# Gaggia upgrade advice help



## Wuyang (Mar 21, 2014)

I still don't know a great deal about machines, but I am going to upgrade from my gaggia. I post a question not so long back with scope to be upgrading after Christmas, but it may now be sooner.

I haven't got a big budget and was considering.......

1.... From electros...Italy.....Simonelli Oscar......£430 ish, rising to £460 with installation kit inc PoV and anti vac valve.

2.... Expobar office pulsar.....£660 from bells barista.

3..... Duo sage pro from Lakeland, pid control...low pressure pre infusion,swivel steam wand. £350, lifetime guarantee.

I have milky drinks and never for more than 3 people and that's rare.

My budget will hit the Oscar at the moment, not really too keen on the sage.

If anybody can give me any pros or cons ........of the expobar pulsar/ Oscar that would be great or if you could throw any other machines into the equation. I'm always willing to save if it's worth saving for. I don't really need a hot water outlet which the Oscar is missing.

Are these worthy upgrades from the classic?

I would prefer new, but would consider second hand.

Forgot to mention I have the mignon grinder.

thanks for you help.


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

For me, forget the sage. Out of the other two i would have the Expobar, and that is only down to looks and the fact the Nuova is plastic...

Hopefully some owners of both machines will come along and give you some reviews.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Isnt there a expobar hx for sale in the threads


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## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

There is indeed. Bargain at £550 ono too!


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## Wuyang (Mar 21, 2014)

I've seen that.....looks nice, just above budget at moment.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Confused a new pulsar is more expensive tho....


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## Rhys (Dec 21, 2014)

DoubleShot said:


> There is indeed. Bargain at £550 ono too!


Id go for that one personally (if I had a few quid spare and I could sneakily cut a hole on our lasses new kitchen work-top.. Though I think she'd cut me a new hole







)


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## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

Rhys said:


> Id go for that one personally (if I had a few quid spare and I could sneakily cut a hole on our lasses new kitchen work-top.. Though I think she'd cut me a new hole
> 
> 
> 
> ...


OUCH! Sounds painful just reading that last possibility!


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## Rhys (Dec 21, 2014)

Either that or carefully remove a tile off the wall and chase down under the worktop - fit a double-socket backbox with the bottom removed and put a couple of rubber grommits in a chromed blanking plate (with holes drilled through for water and waste) then cut a tile to fit and hey presto! No need to drill holes through the worktop and is reversible as long as you have spare tiles









I'd still be running for my life though... Having permission to put my grinder in there and my Classic is pushing it lol (she hated the rubber Gaggia mat that came with my machine but I've snuck it in lol)


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## Wuyang (Mar 21, 2014)

Mrboots2u said:


> Confused a new pulsar is more expensive tho....


You must have missed the bit I wrote in my starting post......." My budget will hit the Oscar at the moment".

I wasn't expecting to be able to buy initially until after Christmas, but I've managed to sell a few things. I have £370 at the moment and slowly building on it....its a painfully slow process....but my targets are in sight...


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## Lozzer87 (Feb 12, 2015)

I recently upgraded from a gaggia to an Oscar and think it's great. Although not as good to look at than a stainless steel machine I like the look of it and it's a hell of a lot easier to keep it clean. So far it's been a great machine, producing great shots.


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## Wuyang (Mar 21, 2014)

lozzer87..... Did you get it from Elektros.it?....if so did you have any mods done?

I quite like the look of the Oscar .....looks nice.


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## Lozzer87 (Feb 12, 2015)

No I didn't get it from elektros. Unfortunately I only discovered that they sell the Oscar with the mods after I bought it from somewhere else


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## Wuyang (Mar 21, 2014)

Cheers Lozzer87.

Right all.......really tempted with the Oscar.......keep thinking about the expobar pulser.....any other suggestions ?

Depends on the person buying really, but is the expobar pulser worth £200 more than the nuova Oscar moded with opv and anti vac valve?


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## Lozzer87 (Feb 12, 2015)

So have you managed to pick one yet?


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## Wuyang (Mar 21, 2014)

Hi Lozzer87.........I'm still pondering over the Oscar colours, like the black,but might be tempted with the red......elektros.it.....only got red at moment.

Also still pondering over which mods...def opv and anti vac, but then there's that switch and also gigulars (or something spelled like that)..... So not really up on what improvements they would make.

Im still considering the expobar pulser, not really taken too much on the looks of the fracinos, got the chance of a second hand heavenly for 250, but I can't get excited over it....maybe buy n sell for a little profit.....who knows.

Really tempted with the Oscar, sounds good for the price..... £456 with opv and anti vac or with all mods £505 inc delivery........expobar pulser £659.


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## Lozzer87 (Feb 12, 2015)

I have the black one and think it looks great


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## Lozzer87 (Feb 12, 2015)




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## Wuyang (Mar 21, 2014)

Ooooooh very nice, I do love bright colours especially Orange, so could be swayed by the red, but I do really love that black..........i got the same grinder but in grey and recieved it with the bigger hopper.

really need to decide red or black.....think I'm going to go for it over the expobar.


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## Lozzer87 (Feb 12, 2015)

I'm really pleased with it. I'm gutted that I didn't hear about elektros before I ordered mine as I would of definitely ordered it from there with the mods, they do it at a great price. I've just bought my mignon, really happy with that too. Are you keeping your mignon?


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## Wuyang (Mar 21, 2014)

Can't see me upgrading any time soon. I have started to get curious about other grinders, but I would like to taste the difference before I upgraded. But for now I love everything about the mignon.


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## Lozzer87 (Feb 12, 2015)

To be fair at my work I have a la marzocco and mazzer setup. I have used my mignon at work with the la marzocco and I got just as good results with the mignon compared to the mazzer.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Lozzer87 said:


> To be fair at my work I have a la marzocco and mazzer setup. I have used my mignon at work with the la marzocco and I got just as good results with the mignon compared to the mazzer.


Which mazzer do you use at work ?


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## Lozzer87 (Feb 12, 2015)

Hi. We use a dosered super jolly, soon to be replaced by a fiorenzato


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## Lozzer87 (Feb 12, 2015)

Don't get me wrong, I haven't put both grinders through thorough tests but seem to get quite equal results


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## Wuyang (Mar 21, 2014)

My main goal at the minute is to speed up the milky drink process. I had two fellas fitting me a carpet yesterday and both wanted coffee. The gaggia was already warmed up, but i do think having a HX will help me on such occasions.

With grinders I need to read more about how/ why a particular grinder produces a better more consistent cup of coffee. Also how much of a improvement is seen when you move up in the league of grinders. I find it all quite fascinating to be honest. I read an interesting post on the forum yesterday about someone who had owned a few real good grinders, but was blown away by another grinder that produced flavours that he wasn't getting out of his other grinders.

It would interesting to know how any blind tasting tests that have been carried out.


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## Lozzer87 (Feb 12, 2015)

Yes Id be interested to line up a variety of different grinders and blind test them


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