Gaggia Classic

Gaggia
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Achille Gaggia produced the first modern steam-less coffee machine on 5 September 1938, and are now probably the most renowned brand in the world.

PRICE
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So why pay £250 for a Gaggia Classic espresso machine.
If your a coffee lover and you have been to Starbucks, Caffe Nero or one of those other trendy coffee bars, when you open the door and you get that whiff of the fresh ...
...do the same as the Gaggia Classic, they make a shot of espresso and froth milk.
Yes you can buy cheaper coffee machines, filter, stove top, percolator and cafe-tier but these are not pump driven machines and you need a pump driven machine to make a real espresso.

Espresso
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So what is an espresso?
Espresso is Italian. Translated means "a cup of coffee brewed expressly for you" or something ... more

Gaggia
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Achille Gaggia produced the first modern steam-less coffee machine on 5 September 1938, and are now probably the most renowned brand in the world.

PRICE
********
So why pay £250 for a Gaggia Classic espresso machine.
If your a coffee lover and you have been to Starbucks, Caffe Nero or one of those other trendy coffee bars, when you open the door and you get that whiff of the fresh ground coffee being served to people lounging on sofas reading the free papers or chatting about life in general you will know why. The coffee machines that are in these shops cost thousands of pounds but do the same as the Gaggia Classic, they make a shot of espresso and froth milk.
Yes you can buy cheaper coffee machines, filter, stove top, percolator and cafe-tier but these are not pump driven machines and you need a pump driven machine to make a real espresso.

Espresso
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So what is an espresso?
Espresso is Italian. Translated means "a cup of coffee brewed expressly for you" or something like that.
Espresso is normally made into a small 2oz shot glass or small cup.
An espresso when made correctly will have a dark golden crema on the surface of the coffee which is a sign of a quality espresso.
This can be drunk as it is or with sugar.
Espresso is also the base for all other coffee drinks.

Cappuccino
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The perfect cappuccino would be equal parts espresso, steamed milk and milk foam. Cappuccino traditionally is the first coffee drink of the day, but now it is popular to drink at any time. Still a strong taste of coffee but smoother with a velvety foam top.

Espresso Macchiato
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Espresso shot with just a dollop of foam on top. For people who like the edge taken off their coffee

Mocha
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Chocolate best to use syrup and a good quality one, espresso and steamed milk with a small amount of foam. Tastes vary so you need to experiment to find out how you like this, may it be with more choc or more espresso.

Latte
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If your not a lover of coffee this is the one for you. Shot of espresso, lots of steamed milk and a small toping of foam. With a large amount of milk there is only a hint of coffee taste.

Gaggia Classic
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The Gaggia classic is just that a classic. It has been around for 10-15 years and the design has stayed basically the same. That does not mean it is behind other newer models as the Classic has been upgraded over the years.

Looks
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Brushed silver casing, this still shows up greasy finger marks as it is still fairly shiny, but not as bad as a polished stainless steal one, it also has black plastic trim.
Weighting in at 9kg, the Classic looks and feels very sturdy. The weight of the machine helps to hold it in place on the counter when in use. It stands 14", 9" wide and a depth of 9 1/2". There are not many curves on the classic it is more rectangular but edges are well finished and i like the more traditional look. On the top is a cup warmer, it just about warms them up but i do not leave the machine on all day.

Power Cable
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Power cable is black and about 40" long. This plugs into the back about 3/4 of the way up. It would have been better if the plug went at the bottom of the machine and there was somewhere to fasten the cable to , this would make it look tidier. Mine is up against a wall so it does not look to bad.

Setup
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Setup is very straight forward. But a warning never turn on the Classic without water in the tank as you can break the boiler and pump.
First you need to fill the tank with water, there are two ways of doing this.
Remove the drip tray from the front of the Gaggia, it should just slide out. Then slide out the water tank, it has a max mark clearly visible fill to this. When putting the tank back make sure the two tubes hanging down are placed into the tank. This is a bit awkward as you need to put them in as you slide the tank in place. Best just to do it this way when the water tank needs a clean.
The easier way to fill the tank is lifting off a cover at the top of the Classic and pouring the water into the hole at the top with a jug.
There are 3 switches on the front from left to right you have the on off switch this is illuminated when on. Steam switch you press this down when you want to froth milk , and the hot water/temperature ready switch this also illuminate when ready.
Now turn the Classic on, every time you turn on the Gaggia you need to fill the boiler with fresh water. Press the hot water switch down and when water starts to come out of the brewing head it is primed again. It says in the manual you should leave the GC on for 6 minutes while the boiler and all the components heat up, i think it is best to leave it 15 minutes.
Now all this might seem a lot to do for a cup of coffee, but if you turn it on and prime it as soon as you go in the kitchen you can be pottering around with other things while the GC warms up.

Portafilter
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The portafilter is brass and covered in chrome this makes it heavy but heats up quicker. It is a full size portafilter 58mm the same as in shops this is unusual as on machines this size they are normally smaller but Gaggia always use the full size on their machines. This comes with a single cup filter, this can also be used with E.S.E pods (easy serving espresso) these look like flat round tea bags which are less messy and quicker to use than ground coffee. I only use these if i am in a rush, the coffee tastes good but not as good as the ground. Another filter is supplied for a double espresso. This can be used to make two coffees at once as the coffee comes out of the delivery spout on both sides, my older machine only had one hole so i could only make one cup at a time.

Frother/steamer
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The frothing wand turns out from the side you can fit a large jug under this for steaming and frothing milk (stainless steal jugs are best). This can also be used for hot water, so pop a tea bag in a cup press the water button and out comes your hot water.
I find using skimmed milk best when frothing milk, plus its lower in calories and the wife on a permanent diet. Once the steam light ready switch comes on, insert the frother just below the surface of the milk turn the Knob located above the frother. As the foam begins to form slowly lower the frother further into the milk. when the volume of the milk has doubled inside lower the frother all the way into the milk to make it hot. Best to get a temperature gauge for this so you know when the milk is hot enough. Not got one yet so i feel the side of the jug to see how hot it is.

Gadgets required
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To make the ultimate espresso you will need:
Coffee roaster,
this roasts the green coffee beans, this ensures that your beans are fresh if you do not have one which i do not try to buy small quantity of coffee regularly so you can use it up within a week or two.
Grinder,
Beans start losing their freshness straight away so grinding just what you need is best. Burr grinders are best as while it grinds it does not heat the beans up which helps to preserve the quality of the beans. At the moment i am using a flat blade grinder it works but is very inconsistent in its grind and to get good espresso you need ground coffee to be consistent. i have tried a couple of shops to grind the beans, one put their grinder on the lowest setting and the coffee came out to fast, the other put the setting on 3 and this was to fine so the coffee came out to slow.
Tamper,
you need this to press the ground coffee down into the filter to make it level and the correct firmness.

Measuring spoon
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A black plastic spoon is provided this serves 7g of coffee into the filter put two in for the double filter.

Espresso
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So once the beans are roasted, ground and tampered. The Gaggia Classic has been primed and warmed up you can make your perfect espresso.
With the machine facing you hold the handle on the portafilter at a 45 degree angle to the left, align it with the brewing head then turn the portafilter to the right until it points to the front this can be a little awkward at first but you soon get used to it.
Place one or two cups directly below the portafilter, press switch down to start the brewing. If everything has been done correctly it should take about 23-27 seconds to get a 2oz shot of espresso, this is what years of experienced barista's have worked out to be the perfect timed shot. Less than this you get weak and little crema, more and you get bitter burnt coffee. Turn off the switch this makes the 3 way valve release the pressure in the portafilter so less dripping occurs. Any drips or spillage will be caught in the drip tray. Empty this often as when you switch off the machine after making espresso the pressure is released along a pipe into the drip tray once i forgot to empty and was splattered with coffee from the drip tray.
So if its perfect you should have a dark thick crema on top of your coffee as you sip the espresso the crema should stick to the cup and last down to the last drop enhancing the flavour and texture of the espresso.

Maintenance
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After making your espresso the machine will need cleaning. Remove portafilter from brew head bang portafilter against side of bin the waste coffee or puck as it is known should fall out. Wipe coffee grinds from filter. Run some water through brew head to remove grinds and wipe around, this should be done after each use of machine. If you froth milk pull off wand and wash. Run some steam to clean the nozzle.
Hard water needs to be treated in coffee machines and you can buy specialist products that will do this.

Conclusion
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Do not expect to get perfect espresso from the Gaggia Classic or any other pump driven espresso machine unless you have all the other pieces of the jigsaw in place.
I intend to get a burr grinder but a roaster is probably going a bit far for me.
The results i am getting using either shop or my own ground beans are impressive so cannot wait until the grinder comes.
Yes it takes longer to make a coffee, but it is worth it. My wife says her cappuccinos are nicer than the coffee shops. The smell you get from grinding and brewing the coffee seems to linger longer.
Then when you get that espresso right and it will take more than one or two goes to get it right, (my first two or three i could not even drink) you will have a sense of achievement that all that preparation has brewed you a well deserved espresso.  

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