Gaggia 14101 Classic Semi-Automatic Espresso Maker. Pannarello Wand for Latte and Cappuccino Frothing. Brews for Both Single and Double Shots.
- Rugged brushed stainless steel housing
- Commercial three-way solenoid valve
- Commercial-style 58mm chrome-plated brass portafilter and Brew Group
- Easy-to-use Turbo-Frother steam wand attachment
- Easy-to-use Turbo-Frother steam wand attachment
LoriDunn
Easy to operate if you read the instruction manual.
A simple durable espresso machine. Take time to read the instructions and learn how easy it is to operate. Encountered the auto water primer not dispensing during start-up - a potential issue written in the manual. Performed the remedial procedure as written and it worked. Easy! Obviously, this machine is not for those who like the convenience of a Verissimo, Nespresso, or the full auto espresso machines. Suggest buying a grinder with variable settings. After purchasing a bag of beans from a new roaster, suggest doing a test grind and verifying the flow rate. Slow flow rate = grind too fine.
DunjaGaguli?
This is the one
As someone who has tinkered around with lower end Delonghi and Mr. Coffee models, I can safely say this is the real shebang. As someone with friends in the local coffee scene, this machine came highly recommended. If you're reading this, allow me to be frank with you: unless you're willing to spend top dollar on a classy machine, this is as good as it gets. Everything else is trash. I'm considering getting the rancilio wand, but the one the gaggia comes equipped with really isn't as bad as people make it out to be. Do yourself a favor and get this is you are passionate about your espresso.
JeanChabarria
Warning: This will make you drink entirely too much espresso
Update: 4 years later, and still zero issues. I have needed no maintenance or repairs. Have deep-cleaned it only twice (decalcification). I run the water for 3 seconds with the portafilter off after each shot, and wipe it off. Nothing else. Using filtered water probably has made a huge difference over the years. UPDATE: 3 years later, and it still makes the same great espresso and I've had zero issues with it. Replaced the frothing wand with the Rancilio Silva's steam wand, which is a $20 part and easily ordered online. Highly recommend both the Gaggia machine, and the steam wand upgrade This is my first true espresso machine after being a coffee lover for many years, with a cheap steam-driven unit for a few years, and I'm thrilled with it. It's a great bang for your buck, and I specifically bought this because of it's reputation as a sturdy, long-lived unit with proper maintenance and cleaning. First, this espresso machine is a tank. It's hefty, and the important parts are heavy duty. This is probably the closest you're going to get to a commercial machine anywhere near this price. Made many shots already with great/plenty of crema, and using the normal filter despite what some reviews say. Don't bother with the gimmicky super crema filter (which also puts the hot water/coffee through a plastic part), just get a good conical burr grinder ($90 Capresso works fine) and tamper and use fresh espresso blend coffee beans. That's even more important than the machine. There were concessions made to bring this to the market at a more affordable price, but in my opinion those concessions were still well done. The tray looks out of place on this unit. It's not necessarily flimsy, but it is cheap plastic and doesn't fit the look or feel of the machine at all. It's probably the only real weak point of this machine. I would gladly have paid another $20-$30 for an all-metal one. The dial for the frother is plastic as well, but feels substantial enough, not like it would break easily at all. Only snobs would turn their nose up at this machine, because it makes espresso every bit as good as 99% of the coffee shops you'll go to, and I'd put it up against any machine under $1000 (probably several above as well) Just make sure you have the right tools in order to allow it to do that for you.
AngieLopez
Comparison to cheaper 'entry level' machines, Gaggia Classic vs EC220
Not so much a review as an account of my experience. You will make up your own mind anyway since your doing research reading reviews, so I will just share how my experience with home espresso machines is going with the machines I can compare. I owned a DeLonghi EC220 for around 2 years. Out of the box it was not that great, but seemed wonderful versus no espresso at all. Quickly it added costs to improve the EC220 shot quality. I used unpressurized baskets and made a naked portafilter by cutting the bottom off a stock unit, so I could see what was happening to learn and improve. Also changed the handle to a section of powder coated steel tubing in gloss black (machinist designer so I get to do stuff like that). Probably another $50 on top of the $100 the machine costs. I use a Breville Dose Control Pro for grinding, it was 3 times the cost of the EC220, I read in guides that for entry level espresso one still needs a quality grinder. The guides were correct and the quality $300 grinder made the iffy $100 espresso machine somewhat serviceable. Cheap grinder and cheap espresso machine does not work at all, only brews disappointment. With a quality grinder the EC220 was nice until the pump failed after almost 2 years of really quite massive use. I really did get my money's worth out of it with multiple daily shots. I learned how to make it produce a good quality shot but it took a lot of focused effort, including grinding metal to make a naked setup to see the extraction. But I would have been better off getting this Gaggia machine from the start. In comparison, there are aftermarket parts for the Classic like a $35 quality naked portafilter, which is about the same cost as a super crappy plastic and random light cheap alloy DeLonghi replacement portafilter that one can then cut themselves into a naked version. In the long run the 'more expensive' machine will be cheaper for me. It won't cost as much to operate and replace as frequently. The Gaggia Classic weighs a ton compared to the EC220, all due to higher quality metal parts. It adds an aura of 'professional grade stainless steel' to its section of the counter. I dont regret the EC220 at all it was a good intro to espresso, but I would have saved money just buying a better machine like the Gaggia since I had enjoyed espresso for years and didn't really need to see if I liked having a home machine. If you like espresso your going to like having a machine at home. I heard in a review that excuse of 'testing the waters' but I used it as an excuse to 'be cheap'. It didn't save me any money, but it wasn't a huge extra cost and may have helped my ability to properly maintain this beautiful Gaggia better than I would if it was my first machine. If you don't have the extra money then I highly recommend the DeLonghi EC series entry level machines, because they will make a sort of OK 'home espresso' and with modifications can eek out a 'acceptable almost cafe quality' espresso. But if you can scrape together the small amount extra to get this gaggia Classic you are making better than most poorly trained baristas in North America and it will cost less over around a 3 year period as the cheaper plastic unit fails from its inferior materials. As for drawbacks to my new Gaggia Classic, the steamer wand is the only obvious issue, the EC220 was no better though it had a panarello as well. A Rancilio Silvia wand seems like a worthy $20 investment to improve that.
SteveMorrin
So well made!
Have made a latte for my wife and I in the morning for about 15 years - in that span I've purchased 3 refurbished Saeco Via Venezia machines - really liked them. Descaled regularly - but they fail at the five year interval. That machine is discontinued and decided to purchase the Gaggia. I have clearly stepped up - the quality of the machine is evident at the unboxing and has not disappointed in the first two months. Strong boiler - good steam and makes amazing coffee. This is a terrific product.
EbonyJones
Very convenient, makes great espresso with a little practice.
This machine produces excellent coffee. It does require some technique and practice to get consistent results. I comes with three different baskets that fit in the heavy "portafilter" handle unit: a) standard basket; b) pressurized basket with only one tiny hole for the coffee to get through, which allows the use of more coarsely ground coffee; and c) a pressurized basked for espresso cartridges. For reasons explained below, I prefer the standard basket. For good results you need a mill that produces very finely ground coffee, and you need a 58 mm tamper. I have an 15 year-old Braun mill which is adequate at its finest setting. I bought a new $200+ Baratza mill that does even better. The plastic tamper that comes with the Gaggia is basically useless as it is smaller in diameter than the basket. I don't know why they did that. Get a 58mm steel or chromed iron tamper from the outset as you will need it. I have tried the "pressurized" basket with regular grind coffee, and the results were marginally adequate (reasonable strength but basically no crema). The pressurized unit requires the use of a plastic plug that sits below the basket and prevents the pressurized coffee from spraying out sideways from the portafilter. On my unit at least, the pressurized basket falls out rather easily when you thunk the portafilter to get grounds out. This leaves me hunting through dark coffee grounds in the trash trying to find the black plastic diverter piece. In sum, it's worth having a good mill and tamper so you can use the regular basket. This regularly produces strong espresso with some crema. The unit heats up quickly, and seems to have a very accurate thermostat. I usually let it warm up for 10-15 minutes so that the portafilter is also hot. This results in excellent flavor and consistency. Overall, it's easier and faster to use than a drip coffee maker, with much better results. The water reservoir is easy to refill, the drip tray is easy to remove, drain, and clean, and the grounds come out as a single, dry puck every time.
MarjorieMarieWebb
I love my Gaggia Classic!
My very first espresso machine, and I must say I love how easy it is to use. It took me a few attempts to get consistent shots, but once you get the hang of things it's a breeze to use! It looks beautiful on my countertop and it's not much larger than my Keurig machine. I watched a lot of videos in YouTube, learning how to use the machine, watching reviews, and what upgrades I could do to increase its performance. First thing I did was replace the oringal steam wand with a Rancillo Silva steam wand and steaming milk is fun and taste great. I chose this espresso machine because It was the best value at the price. As long a you take the time to care for your equipment it will last a long time. With that said back flushing and descaling should be done on a regular basis. This machine is not a automatic espresso machine, and you have to do the work your self but being able to control the entire process can get you the exact taste you want out of your espresso!
MarvinLidelObe�ita
Gaggia Classic is a win win!
I did a lot of research on this and other entry level espresso machines and I am happy I chose this gaggia classic. We all know there are many variables to making a good espresso and the major factor for me choosing this machine was the fact that I can physically work on this machine myself, if and when something needs replacing. Lots of YouTube videos on “how to’s” and plenty of sites to buy parts. I paired my gaggia classic to the gaggia MDF grinder and it makes a fantastic combination. Don’t be put off by the negative reviews about aluminum boiler and other user malpractice issues. This is a very capable machine when used correctly and I feel I can grow with this machine. Do your research about aluminum and you will see aluminum in the kitchen business has been going on for many many years and from what I ascertain, not anywhere near a dangerous level for human use. You need to look into this yourself but I am very pleased with this purchase and thank you Amazon for a great price and quick shipping.
AiricAie
Beautiful out of the box
This is an updated component to this review: After a year of use, I am even more impressed by this machine. Whether I just figured out how to use it well, or the machine just got "seasoned" I'm not sure, but I am sure that the espresso coming out of this thing is actually better now than it was when it was brand new. I've descaled once in the past year (a few months ago)....but otherwise, maintenance has been nil and both the espresso maker and the steam wand work are working really great. It is now the morning after this machine was received and set up. I've got my freshly ground favorite beans out and I'm ready to go. I think reviews on espresso machines are uber important and this is my second generation machine and there is definitely a learning curve. As I sip my espresso I am writing my first response review, but as will become clear, this is my second generation machine for a reason. First, this is a European product. If you've even owned a European car or motorcycle than you know that European products are beautiful and highly engineered, but because they come from a slightly different cultural paradigm they are not necessarily as intuitive to use as American (I mean Chinese made) products or Japanese products which tend to be specifically designed for Americans. So is the case with this machine. It is completely gorgeous sitting on the counter but the usage instructions and controls are just a little less intuitive. But after a few practice runs last night, the espresso I'm drinking right now is very rich and high quality and I've got the machine figured out. The first thing I noticed about operating the machine is that if you follow the instructions on warming, this thing gets nice and hot. The cups on the cup warmer are hot, the filter holder is hot and the porta filter itself is hot which was not the case with my first generation DeLonghi machine. As we all know, hot espresso machines make better espresso. The second thing I observe is the stronger 17 bar pump (most are 15 bar) makes a difference. The shots pull quickly and a nice amount of crema sits properly on top after the pull. Just a note, my practice runs were done with some older beans left over from my last machine, and there was less crema than with the fresh beans this morning. The machine is a little loud, but I like the sound as it reminds me the pump is working. The pump sound is nice and strong as opposed to be my DeLonghi which always sounded like it was struggling. Now for the less intuitive things. The water input is fixed on the top and the machine is tall which means I have to slide the whole heavy thing (and it is kind of heavy) out a little to use in the morning. The porta filter holder does not have a "thumb clip" that can used to hold the porta filter in place while ejecting the puck, which because as I mentioned earlier the thing gets hot, makes filter refilling a bit uncomfortable. The porta filter itself is large and I think it needs more than one scoop from the provided scoop to fill it. I had to screw around with this last night, and I think it takes about a scoop and a third. The nice thing is, the leftover grinds are coming out as a nice dry puck, something all home baristas will appreciate. The most important thing however remains to be seen. The reason I have this machine is because my DeLonghi machine got "tired" after less than two years of moderate use. After I cleaned and descaled it I was able to liven it up a little, but the shots were just not real espresso quality anymore. A little research revealed the importance of boiler material for making a good espresso over time and Gaggia has the reputation of the making high quality boilers. So we will see if this is true as I will provide an add on review after six months and a year. But so far, so good, the machine seems like a high quality product.
MishKhan
Very easy to set up and use
Our first "real" espresso machine entry after having had lower end Mr Coffee espresso machines, and making my daily coffee in an inverted Aeropress. Very easy to set up and use, and minimalist in design, it has an on/off switch, pannarello steam button, and the dispense button, that's it. I wish it had a little more control or indicator, as you don't really know when it's ready to go and heated up, or things like temperature gauges that you can hack onto the machine if you read some posts in Reddit's r/coffee forum. For the price though this is a great entry level unit, more of the pro-sumer grade machine for people who love espresso, and after a Summer trip to Italy we couldn't go back to drip and picked this up.