Is the Gaggia Classic still the default answer to “which espresso maker?”

Is there anything else I should be considering? Budget is already at dangerously divorce inducing level of £200.

Thoughts and marriage advice welcome.

Yes.

😀

Could be tempted to part with mine for the right incentive…….

We got ourselves one for Christmas, love it.

I have one and it is very good.

I fitted a Silvia steam wand to it.

Rancilio Silvia Steam Wand Ebay

yes although ditch the pressurized basket straight away and do the pressure drop mod (google it)
above wand is also recommended if you like frothy stuff..

A used, pre-2015 Gaggia Classic is still the answer, the new 2015 model has been ‘updated’ and has lost most of its useful features, including the 3-way solenoid that allows you to adjust brew pressure. Steer clear.

jimoiseau – Member
A used, pre-2015 Gaggia Classic is still the answer, the new 2015 model has been ‘updated’ and has lost most of its useful features, including the 3-way solenoid that allows you to adjust brew pressure. Steer clear.

Yes, get pre-2015 model.

ah is that so? do the newer ones have the allen screw inside to adjust pressure?

I had a classic for about 10 years ace bit of kit especially after resetting the pressure.

I now have a neuva era cudra which cost shed loads more ( alot more) and the coffee is better but tbh not a lot.

With hindsight I should of kept the Gaggia and spent money on a better grinder than the Rancillo Rocky I was using at the time, cos thats where the difference is.

Just get one

Have a Delonghi machine and an aeropress. Still prefer the stovetop.

Hammy if you do decide to sell your classic could you drop me an email please, been looking for a nice machine for a few months now

Have a Delonghi machine and an aeropress. Still prefer the stovetop.

Ewww.

Ewww.

No like?
If it’s good enough for almost every Italian household, it’s good enough for mine!

We have a Classic (IIRC) which was bought some years ago as refurb from Gaggia.

It has now fallen out of use, tempted to off-load it too — for a suitable amount. Email in profile. In NE Scotland if that helps (I doubt it!!)

No like?
If it’s good enough for almost every Italian household, it’s good enough for mine!

No, the coffee it produces is way too bitter for my tastes. They’re great for camping, but that’s the only time mine gets used these days.

So by the looks of things the second hand market is the place to look. Having ahead a look at eBay, sellers seem to be taking notes from the classic car sellers, it’s old and used, therefore it requires a price premium that only other classic car lovers are willing to pay.

Hammy. No email in your profile.

Kcal. Other end of the country. Pinged you an email.

The solenoid valve that sits at the base of the boiler on the gaggia can become blocked after a fair amount of use which leads to loss of water through the group head but it’s an easy fix to dismantle the machine, remove the valve and clean it out.

Apart from that they are cracking little machines.

Ooops

10 Years of great coffee from my Gaggia
Just got this…takes a bit more learning but the results are worth it!

La Pavoni

Most important is a good grinder

Bialetti stove top

And a dualit milk frothier thing

Ymmv

stove top

The OP asked for an espresso maker, a stove top does not make espresso.

Shame they’ve changed the Classic. eBay an older one? They are very easy to service and pretty basic inside, also spares are easy to get hold of, so I’d not worry about buying used.

Edit… or buy mine and give me an excuse to get a La Pavoni 😉

If you go to coffee forums.co.uk, a chap on there offers recon pre-phillips classics (with rancillio wand) for about £150.

I had a Classic for about 5 years, then a la pavoni europiccola (in loft now), then a Gaggia G106, which is a rebadged la pavoni professional. The pavoni machines produce much better espresso, but also much worse. The Classic is a great learning machine.

Incidentally, hierarchy for good coffee is really Beans>Grinder>Machine. I would want to spend more on the grinder than the machine really. Provided you have space, you can pick up a 64mm commercial grinder for less than £150.

There was a comprehensive review somewhere pulling apart the new Classic and it concluded it was as good if not better in quality of the shots.

The old version (which I’ve got), adjusting the brew pressure is something internal you have to fiddle with? If so, not sure it’s a major issue unless you’re a true coffee geek. I’ve never felt the need to fiddle with it.

That said I’m getting occasional gushing now, but not sure if that’s my grind/tamp, or something that needs adjusting. That cleaning out the valve business above maybe I should do? I’ve not taken mine apart yet for a proper service, though it doesn’t get very regular use.

Whatever the model, bin the fake crema crap for use with crap coffee and pods. Get a proper basket or bottomless portafilter, along with quality fresh roasted beans and a good grinder.

Remove the shower screen (single Philips screw) then remove the group head ( two 5mm hex bolts) and let them soak in some descalling solution (I use puly caff) along with your filter basket, they don’t need much more of a service than this.

No like?
If it’s good enough for almost every Italian household, it’s good enough for mine!

Eggsackly!
This, from another thread, comes to mind…

For those who hide their inadequacy behind the pretence of being discerning.

The only excuse for using a machine is having to make a hundred every hour.
Like a Tea Lady’s urn…

The only excuse for using a machine is having to make a hundred every hour.

Wrong, but ignorance is bliss apparently…

The only excuse for using a machine is having to make a hundred every hour.
Wrong, but ignorance is bliss apparently…

Please elucidate…

Coffee comes in many varieties. Stovetop makes good coffee, as does even French Press. It’s not the same coffee as from a pump espresso. Depends what you want at the time.

I often just do French Press with a course grind for a quick coffee. Infinitely better than instant and as quick. If I’m in the mood for espresso or (yeah I know) something milk based with espresso, then I’ll make the effort with the machine. It’s damn fine coffee, when I get it right. Though even just the French Press, with the right beans, I get lovely tasting coffee. It’s just different that’s all.

Have a Delonghi machine and an aeropress. Still prefer the stovetop

Stovetop compared to either of those, yes I can quite believe it. I bet the aeropress makes better coffee than the Delonghi though 😉

For a start, it’s impossible to make a hundred shots an hour using a la pavoni…

Secondly, using a lever machine is like making love to a beautiful woman. First, everything has to be warmed up nicely. Then, you have to get the grind just right. Finally, when you’ve built up a head of steam, you have to pump it with your fist 😯

Have I sold it to you yet?

The Rancilio Silvia is a bit easier to fiddle with but the Gaggia Classic is a good machine. Both can be a bind if you need to do a run of milky drinks.

Remember to get a decent burr grinder. That will make a big difference to your coffee. Freshly roasted beans, freshly ground, then freshly brewed.

oops, also, looks like ours is a Cubika rather than a Classic. email received BBS..

We bought our first Classic for c£120 10yrs ago. It amazes me that people can sell an old, thats had 10yr use one for the same price nowadays!

Please elucidate…

To make an espresso you need to force near boiling water through finely ground coffee at about 9 bar pressure. This extracts the oils from the coffee that makes an espresso what it is. You really need some form of pump to generate the required pressure.

Not enough pressure, as in a stove top, and you just have strong coffee, not an espresso.

If you have a good espresso and a stove top side by side it should be very obvious that it’s a different drink. (If it’s not then it’s likely a very poorly made espresso!)