Gaggia Classic review

There’s something pleasingly refreshing about the Gaggia Classic. In a word where other espresso machines are all about neat curves and polished metal exteriors, this coffee machine is unabashedly industrial looking.

From the plain front, to the simple switches, which look incredibly hard wearing, the Classic looks like something you’d find in a coffee shop. That’s no bad thing, as the Classic is designed for one job: make great-tasting espresso, simply.

While other espresso machines we’ve reviewed have gone for over-engineered group handles and filters designed to create foamier crema, the Classic is a pure espresso machine. It ships with Gaggia’s pro group handle, which is used on the company’s professional machines. This forgoes any clever tricks and is simply a filter and two large spouts.

The industrial look makes the Gaggia Classic look as though it means business

While other espresso machines may claim that you’ll get the perfect espresso with no knowledge, the Classic doesn’t. It’s pro group handle and looks tell you that you’re going to have to learn how to use the machine properly, but don’t let that put you off: it’s not complicated and once you’ve made a few shots of espresso you’ll have it down to a fine art, making some of the finest coffee you can get from a home machine.

Operating the Classic is simple, so it’s more about technique. Once you’ve turned on the machine a light turns on to let you know that the water’s at the correct temperature. For the best results you should warm your cup on the cup-warmer on top. It’s also worth running hot water through an empty filter and group handle, to prime the machine and pre-warm all of its parts.

When you’re ready, it’s time for the coffee to go in. It’ll need to be tamped down; you don’t need a lot of pressure, just enough to flatten and compress the coffee grounds.

Pouring a coffee is just a matter of flicking the hot water switch and the Classic kicks into action, pouring espresso into one or two cups, depending on the amount of coffee you put in.

Flow rate is excellent and we soon had our two shots of espresso. Simply by looking at the shots you can tell that this is an excellent machine. The coffee is dark and inviting, while the crema is thick, rich and oily, with that proper reddish-brown colour to it.

The taste is excellent, too. There’s the slightly bitter taste that comes with good coffee, without it being overwhelming, and the shot is rich throughout without the slightest hint of wateriness.

Temperature is spot on. We measured our coffee at 63C, which is just about perfect for espresso: still hot, but cool enough that you can drink it straight away.

High-quality espresso made simply is what the Classic is all about

When it comes to making milk-based drinks, the Gaggia Classic has it covered. It has a single boiler only, so once you’ve hit the steam switch you have to wait for the machine to warm up. Once the indicator light has come on, you can use the tap on the side to dispense steam, giving you fine control over the flow.

The long steam wand makes it easy to control the exact amount of foam you want, and we soon had a jug full of hot, frothy milk waiting for us. You can’t get better than this.

You can make excellent milk-based drinks thanks to the Classic’s steam capabilities

You can also dispense hot water from the wand, by turning the hot water button on while the steam button is switched on. This engages the pump and you can then use the tap to send out hot water.

There’s no mechanism to auto-vent steam from the machine, so if you want to make espresso after you’ve steamed milk, you’ll need to do this manually by turning on the water. If you don’t, the Classic will be too hot and will burn your next espresso.

We do have a couple of minor reservations about the Gaggia Classic. First, while the 1.2L water tank is large, you can’t remove it to refill it. Instead, you have to pour water from a jug into the tank from above. Secondly, while the main machine is metal, the plastic top you have to remove to pour water into the tank is rather cheap plastic; fortunately, the cheaper parts of the machine are hidden from view in normal use.

These minor points can’t distract from the quality of the Gaggia Classic. It’s a pure and simple espresso machine that delivers excellent coffee. Its pro group handle means you need to learn a bit of technique to get the right results, but it’s not hard and the coffee you get is better this way. If you want quality coffee from a manual machine, the Classic is the Ultimate choice.