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The Titanium SS is our top of the line super automatic espresso and cappuccino machine. You can actually call this super automatic a Coffee Center because it allows you to create practically any coffee drink you could imagine and in most cases, replaces the drip coffee maker altogether. The 100% stainless steel housing encloses the same internals as our Gaggia Titanium, as well as the cobalt blue LCD digital display and seven push buttons that operate many of the features on this well-built mach...
- Cobalt Blue digital display guides you through the brewing process and provides alerts and programming information.
- Three programmable push-button brew based on the liquid volume you choose
- Removable 60 oz water reservoir
- Conical burr grinder with 18 adjustable grind settings
This Super-Automatic Espresso Machines give to us some advantages, like this :
1. It really is a super auto!
I've lusted after a Super Auto for years. When I finally decided to get one, I did a fare amount of investigating. The Gaggia Titanium had the best spec's for the price and good reviews. I decided to spend the extra money for the Stainless unit. I haven't seen the painted plastic model so I can't comment on the appearance. I do think the Stainless looks great! You can find reviews of the non-stainless here on Amazon and other than the outside appearance, the device is the same.
I've only had the unit for a few days but so far, I'm very happy. To the negatives first. The manual is awful! It's not just the Italian to English translation! The text is skimpy and the illustrations not so great. I spent a fair amount of time making sure I understood how to setup and use the unit. I'm pretty technically savvy and in the end, I figured it all out. But don't rush into using this product until you've figured out how to set it up, clean it and adjust all the settings (there are...
2. Long term reliability issues
Unfortunately, like a 1970's Alpha Romeo, good looks and great performance don't add up to a hill of (coffee) beans over the long run when reliability is taken into account.
My first machine was dead on arrival with the fateful "Ventilate" issues seen by other purchasers. The second machine, which although shipped and sold by Amazon was manufactured 18 months prior to my purchase (Jan 2007). This started to give trouble after about 14 months with the boiler leaking steam and flooding the counter-top which, given the claims of a stainless steal "durable" boiler was risible. This, coupled with the fact that the brewunit has jammed three times (requiring a trip to the local repair shop) means that 18 months in to the purchase I've spent over $650 in maintenance fees. For 2-3 cups of coffee per day, a trip to Starbucks begins to look cheap!
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How to solve the "ventilate" problem
I bought my Gaggia Titanium about 1 year ago and hated it for the first month. The machine kept showing the "ventilate" sign (apparently a common problem) and I couldn't figure out what to do. (Manual is terrible!) I went to fix it.com and found someone who was able to solve the problem. Go in the menu and get the asterik to show next to factory settings. (Use the arrow buttons to get the asterik on factory settings. Push "yes." That should solve the problem. You will have to reset the cup sizes.
I haven't seen the ventilate sign for a long time now. My family has made over 1,500 cups now and we love our machine. It is very easy to clean too. We use Lavazza Super Crema beans ($27 for 2.2 pounds) It's a smooth, mellow tasting Italian bean that is not bitter or greasy. (Beans never get stuck in the hopper.) It makes a nice, authentic Italian "crema" too. Enjoy!
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