This plucky little Italian automatic espresso machine has been banging out at least one large flat white per day (sometimes two) for the last 2-3 years (I always lose receipts.)
It's been reliable, though until I learned to do "
back flushing " myself it did go back to
Di Bartoli in Bondi Junction a couple of times (they are great, by the way, when you need your machine serviced.)
It's a single-boiler machine, (meaning you can pull a shot of espresso, or steam, but not both at the same time) so I've finally outgrown it and have moved up to a $2800 Expobar Minore III. Unless you too want to shell out $2800 on a coffee machine, you can't really do much better than this little Gaggia.
The 'digital' part of the name means you can program the volume of espresso you pull with your single shot and double shot, and it means the little green light will come on when the machine has performed its pre-flight check and is ready to make coffee. It'll automatically go up to steaming temperature and back to extraction temperature and indicate when ready — all you need to do is wait for the green light.
I've thrown out the little plastic 'pannarello' frother since I found it easier to froth without it. Your mileage may vary though, so you can often find a replacement panarello
for sale on ebay for less than $20.
Included for your coffee-making pleasure are a single and double shot basket, group head, tamper, measuring spoon, 'blind' basket (for backflushing) and three spare gaskets (which I bought from Di Bartoli though I've only ever replaced a gasket once). You'll also need a milk jug and something to tap your used grounds into (I recommend the worm farm or compost bin).
Condition-wise, this machine has made a lot of coffees and is no longer new by any means, but is free of scratches and bumps — it's just been sitting on the bench, I don't take it with me on my mountain bike or anything like that.
A few years ago, coffee roasters were few and far between and you'd be mad to own your own coffee machine. Now you can buy fresh-roasted beans in most good neighbourhoods, you'd be mad *not* to own a coffee machine. Get cracking with this little Baby Gaggia.
SPECIFICATIONS:
- Bar Pressure : 16
- Heating System : Boiler
- Handle : Commercial Standard brass and chrome
- Group Head : Commercial Standard brass and chrome
- Water Reservoir : Removable, refillable from top
- Reservoir Capacity : 1.35 litres
- Visible Water Level
- Froth Enhancer : Pannarello (missing)
- Cup Capacity : 1 or 2 cups
- Chassis Finish : Silver ABS
- Other : Solenoid valve
- Dimensions : 250x400x240mm
- Weight : 6.1kg
- Country of Origin : Italy
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