pure ground coffee the way Italian espresso is supposed to be. I am very pleased. I have a cheap automatic steam espresso machine too that burns the coffee and doesn't have the frothy bubbles like the Gaggia Espresso Machine can do. I give this 5 stars because it is easy to use, produces a real Italian Espresso, and you can use your own fresh ground coffee of choice.
JLaw
Five Stars
Perfect esspresso... the steam wan is going to take a while to master.
Teagan Paradise
Five Stars,
Easy to use and ;earning to make great coffee with good crema!
Tess0330
Five Stars
Great product, fast delivery
Salvatore
Highly recommended
Outstanding machine - easy to use and brews a fine espresso. We had a very expensive, built in, all the bells and whistles machine and this is much better.
Kevin Connors
Five Stars,
Excellence espresso machine
Carmen De Diaz
Five Stars
Great espresso and priced right.
dspmo5
Simple and reliable.,
This coffee machine worked great for our family more then 7 years. Coffee quality was always good w/o any complains. It is very simple, has no electronics (all electric parts are switch and pump) and because of that it is reliable like Colt revolver. Only moment you need to take into consideration: this machine requires soft water. This is pure 5 stars machine, worth every cent it price.
Olexander K.
Gorgeous gaggia
It is more than I expected
Wonderful machine!!
ali
Five Stars
Great espresso machine! Solid build and GREAT coffees and cappuccinos! Love it!
Arthur R Monteiro
Great Espresso,
Easy to use and makes great espresso!
M
Five Stars,
Great machine. Easy to use and makes a great cup of espresso.
Richard A. Fritz
Five Stars
Amazing Machine, loving every morning with it! Very well built, worth every penny.
Charles Hu
Five Stars
Works Great with my Gaggia classic. Can easily choke out my machine
Charles Hu
Five Stars,
Easy to use excellent cup results
Peter H. Miller
Good but needs a moveable steam wand.,
Good machine except the wand doesn't froth the milk very well and it can't be moved so there is little room to actually get enough milk in the jug for a BIGGER cup.
Diane M
Excellent coffee with Grinder
Love this machine. Don't forget, you HAVE to have the Gaggia grinder to make a perfect espresso. Fresh ground coffee with the right grind is the only way to get a beautiful crema... and this delivers!
Denese Sanders
Five Stars
Hubby now a happy man as he has been complaining about his coffee with his previous machine
pauline saunders
Coffee king,
Really excellent quality, for a product that will perform time after time, this is the machine.
nigel casseldine
The steam wand has never been good on this machine
The steam wand has never been good on this machine. There are much better steam wands on other machines. Luckily I don't drink cappuccino.
Most of it is the same old Same old. Solid brass filter holder. Makes all the right noises. Makes great espresso (if you leave it on for a while), looks great, lasts 10 years. However they've let themselves down with the new-fangled crema device. Yes it creates crema where none previously existed (if you have the wrong grind or stale beans) but for decent beans/grind you get a better more natural crema with the old version. Luckily I had the old-style filter without the plastic crema device, so I was able to put these new-fangled bits in the drawer where they will stay.
Mike Norman
Reservations
I paid a lot less six months ago than Coffeeitalia are now asking. Can't see why they'd put the price up. Anyway seems I got a bargain at less than £150! Its clearly a well made machine and delivers good coffee but the milk frother is really poor. Just doesn't quite get there and produces thin not creamy froth. The other thing that really annoys me about this machine is the little bit of plastic that has to sit in the base of the coffee holder. It drops out regularly and so will definitely go missing one day. Without it the coffee flies out sideways and covers the kitchen in coffee - no spare included. Why would they make it like that. With those reservations and certainly at the price I paid its a good machine.
T. Gordon-craig "tom29630"
Expensive but well made
Bought this to replace an old De Longi 14BAR machine which only cost about £50.Thought we would go a little 'up market'.
It does the job well producing a good coffee with crema. Personally I do not see the point of crema, it's just mildly coffee flavoured froth to me! We have found that to get the same amount of flavour from the coffee we have to use about 50% more coffee than in our old machine. It is quick and reliable well made and produces a hot cupa if you follow the instructions. My last machine lasted about 10 years before giving out so at £50 a time I could have kept going with a De Longi for about 50 years for the same price. In conclusion, a good machine but pricey!!
OKAPI 5 "Okapi Comms"
Good enough to get Costa worried !
I could hardly start my day without a cup of espresso at Costa. Due to to the tight economic conditions in Egypt , I decided to have a go at one of those espresso makers . As always , I do my shopping on Coffeeitalia. I went thru lots of reviews on espresso machines and settled on Gaggia . I was worried it wouldn't match the cup of espresso I used to have at Costa ; it hasn't turned me down . My homemade espresso cup is the best thing I have in the morning .
The only drawback , though , is that the space under the milk frother is tight and makes it a bit uncomfortable to froth the milk . I've got used to it and am doing fine now . I strongly recommend it .
Hussein ezzat
Good machine
I was debating about getting an all in one, however ended up buying a second hand commercial grinder and this machine. After plenty of experimenting with grind levels and coffee weight I am finally getting decent coffee out of it. Yet to master espresso, however I've managed to get lattes matching or beating most coffee places.
My only gripe with the machine is that getting the water tank in and out is a little fiddly, however it's hardly a dealbreaker.
J Chapman
capable machine.
I've been using a gaggia classic daily for about 6 months. Compared to the price of other espresso makers on the market you are getting a very capable machine for the money. Using fresh roasted and ground beans you can get a strong espresso with good crema every time. The point where the more expensive heat-exchanger and double-boiler machines score over a single boiler model such as this is on temperature stability. It is possible to time your shot to get close to a stable temperature for each shot but if you want serious temp stability then you have to pay 4 times as much. Steam performance is not bad for a machine this size. All in all good value for money.
Dave daints
Paint the kitchen with espresso
This is an excellent product with the potential to make first class espresso but...
The Filter Holder has now been updated - you will hopefully figure this out just before you send it back due to its missing parts - they are no longer required and this is mentioned in an instructional insert.
That's a relief but when you get to make your first espresso you will have it spitting all over the kitchen. Again just before you send the whole thing back you may decide the trawl the internet for a solution and will find out that the 2 filter baskets provided are both pressurised - for ESE pods!
The filter basket for ground coffee is no longer provided!
given that most of us who buy the machine will be trying to make a traditional espresso with grounds i find this most strange.
anyway you'll need to buy a replacement double filter basket from such as happeydonkey before you are actually up and running.
disappointing and a lot of faffing about but worth it in the end.
all the above can be confirmed in the coffee forums
ian20
Does not seem as well made as my first one
This is my second Gaggia Coffee Machine, the first was faultless until the pump gave up the ghost after giving long a faithful service.
The new one I bought from Coffeeitalia in Jan 2013 seemed to have a problem shutting off the steamer, which I thought at the time was minor and would hopefully cure itself.
Wrong, its just got worse and that is my own fault for not returning.
The coffee making ability of the machine is great, but now have concerns that the built quality may have slipped from the original.
My suggestion is if it has a minor fault return it.
Martin
Quality Control
I've had one of these machines for 4+ years (the first one was delivered with a broken steam control). Its a great machine if you willing to spend the time perfecting your coffee. I've just ordered another as a gift and it turned up with both filters faulty, basically the holes in the basket filters weren't drilled right through, probably quire dangerous. I'd love to recommend this product but quality control issues that glaring shouldn't be happening.
