I've tested a new coffee maker every month for the past year here at TechRadar, and there have been some real gems.
The Jura J10, for instance, is a fully automatic powerhouse for creating hot and cold beverages at the touch of a button, while the manual Smeg Mini Pro is frankly gorgeous, and excellent for consistency.
However, no matter how many other machines I try, there's still just one sitting on my kitchen counter at the end of the day: the Gaggia Classic Pro.
It's a very popular little manual espresso machine, and for good reason. It's a lot of fun to use, it's a tinkerer's dream – and at around $500 / £400 / AU$800 it's moderately priced, too.
There's a lot to like about this machine. In our Gaggia Classic Pro review, we stated that it's a "good-looking, well-built appliance" and that "it proved super-easy to brew intense, smooth espressos with very little experimentation required."
However, when new, Lady Gaggia (as we call her at home) isn't without her quirks.
For example, there's not masses of space between the portafilter and the drip tray, which means you can only fit small cups underneath (I usually use a shot glass with measures printed on the side). Plus, the tray is so narrow you can forget about putting a scale underneath to weigh the coffee as it drips out.
There's no PID controller to keep the temperature stable like you get in some premium coffee machines, either, and the Gaggia's small boiler means you might run out of steam (quite literally) before you've finished preparing your milk.
The upside is that there's a great community of hobbyists tinkering with this hugely popular little machine, sharing advice, and even selling kits that let you modify it to your heart's content – like the example in the Reddit post below.
Guys I finally made the upgrade to a PID from Barista Gadgets. from r/gaggiaclassicFor example, US-based Barista Gadgets and UK site Shades of Coffee sell longer drip trays that can accommodate a scale, and shallower trays so you can use a larger cup. There are also devices that continually add a small amount of water to the boiler, so you can keep steaming milk for longer without it running dry.
Shades of Coffee makes and sells heads for the machine's steam arm too, plus colored lighting kits to illuminate the water tank so you can see the level more easily (and that make it look like a gaming PC). And if your Gaggia still doesn't look cool enough, you can even pick up a wooden knob to replace the plastic one that controls the steam pressure.
Feeling really geeky? Take a look at Gaggiuino, which is an open source project that aims to make your machine as consistent as possible, letting you control the pressure, temperature, and flow of each shot.
Want to learn more? Take a look at the Gaggia Classic subreddit, where you'll find a whole community of friendly coffee-lovers sharing their tips for mods, maintenance and repairs, and generally having fun. If you're looking for a new hobby, this is the best coffee maker for you.
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