Spot on piece of italian design, whilst making a fantastic drop of espresso that works brilliantly well.
Positive Product Points
First and foremost, the Gaggia has the ability to make me make half decent espresso & cappucino. The Classic also has a wonderful retro feel about it that is very straight forward and easy to use.
Negative Product Points
To be honest I can't think of too many as yet, we are still on our honeymoon............still love ya Gaggia.
Detailed Commentary
I managed to purchase the Gaggia from eBay for £200 ($375) which I though was a decent price for a wonderful piece of architectural kitchen hardware that happens to make jolly good espresso. Being a bit of a novice at this malarkey and with no grinder, I set about reading all I could about what makes this little joker make coffee.
Anyway after swotting up on this and one or two other web sites, I charged the rather reasuringly heavy portafilter with Illy ground espresso, tamped.........and switched on. Running a double shot at 20 seconds (just as it should) I was pleased as punch to taste fantastic, rich espresso with a decent crema. The Gaggia seems to make life very easy for the novice, even with shop bought ground coffee. Yes, there are differences between them (Illy being by far the best) but all of them are better than your average derge from Starbucks...........damn their eyes.
Frothing milk for the old cappucino is straight forward enough, although the little black plastic frother is a tad too long if anything. Nevertheless, easily overcome by removing when frothing a larger quantity of milk.
To round off then, I am very satisfied with the Gaggia. My wife loves the design and I love the coffee. All in all highly recommended to any novice who want's a great espresso machine.
Buying Experience
Bought the Gaggia from a bit of a dodgy geezer (Brits will know what I mean) who had a heart of gold..........bless him. So three cheers and a splash of espresso for my eBay seller.
Three Month Followup
After 3 months of flawless performance, the Classic is still the centre of attention in the kitchen. Perhaps the only thing that lets it down is the operator, who can't quite get to grips with Monday morning and does not give the Gaggia the right grind or tamp pressure. No regrets in purchasing the Classic that equips it's self very well in both form & function, making great espresso time & time again. Bellisimo!
One Year Followup
A year on and the Classic is performing as new. The key is to keep it clean and scale free, mind you I am sure that is the case for all machines. So anyone thinking of starting with a espresso machine try the Gaggia Classic you will not be dissapointed.
