# So, I think I’ve made my decision…maybe?



## msquire (Dec 27, 2021)

Hi all, new member here so thanks in advance for welcoming me and for all your advice!

I've been a longtime pour over brewer with all the usual v60/ Aeropress/ Kalita Wave brewers and now decided it is time to get into the rabbit hole of home espresso making. I'll mainly be the only one using it on a daily basis (OH isn't really into coffee) and likely will be doing 3-4 shots a day, maybe with 1 or 2 being a milk drink. We don't often have people round for coffee, in the last 6 months I bet I've made 2 cups of coffee at once less than a handful of times.

I've spent a while researching forums, reviews and YT video's and although it sometimes feels like the more you read the harder the decision gets, I keep coming round to getting a Gaggia Classic Pro. I have about £200 of vouchers with work that I can use at "commercial" shops so I could get it from somewhere like Selfridges for about £250 - which feels like a bit of a no-brainier.

My only pause is whether I will end up outgrowing the machine in a year or so and wishing that I had got something that can grow with me longer. Although my espresso making skill and if I'm honest, likely my pallet and ability to detect differences in the coffee might mean that I never progress beyond 'basic' espresso I guess!

I know you can heavily mod the gcp, I'm not sure how I feel about doing some of them myself beyond the OPV. If i'm going to want to be able to regulate temperature, control pre-infusion etc in future, am I better off getting a machine from the start that can do that?

So I've also been looking at things like the Lelit Victoria or MaraX or the Sage Dual Boiler. All are a bit of an uncomfortable stretch beyond the budget (would like to spend £800 tops) although if I can get the SDB using my vouchers then it brings it down close to that figure.

The other option is second hand which I'm not against, if I am confident in the seller, but also that the machine can be reasonably serviced/ repaired when out of warranty. I've seen some SDB's for around £500 which seems a good price if they are well maintained/ good condition.

Final thing to add is that I have a Comandante grinder already so I'm pretty set with that and don't need/ want to save any of my budget for a new grinder.

Apologies for the long post but hopefully I've given enough context of my requirements/ thought process - apologies if it just turns out to be a random ramble!


----------



## cuprajake (Mar 30, 2020)

Id avoid the gaggia

When i started with espresso i read and read, bought into the hype the gaggia is the ideal first machine

Won one on ebay, bought all the assesories, got the nice hand grinder

Watched all the YouTube vide

And then burnt through a a kilo of coffee with every one going down the sink, i wouldn't wish a gc on my worst enemy.

There hard to use, finiky temp un stable

If you can spring to the sage dual boiler do it and be done with it,

After the gaggia i bought a sage duo temp pro, and the first drink i made was drinkable.

After that i went to a sb hx machine with group head thermometer, so i could monitor brew temps.

Im now on a bianca dual boiler and its so easy to use.

Ive wasted hundreds upgrading


----------



## 24774 (Mar 8, 2020)

I'd avoid the Gaggia too. There's love for the old ones on this forum but they're old, a hassle, ugly and the end result isn't worth it IMO. New ones, I've tried my mates, unimpressive. He has a decent grinder too but what comes out isn't nearly as good as my Sage BE (£350 from John Lewis in sale) and modded Mazzer Royal (£250 grinder + £130 on single dosing mod). There's also something about the ne design, check the Gaggia forum for comparisons.

'am I better off getting a machine from the start that can do that?'

If I was you, yes I would get a nice machine rather than scrimp and be disappointed. If you're not sure you're into 'serious coffee' I get going cheap (that's what I did) but if you think it's something you'll get into, I'd spend the extra £200 on a Mara X or the like. Sage DB is £400 more, that's quite a jump but it's a very well regarded machine.


----------

