Gaggia Classic

This review is for the Gaggia Classic - not the Gaggia Classic New.

I've owned one of these since about 2012, and it is still going strong despite making between 1 and 4 cups a day.

I love tinkering with stuff, so this is definitely my machine - would not really recommend it for a non-tinkerer, there are other alternatives.

Internally, the machine is good old fashion mechanical construction with heavy components, solid switches and heavy wiring - easy to open and see everything inside with no mystery components. The machine is fully user s...

Very disappointed with this machine. So disappointed that we had our trusty 12 year old Sunbeam Cafe series, repaired and will dispose of the Gaggia Classic. The machine is so small that you can only get the smallest cup under the filter. Don't even think of trying to use a mug or the new double wall glass cups. They just don't fit under the filter. We tried to avoid buying Chinese made, so went with Gaggia, but this machine is not the one for us.

LOVE this machine, makes awesome coffee, easy to use and clean! Just don’t expect to get the perfect cup right away, took us a few goes after we purchased it and some practice. You definitely need to invest in a good grinder, or can get your ground beans from a local cafe. The steam wand is amazing, steams/froths the milk quickly and really well, and easy to clean. Also make sure you use the right tamping pressure to compact your coffee. We bought a new stainless steel coffee tamper as the one that comes in the box is a small plastic one. Overall, we’re happy with this purchase, the quality of the coffee is perfect and well worth the money spent.

We bought this machine in June 2020 and it's going great. Neither of us were coffee experts but we've picked it up pretty easily, this machine makes it simple enough.

The one possession that's been with me for 20 years. Coffee as good as it gets. gets used almost every day. parts are available and cheap if necessary, Worth every cent, wish all appliances were this good again.

I bought my Gaggia second hand from a very disappointed owner that only had it a few months. At first I could see her frustration this simple machine is not just a press of a button and her comes a perfect espresso. I had to play with the beans and grinds to get the correct flow and even had to replace my cheap grinder with a good one.
After many years of service it is still producing excellent morning coffees and well worth the time and investment of new grinder.

Went from the Saeco Via Venezia to this and they are world's apart. Within the first year of owning the machine, it needed a $100 of maintenance not covered by any warranty. The grind required for the coffee is very fine or it makes a weak coffee. The space between the arm and the base is too small for a standard mug so you have to take the tray out.
Took up all these with the imported to be told that these were all choices that I should have considered and really not interested.
My advise, save up a bit more than the $700 for this machine and get a good machine that is reliable.

Bought the Gaggia Classic last Saturday (26/10). Made my first coffee and the crema on it was rich and golden. Over the next two days, the Gaggia made beautiful coffee. On Tuesday, I couldn't extract any coffee. I could hear the pressure building as it tried to extract but the coffee was forced out of the three-way valve. Went to the store where I bought the machine and they gave me a new basket. The coffee came out like a watery mess. I contacted the store again and they told me I needed to pack more coffee into the filter, tamp it harder and ...

Machine runs for years, spare parts (if required - any of them) are easily available, and very easy to fit.
Get a medium coffee to start with (half dark Arabica, half dark Robusta) and see how you go. Robusta beens are cheap, and a bit nasty, but add a very strong, aggressive flavour without much boiling. Getting a dark Arabica coffee, in strong format (eg. long black ) is nirvana, but I've never met a North American coffe shop who can actually serve it. Must have something to do with the bleach-sprayed chicken corpses that go into making bleac...

I have a 2004 Gaggia classic and with the right maintenance routine it will last forever. Parts are relatively cheap and easy to replace. The only reason not to get good espresso from this machine are bad coffee bins and grinder.

The Gaggia Classic is a easy machine to use and very forgiving. I have used many different kinds of beans in this machine and as long as the grind of the coffee is right, I am usually satisfied.
It is quite easy to use although it is a little clunky because of its size. I find myself having to negotiate the espresso cup under the portafilter to avoid spilling the coffee. Also the tamper is a little flimsy and is too small for the portafilter (easy fix, just buy a decent tamper). Cleaning isn't an issue.
I have had it for a little over a year and I am quite impressed with this device. I hope to have it for many more years to come.

Amazing
Have 2, one at home, one at work.
Make excellent coffe, better than you can buy most of the time.
Combine with a good grinder and it’s one of the best things you’ll ever buy
Can’t fault it
Very very very very very good

Had the machine 12 years. No real learning curve.. once you get the beans and grind of your desire, you'll want all your coffees made from a classic..
Cleaning is easy. Not sure if overflow pipe has been threaded since I purchased mine but it easily pulls out to allow resovoir tank access for cleaning.. Shower head only thing that needs a tool and in 12 years I've taken off twice to clean the holes (I'd advise to do more regularly, lol)..
the water pump has just gone on mine and again this machine shines, with everything inside easily disconnected with replaceable parts.. after a while you realise your in a secret club, only classic owners know the coffee that this machine can produce. Is there a fan club?

If you love coffee you already know Gaggia and you might know about this machine too. It's the brilliant baby Gaggia and its sits in pride of place in our kitchen. I use it every day and am always interested in trying new roasters. This develops the real power you need to get a proper espresso extraction but you also need to have the touch and skill loading the basket just right, to get top results..I clean it after every coffee to keep it taint free - if you look after your equipment, it will look after you. It is solidly made and I expect to own ity for many years to come

There are a couple of things about this machine that could be improved.

First up, for the price, it's a handy little thing, and it makes great espresso.

The milk frother is simple to use, although it's rigid, so you can't easily fit a larger milk jug under it (unless you raise the entire machine). If the arm had a flexible component to it, it would be much more useful. This is actually quite annoying.

Getting the water reservoir out to clean is also difficult. There's a metal pipe that runs down in front of it, into the drip tray. Unle...