Gaggia Classic Review Review

Overall Rating

Solid, very good coffee, particularly the crema. Milk frother (steam nozzle) works extremely well.

Build quality is questionable. Rough edges, misaligned drainage hole and bad paintwork. Fiddly removal of coffee filters.

I have just upgraded from a DeLonghi £50 machine to this Gaggia Classic. I was very excited about getting the Classic because I love the coffee making ritual so much. I'd heard it described as the Rolls Royce of coffee makers with talk of gold plated connections etc. I managed to get it for £240, which seemed like a pretty good deal. It arrived and I eagerly started to assemble it. This is where I started to get worried. I noticed that the drip tray cover was very badly finished. It had paint peeling off it and several of the drainage holes have been drilled awkwardly so that they are slightly bigger on one side than the other (as though the drill slipped or something). Also, there is a pressure release pipe which comes out of the machine and is supposed to go through a half inch hole in the drip tray cover. This hole is drilled about half an inch too far back, so I had to actually force the pipe into the hole where it is very hard up against one side and there is a big gap at the other side! It just wasn't what I was expecting from a machine, allegedly, of this class.

But, it does make very good coffee. The crema is much longer lasting than my old DeLongh. It's crema used to dissipate after a minute or so. The Gaggia's does not. It also makes brilliant frothed milk easily and every time without fail, my old machine was very hit and miss.

A final complaint. The filters fit very tightly into the filter holder. So tightly that I cannot get them out without prising them out with a knife.

So, do I like it? Yes I do, very much. It isn't the Rolls Royce but it is a decent Jag. Whoever made the drainage cover for it spoiled the product for a ha'peth of tar. What a shame.

Finally, and bizarrely, when I assembled it I was left with a seven inch by three inch, eight sided piece of black plastic about 1mm thick with lips all around on both sides. I have absolutely no idea what it is for. Neither did Gaggia's customer support line.

Members' Comments ontcsr205's Review

• tcsr205 on 12th Feb 2004

  Review update. I had to send my original machine back because the steam nozzle was leaking quite badly when the machine was turned on. It had always done so, but I had been thrown by a comment in the instructions about 'drips not being unusual on an espresso machine'. I decided that it was just too much though. It would half fill the drip tray in a few hours (meaning I couldn't leave the machine switched on for very long). I had bought the Classic from the Internet and as it weighs something like 20lbs I was dreading the postage cost for returning it. However, when I spoke to the company I'd ordered it from they convinced me to speak to Gaggia directly in case it was something simple. Gaggia were absolutely fantastic. They said that the unit was obviously faulty and that they would send someone out to replace it the next day. A new machine arrived at 8am the following morning! The courier took the faulty one away. Brilliant. The new machine does not leak at all, but it does still make the best domestic espresso I've ever had. Thanks Gaggia!

• Brianb on 6th Nov 2004

  I fully agree with this reviewer. I've had a Gaggia Classic Coffee for over 3 years, I managed to get the one with the metal badge not the transfer. It does make great coffee, espresso or cappucino, just whatever you want!
  As for the black plastic piece left over, I think this may fit under the drip tray metal cover. The one with the misaligned holes! Yes mine are misaligned too, a small kink in the pipe helps.

• ipdahly on 7th Mar 2006

  The little piece of plastic goes inside your drip tray under the metal sheet with holes in it.

• eddy10 on 11th May 2007

  I've had my machine for 18 months worked brilliantly from day one, it's only limits is the coffee you use. I recommend Whittard of Chelsea strong roast coffee. 10 out of 10