Gaggia Decalcifier Descaler Solution

The vibe:
The Gaggia decalcifier is used to rid espresso machines of scale build-up and it's also used for ridding your machine of calcium deposits.

Pros:
This product will lengthen the life of your machine and the taste of the coffee

cons:
It's not really clear as to how much water should be used - "just use the bottle and fill your reservoir" (but different machines have different size reservoirs sizes - so it does leave you wondering how much to use)

However, followed the directions as per the bottle and it seems to clean pretty well.

Gaggia milk-steaming problem

The problem:
Even though it is possible to get really great micro-foam results when steaming with Gaggia, the second pitcher results aren't nearly as good as the first.

The reason:
Gaggias (and probably all other single-boilers) only introduce new water into the boiler while brewing, but not while steaming. Hence, steam-pressure just keeps dropping off until the boiler is empty (indeed the manual warns about not steaming for more than five minutes at a time).

The solution:
Unfortunately, you'll have to prepare each latte or cappuccino individually. In other words; pull one shot, steam a small pitcher for the first cappuccino or latte, then run some water through the group in brew mode and pull the second shot, then steam the second pitcher. Otherwise, you'll run out of steam and your shots will fade and get cold by the time you've steamed both pitchers.

Alternatively:
You can pull a double-shot into two cups and just steam less milk for each. With a bit of practice, you should be able to steam ten ounces or so in one session - so you can make two traditional single cappuccinos without having to steam two pitchers of milk.  To do this, you may also want to consider replacing the Gaggia frother with a Saeco, minus the outer sleeve (the inner part of the Gaggia wand is too short to use by itself). It's the plastic thingy that attaches to the steam-wand.  The advantage of the Saeco is that the inner part with the steam-hole at the end is almost the same length as the device itself, whereas in the Gaggia it is much shorter. With a bit of practice you can make pretty decent micro-foam with this wand.  Good luck!

Gaggia Caffitaly Nautlius

The vibe:
Okay, it may only make coffee using those lazy pre-packaged coffee-pods, but who cares - it looks awesome! I don't know what meaning the nautilus has to anything coffee-related, but I welcome the design ethos.

Operation:
Its really really simple, what else would you expect from a capsule machine?. If you're not familiar with 'capsules', they contain a pre-measured amount of sealed ground-coffee. Each capsule is used once and then cleanly automatically disposed of.

Water:
The stainless-steel boiler is efficient enough at heating the maximum capacity 1.2litre (removable) water-tank.

Frother:
The frother is not very good.

Summary:
Apart from the cool nautical theme its not such a great coffee machine

Is the Gaggia Base worth buying?

The vibe:
The marketing says that this single-drawer base by Gaggia is the perfect compliment to any of the Gaggia machines and grinders.

What it does:
It keeps both the espresso machine and grinder together on a stable platform and provides a pull-out drawer with a wooden dowel for knocking the coffee-grounds out of the filter.

Dimensions:
Width: 17”, Depth: 12”, Height at highest point: 3 ½”, Height at lowest point: 1”. Only available in black colour.

The cons:
It's a touch on the small side, and doesnt fit all machines.  Also, unless you definitly always want your grinder and espresso machine to be kept side by side then there is no option to split the base to accommodate bench-top gymnastics - especially when trying to maximise bench-top space.  It's also made of plastic rather than a nice rubber - no real issue, but 'feel' can be a big deal for some people

Pros:
It definietly helps stop Gaggia grinders and also some of the smaller/lighter espresso machines from slipping around the bench-top. It also matches the Gaggia design 'look' - which some other bases do not.

Value:
It's not cheap, (and shouldn't your expensive grinder and espresso machine come with rubber feet in the first place?) so perhaps you can fashion your own non-slip base out of some materials lying around the house but if DIY isn't your thing, this will suit you fine... and importantly, may just be what you needed to get value-return out of your coffee machine.


Summary:
Its theoretically worth it, perhaps even essential, if you own light machines - but only you can answer if its truly the best option.