Designed in Italy the Gaggia coffee machine is one of the most respected in the business. That is why every day coffee lovers all around the world are enjoying espresso coffee from one of their many machines. Gaggia coffee machines use steam pressure to push water through ground coffee in a way that ensures all of the aromas and flavours are extracted and a rich foam, called the crema, is created. Below we go through three of our favourite Gaggia coffee machines.

Gaggia 14101 Classic Espresso Machine

For around $500 you can treat yourself to this stainless steel Gaggia Classic coffee machine. Its style is classic and timeless but its technology is advanced. It stands at just over 14 inches tall and uses standard 58mm filters so has plenty of space to make rich espresso coffees in the comfort of your own home. It may be a home machine but has a few commercial features in its high power pump and high voltage boiler which mean it warms up quickly. Its special valves ensure that no pressure builds up so espresso shots can be prepared continuously and other parts are well made ensuring temperatures remain stable. Coffee pods are used in the machine to produce two cups at a time. The Gaggia 14101 is full of features such as a hot water dispenser, a frothing wand, a cup warmer, a coffee tamper and two stainless steel filter baskets. The water reservoir holds 72 fluid ounces of water and is easily removed so you can fill it or clean it.

Its commercial grade quality and heavy duty construction make the Gaggia Classic a top selling coffee machine. It performs well and will last the distance making you those perfect espressos for a long time to come. The frothing capability is good and it looks the part making a nice accessory for your kitchen work surfaces. The only downside is that the frothing wand does not move in every direction so can get in the way when removing your cup.

Gaggia 16100 Evolution Home Espresso Cappuccino Machine

For just over $200 the black Gaggia Evolution has an appealing look with its sleek new design. The outside may have pushed the boundaries in the visual appeal of coffee makers but rest assured the respected internal workings of this Gaggia machine have not changed. The super efficient boiler heats up the water quicker than most other machines and the high power pump has plenty of spare capacity. Gaggia’s home espresso machines are designed with all types of coffee lover in mind. The two filter baskets are akin to those found in commercial machines so suit the coffee perfectionist and the unique Perfect Crema device is there for those of us who just want to grab a great coffee in the midst of our busy lives. The water reservoir just slides to the left enabling quick and easy filling and the machine can use the well known Illy coffee pods. The controls are easy to get the hang so you can soon be sipping creamy, tasty coffee you have brewed.

This well built machine is amazingly quick to heat up and makes lots of foam and steam. It is great value for money as it includes the same workings as other more expensive Gaggia machines. The design improvements over other Gaggias include a larger drip tray, a cup warmer and rubber mounts that alleviate vibration noises. The Turbo Frother attachment makes really creamy and dense foam but make sure you use skimmed milk to get the best results. The instructions come in manual and CD-Rom format so you can watch how to set up the machine rather than miss anything by reading it. The CD also includes advanced tips and techniques for the coffee perfectionists we mentioned earlier! The only downsides relate to the coffee scoop which looks a bit cheap and the tamper which is not the best and could probably do with replacing.

Gaggia 11400 Achille Lever Operated Espresso Machine

At around $800 the Achille is the most expensive of our favourite Gaggia coffee espresso machine choices. Its beautiful lever operated mechanism reminds us of more vintage machines and its domed water reservoir is very eye catching. The stainless steel Achille is easy to use – you just raise the lever to allow the water through into the filter holder to start infusing the coffee and lower it again to push the coffee into your cup. There is also a Turbo frothing wand that creates a fancy, creamy froth very simply. Other features include a 28 fluid ounce removable water tank, two filter baskets for single and double shots and a tamper. The Gaggia Achille makes a real statement in your kitchen – that you are serious about your coffee. The machine keeps stable temperatures which ensures there are no sour or bitter shots.

This coffee maker is great on two levels – one it is a work of art and very interesting to look at and two it produces wonderful espresso. On the downsides the grinds do need tamping well to produce a consistent quality drink. You need to be patient and practice with different combinations of grind fineness and tamping pressure to see what works and what doesn’t. Also the machine does seem prone to leaky parts.

We hope you found each Gaggia coffee machine review useful. If you have any comments to add we would love to hear them.