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Achille Gaggia is one of the most well-known names in the history of espresso – the man credited with developing the first piston-driven pump machine for use in Italian cafes back in the early 1900s. Today the company that bears his name is still one of the most respected names in the industry. Gaggia coffee machines were among the first to be marketed for commercial use, and are still among the most popular espresso machines in use around the world. Among their most popular machines is the Gaggia Classic, the single most popular and enduring of all the Gaggia offerings. Today, the Gaggia line of fine espresso makers runs the range from the Baby Gaggia line for entry level hobbyist baristas to the Titanium and Synchrony lines of fully automatted coffee centers that make nearly any type of coffee from grind to cup – and even dispose of the spent grounds for you.
Since the introduction of the first piston-driven machines in 1938, the Gaggia company has been known for high quality and innovative machines for both the commercial and the home market. Gaggia was one of the first companies to cross the line from professional to home kitchen. As early as the 1950s, Gaggia made coffee machines that could be used in a home kitchen, but their first Baby Gaggia wasn’t introduced until 1977. Since then, the Baby Gaggia line has been known for quality in the home espresso market. The Baby Gaggia line is still one of the most popular lines of home espresso machines, kept at the top of the heap by both their commitment to quality and their attention to the kinds of things that are important to the home coffee market. Gaggia’s Baby line is available in white, black, red, ivory and brushed nickel to fit into any kitchen decor.
It’s not the colors that make Gaggia so popular with home baristas, though. Whether they’re making machines for the professional market, the crossover market of the home market, Gaggia’s attention to quality and detail is what keeps customers coming back. Every Gaggia coffee machine features a number of high quality components and features that make them standouts in a world where so many others skimp on quality for home kitchens.
Among the features that you can expect to find on the Gaggia lines are solid marine brass group heds, and solid brass 58mm portafilters with comfortable rounded handles. The portafilter in every machine weighs a full pound, the heaviest portafilter of any machine for the home kitchen in the Baby Gaggia price range. In addition, Gaggia espresso machines all feature a heavy duty high capacity boiler that heats quickly and can start making coffee in as little as five minutes from turning on the unit.
If the Gaggia Classic and Baby Gaggia lines are a bit too pricey for your budget or level of commitment to good espresso, Gaggia also makes two lower-priced models specifically for home use. The Gaggia Espress machine will set you back just about $200, but has all the features that you’ll find on its higher priced models. The biggest difference between the Gaggia Espresso machine and the Gaggia Baby and Classic lines is the outer housing, which is plastic in the lower priced machine.
If you’re looking for the perfect combination of ease of use, low price and high quality workmanship, Gaggia coffee machines are worth a second, and even a third look.
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Bean to cup coffee machines says
Ah! awesome! I just came across this artcile and yesterday I ordered a Gaggia machine from eBay :) heh
Frank, Robin says
Gaggia made coffee machines that could be used in a home kitchen, but their first Baby Gaggia wasn’t introduced until 1977. Since then, the Baby Gaggia line has been known for quality in the home espresso market. The Baby Gaggia line is still one of the most popular lines of home espresso machines, kept at the top of the heap by both their commitment to quality and their attention to the kinds of things that are important to the home coffee market.