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The Gaggia Baby is one of the best espresso machines in its price range. It benefits from having the same brewing components of the Gaggia Classic; which is Consumer Digest's "Best Buy" for a high-end home espresso machine. The housing is made of a tough thermo-set plastic (nearly a 1/4 inch thick). This unit distinguishes itself with the highest wattage system (1425w), one of the strongest pumps available (17.5 bars) and is the only machine at this price point with a "three way solenoid valve"....
- Chrome-plated brass commercial style portafilter for the best quality espresso
- High power 17.5 bar pump
- Highest wattage system available at 1425 watts for quick heat up and recovery
- The only machine at this price point with a "three way solenoid valve."
- Turbo Frother milk frothing wand for perfect froth every time.
This Semi-Automatic Espresso Machines give to us some advantages, like this :
1. Great espresso, sub-standard exterior
I bought this machine after reading reviews of its great espresso and I have not been disappointed with its internal workings. It can do a really good job pulling shots if you get the grind and tamp right.
However, after a couple of weeks of use, the power switch got stuck in an always-on position and I had to unplug it each time I wanted to power down. This wasn't much of a surprise given how cheap and flimsy are all the buttons -- they feel like cheap plastic toy parts -- but it was enough for me to return the machine and upgrade to the Gaggia Classic. The Classic and Baby have the same internal parts and so make the same quality espresso but the housing and buttons of the Classic look like they might last more than a month. You can save $100 or so by going with the Baby and likely be very happy with the espresso quality, but you need to be comfortable with the risk you're taking on.
With the Baby model, I found I needed a *very* fine grind (#2 at...
2. Great coffee - cheap switches
This machine has the ability to produce great coffee with the correct grind and sufficient tamping. Unfortunately the switches on the front of the unit are substandard compared to the rest of the unit. My steam switch has gone faulty after the first week (refuses to lock on!). If you can put up with regular replacement of switches then the resultant coffee will satisfy.
Need more appointment... ?
Good espresso but horrible hardware
We've had our Baby Gaggia for a little over a year now and are already on our third set of buttons. After regular use the buttons that run the steam, the brewing, and power the machine stick or break outright. The plastic buttons are incredibly cheaply made and, even when handled with delicacy break or simply cease to function. What's equally surprising is that the rest of the machine seems to be well made, which makes me wonder why they would use such inadequate parts on for its cheapest components. Don't buy this machine if you want reliability.
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