Does Gaggia Classic Pro an big upgarde to Bambino, e.g the brew and milk frothing?
Looking for a good value coffee machine for entry level.
Gaggia Classic Pro or Bambino?
LJinWu on 23/11/2022 - 09:46
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Are there any significant cons of Gaggia?
Price is the main one, Bambino is around $300 no?
When I was shopping around these were the cons I found:
Size - consumes a lot of bench space
Start up time - bambino takes 3s to heat up due to it's inline heater vs Gaggia 10-15min for the boiler. Bambino doesn't preheat the group head though if you are a coffee snob
No PID to regulate temperature out of the boxGaggia can become a great machine after a few extra mods but that is extra $$ and effort to install, voiding your warranty
Mods… I might never touch that part, sounds so PRO.
@JinWu: Common mods such as PID and replacing the OPV spring - you might even be able to find a used Gaggia with the mods already done
Also consider the Delonghi equivalent of the bambino, I've heard good things
Gaggia has a learning curve. Requires temp surfing and once you get this down pat it's easy.
Pro of Gaggia is if you're making back to back coffees the single boiler stays at the higher temperature more consistently than the thermoblock (assuming that's what Bambino has)Learning curve for mainly the best brewing result?
@JinWu: Sorry I don't quite understand what you're asking.
If you're asking the learning curve is related to brewing a good quality shot, then yes. The temperature around the grouphead is not always the same as the boiler needs to cater for both brew and steam (both have different temperature requirements).As a result you can temperature surf by expelling excess steam to lower the tempature, then wait for it to heat back up. While it's heating up there's a sweet spot to start brewing your coffee; do it too early and you may not get the pressure/dissolving of compounds and if you do it too late you may burn your shot.
As a result you can temperature surf by expelling excess steam to lower the tempature, then wait for it to heat back up. While it's heating up there's a sweet spot to start brewing your coffee; do it too early and you may not get the pressure/dissolving of compounds and if you do it too late you may burn your shot.
Is that the job of PID?
I would also consider something like a Profitec Go single boiler with P.I.D so no need to really temp surf. Even better build quality (built like a tank) than the Gaggia and a bigger water tank, drip tray, looks better. Costs more but you get what you pay for
You might get a second-hand Breville dual boiler for around 400-500 from marketplace. Also the Sunbeam Cafe Series Duo seems like a better option that the Bambino (dual thermoblock, 58mm group head)
p.s. if you have the technical capability, you can do the gaggiuino mod on the Gaggia classic pro
All i read is how the gaggia is better and then it goes on to say you have to mod it to change the pressure and how the heat up time is ages etc etc. So the only pro of it I can find is it might last longer
Bambino is certainly very good, and will give good coffee out of the box. Gaggia might be more effort than it sounds like you're looking for (entry level).
Have a secondhand Gaggia and it's been great.
Strongly recommend
Excellent reliability.Did you install any mod?
Looking for a good value coffee machine for entry level
Pretty solid bet with the Gaggia Classic Pro.
OzBargainers tend to be fond of the plasticy, button-filled, ZOMFG-LEDs!!11111 Breville machines.
But if you're keen to learn how to make good espresso-based drinks then the Gaggia Classic Pro or a Rancilio Silvia M V6 (if you can stretch your budget) will give you MANY years of reliable service and help you understand/manage the variables at play.
gaggia is overall a much better machine, it's more robust, will last longer, and big mod/support community.
it uses 58mm portafilters so you get all the nice aftermarket stuff like vst baskets, pullman tampers, nice funnels and wdt/distributors.
sounds like more interesting than Bambino if really dig into it
i think 58mm portafilter is a big deal, all the accessories you buy can be transferred to other machines since that's the standard.
i use a Sunbeam EMM7200BK which uses the same basket. I can upgrade to any of the more prosumer machines like Gaggia, Lelit, ECM, Profitec, etc and carry all my accessories over.
I bought a stainless steel Barista Express from Amazon for $585 a month ago. It looks like they only have black at that price now. The new machines have been tweaked and brew at 9 rather than 15 bar like the original model (which is what I replaced). Only has 54mm portafilter but you get a grinder included. I'm happy.
got so many ideas now,
Express / Pro / Bambino / Gaggia classic pro,
very hard to choose, may depend on the deals..
Breville Dual boiler is probably the best entry level machine you can get.
It has high build quality, very customisable.
Tons of well thought out features
Parts / repairs are easily available.do you think barista pro is also a good one for entry level?
Yes, I think so.
I had the BES920 / Grinder combo.
I think the barista pro is pretty much the same as BES920 series with integrated grinder.Personally I would get the BES920 and a separate good quality grinder (aim at $500+ if you can). The Breville grinder is good, but there are better ones.
This gives more flexibility and would last a long time before needing upgrade.
(At least 5 years)I had a Breville Bes920 for last 8 years and sunbeams before that. I "upgraded" to Lelit Elizabeth
The Breville is far more capable / functional.
Gaggia is a huge step above in build quality and is considered the go-to for entry level espresso machines. It will last a very long time with care.