Gaggia Brera Bean to Cup Coffee Machine

Product Information

The downside is that you can't change the amount of coffee ground, which is 10 grams. So you could set the single shot button to a 1:2 ratio, 10 grams of ground coffee to 20ml of espresso, and set the other to a one to three, for example, to 30ml (via brew scales, or a measured glass). But if you wanted a double shot, for instance, 20 grams of ground coffee to 40 ml of espresso, you'd need to pull two shots.

I would recommend all bean to cup coffee machine users experiment with the grind size, and I think most people will find that adjusting to the finest setting will usually produce the best results with most bean to cup machines. But if you're the kind of person who is going to spend time doing what's known as “dialing in” meaning to keep tweaking the grind setting until you get the perfect extraction, you wouldn't be looking at bean to cup, you'd be looking at the semi automatic manual espresso machines that I'll be talking about shortly.Automatic coffee machines are now one of the best solutions for anyone who wants to enjoy a coffee like they have in a bar in their own home. The main feature of an automatic coffee machine is the presence of an integrated coffee grinder which, by means of a simple key, allows you to grind the coffee and obtain the selected beverage in a few seconds. Additional features of automatic coffee machines include the ability to prepare more drinks (espresso, coffee, cappuccino, latte macchiato, etc.), by adjusting the degree of coffee grinding, using the memory and auto-off versions. Automatic coffee machines are very simple to manage in terms of maintenance too, thanks to the presence of cleaning cycles that start every time the machine is turned on. Here’s a brief guide that will help you choose the best when you’re buying an automatic coffee machine to suits your needs. A classic automatic machine – for those who don’t have a high budget but enjoy the taste of an excellent espresso, coffee or cappuccino at home. GAGGIA BRERA SILVER RI9305/01

I’d really like it if it did like 15ml shots and/or 18g shots. As it is, I do double 30ml/11.g shots for most milk drinks to get the strength. One of the relatively new coffee machines from Gaggia, the Velasca series has double the grind settings compared to the other machines we've covered so far, 10 settings vs 5.

The Naviglio doesn't have a bypass chute for pre-ground coffee, by the way, something it shares with the Besana. This won't be an issue for most people, but some people like to keep a bag of pre-ground decaf and for that reason need a bypass chute. Bean to cup machines don't give you much ability to dial in. They usually allow you to get somewhere close, but not perfectly dialed in, and this is a compromise that bean to cup users are usually willing to make for the ultra-convenience of bean to cup coffee machines. The only negative I sometimes read about this machine is that it was previously a Philips model so it's not really a Gaggia, but I disagree with that, I think it's actually the other way around. The Brera has ceramic burrs, as with all of the Gaggia bean to cup machines including the higher end Accademia & the Babila One Touch. Most bean to cup machines have stainless steel burrs and Gaggia state that they go for Ceramic because they don't lead to the coffee beans being heated when grinding. I've used it, and it's fine for the money. It does have some competition, machines like the Swan Retro (which is a machine that sells under various different brand names) are a bit cheaper, and do a similar job.

They look similar, although they're usually smaller – and they use pumps, portafilters, filter baskets, etc., but they're all a bit different. The only other thing is the steam/water dial, and that's really obvious too – you turn it towards the water icon for water (the teacup) and towards the steam icon for steam. They can look a little intimidating, due to their size, shiny chrome exterior and plethora of variable options, but most are simple to use. The best feature of bean-to-cup machines is that they do almost everything for you (from grinding beans to making more complex coffees) at the touch of a button. On most models, there’s no need for tamping either. How we test coffee machines In my humble opinion, the cappuccinatore version (usually called deluxe or milk) is a better bet than the carafe version and will save you some money too.On test, it produced great coffee, and the simple touch screen walks you through every process. So despite needing next to no barista skills, you’ll be able to make excellent quality barista-style coffees, so long as you can stretch to the budget-busting price tag. But they've called this the Gaggia Espresso, nevertheless, and the Gaggia Espresso Style is the cheaper option, all plastic, the Gaggia Espresso Deluxe has a metal cup warmer, metal rails, and a metal drip tray cover. There's also the Evolution version which is similar to the Deluxe but with slightly different aesthetics, which isn't currently available in the UK. If you don't want to steam your own milk then you'll have to raise your sights to a slightly more pricey “one touch” machine which does the lot for you (the best priced one touch Gaggia bean to cup machine is the Velasca Prestige).

The Gaggia Classic Pro is very close to the original internally (most importantly, with the inclusion of the 3 way solenoid valve) and features a pro steam wand. There wasn't really a great deal of thinking required, there are only four buttons on this machine. OK so now we're looking at a coffee machine that actually looks like a coffee machine ;-). The Naviglio from Gaggia is fairly minimalist in its design, and it's a very simple coffee machine to use. Don’t let the professional descriptor put you off either; it’s a thoughtfully designed machine that comes with clear instructions and an intuitive digital interface and controls. You can also adjust the settings to suit your taste.These two options are the cappuccinatore option (usually these versions are referred to simply as either “deluxe” or “milk”, and the carafe versions which are usually referred to as either “prestige” or “one touch”. I also think it's just as good for the “normal” home espresso machine user, using “standard” supermarket coffee, as it is for the beginner home barista.