GaggiaBrera Super-Automatic Espresso Machine, Small, Black, 40 fl oz

UPDATE: I’ve had this machine for nearly a year and I love it. I use it every day and it makes great tasting espresso and has been working well without any issues so far. The milk frother works great- I took the auto frother off to make it into a manual frother so I could get microfoam and a smoother, sweeter milk. Once you get your settings dialed in so your espresso tastes the way you want and you find good, fresh (non-oily!) beans, this thing works like a dream. I’ve almost completely stopped going to the coffee shop.Original review: I really want to like this machine. I have been using an inexpensive Nespresso U for years and it did a great job, but I was tired of being a slave to pods and was looking forward to getting a little higher quality of espresso at home, so I made the investment. Upon opening the box, I discovered my drip tray was cracked and the dull drip tray indicator was broken into pieces. A couple of calls to Gaggia and Amazon and they took care of that issue and paid to send out new pieces. Good customer service on both ends so far.The machine looks nice, and is fairly easy to use and set up. My issue is the espresso... I was disappointed the first day for sure. I had read the first few shots you pull could be watery, due to the unit’s “adapting” process, so I pulled shot after shot of under extracted espresso- like 12 shots. After speaking with Gaggia customer support again, they suggested I customize the single shot setting to pull less water through, lowering the fluid oz amount of the shot. This DID help slightly. The shots started tasting more concentrated, and I got a slightly better crema. However, it’s still missing that syrupy, concentrated bittersweet espresso flavor. I spoke with customer service again today, after noticing it was only taking 9 seconds to extract the shot. No wonder they are lacking flavor. The support personnel I spoke to said that the timing is irrelevant with a superauto machine, since it’s doing all the work for me. I’m not sure if that’s true or not, maybe it is. Maybe my expectations were too high for what kind of espresso I could get from a super automatic machine but all the other reviews I read had basically rave reviews about the espresso the machine produces. I’m hoping that it’s either user error or that my machine is still “adapting”.I’ll keep at it for another week or so... and update the review as needed.UPDATE: I’ve had this machine for about 5 months now. I really do love it. It makes a coffee shop quality milk based drink (usually a latte) with great frothed milk for way less than I was paying for my daily Starbucks run. I would even say that it tastes better than Starbucks does. I’m changing my original 3 star rating to a 4 star rating. It works very well- and has held up well. (I do a weekly maintenance cleaning: rinsing of the brew group, cleaning the interior as much as I can, washing the dispensed pod container, water container and the drip tray. I feel that helps contribute to a good tasting espresso). The convenience of a one touch machine makes this a worthwhile purchase for sure. I wouldn’t say it creates as good of an espresso as a semi automatic, and I don’t get a lot of crema with my espresso (even after switching my beans to a more local, freshly roasted bean) but it makes a killer milk based drink. Worth the money.

Loved this Automatic Espresso Machine for the first few weeks- month. Followed instructions and recommendations, but machine continues to show as no beans and will not brew a proper cup of coffee any longer. Just keeps grinding and disposing of the puck. Cleaned, used beans recommended by Gaggia specifically, but same result. Very frustrating. Love a great cup of coffee, but this is just not worth the hassle especially for what we paid and the cost of the beans that are not wasted...Past our return date, or I would send it back for sure.

Really outstanding automatic espresso maker. Was rated highly and does not use plastic parts which is a plus. Minimal learning curve. Easy to use and consistently makes great espresso. I tried the semi automatic Breville and returned it because you pretty much need an engineering degree to operate it. And was not working consistently. The Gaggia is quick to warm up and does all the work with easy clean up.Does not make regular drip coffee but has a wand for hot water to make americano. Or froth milk.

In 2006, I bought a Saeco V'Spresso superautomatic espresso machine, expecting it to last about four years. In 2017, it finally gave out. So naturally I decided to try Saeco again. I found that Gaggia is actually manufactured by them, so this was the model I ordered. I find it to be really quiet and very efficient, with great coffee taste, but that it is a bit bulky, takes a bit of maintenance and has small capacities for water and coffee.First, the coffee. It really does a great job. You can program the amount of liquid (up to 8 oz for a large cup), and can adjust the strength. It is simple to use in the morning, when complex is bad!Here is what I like:+ The cost - this is one of the cheapest superautomatics around, and yet it looks good and feels solid.+ It works quietly and looks nice. The reservoir for water is on the front left (behind the frothing wand), and there is an identical reservoir that holds the "pucks" that come out after making a cup. The tray slides out easily to remove the water (more on that later). This is easily the quietest superautomatic I've used. It automatically pauses for a couple of seconds to pre-moisten the coffee.+ You can adjust the grind of the coffee in addition to the strength settings on the front (though it takes a bit of care, since it can only be adjusted when actually grinding). If you push the button twice, it does a double. Hold in the button, and it begins to "remember" the amount of liquid for that button; press it again to program the amount. There are three buttons, for small, medium and large.+ There are a number of cryptic symbols on the front, but I actually like that - I soon got to know each of them. There is a red dot on the top left (out of water), a similar one on the top right (empty the bean hopper), and an exclamation point type thing to indicate you need to prime the machine.+ To prime, simply turn the square knob in the middle to the right. Turning that knob to the left will put out steam from the wand. The normal position is as shown on the product page - facing up.+ The spout moves up and down easily, making it possible to put a full coffee cup under there.+ I especially like the coffee bin. It holds a couple cups of coffee, and the transparent lid makes it easy to see when you need more beans. There is a slot for using pre-ground coffee inside this area.+ The machine is programmed to last a long time. When it starts up, it rinses the mechanism. Then when you power down (or it powers down automatically), it rinses again. It will also warn you when it needs descaling - I highly recommend using the Saeco descaling solution. It will work with or without a water filter, but I like using it (mostly because I always used one for the V'Spresso that lasted so long).+ The brew group is easy to remove and clean - it is behind the door to the rear of the "puck" drawer. It is an ingenious design, and is meant to be cleaned weekly with water, and then air dried. They supply a small amount of grease to be put in one location every 500 cups or so.There is one thing I didn't really like, although it isn't a deal breaker. The machine constantly rinses water down into the base. If you remember to put a cup under the spout when you walk away, it isn't too bad, but if not, you will find yourself changing out the tray often. You have to pull it out the front, take it to the sink, and then both rinse and (often) clean it. They many rinsings are the price that is paid for keeping the internal workings rinsed and lasting longer.IMPORTANT NOTES:- This machine is suitable for limited use. The water only holds about 20 oz, and the puck drawer holds 5 - yes, only 5 - pucks. You will find yourself constantly filling the water and emptying the puck drawer if you use this for more than a couple of people. It isn't really a failure, it is just the design. Saeco makes several more expensive models with 60 oz water and 15 puck drawers. I would recommend that if you have a larger family.- This particular model is wider than it is long. Most superautomatics are long and narrow - this one is the opposite. You should consider this when ordering. It takes up more space on the counter top.Summary: Great tasting coffee, easy to use, looks great. For a couple of people, this is a really great design.