I’ve reviewed plenty of compact automatics lately, but I think the Gaggia Brera might just take home the trophy here. At just over 12 inches (30 centimeters) tall and weighing less than 20 pounds (8 kilograms), you’d be hard-pressed to find a smaller competitor. We found the best espresso came from a combination of the finest possible grind and the two-bean (out of three) strength setting. This resulted in a good, bitter shot of espresso, with a cream that wasn’t too white, at a fair temperature of 64 degrees centigrade. The shot couldn’t quite match the sheer oily richness of the best manual machines’ espresso, so wouldn’t be our choice for a pure espresso shot, but it made a good base for a longer coffee.

We would like to give the option to the customer as, [1] , internal filters can be more expensive than the regular filters that you use in filter jugs and [2], you know the water in your water best and you already may have a method of filtering and purifying your water. Included Accessories: Descaling solution, cleaning brush, water filter, measuring spoon. TrueBrew Over Ice technology.

JURA Z6

The magnifica ESAM 3000 & 4000 are similar bean to cup coffee machines, so if you were looking for comparisons between the Brera and any of these, this post should still be helpful. The ultimate is the machine with, both the milk carafe and the traditional frother.​ This is available on the following : That said, even truly dedicated home baristas might want a decaf coffee from time to time. As someone who will root for freshly ground coffee all night long, even I can appreciate keeping pre ground decaf around for emergencies. Included Accessories: Measuring scoop, Water hardness test strip, AquaClean filter, Lubricant, LatteGo storage lid It’s time to talk mechanics in my Gaggia Brera review. Once you’ve run through the basics of setting up the machine – like plugging it in, turning it on, filling up your bean hopper and reservoir – it’s time to brew some espresso.

One feature we really like on the Gaggia is the standby mode. This automatically activates after an hour and uses less than 1W/hour, saving you money on your energy bills. Though it looks beautiful, there is a sense that Gaggia have let down the quality of the build. The front is stainless steel, but pretty much all of the rest of the frame is made from plastic, as are the controls. This makes it feel a little cheaper than a machine like this – with this kind of price tag – should. I’m no scientist, but that seems a little fishy to me. Who knows, perhaps Gaggia has just used very low-grade metal or something. Anyway, the only stainless steel part I could identify with certainty was the drip tray grille. To be honest, I felt like any grind adjustments I made had very little effect on the outcome; my shots were just about the same when I adjusted the grinder to its finest setting.

TECHNOLOGY

All of the true bean to cup machines that I'm aware of have Panarello wands, but it's usually very easy to remove it & use the steam pipe as a single hole steam tip. This was my only real niggle with the Magnifica, I just couldn't figure out why they didn't put numbers on these dials, especially with the strength dial, with numbers you can use to work out how many grams of coffee you're selecting to grind. You may see certain Gaggia models selling for a lower price than shown at Coffee-Direct, but it is important to note that these products are often imported from outside of the UK and are sold with no UK warranty. You want to dial in your machine to achieve that perfect shot– The DeLonghi Magnifica offers accurate control over your espresso by letting you adjust shot volume and strength. It also has a built-in burr grinder, and comes with a Pannarello-style steam wand. The best part about this machine is that it has dual boilers, which means you can brew and steam milk without having to wait. You can learn more about the DeLonghi Magnifica in this post. Philips owns both Saeco and Gaggia, but the Gaggia Brera beans-to-cup machine looks significantly different to the retro hi-fi-style Saeco Xsmall. The Brera is plastic on the sides and top, but metal panels on the front lend it a classier air. We’re not so keen on the plastic main control knob, though, which feels cheap.