# I'm new to this...



## Cup_of_Joe (Jan 6, 2020)

Hi

I'm looking for some advice and stumbled across this forum. I am a big coffee drinker and am lucky enough to have some quality coffee shops around the corner from me. However, I want to be able to replicate their amazing flat white's from home.

I am on a tight budget (being new to this) - sub £350 all in - but equally want to be able to produce a pretty decent coffee.

People seem to recommend the Gaggia Classic with a decent grinder as a starter. However, being a complete novice should I be going for something more automatic? At the moment I use an aeropress with shop ground coffee by my local coffee roaster (North Star)

Thoughts/recommendations welcome .


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Cup_of_Joe said:


> Hi
> 
> I'm looking for some advice and stumbled across this forum. I am a big coffee drinker and am lucky enough to have some quality coffee shops around the corner from me. However, I want to be able to replicate their amazing flat white's from home.
> 
> ...


 Welcome.

Sorry, can you clarify you mean by "more automatic"? Unless your buying a capsule machine, you're not going to find much automatic in your price range.

However you brew your coffee, you're going to have to control the dose size, it's grind setting & how much beverage you end up with.


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## joey24dirt (Jan 28, 2017)

For automatic on a budget, have a look at the sage bambino plus 

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## Cup_of_Joe (Jan 6, 2020)

MWJB said:


> Welcome.
> 
> Sorry, can you clarify you mean by "more automatic"? Unless your buying a capsule machine, you're not going to find much automatic in your price range.
> 
> However you brew your coffee, you're going to have to control the dose size, it's grind setting & how much beverage you end up with.


 I mean from a milk frothing perspective. I understand the gaggia classic is not very good at milk frothing although replacing the steam wand improves it. Wondering whether it's worth doing that or just sacking it in and going for a bean to cup with milk function. I could stretch my budget as necessary to do that.


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## Jason11 (Oct 25, 2019)

Cup_of_Joe said:


> I mean from a milk frothing perspective. I understand the gaggia classic is not very good at milk frothing although replacing the steam wand improves it. Wondering whether it's worth doing that or just sacking it in and going for a bean to cup with milk function. I could stretch my budget as necessary to do that.


I've found the biggest difference with steaming on my classic after I fitted a PID kit. Loads more steam available to get the milk up to temperature.


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## Cup_of_Joe (Jan 6, 2020)

Jason11 said:


> I've found the biggest difference with steaming on my classic after I fitted a PID kit. Loads more steam available to get the milk up to temperature.


 How much is PID kit? Have a feeling it might somewhat push up my budget!


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## Jason11 (Oct 25, 2019)

Cup_of_Joe said:


> How much is PID kit? Have a feeling it might somewhat push up my budget!


Mr. Shades kit which is sold on here is £94. Second hand Gaggia classics quite often come up on here with them already fitted though.


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## Jason11 (Oct 25, 2019)

The PID kit doesn't just give it better steaming capabilities, it is fitted mainly to give excellent temperature stability for dialling in your espresso shots


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## ThePeginator (Dec 17, 2019)

There's a classic in the for sale section right now for £130 with the PID already fitted. It has a few issues but for someone who's willing to spend a little bit of time giving it some TLC it's a bargain.

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