When you’re choosing a coffee machine think about how much control you want to make your ideal cup of coffee.

Spare a thought too about how much making your coffee can save yourself possibly hundreds of pounds a year and also make a positive impact on the environment.

Here at Gaggia there are two types of coffee machine – manual and automatic – and all our 20-plus models are made in Italy so expect plenty of iconic style.

With manual you do it all yourself – grinding your coffee beans, loading your coffee into the filter holder (called a portafilter in Italy), levelling it off, pushing it down in a process called tamping and then frothing your milk.

Make sure you’ve enough coffee in your holder and it’s tamped down properly to make the most of the speed the hot water goes through it.

You have that control to do it just how you want and once you’ve mastered it then your machine will make that perfect cup of coffee every time.

The other way is to go automatic and it’s all done for you.

In short, think of an automatic coffee machine as having a tiny barista inside it. All you need to do is pop your coffee beans in the top. When you’re ready for a drink select what drink you want – it may be an expresso or an americano - push a button and the exact number of beans needed to make the drink go through the grinder and drop into the brewing unit.

In automatics the tamp is pressed up rather than down to make it firm and even and the hot water is also forced up through the coffee and then out into your cup.

When the hot water has gone through the coffee to make the drink the coffee ground left is known as a puck – small and round like an ice hockey puck - which drops into a holder. It takes around 10 pucks before it needs emptying.

Automatic machines will sort out the amount of water you need –  30ml to 90ml for a single expresso up to 240ml for an americano.

Coffee machines pump at between 9 to 15 bars of pressure and produce hot water at around 80°C to 90°C although you can change the temperature on some machines along with the coffee strength from 7 grams to 11 grams.

You can even put pre-ground coffee in too without having to lift the beans out – ideal for those wanting a spot of decaffeinated coffee.

The beauty of the Gaggia filter holders is that the vast majority are 58mm in diameter which means they fit any Gaggia machine stretching back to the 1940s. That dimension has never changed which makes the machines so universal and iconic.

Coffee capsules are convenient but they can be expensive. We do a couple of coffee capsules machines here at Gaggia but have found that people prefer to have more choice and control over the coffee they make.

Coffee capsules are also pricey and not good for the environment with the capsules being thrown into the waste bin and then landfill.

Prices vary but for a decent coffee pod you’re looking at around 30p to 35p a cup.
Our Gaggia coffee – ground just right for all our machines – is £15 for a kilogram and with between 7 and 11 grams needed per cup it works out around 12p to 15p a cup. That’s suddenly sounding like 1970s prices!

And, of course, you can dispose of your old coffee grounds right where they should be … on the ground in your garden helping to give your plants a boost and keeping slugs at bay.

Read more about that at https://www.gaggiadirect.com/blog/are-coffee-grounds-good-for-your-garden-and-compost

By our maths a cup of coffee made with one of our Gaggia automatic or manual machines will cost you half what a capsule would and if you have four cups a day that’s the best part of £450 you’ll be paying out yearly for capsules. Your ground coffee or coffee beans will come in at around half that.

What a win-win for you and the environment so go green by putting your coffee grinds on your garden, not a capsule in your bin.!

If you do want a capsule-style that’s not a capsule yet works in any Gaggia machine then we have Easy Serving Expresso pods – ESE for short – which pay a passing resemblance to those instant real coffee bags but these are small, round and slot perfectly into your coffee filter holder.

Gaggia coffee machines start at £179 for the basic manual up to £1,800 for the top-of-the-range automatic that’ll do anything you’d expect a coffee machine to do … and then a whole lot more. It has a digital display featuring 19 pre-set drinks and you can control everything on it, such as the water temperature and even the flow rate.

The £179 version makes life easier for beginners as the coffee filter holder has one hole rather than several to pressurise the flow more and get that nice creamy effect.

The automatic range starts at £299 with the digital display ones £425 and upwards.

It’s a small price to pay for thousands of cups of great coffee, especially when you get the great Gaggia warranty and our unique forever customer care.

Read more about that at https://www.gaggiadirect.com/blog/why-gaggia-uk-directs-forever-customer-care-service-is-the-best-in-the-coffee-business

So there you have it. A quick guide to buying the Gaggia coffee machine that suits you down to the ground.

For more advice phone us Monday to Friday on 01422 766972, email us at [email protected] or contact us instantly on Zoom at https://www.gaggiadirect.com/meet-us-live.html and we can show you the different machines in our showroom and what they do.

Q : How long does it take for the machine to heat up to make your coffee ?

A : The boiler is fitted with two thermostats which control the temperature in the boiler. When you press the ‘on’ switch, the boiler starts to heat up and will get to the initial temperature of 70degrees in about 50 seconds. It continues to increase in temperature up to about 90 degrees, in another 20 seconds, and the thermostat will switch off and it keeps it within the 70-90 degrees level. To be able to make the coffee, you need to make sure that the filter holder is warm as well. The most effective way to do that is to run some water on the filter holder when the temperature reaches 90 degrees, ie within about 80-90 seconds of switching on the machine. Then you are ready to brew.
 
The other thermostat is for steam. When you switch on the steam switch, it will take a further 30 -40seconds to get steam. You can start steaming even before it reaches full temperature.

Further to my blog about the new 2023 Gaggia Classic, please find a video review by 'The Home Barista'  - an accurate and useful explanation. Thank you Anthony.

I have written a blog on this subject before and I felt it was time to give you an update on my thoughts. More and more people are getting modifications done on the Gaggia Classic, as people learn more about the benefits of controlling every part of your brewing process.  We have started to work with a UK company who do these fittings. They buy the machines from us and modify them and give their own warranty on the machines and the parts they fit. 

I therefore felt confident on referring people who come to our website, to go to The Home Baristas website to get more information about modifying the Gaggia Classic. Anthony who runs The Home Baristas is very knowledgeable about the Gaggia Classic and has worked with us in the past two years.

He sent me a picture of the Gaggia Classic 2019 version with the PID and Guage fitted. I must say, it looks fabulous. Why not click on the picture and get more information from The Home Baristas Website.
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CONTINUOUSLY EVOLVING TRADITION
Gaggia continuously evolves their production and assembly processes while improving the quality of products.

The Gaggia Classic 2019 is considered one of best coffee machine in its class and has won accolades and positive reviews  from Expert Review, Kevin from Coffee Blog, James Hoffman and other important experts in the field of Coffee. Gaggia Classic has been around for over 30 years and, largely, the external parts and accessories and the internal boiler have remained the same. 

The 2023 model retains the best features of the 2019 model and makes it fit for the next 30 years by improving the model further.

The main external parts that you see are the Stainless Steel Body, the Filter Holder and the Brew Head. The Filter Holder [portafilter] and the Brew Head were made out of brass and chrome plated externally on the older model. on the 2023 Evo model this has been changed.

The Filter Holder on the 2023 Evo model is now made out of Stainless Steel, similar to the metal used in the Ash handled filter holder, we introduced a couple of years ago and is of professional filter holder quality.  The weight and the heat profiles remain the same and is  lot more pleasing than the one we had before.

Chrome Plating has been around for a very long time and although the end products are perfectly safe and compliant, manufacturers are going away from plating, as the process involved in chrome plating can be harmful for those involved in the process. Gaggia has taken the decision to change some of the parts to more modern and safer alternatives.
 
The Brew Head is also going to be Brass (CW510-Lead free brass*) *Compliant to Section 1417 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
 
The Boiler inside is the same traditional boiler but coated with non stick coating, rather than the previous polished non-coated aluminium.

The Pro Steam wand, that was introduced in 2019 model, is the same on the new model.
 
CARE FOR PEOPLE
The new pump and heating system pre-assembled and the simpler wiring connection make the production more ergonomic for workers, and any intervention on the machine is easier and quicker.
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CONSCIOUS AND COMPLIANT
The company adopts a conscious and responsible approach to develop products that are fully compliant with the new rules, and to guarantee sustainable processes.

I am frequently asked by customers whether they should go for a Gaggia bean to cup machine or for the Gaggia Classic. So, here goes : my thoughts on this question.

Gaggia Classic is a traditional coffee machine. This means that you use coffee that is already ground, using either a suitable grinder or buying a finely ground coffee from your supplier. Gaggia Classic comes with two traditional baskets and a perfect crema basket. If you are using a grind that is not very finely ground, you will find that it comes through too fast and not give you the right extraction. The perfect crema basket, somewhat corrects this by exerting pressure inside the basket with two layers. One layer has lots of holes and the other has only one hole, thus producing a nice crema, without trying hard. 

On the other hand, the traditional baskets have only one layer. This means that you have to use a finely ground coffee.  You also have to tamp it hard so that you are restricting the flow to get the right extraction. The right consistency of grind and even spread and the right amount, play a major part in producing that perfect coffee. Once you have perfected your grind and tamping etc, you will certainly get a better coffee from a traditional machine like the Gaggia Classic. So be prepared to have to put in the effort, by getting the right grind, right tamper, and even use techniques from experts to get the best. eg try pre-infusion, temperature surfing, right amount of coffee, weighing your coffee, evenly distribute the coffee etc.  Preparation and developing your own methods to perfect your shot becomes a vital part to be a good home barista. Not easy, but very satisfying! 

If you are a person who is not too fussy and will be happy with a nice crema and taste of coffee and prepared to learn, the Gaggia Classic can be still good for you and you can use the perfect crema basket initially and start learning how to go to the next level with the Classic, once you have learnt the basics. You can then add a the right grinder to the mix, try different coffees and enjoy the experience of learning to make coffee like a barista. Gaggia Classic is demanding, but is your friend for life.

The Bean to cup machines are much easier to operate and give you a good coffee without trying hard. I suppose, it is similar to using the perfect crema basket with the Classic. The machine does everything for you. You have the added advantage, that you have a 'built-in' grinder to do the grinding, every time you press a button to make a coffee. There are also other advantages : programming, cleaning, removable brewing unit etc.

For a person who does not have the time to go through the intense ritual of making the coffee, the bean to cup machine gives you a whole load of advantages. The coffee is pretty decent but the advantage of easy operation and the features that the machine provides for programming, grinding, cleaning, outweigh the benefits of a perfect espresso that you will get on a Classic. My wife will press a button any day, to make a coffee for me, rather than go through the process on a Classic. 
I must admit that I do the same, most of the time when I am working. 

When it comes to bean to cup machines, there are so many options. It is good to know what you want. For example, you can go for a traditional frother, fully automatic frother or something in between, that will allow you to do both.
We also have machines where you have profiles, to save your own parameters, such as : temperature, single or double shots, coffee strength, quantity of water etc. 

Have a look at the range and feel free to come on zoom and talk to us. 

This is a 'must watch' for anyone who is interested in coffee. I have been in coffee for 30 years and am still learning and I found this video very informative and is a comprehensive discussion on coffee and its implications on health and nutrition. 

frequently asked questions on PIDs :
1. Do we fit PID's for Classics.
2. Are they needed?

My take on this is as follows. If you are starting off with a Classic, you need to understand the machine before you invest on PID's. First of all, the manufacturer's warranty will be invalidated by changing anything like this on the machine. So beware!.
The machine comes with 2 thermostats which control the temperature of the boiler. One is called the Coffee thermostat and the other Steam thermostat. Coffee Thermostat is fitted on the side of the boiler and the steam stat is fitted on the top of the boiler.

Coffee stat temperature ranges from about 70-72 degrees to 90-92 degrees. When you turn the machine on, the middle light comes on when the boiler reaches the lower temperature. It remains on until it reaches the higher level. It is always good to warm the portafilter before making your coffee.

Once you know the range and how the light turns on and off, you can decide when you want to press the button for coffee. I normally wait for the light to go off, ie when it has just reached the higher level, to press the coffee button to dispense the water through the coffee. Depending on the coffee that you are using you can try it at different temperatures. What a PID does is to allow you to narrow the range.
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My advice is to learn using the machine at different levels of temperature before modifying the the machine.

For those who have like a Black coffee machine in their kitchen, we have put together a coffee station. It consists of the Classic Pro in Thunder Black, the M2D Macap Grinder in black and a black matt finished  knock out box. Although they are not a perfect match in the finish, they look great together and can be an ideal set for the barista in you.