Hello,
After 6 years working in the industry of capsule coffee machines we are thinking of getting ourselves a coffee machine for the home.. but we’d like to avoid capsule machines.

I’ve been researching the web for advice and here too (yup done the search but sometimes the results are conflicting) but i thought i’d ask as the results are old now.

So what is good? Gaggia seem to come out highly still but which model? the classic seems dated but has the same internals as the others as far as i can tell.

I read somewhere that they have an Alu boiler – is this correct? It must be treated then as otherwise doesnt pass FDA.. Is it not a thermoblock (steel serpentine in block of alu with a resistance curled round it)?

We drink quite a bit of milk based coffee drinks – and ive read that the buse of the classic doesnt give good results without mods – is this current?

Sorry to drag up a subject again..but looking to replace the stovetop and the french press..

I’ve had a Delonghi bean-to-cup machine for several years and it’s been great.

I’ve got a capsule machine in my London flat and it’s ok but I suspect I’ll replace it with a bean-to-cup at some point.

I’ve got a Gaggia Dose, wihch is a budget classic. The internals aren’t quite the same though, cos some of the Classic mods don’t apply. However the espresso is fine, and the steam wand is fine too. Takes a little longer than my last machine but it’s ok.

I have this little beauty:

Rancilio Silvia V3. Good frother, excellent espresso. Brass whatnots.

We had a Gaggia Titanium Plus for the last 5 years and whilst I thought it was the mutts nuts when the motherboard went on it and repair was uneconomical we went for a different brand.
We bought the Delonghi PrimaDonna S and it puts the Gaggia to shame. Same beans but the coffee tastes better, less cleaning, one button press milk based coffees and very simply to use. We drink even more coffee now.
Down sides the machine has OCD and cleans it self on start up and shutdown. Everytime you make a milk based coffee it wants to clean the milk dispenser system. This isn’t a problem as the internals need no more than a rinse under the tap once a month but it uses the water up from the tank so you seem to fill this more often than the Gaggia. The Gaggia would also warn you when the beans were empty and then continue to make the coffee when refilled. The Delonghi will carry on making the coffee then tell you the beans are empty leaving you with a weak coffee. Gaggia would tell you to empty the dreg drawer after a number of coffees made most of the time this was too late and coffee would over spill into the brewunit. The Delonghi is every 3 days regardless of it been used in that time. The bean hopper is much tighter seal on the Delonghi keeping the beans fresher for longer.
Everything on the Delonghi is easier to get to from the front/left side of the machine requiring less worktop space compared to the Gaggia.
The Delonghi also uses water filters so if you live in hard water area it can prevent it clogging up and needing descaling.

Lol.. it’s £1,100, I’ll take two!

(My machine was £120)

My Delonghi Magnifica was about £300 I think. Well worth it!

I have a 10 year old £60 Morphy Richards espresso coffee machine in the garage that makes very good coffees for when the main machine is being serviced but I know which I would rather use on a daily basis.

Another DeLonghi Magnifica user here – first bean to cup machine and very impressed. Proper espresso is just excellent 🙂

I have recently got a gaggia classic. The model hasn’t changed for ten years but why would it. Its alot more solid than the baby gaggia and the cup is solid brass so holds the heat alot better than the baby. Makes great coffee, heats up in about 2-3 mins. Frother seems good but I mainly drink espresso. My mate has had one for 7 years without a fault and he’s never bothered clean the internals. Remember you’ll need to get a burr grinder and a knock box as well. This review of the gaggias is pretty good.

For manual espresso machines its all about the coffee and the machine has little impact. I’ve posted before that about 15 yrs ago I bought a £60 Krups machine at the same time my dad bought a £350 gaggia machine. A few back to back trails with the same coffee confirmed that the resulting espresso shots were identical in flavour and quality, and the steam wand on mine was much better than the Gaggia’s. He was a bit miffed to say the least.

A knock box?

you get the knock box to make it. she usually doesn’t complain.

wobbliscott, thats interesting.. all the research ive done finds krups with the weakest milk buse.

i’ll do some more looking.. not wanting to spend top dollar, just need a heater, pump and the rest as you say is the coffee and grind..

^ I have the same little beauty as martinhutch. Cannot fault it.

We have a Cusinart Bean to Cup machine and it’s a belter.It is very easy to use with either ground coffee or beans,is easy to clean each time and can be set on it’s own timer,has been used every single day since May 2013.Cost around £99 from Lakeland.

Gaggia Classic ftw
I bought one if these last year, semi justified by arrival of new baby, boiling water always on tap comes in handy as does the steam. I’m at home all day so it just stays on. It doesn’t make better espresso than the Classic it replaced, but it can make more of them more often, belts out endless steam for lattes etc .

I’ve posted before that about 15 yrs ago I bought a £60 Krups machine at the same time my dad bought a £350 gaggia machine. A few back to back trails with the same coffee confirmed that the resulting espresso shots were identical in flavour and quality,

You’re making it wrong then. You can’t make a good espresso with a steam machine.

What’s this ‘knock box’ then? I …err.. knock mine out directly into the bin.

the plus points for the gaggia classic are spares availability, ease of repair and commercial group head/portafilter (made from chromed brass) and its low price.
it’s steam wand isn’t the best but there is the rancilio wand upgrade for £20 if you do a lot of milk. there isn’t much else for that price that comes close.

+2 for Rancilio Silvia its the daddy but needs a good grinder or its wasted.Its my favourate possession

We’ve got a Premier MAXI by Nuova Simonelli along with its companion grinder. You could probably pick one up for about a grand and it’s a 2 group machine that makes fantastic coffee. Remember the grinder is more important than the machine, all the machines do the same job, but if you’re grind is shit then nothing can save you!

What’s this ‘knock box’ then? I …err.. knock mine out directly into the bin.

It’s a box cafes use to knock out the spent grounds, useful when you’re making lots of coffees one after the other. Completely unnecessary at home, as I find I have time to walk the three yards between my Gaggia and the compost bin.

ok thanks for all the replies.

So grinder – i see dualit mentioned but see some youtube reviews that make me think not..

Whats a good burr grinder from your experiences?

Thanks muchly!

Scotia, not saying the steam wand on my Krups was particularly good or not, just that it was better than the one on my dad’s machine – it heated up the milk quicker and produced a denser foam rather than a thin, limp bubbly froth – again using the same milk. Maybe the latest machines are not as good as mine was and newer Gaggia’s might have stepped it up a bit.

Rancilio Silvia +3

Has been going strong for 9 years now. Awesome bit of kit. Married well with Rocky grinder.

Here is my set up don’t forget the grinder is more impotent than the machine but a good Italian machine will last a long time the parts are usually cheap and diy servicing easy

I had the Gaggia Cubika for about five years. I am rubbish at making coffee tho. Found the whole grinding/tamping/cleaning out thing a chore so also invested in a Delonghi Magnifica which is fab. Paid £300 like the fella up there…

If you go with a cubika/classic/whatever i was recommended a krups burr grinder that did the job well. Had a hand grinder, very niche, far too much like hard work

Occasionally I make a stovepot (whatever they are really called) to fill the kitchen with lovely coffee smell, but mostly just press the button and get consistant, lovely, nuclear strengh espresso. Occasionally I feel the urge to fire up the steam wand, but I could live without it.

From what I can tell, reading his posts, Mr Smith’s views on coffee should not be ignored.

Except I like my Happy Donkey Brazilian blend, and don’t really enjoy Hasbean’s blends which I assume is a kind of sacrilege. Mind you, have sugar in my coffee, which is a crime I’m told.

Mr Sugden, snap!

I have a Gaggia Classic we snapped up cheap from a friend. I knew it was good after using it myself. It is however not £180 better than the £70 cheap machine it replaced, but as a piece of kitchen art it’s worth it.

I have a Cuisinart Burr grinder that doesn’t quite grind fine enough, I have experimented with modifying it to improve this. I would agree that the grinder is important, next time I would be looking to spend more on a grinder.

Bialetti and a milk frothier from ikea FTW

We’ve reverted from expensive machines to a stove top espresso pot – and it works….decent coffee (lavassa bought from Costco) and you’re away

And a couple of hundred quid better off.

Lavazza isn’t decent coffee though*, that’s why there’s little difference between stovetop and a machine (both very different in the method of extraction)

*mass produced with cheap robusta, over roasted with no roast profile, stale and way past the 1-3week sweet spot post roast resulting in bitter/burnt flavours. People should remember coffee is cherry not a nut to be roasted till it tastes of charcoal.