# Gaggia baby Classic or Syncrony Compact



## tonyguk (Oct 28, 2008)

I have a dilemma.

I want to buy one of the above but I can't decide which to get.

If I get the baby classic I would buy this new and then have to get a seperate grinder, if I get the Syncrony i would buy this reconditioned and its bean to cup technology.

Would i be sacrificing any quality by getting the Syncrony Compact?

Thanks for any advice

Tony


----------



## SeamusMcFlurry (Jul 9, 2008)

The one major flaw with most intergrated grinders is a lack of any real grind adjustibility. The size of the grind can have a huge effect of the taste of the coffee. My advice would be to buy the Gaggia Baby Classic, and invest in a good grinder. It will involve more effort, and a bit more learning, but the feeling of tamping your own shot is so worth the effort.

Anyway, hope that helps :s

Seamus.


----------



## tonyguk (Oct 28, 2008)

Seamus,

It does help indeed, i've since learned how the BUR grinders work so I think i'll go this route I can't wait!


----------



## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Good advice from Seamus

For anyone considering getting into coffee in a big way I would recommend the manual product approach. You have more control over the variables and flexibility in types of drinks you can produce.

Buy the best grinder you can afford. It will often outlast a coffee machine and allow you to grind beans for use in different ways, eg coarse for French Press, fine for Espresso, and you can adapt the grind for other brewing methods as well.

Look for a burr grinder as opposed to blades - there is a noticeable difference in price and quality...

The Gaggia Baby Classic is a good machine which will last you for a while and you won;t grow out of easily at this point in time.


----------



## tonyguk (Oct 28, 2008)

Baby Classic it is, I'll get a half decent grinder as well.

I'm going to get a 12 month gift sub to hasbeans as well as a starter for my new machine


----------



## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Check out Mazzer Grinders on ebay - there are some ex commercial grinders to be had for a bargain but the burrs may need changing.

Iberital MC2 grinders start at £100 upwards and are a safe bet for a home grinder.

Macap also has a great range but are more expensive.

Hope this helps


----------



## tonyguk (Oct 28, 2008)

Good lord above, I didn't know grinders could be that sophisticated !

lol my eyes are being opened to a whole new world


----------



## SeamusMcFlurry (Jul 9, 2008)

Welcome to the rabbit hole.


----------



## tonyguk (Oct 28, 2008)

I kinda got a bit excited and flew down to Whittards with redundancy in my bank (don't worry it was voluntary and I have a new job starting monday tho!)

What i've bought is a Gaggia Baby Class and a Dualit Grinder (I know the grinder aint the best but I figure its a starting point)

Had my first esspresso and tried the frother out and OMG i broke my rule of having one cup of coffee a day









mmmmmmmm nice!

P.S I bought 500g Whittards after dinner dark roasted beans, I do love that stuff and i figure it will get me started before i experiment with hasbeans and square mile.

I don't think whittards sell too many of these machines as the lady behind the till screamed "is this right" to her colleague when the price rang up LOL!


----------



## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

You've certainly spent over the £7 average sale... no wonder the shop attendant needed to check the price!

A Dualit grinder will certainly get you started and help you get to grips with the intricacies of working with beans.

Do you have a good tamper as well?

You will need a tamper with a 58mm base. A sturdy tamper is infinitely better than the plastic tampers that come with the machine.


----------



## tonyguk (Oct 28, 2008)

lol yeah the plastic tamper seems a bit inadequate !

I also need a decent frother jug as i'm using a stein glass at the mo lol!

Cannot beileve how good my semi skimmed milk tastes after frothing with my gaggia.

One thing, the operators manual mentions a "perfect crema" device, is this worth buying?

Cheers

Tony

P.s cannot wait till tomorrow when can partake again in the glorious espresso based imbibing fluid!


----------



## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Hi Tony

According to the Gaggia website, they have stopped selling.supporting the perfect crema device, which was a pressurised portafilter basket

Normal portafilters are adequate nowadays.


----------



## tonyguk (Oct 28, 2008)

Hey guess what, my dad just bought a gaggia class and dualit grinder, i really should be on commission!

I'm loving my coffee's but I'm seeing the limitations of the naff plastic tamper you get with the machine, it doesn't seem to tamper the whole diameter, another purchase looms methinks!


----------



## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Tony, if you're on a budget then you can pick up a no-brand-name tamper that fits the 58mm basket for approx £14 from the major department stores.

However, if the budget will stretch to £45 or so then there is a whole world of customised tampers available.

The tamper that you use every time you craft your drink should be comfortable and strong enough to carry out the task.

You needn't spend the earth - brand is not important but if you do consider a nice tamper your can't go wrong with a Reg Barber...


----------

