Before the Gaggia Classic community piles on me for not awarding this machine seven stars from a maximum five: yes, I know the Classic makes good espresso. Yes, I know it will last for years. But those aren’t the only criteria by which we (and you) should judge the best espresso machines. As lovable as it may be, this is not a perfect machine by any stretch of the imagination.
As I said, this latest iteration of Gaggia’s legendary home coffee machine makes wonderful espresso. And better now than ever thanks to a larger brass boiler and brass group head, both improving thermal stability. Its steam wand is powerful and (like every Gaggia Classic) the machine is built to last — no, seriously, I’ve seen reports of these things lasting up to 15 years.
