Gaggia 60-oz. Baby Class Espresso Machine.

After researching extensively, I consistently saw that Gaggia delivers a very good machine for a reasonable price. I've had this "Gaggia Baby" for 10 months now, and it is one superb machine. The hefty, commercial portafilter, the sturdy housing, the speed with which it heats up...all inspire confidence. And better, they work together to create wonderful, delicious espresso.

A coffee lover, but new to espresso machines, I'll admit it took me a bit of experimenting to find the right grind/tamp combo. But I've got that figured out, and consistently pull great shots, full of rich crema, in 20 seconds. BTW, i use a Capresso 560.01 Infinity Burr Grinder, and find it to be perfectly good (it's what my local roaster uses at their shop for decaf).

I should note that unlike other reviewers, I found the manual to be pretty straight-forward and easily understood.

Only complaint: the buttons on this machine don't impress. They feel a bit cheap. That's the only negative, and the only reason this doesn't get a 5-star rating from me.

Final observation: My kids use this fairly regularly, and despite their abuse, it keeps delivering my 4 shots every morning.

I really like this machine, and heartily recommend it.

This machine is definitely not for a rookie. Meaning if you have never had experience with dosing and tamping you should get some help. If you tamp it, tap the side and tamp it again with a twist you will get awesome espresso shots with sweet looking creme. Get a burr grinder if possible. I have not been back to starbucks since buying this machine. My wife has her white chocolate mocha and I my americano with room. We have a k-cup machine for coffee in a hurry with a great hot water button. The steamer does a quick job of frothing up the milk. I hope this machine lasts well longer than the 1 year warranty.

I also recommend getting it at Bed Bath and Beyond using one of their 20 percent off one item coupons. This machine cost me $400 instead of the standard $500. Enjoy!

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This is my 2nd espresso machine. My very first one was a $80 Braun that I bought in business school 12 years ago, and is still working. The Baby Gaggia has many pluses: excellent espresso, very easy to operate, very easy to clean, great for on the go morning rush out of the house, flexibility in types of coffee (pod vs ground), and durable quality.

Making the espresso is easy: simply add water to the canister in the back, which holds enough for at least 2 weeks worth of espressos, add coffee to the holder, and press the espresso button. Voila. You're done.

It has a few drawbacks too. It's really nothing major for me personally, but worth mentioning. First, you have to leave the machine on. There's a switch in the back which leaves the machine on. If you don't, it takes about 15 minutes to warm up before you can make your espresso. Now, I hate wasting energy, so I always leave the machine off, and turn it out right before I begin my morning routine of brushing/showering before I actually make the espresso on my way out of the house. Second, it drips quite a bit. I end up leaving a paper napkin over the drip tray to catch the drops. You can simply let it fall into the drip tray, and clean that afterwards too, hence why it's not a big deal. Third, it's a bit finicky. The ground coffee has to be extremely well ground. Then compacted really well into the holder. Only then you'll get that 'crema' on the espresso. Honestly, I just don't have the time in the mornings. If you need that perfect cup of espresso, you'll have to make the effort. If not, it still tastes really good anyway, minus the crema. Next, you don't have a choice of pouring just one espresso. The output is dual. You get two espressos, whether you like it or not.

Overall, it's a really good product with great tasting espresso. Granted, my only experience has been a $80 machine that I was using over 12 years. Would I pay $500 for this? Only if it will last me 10 years...so, time will tell.

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Set-up of this thing is pretty confusing with a horribly written manual.

I'm not sure if we ever got it running properly. Very slow and you'll have to hit the one cup button many times before youo get a dinkable amount of liquid in your espesso cup.

After one month it stopped working. We have called the number in the manual many times with no response. It seems we're resigned to try finding a repair shop. However,I'm not confident that we can find one for this.

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