# I need a replacement Gaggia which machine should I buy?



## ecommerce25 (Apr 3, 2014)

After 7 years of continued abuse my Gaggia Classic has finally died on me!

I immediately went to look for another Classic model but have noticed there is a new 2014 model does anyone have any experience of this?

Also I have seen a RI8525/08 Carezza Deluxe model which looks interesting and I would welcome anyone's comments on? A friend of mine has a Baby but that is terrible in comparison to the Classic so how does the Carezza stack up?

In short which machine should I look at? I have had a classic for a while and if there is another machine that is as good or better I would be interested.

Thank you in advance


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## c_squared (Jun 26, 2013)

What's your budget for a replacement? Also, do you have a grinder?


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

Think you would be better picking up another classic, amybe a well looked after 2nd hand one with all the mods?


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## ecommerce25 (Apr 3, 2014)

Thanks if I go for the classic do you know if this Latte Art Pannarello Wand which is mentioned on the new model is any good?


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## ecommerce25 (Apr 3, 2014)

Hi I don't really want to go above £200 and have seen both models within this budget. I don't have a grinder have often thought about one I just Lavazza Rosso or Espresso.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

ecommerce25 said:


> After 7 years of continued abuse my Gaggia Classic has finally died on me!
> 
> In short which machine should I look at? I have had a classic for a while and if there is another machine that is as good or better I would be interested.


Thank goodness, now you don't have to use it any more. You should look for a machine costing more money that's definitely not from the Gaggia stable. If I can explain.

Your budget is £200, if you get another machine that lasts 6 or 7 years, then that's £200 every 6-7 years. over time it's quite a bit of money. The prosumer machines all last nearly 3 times as long or longer, with minor maintenance and correct water. During that time you also get a very nice machine to use, in comparison with a Gaggia. My old Duetto is 7 years old, It still looks brand new, it's never had any new parts and not required any maintenance. If you saw it you would think it had not been used. It will look the same in 7 years time, it may still not have required any parts.

Prosumer machines will make better coffee they will steam milk better, they will be easier to use.

Now, I'm not suggesting you part with more than £1000 on a machine, what I am suggesting is, wait and buy a decent second hand HX machine with an E61 group (if you can), for around £250-£600. It's a smarter purchase and you get a lot more for your money. You also get something you can maintain easily, rather than send to landfill.

oh god, I just read you don't have a grinder!!!...get a decent one of those as well...spending around £260 new as your minimum, or less used. Also if I read it right your using store bought Lavazza pre ground coffee....please someone, kill me now.


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## c_squared (Jun 26, 2013)

A world of amazing coffee awaits you. My advice to you is to buy a grinder and get some freshly roasted beans from a reputable roaster. Once you taste what coffee can be like I doubt you will ever go back to supermarket pre ground.

Maybe not the advice you were after as it would mean and machine and grinder but it really is the only way to go to get really good results.

I've got a gaggia classic and really like the coffee that I can make with it. I have a grinder and am using fresh beans though. Also, I don't know anything about the new wand you referred to. I ditched the panarello wand and modded to a ranchillio silvia as soon as I got my machine. I was lucky to pick one up second hand on eBay for £65 but plenty come up around the £90-100 mark and if they have been well looked after they can keep going for years.


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## Charliej (Feb 25, 2012)

My Classic was bought in Australia in 2006 as a gift and lasted me 7 years and still looked almost brand new the day it went on the next stage of it's journey in life, all the way to Thailand, in all those 7 years it never missed a beat or needed anything major doing to it, just kept it clean and descaled and replaced the group gasket as and when needed. Properly looked after a Classic will also last for years, is very easy to self maintain.

I totally understand where Davec is coming from but sometimes that bargain HX with an E61 group is very hard to find and people may want a machine sooner rather than later, buying a Classic also leaves you with a budget to buy a decent grinder, which will make a huge difference on a machine like a Classic.

To the OP what exactly has gone wrong with your Classic it may actually be a relatively easy fix, have you regularly cleaned, backflushed and descaled it?


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## CFo (Aug 25, 2013)

My work set up cost £210. Nearly new Gaggia Baby and almost brand new Ascaso i-mini aluminium, both bought on here. Now I realise the HX boys will scoff, but the OP did say his budget was £200, and at least my set up allows me to make espresso with freshly ground beans. I realise I'm not as sophisticated as most of the posters on here, but I can't really tell a lot of difference between my Classic at home and my Baby at work. What I would say is that even though the Ascaso isn't quite as good as the Mignon I've got at home (although less "clumpy"), it is 10 times better than pre-ground [email protected]@**@.

Any idiot with £1000 can throw it at a decent set-up. I think we should respect the fact that not everyone can, or wants to afford that kind of money.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Spending £1000 on set up is no Guarantee of being able to make good coffee. you need to have great fresh beans and the skills or patience to learn how To use what you've bought


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## ecommerce25 (Apr 3, 2014)

Charliej said:


> My Classic was bought in Australia in 2006 as a gift and lasted me 7 years and still looked almost brand new the day it went on the next stage of it's journey in life, all the way to Thailand, in all those 7 years it never missed a beat or needed anything major doing to it, just kept it clean and descaled and replaced the group gasket as and when needed. Properly looked after a Classic will also last for years, is very easy to self maintain.
> 
> I totally understand where Davec is coming from but sometimes that bargain HX with an E61 group is very hard to find and people may want a machine sooner rather than later, buying a Classic also leaves you with a budget to buy a decent grinder, which will make a huge difference on a machine like a Classic.
> 
> To the OP what exactly has gone wrong with your Classic it may actually be a relatively easy fix, have you regularly cleaned, backflushed and descaled it?


Hi I agree I have spent a long time this afternoon looking for HX models with little success. I was about to push the "buy" button on Amazon for another Classic thought I would check back in here.and Davec will be pleased to learn that their is a Grinder in the shopping basket also  not a Rancillo and probably not ideal grinder (Dualit) but it's a first step.... I have even been onto "Happy Donkey" to order coffee beans!

I think it is the internal thermostat that has blown as it blew the fuse on my circuit but the light still comes on but it doesn't heat up. I have probably made at least 4 cups of coffee from this machine on average a day for 7 years so I am pleased with my ROI. I have cleaned it and generally taken good care of it replacing a few parts here and there.


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## ecommerce25 (Apr 3, 2014)

Charliej said:


> My Classic was bought in Australia in 2006 as a gift and lasted me 7 years and still looked almost brand new the day it went on the next stage of it's journey in life, all the way to Thailand, in all those 7 years it never missed a beat or needed anything major doing to it, just kept it clean and descaled and replaced the group gasket as and when needed. Properly looked after a Classic will also last for years, is very easy to self maintain.
> 
> I totally understand where Davec is coming from but sometimes that bargain HX with an E61 group is very hard to find and people may want a machine sooner rather than later, buying a Classic also leaves you with a budget to buy a decent grinder, which will make a huge difference on a machine like a Classic.
> 
> To the OP what exactly has gone wrong with your Classic it may actually be a relatively easy fix, have you regularly cleaned, backflushed and descaled it?


Hi I agree I have spent a long time this afternoon looking for HX models with little success. I was about to push the "buy" button on Amazon for another Classic thought I would check back in here first. Dave c will also be pleased to learn that their is a Grinder in the shopping basket also  not a Rancillo and probably not the ideal grinder (Dualit) but it's a first step.... I have even been onto "Happy Donkey" to order coffee beans!

With regards to my existing machine I think it is the internal thermostat that has blown as it blew the fuse on my circuit, the light still comes on but it doesn't heat up. I have probably made at least 4 cups of coffee from this machine on average a day for 7 years so I am pleased with my ROI. I have cleaned it and generally taken good care of it replacing a few parts that I have been able to find. But it has been leaking for about a year and the steam knob broke about 2 years ago so I have been using a glove to turn it ever since so is the time to bite the bullet and get another I feel.


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## Charliej (Feb 25, 2012)

A thermostat is only ~£5 and could be a cheap fix, alternatively pm forum member gaggiamanualservice as he used to be a Gaggia service engineer and may be able to help you diagnose the fault, if I remember correctly even a new boiler isn't a crazy amount of cash if it's the heating element that has let it's magic smoke out and stopped working.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

ecommerce25 said:


> Hi I agree I have spent a long time this afternoon looking for HX models with little success. I was about to push the "buy" button on Amazon for another Classic thought I would check back in here.and Davec will be pleased to learn that their is a Grinder in the shopping basket also  not a Rancillo and probably not ideal grinder (Dualit) but it's a first step.... I have even been onto "Happy Donkey" to order coffee beans!
> 
> I think it is the internal thermostat that has blown as it blew the fuse on my circuit but the light still comes on but it doesn't heat up. I have probably made at least 4 cups of coffee from this machine on average a day for 7 years so I am pleased with my ROI. I have cleaned it and generally taken good care of it replacing a few parts here and there.


My head is in my hands...it's not about a ROI. If I wanted ROI I could drive a reliant robin for 30 years...it would get me from A to B, but I would like it. The Dualit grinder your considering will only be good for Carafe coffee and is more money down the drain.

I don't understand all this need to buy new and buy from Amazon.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CoffeeGrinder-Espresso-Italiano-/331169066070?pt=UK_Homes_Garden_Kitchen_Kettles&hash=item4d1b36ec56

£195 and they will probably take an offer of £175....at least you won't be throwing good money after bad. Now I'm not saying it's a fantastic bargain but compared to what your trying to buy it will be. you might also find a forumite has a similar grinder for good money used. If you get a decent grind and decide you don't want it, you can always sell it again. if you use it for 5 years and decide you want something else, you will probably get back at least what you paid for it.

Then as far as a machine goes, don't saddle yourself with a reliant Robin for another 7 years....even if you have to wait and use a carafe so you can save the pennies.

then the coffee beans...why oh why don't you ask before you buy. i can't believe the recommendations would be the same as your choice. I quote "our turnover of coffee is such that the beans you receive are rarely more than 14 days from the roasting date." Well I think I'd want something fresher than that, preferably direct from a roaster. There are lots of people who sell roasted coffee, just ask on here for some advice.

Just don't be so keen to part with your money, it's hard to earn and easy to spend, try and get the best value from it. Sometimes spending more is a better decision than trying to do something on the cheap. I know this isn't what you want to hear and it's always great when people on forums validate your decisions. There will be many that disagree with me, because forums are like that. You have 2 main choices for good coffee.


Cheap Grinder and a Carafe

Decent grinder (as indicated or minimum spend £265 new) and a reasonable espresso machine, minimum spend about £700 £1100 ish. Or buy second hand an get 1800 worth of kit for about £700-£800


The great thing about doing this is, if you ever want to upgrade, you will get a lot if not all of your money back depending on whether you buy second hand or new.


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## ecommerce25 (Apr 3, 2014)

DavecUK said:


> My head is in my hands...it's not about a ROI. If I wanted ROI I could drive a reliant robin for 30 years...it would get me from A to B, but I would like it. The Dualit grinder your considering will only be good for Carafe coffee and is more money down the drain.
> 
> I don't understand all this need to buy new and buy from Amazon.
> 
> ...


Thank you for your comments unfortunately as I said at first my budget for this was £200 and I do not want to go over this by more than £50. If I was unhappy with the Gaggia machine then yes I would consider saving up and spending more on a different machine but I have been more than happy with it and don't want to spend an extra £500. The machine was found through following a link on here through to the Amazon warehouse website and is not new. I had looked at ebay for other machines but there was nothing under £650 (Rancillo) as for the Coffee beans I ordered 1 small packet to try alongside a Tamper again a site I got to after following a link on here. I appreciate this is not what you would like me to do and if I win the lottery this weekend I will go out and buy a better machine I will get the right spec from you first

Thanks once again


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## ecommerce25 (Apr 3, 2014)

Thank you Charlie I actually ordered the one from the warehouse I thought at least I could keep mine for spares etc, but would be worth contacting the service guy anyway thank you for your response.


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## CFo (Aug 25, 2013)

Mrboots2u said:


> Spending £1000 on set up is no Guarantee of being able to make good coffee. you need to have great fresh beans and the skills or patience to learn how To use what you've bought


I didn't say it was. I was just suggesting that the OP could have a reasonable setup for his £200, rather than being told he needed to spend £1000. If a £200 machine lasts 7 years it's only cost £29 pa


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