Coffee machines
Comments
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Rick Chasey wrote:I got the Delonghi EC330 for christmas last year from my father who's an enormous coffee snob.
I'm keen. It works, it's good coffee, it's small, and it's not particularly expensive. (think you can pick one up for £120).
http://www.johnlewis.com/230858171/Product.aspx
As far as I'm concerned, it's like a baby gaggia only cheaper.
+1 I had a Delonghi and have another now, my mother bought a Gaggia for almost double the price I paid for my Delonghi but mine made better coffee.
Gaggia are over rated, my Delonghi had far better pump pressure. I also understand that the internal pipes or tanks on the Gaggias are prone to deterioration which the Delonghis are not.0 -
Not being mischevious but simply curious.........domgears wrote:+1 I had a Delonghi and have another now, my mother bought a Gaggia for almost double the price I paid for my Delonghi but mine made better coffee.
Gaggia are over rated, my Delonghi had far better pump pressure. I also understand that the internal pipes or tanks on the Gaggias are prone to deterioration which the Delonghis are not.
If the Delonghi is so good, why are you on your second?None of the above should be taken seriously, and certainly not personally.0 -
The Baby Gaggia has exactly the same internals as the Gaggia Classic, so should be every bit as good in terms of function, but it has a flimsier case and drip tray and a smaller capacity water reservoir, and it costs more. You can get a Classic for £180 or less if you shop around. Whilst machines like the Gaggia Baby, and indeed the Delonghi look more modern and funky, its the build quality and internals which are more important IMHO.Rick Chasey wrote:the Delonghi EC330 . . . As far as I'm concerned, it's like a baby gaggia only cheaper.
I got my Gaggia Classic secondhand and it is still going strong after 6 years, used 3 times a day, longevity seems to be no problem if you care for it well, but if things do need repair you can buy all the components and do this yourself (unlikely to be possible on cheaper machines that use non-standard components and / or complex case design). Pump pressure is fine on the Classic, it has a more powerful pump than the Delonghi, indeed I had to reduce mine to get the best result. If you perceived lack of pressure I would suggest the grind and tamp was not optimised for the machine. I expect a different brand with differing shower screen and group head might need a different grind.domgears wrote:+1 I had a Delonghi and have another now, my mother bought a Gaggia for almost double the price I paid for my Delonghi but mine made better coffee.
Gaggia are over rated, my Delonghi had far better pump pressure. I also understand that the internal pipes or tanks on the Gaggias are prone to deterioration which the Delonghis are not.
The coffee quality will have a lot to do with skill, and knowing your machine. For the first year or two of owning my Gaggia I made what I realised was mediocre coffee at best. I then did some reading (and got a lesson from my local bean roaster) perfected my technique, and calibrated the machine and my grind and now I get top quality results. It is sort of rewarding that you need to develop your method to get the best. Other important factors are things a brass group head and a brass filter holder (retains adequate heat), and a solenoid valve to release pressure; things you don't get on cheaper machines like the Delonghi.
If I only had £120 I would probably be happy with a Delonghi (there's nothing special about the cheapest Gaggia models). If I had £400 I would want a Rancilio Silvia. If I had £180, it would be a Gaggia Classic.
Have a look at this for more information: http://www.wholelattelove.com/Gaggia/classic.cfm0 -
daviesee wrote:
Not being mischevious but simply curious.........domgears wrote:+1 I had a Delonghi and have another now, my mother bought a Gaggia for almost double the price I paid for my Delonghi but mine made better coffee.
Gaggia are over rated, my Delonghi had far better pump pressure. I also understand that the internal pipes or tanks on the Gaggias are prone to deterioration which the Delonghis are not.
If the Delonghi is so good, why are you on your second?
I moved to Singapore, before I left I "Ebayed" a vast majority of my possessions, I got another machine over here.0 -
alfablue wrote:
The Baby Gaggia has exactly the same internals as the Gaggia Classic, so should be every bit as good in terms of function, but it has a flimsier case and drip tray and a smaller capacity water reservoir, and it costs more. You can get a Classic for £180 or less if you shop around. Whilst machines like the Gaggia Baby, and indeed the Delonghi look more modern and funky, its the build quality and internals which are more important IMHO.Rick Chasey wrote:the Delonghi EC330 . . . As far as I'm concerned, it's like a baby gaggia only cheaper.
I got my Gaggia Classic secondhand and it is still going strong after 6 years, used 3 times a day, longevity seems to be no problem if you care for it well, but if things do need repair you can buy all the components and do this yourself (unlikely to be possible on cheaper machines that use non-standard components and / or complex case design). Pump pressure is fine on the Classic, it has a more powerful pump than the Delonghi, indeed I had to reduce mine to get the best result. If you perceived lack of pressure I would suggest the grind and tamp was not optimised for the machine. I expect a different brand with differing shower screen and group head might need a different grind.domgears wrote:+1 I had a Delonghi and have another now, my mother bought a Gaggia for almost double the price I paid for my Delonghi but mine made better coffee.
Gaggia are over rated, my Delonghi had far better pump pressure. I also understand that the internal pipes or tanks on the Gaggias are prone to deterioration which the Delonghis are not.
The coffee quality will have a lot to do with skill, and knowing your machine. For the first year or two of owning my Gaggia I made what I realised was mediocre coffee at best. I then did some reading (and got a lesson from my local bean roaster) perfected my technique, and calibrated the machine and my grind and now I get top quality results. It is sort of rewarding that you need to develop your method to get the best. Other important factors are things a brass group head and a brass filter holder (retains adequate heat), and a solenoid valve to release pressure; things you don't get on cheaper machines like the Delonghi.
If I only had £120 I would probably be happy with a Delonghi (there's nothing special about the cheapest Gaggia models). If I had £400 I would want a Rancilio Silvia. If I had £180, it would be a Gaggia Classic.
Have a look at this for more information: http://www.wholelattelove.com/Gaggia/classic.cfm
In all fairness this was about 8 years ago and I can only go by what I experienced. Aren't most machines 13 bar pressure anyway, I just found that my mothers machine had difficulty applying that pressure and the coffee only came out warm, not hot.
I am by no means an expert, I dont even grind my own beans, good beans are difficult to find and extremely over priced here, I just use Lavatza pre ground coffee, Quattro Rosso if I remember correctly.0 -
Most machines seem to state 15 bar pump pressure, but brewing pressure (at the group head) should be 8-9 bar; however this is set higher to meet the ESE pod standard. I reduced the pressure on my Gaggia.
Re: temperature; I do various things like letting the machine warm up for half an hour before use (I have it on a timer), flushing the group head until water comes out, so its primed, before inserting filter basket, and brewing the moment the hot water light comes on (when on, the water is cooling).
There are some refurb Gaggia Classics here for £129 if anyone is looking for one (nothing to do with me).0
