{"id":15403,"date":"2021-06-17T12:31:11","date_gmt":"2021-06-17T10:31:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.coffeedesk.pl\/blog\/?p=15403"},"modified":"2021-06-17T12:31:11","modified_gmt":"2021-06-17T10:31:11","slug":"gaggia-new-classic-a-classic-espresso-machine-at-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.coffeedesk.com\/blog\/gaggia-new-classic-a-classic-espresso-machine-at-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Gaggia New Classic \u2013 a classic espresso machine at home"},"content":{"rendered":"

Manual espresso machines used at the caf\u00e9s are professional coffee machines, which may cost many times as much as a new mid-range car. Fortunately, there are also more domestic versions \u2013 cheaper and smaller than their caf\u00e9 counterparts. Such is the Gaggia Classic, a device which is supposed to bring joy to many “home baristas”. Does it, indeed?<\/strong><\/big><\/p>\n

Design and components<\/h2>\n

Gaggia New Classic<\/a> is another, improved version of the previous models which have been<\/strong> produced since 1991. The current “New Classic” model, apart from the refreshed design, has a professional steam wand for frothing milk<\/strong> (its design is “copied” from professional espresso machines), a three-way valve <\/strong>and an aluminum boiler<\/strong>. The espresso machine is a solid with a base of 23 \u00d7 24 cm and a height of 38 cm. The machine weighs almost 8 kg, much to its advantage \u2013 a heavier device is more stable<\/strong> and will not tip over when a beginner coffee enthusiast is overwhelmed by emotions.<\/p>\n

\"new<\/p>\n

The construction seems to be decent and well-fitted<\/strong> \u2013 mostly made of stainless steel. It is not a “made in China” espresso machine from a supermarket, but a “made in Italy” prodigy of Gaggia, a company which has almost 80 years of experience in producing espresso machines. The New Gaggia includes a transparent, 2.1-liter water tank \u2013 you can control its condition by looking at the front of the machine. The drip tray under the water outlet from the “group” seems to be roomy and stable<\/strong> \u2013 during the tests I did not experience any kitchen flood.<\/p>\n

The use of the attached plastic tamper<\/a> (an element for pressing coffee in a portafilter) is questionable, as it gives quite an unprofessional impression compared to the entire machine. This is not a problem of just Gaggia, but of many home coffee machines. Nevertheless, the included tamper works fine enough, at least at the beginning of the espresso journey.\u00a0For professionals, an alternative is to buy a higher quality tamper \u2013 keep reading.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A heavy, brass filterholder (portafilter) has a plastic handle \u2013 just like the tamper, it seems less durable and weaker \u2013 but these are details compared to an almost armored structure.<\/p>\n

\"how<\/p>\n

At the top of the coffee machine there is a plate for cups, which warms them up before brewing coffee<\/strong> – personally, I haven\u2019t found it much useful, because the process of heating the cups takes quite a long time and after 20 minutes the device goes into sleep mode, turning off the heating of the entire thing. The surface of the cup plate is made of a polished piece of steel, which gets quite scratched if the cup base is rough. Therefore, for visual connoisseurs, it will be better not to keep ceramics and porcelain directly on the device \u2013 you can heat them with boiling water from a kettle or water from an espresso machine.<\/p>\n

A distinguishing feature among the affordable manual coffee machines is the three-way electromagnetic valve used in the Gaggia Classic<\/strong>. It allows you to drain the water and pressure remaining after espresso brewing into the drip tray, which is safe and convenient \u2013 such a solution is standard in professional commercial coffee machines.<\/p>\n

In the package, in addition to the coffee machine, you will find a portafilter, the so-called handle for brewing coffee, 3 filters, a tamper, a measuring cup, a user manual (also in Polish) and a warranty card \u2013 a basic set, which is what we need to start. Well, apart from the grinder, scales and coffee \u2013 these must be purchased separately.<\/p>\n

The attached filters include: the “crema perfetta” strainer<\/strong> \u2013 it is recommended for beginners, because it will allow you to obtain crema on top of an espresso, even if you\u2019re not very skilled at preparing one; standard filter for a single espresso <\/strong>(for 8-9 g of coffee) and a standard, double strainer<\/strong> (for 16-18 g of coffee). The latter will provide us with a flavor-balanced coffee and will help us make the perfect espresso at home.<\/p>\n

\"pellini<\/p>\n

The black world of espresso<\/h2>\n

When discussing the Gaggia Classic, you should remember that it is a fully manual coffee machine. What does it mean? Well, basically that the user is responsible for performing all the individual steps to get an essential <\/strong>espresso<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 you must know how to brew espresso, or be determined to acquire proper knowledge. A home barista should remember a few variables that affect the taste of an espresso:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Coffee grind<\/strong> \u2013 adjust it so that you get tasty coffee at the right brewing time.<\/li>\n
  2. Brewing time<\/strong> \u2013 it may vary depending on the beans, but it should basically take about 25-35 seconds<\/li>\n
  3. The force of pressing the coffee in the filter<\/strong> \u2013 you must press the coffee with the same force each time with the tamper. If the extraction takes for too long \u2013 press it with less force, if too fast \u2013 a little harder.<\/li>\n
  4. Dosing<\/strong> \u2013 when brewing espresso, initially it is good to use a 1:2 ratio, i.e. about 16-18g of ground coffee and 32-36g of the resulting espresso. To obtain such proportions, you will need a scale, preferably weighing to 0.1 accuracy.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    What does espresso brewing look like?<\/h3>\n