Gaggia Brera Superautomatic Espresso Machine

This was my first foray into semi-automatic espresso machines, so even though I don't have a lot of experience, I was extremely careful in the treatment of the Brera. I cleaned it weekly, and descaled it on a regular basis. Unfortunately two things happened. About a month ago, every third or fourth espresso started coming out extremely watery. It seems that the beans were not being properly syphoned into the grinder properly. It appears that the machine makes the espresso regardless of whether there are enough beans in the hopper. When they did go in, it would make great crema. Last week, however, it developed an electrical issue. The machine would not prime and after playing with it for a few days, it refused to turn on all together. Ugh. I will attempt to get it repaired, but I am not hopeful. So for 900 dollars I got about 4 months of great espresso and a nice countertop decoration.

I bought the silver version about a year ago to replace an aging Capresso C1000. Unlike the burnt taste and warm espresso with the c1000, this unit produces excellent espresso in both taste and temperature. For your reference, I mostly use Giggia Intenso whole beans.

However, there are some minor problems not related to the espresso produced.

1. After about 4 months of use (latte in the morning), the top silver plating of the frothing handle started to peel off. It turns out that this peeling piece is made of plastic that covers the internal metal frothing tube. However, the paint peels off this plastic since it can't withstand the heat of the steaming hot metal. The part was replaced under warranty, but they charged me $6.95 for shipping. While this piece doesn't affect the functionality of the unit, it sure cheapens the look of the unit.. all for a lousy piece of plastic.

2. The water container is too small. Water has to be refilled after few shots of espresso. Not a problem for personal daily use, but annoying if you are entertaining more than a few guests.

I wish I could give this 4.5 stars, but that is not an option. Therefore, I'll give 4 stars since they made me pay shipping for a cheaply made plastic part that was still under warranty.

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Since Whole Latte Love won't print my review (please note others have assigned the machine 1 to 2 stars, yet only glowing reviews are published) I will back up the problems others have reported here. I always research big dollar purchases on Amazon and trust the reviewing community, and others should be forewarned about the Gaggia Brera. I bought it to replace my workhorse Saeco Superautomatica that trucked along for 8 years with typical repairs and part replacements. I make only one 2-shot latte a few times a week out of this machine, so I'm not asking a lot. I appreciated the quieter grind and operation of the Brera, the espresso was good, and the steamer worked great (although the wand is peeling and unattractive). My first complaint was that the ground beans overshot the press and filled the side of the machine. I also bought this for its bypass feature which made sense to brew the occasional decaf or flavored coffee. I contacted WLL, and they told me to use a brush and clean the shoot. Huh?? So I got used to wasting a lot of coffee and cleaning out the machine weekly. Should have returned it then. Now it's demanding to be primed and stuck cycling through the signals. This indicates the flow meter or self-priming valve is broken...and many have reported this problem. So...$140 to ship off for repair on top of the $650 purchase price after less than a year. Stay away from the Gaggia unless you want a pretty looking paper weight.

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I relied heavily on the brand name and reviews when I purchased this product, but was extremely disappointed upon its arrival. For $897 I would have expected a much more robust structure, but it is almost entirely plastic and, frankly, very chintzy in feel and appearance. I followed the setup instructions precisely but after only 3 cups of espresso, the service door which encloses the brew group warped to the point where the door opens during brewing and shuts the machine off. The coffees it made were not bad, but I literally had to hold the service door shut to keep the brewing cycle on. Gaggia needs to throw some of the $897 at some higher quality materials and rethink the service door design. Another disappointment was the absence of the special water filter. They refer to an "Intenza" filter in the instructions and the product description at both Gaggia.com and Amazon.com say this filter is included, but not so. Only a small molded plastic filter. BUST from beginning to end!!!!

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Bought Gaggia Brera through Amazon about a year and a half ago and worked well until all of a sudden got stuck in a "prime loop" where all it could do was prime over and over again--no more brewing.

I have cleaned and descaled it exactly as instructed in manual and did all of that again to troubleshoot to no avail.

here is a YouTuvbe video descring problem although their's occured right out of box and I had excellent espresso for a year and a half.

Gaggia Brera Superautomatic Espresso Machine, Silver]]

I am out of warranty and now have to find someone to repair it.

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West Bend 12-Cup Coffee Maker, White

This coffee maker arrived well packaged and damage free. I really like the sleek look as compared to a Mr. Coffee which seems bulkier and more utilitarian in design.

This item does not work any better than a Mr. Coffee just looks nicer as a full time counter top resident. After all coffee is all about the bean and not the hot water maker.

I have always used a plug in appliance timer for my coffee maker so the lack of an auto off feature is not a problem.

You can't go wrong for the price. Initially I was willing to pay a lot more until I started reading the reviews. I have had this now for over a month, it gets used daily. No problems, easy to use and clean. The coffee taste just as good as the Kuerig (workplace). Save your money.

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Perfect, inexpensive, big container, pours well Why pay $100 when this works just as good, no needless bells and whistles.

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Love this unit. It is easy to clean and the pot does not drip. I wanted this particular coffee maker because it does not have "bells and whistles." I clean it after each use so it maintains a continuing sparkle.

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The carafe, however, is terrible. Half the coffee ends up on the counter. Also the coffeemaker can't handle espresso grinds-even when mixed with standard auto-drip grinds.

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Frieling USA Ultimo French Presses

I love this little French press. It's easy to clean. It got a nice heavy ' good quality' feel to it. I just wish I had purchased the next size up. This size will only make one small (European size) cup....actually, not even that. So, unless you like really tiny cups of coffee, I would suggest buying the larger size. A great quality product, never the less.

This is the first french press I've managed to get my hands on, and I couldn't be happier.

The quality itself is perfect, being all stainless steel. Someone at my job even quoted it as being the "viking" of french press mugs, and I couldn't agree more.

I was skeptical at first, as I didn't really see what the "hubbub" was about french press mugs. But after experimenting with my first few batches, it definitely produces a much better cup of coffee.

One great thing, is that this french press mug is a breeze to clean and I find myself constantly going back to brew multiple cups of coffee and even find myself serving some of my co-workers. Can't help if I want to show it off.

All in all if you're looking for a high quality french press, don't pass this up.

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I wanted a stainless steel press and I had two options; the Frieling or the Bodum Columbia, so I scoured the internet for better pics of them... you see which one I bought. Let me tell you, this Frieling is hands down the nicest coffee press available. Unlike the Bodum Columbia, or any of the Bodums for that matter, this Frieling is made entirely of stainless steelno plastic parts anywhere! None! The pictures don't do it justice. It is mesmerizingly beautiful, quality construction and works excellent.

I like limiting my coffee intake in the morning so I opted for the smaller 8 ounce version. I am very happy with it. Warning, they aren't kidding about the size though, it makes precisely one American sized cup. I like it but most people will certainly find this size too small and should get the 17oz version. The 17oz version should hold two cups of coffee, which should be adequate for the single coffee drinker or the couple who likes their coffee in moderation.

I am also going to tell you here that there is a very nice ceramic press available on Amazon as well, if you search around for it (there's only one). My girlfriend used to have one until I knocked it onto the floor, and it has all the benefits of insulating the liquid and a non-plastic construction. I opted for the Frieling because the Frieling comes in the smaller sizes.

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This press makes a good 5 or 6oz cup of coffee, but beware if you think that the 8oz size in the specifications means that you can get an 8oz cup of coffee. The spout is so designed that if you put more than 6oz of water in the coffee press, then when you depress the plunger some hot water will shoot out of the spout and some coffee grounds will get in your just brewed cup of coffee. If you like an 8oz cup of coffee, you should buy the next larger size.

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The biggest disappointment for me is that I chose this product because the company says that they are a USA company. Sadly the product says it was made in China. I wanted an American made product. I am spreading the word not to buy this product. If you check out the about page on their website this is what they say, "Founded in New York by Monika & Bernard Schnacke to market Frieling's German-made products". My product packaging says "Made in P.R.C for Frieling Company". Either Frieling is a liar or the company I bought it from here on Amazon.

Quality wise, it is nice but not the greatest design. Do not over fill the water or the grinds will get passed the screen next to the spout. I get around this by tilting the whole thing and the pushing the screen past the spout. You definitely have to heat up the press before using it or your coffee will not be that hot.

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