Gaggia TS Espresso

The vibe:
Wow! Gaggia has thrown its hat into the prosumer market, with the launch of the TS, a top-of-the-line espresso machine with commercial components. This unit has been meticulously constructed with the espresso connoisseurs, enthusiasts, and perfectionists in mind. Even at first glance, the superior build quality is evident in the Gaggia TS.

Housed in a powder-coated, heavy-duty stainless steel body, the TS looks, feels, and performs like a professional-grade machine.

Operation:
Switch and knob-based controls are fully accessible from the front panel, to ensure hassle-free brewing, steaming, frothing, and hot-water dispensing. This unit also has 2.5-inches tall stainless steel legs with slip resistant feet for easy maintenance—allowing you to keep your kitchen counter clean.

Water:
internal water reservoir that can be easily removed for hassle-free refilling the boiler has a generous 2.3 liter capacity to accommodate regular, heavy use and allow for quick heat-up and recovery. A pressure gauge, mounted on the front panel of the machine, allows you to keep an eye on the boiler pressure. If you’re a stickler for heat stability and temperature control, the Gaggia TS is a great choice. A commercial-grade heat exchanger has also been integrated into the unit to allow for simultaneous steaming/frothing and brewing.


Another commercial feature, the three-way solenoid valve relieves water pressure post extraction to dry out the coffee and prevent dripping.

Steam Wand:
The Gaggia TS comes equipped with a four-hole, commercial steam tip to deliver café-style milk ideal for lattes, cappuccinos, macchiato, and more. The four-hole steam tip allows for better milk rotation and lets you evenly distribute the steam for superior milk consistency and texture. The steam wand can be swiveled for greater mobility, allowing it to accommodate different sized frothing pitchers. It is controlled by a dedicated steam knob, located on the front panel of the machine.


Extras:

Critical to the longevity of the machine, the pressure relief valve is a safety feature that releases boiler pressure, should it get too high. The Gaggia TS also has an anti-suction valve that prevents milk from being drawn into the steam wand and boiler of the machine. This feature helps safeguard your steam wand from being clogged and prevents the boiler from being contaminated.

The Gaggia TS has a passive cup warmer located on the top of the machine.  The cup warmer is made of stainless steel for easy cleaning and maintenance.

Gaggia Viva

The vibe:
sort of sixties, sort of now


Comparison:
It makes just as good coffee as the Classic, for example.
This trendy little machine is built as well as the Classic, Amante, Espresso, Cubika and Baby versions from Gaggia. Its not steel, granted, but sturdy and quality never the less.
It doesn't feel like most Delonghi's (for example) or usual household economy brands.

Water:
It heats up really fast and froths/ steams well and reliably.

Value:
For a starter machine that doesn't break the bank - this really ticks all the boxes. You'll get a great shot every time with a superb crema - better than more expensive machines! Got to give it 5/5 within its price range Kind of like a Honda (if you get my drift!). Not as good as a Mercedes etc, but better than a Fiat! :-). Most Gaggia's are Honda's - great products, reliable, do their job - but Not quite top of the range.

Operation:
The design works very well in a small area - so ideal for most standard kitchens.

Summary:
Bottom line is....Get good beans, and a quality grinder & this will serve you well.

Links:
You tube clip of 'the shot'

Gaggia Espresso De Luxe 16002

The vibe:
Firstly, the De Luxe does not come in a stainless steel case! rather, the case is powder-coated steel in a metallic silver color (indeed, it's the only color the Deluxe model comes in). However, it is fairly attractive and much more resistant to fingerprints than the standard edition.

Water:

Since the Gaggia's boiler is aluminum, it is absolutely critical that you use filtered water (or at least some sort of soft water).

Frothing:
It comes with a gizmo that enables the operator to froth milk that is being drawn directly out of its own container. Neat trick, if you're really into milk-based concoctions.

Cons:
What the Coffee Deluxe DOES NOT have is a three-way solenoid valve, which relieves pressure from the group head when the brew button is turned off, thus allowing immediate removal of the portafilter. The Classic and the Baby both have the solenoid valve, but not the espresso (in the bog-standard or the souped-up Deluxe edition).

If you surf around Gaggia reviews much at all, you'll soon determine that the GRINDER is in fact more important than the machine. Spend as much as you can possibly afford on the grinder--as counter-intuitive as it might seem, you will be glad you did!

Summary:
A solid enough machine, but not really worth the extra money compared to the standard edition

Gaggia Carezza 35005

The vibe:
The unit in general is very solid, with a near commercial-quality chrome-plated, brass group-head and portafilter.

Value:
At around $200 at several online retailers this machine is about as great a value as you can find in a semi-automatic espresso machine. It has about the same internal parts and portafilter as much more expensive Gaggia machines, but a plastic rather than metal exterior.

Frothing:
The steam wand produces a lot of steam, but is not really a pro-style. It froths milk very well for a Cappuccino, but getting the even fine micro-bubbles for a Latte is a bit of a trick.


Operation:
It has really simple chunky button controls that anyone can use.

Cons:
The drip tray is too small - given the fact that it does dribble a bit too much after you use it. Running some citric acid based cleaner once a month seems to help with this, but does not eliminate the problem. Anyway, apart from that gripe, it keeps on chugging along and putting out good coffee.

Tips:
A good burr-grinder is needed to really bring out the best in this machine. 

Summary:
If you want the least amount you can spend to pull a real double-shot of espresso at home, this is as good a choice as can be found.