I’m no scientist, but that seems a little fishy to me. Who knows, perhaps Gaggia has just used very low-grade metal or something. Anyway, the only stainless steel part I could identify with certainty was the drip tray grille. We have live conversations through Chat and Zoom and telephone during week days. Our telephone number is 01422 372554 or 01422 766972 Bad news: it is hard to find espresso machines with a built-in grinder that are also versatile, good value for money, and let you enjoy delicious espresso shots as well as frothy milk-based drinks.

Fill ground coffee (finely ground) in filter basket and fit to machine and brew coffee. [on manual machines] It might seem like Gaggia is adding more to your chore list here, but if anything, a brew group that you can manually clean might just have a longer lifespan. I replaced the pump (twice), three way selector valve, pipes to and from the boiler, and from the brew unit to the spouts. Within a couple of brew cycles, the Brera had figured out my coffee beans and was consistently delivering 2 ounces (59 milliliters) of very good coffee. This all comes down to Gaggia’s “Adapting System,” wherein the machine alters its grind cycle according to your strength setting and coffee beans. Memorising the amount to dispense: You have atleasttwo button that can be pre-set to measure the length of coffee. The default measurement is for an espresso on one button and long coffee on the other button. Some models have a medium coffee size. All these buttons can be re-programmed by the user as many times as you want.You can also press the coffee button twice to do a double shot of coffee.And as for those “stainless steel” front panels, they’re made of the most plastic-like stainless steel I’ve ever encountered. We think that this super automatic machine is incredibly good value for money, especially when compared to more expensive models that offer fewer features (e.g., no steam wand). It’s certainly an investment when compared to entry-level budget options, but don’t forget that this is not just a basic espresso machine. It includes a ceramic burr grinder and allows you to make different types of coffee, including americanos, cappuccinos, and lattes. After priming the machine, feel free to customize your espresso settings. The indicator light will flash red once it’s done preheating, and if you want to make changes to aroma intensity, now’s the time. You can use the coffee bean button to cycle through three brew strengths, and the machine will automatically store that preference for next time. These include water quantity, the coarseness of the grind, and the overall strength. You can make yourself a single or double shot, with easy options for either. I like a double shot of particularly dense, strong espresso, and was able to make it quite easily. The Gaggia Brera, although a relatively simple machine is very customizable when it comes to your beverage options. By adjusting grind size, aroma strength and liquid volume, you can achieve a beverage that is custom tailored to your liking. In general, we recommend a fine grind setting, a liquid volume between 1 ounce and 1 and a quarter ounce, and an aroma strength setting of 3 beans for espresso, and for a long coffee we recommend a medium to coarse grind setting, a liquid volume between 3 ounces and 4 ounces, and an aroma strength setting of 3 beans. The video on the right will show how to make these adjustments to ensure you are getting the most out of your Gaggia Brera.

in full screen and, if your device is compatible, activate Augmented Reality. In Augmented Reality, you can tap and drag to reposition the model, tap and hold All of the true bean to cup machines that I'm aware of have Panarello wands, but it's usually very easy to remove it & use the steam pipe as a single hole steam tip.If you are interested in any of the machines from sage, I have a great discount code available on all Sage coffee machines: Always run water through brewhead without attaching the filter holder, when you are doing the descaling procedure] I may take it apart whilst I wait for a replacement pump to arrive, although the machine is only seven months old so I doubt it will be scaled up. The machine requires you to refill it more frequently than some other machines due to its longer rinse cycle.

Talking about speed, the standby mode is fantastic. It automatically comes on after an hour, saving energy and thus money, whilst keeping the machine ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice. During my testing I really appreciated how easy it is to remove the water reservoir for filling. I guess that makes up for the fact that you have to fill it frequently seeing as it’s quite small. The Gaggia Brera can be used to make more than espresso, however. It comes with a Pannarello wand, which allows you to steam and froth your milk. The milk you get from it will be velvety and soft, with a lovely froth on top. This opens up options for caffe lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos and flat whites, as long as you do your research on milk and foam quantities in each. The Gaggia Brera achieves this variation in large part through its inbuilt ceramic burr grinder. Grinders like these are known for allowing the ground coffee to retain a lot more of the bean’s aroma and, thus, flavor.BTW - stripping these babies down is a nightmare akin to performing micro surgery with a butter knife. Both machines use a little too much plastic for my taste, but the higher price point makes the Dinamica a little more unforgivable. Still, the Dinamica has 13 grind adjustments. That really blows the Brera’s five grind settings out of the water. For those of us that want full control over the little details, the Dinamica super automatic espresso machine comes out on top. The Magnifica ESAM 4200 is a couple of cm taller (just under 36cm), slightly wider at 28cm wide, and 38cm deep (so 4.5c less depth with the ESAM 4200).

There are fewer buttons & dials on the front of the Brera than there are on the ESAM, and the Brera has an LED display. Between programmable cup sizes for espresso and lungo shots, three brew strengths and five grind sizes, there’s plenty of room to tinker with preferences. Once you’ve targeted your favorite espresso combination, the machine will remember it for next time. Unfortunately, there isn’t much headroom when the dispensing spout is all the way up. In fact, I was left with a bit of a sad face when I tried to brew directly into my favorite travel mug. And it’s not even very tall! Brewing at a pressure of 15-bars, which is well above the minimum industry requirements for espresso brewing ( 2), it delivers a perfect espresso with the iconic layer of crema.

The machine has default settings, but you can easily make your personal and customized espresso just by following these simple suggestions: The Gaggia Brera loses points because the automatic rinse cycle needs some getting used to (always have a mug ready to catch the water when you switch the machine on or off!). It also means that you must fill up the water tank quite often.