I thought I'd experiment on this video, and not ask for likes or subs. Low and behold, it has a very low like count, and no subs, LOL. So if you liked this video, please give it a thumbs up! Thanks, Tom

#PID ✌🏼😃 This is one complete review and excellent guide together with the former video. Thank you very much for leaving almost no questens left and checking out the options to upgrade the machine.

Didn't expect a random solis perfetta mention! Really happy with mine!

I’ve been pulling great shots on my gen 2 Gaggia Classic Pro, no mods. I got a Eureke Mignon grinder, which was a game changer. Control over the grind was the key to unlock my Gaggia. #PID

As a beginner I have a Delonghi Ec260bk for a year, still working well just the after market portafilter goes to right more than 90 degree.The original Delonghi portafilter is still good and locks well.I need an electric grinder.Learnt lot from you Tom Thank you.

PID, made it. Really nice video. Thanks.

I’m very interested in this entry level machine. Loved the review video, thanks!

I started with a casabrews cm5418. Had the same problem with pre-ground coffee and the pressurized basket that come with it. Buying a bottomless portafilter and a grinder completely changed my experience. For just over $150 USD, I had a nice machine, with a good steam wand and a bottomless portafilter with a double basket. Of course, you'll need a grinder too. Advanced mode for the win!

Thanks for the video! Really helped me making my decision :)

The Delonghi Stilosa does a fine job getting great espresso shots as well a amazing cappuccinos.

You actually say goodbye in Bavarian! Respekt! In memory of Kaiser Franz: Geht's raus und trinkt Kaffee! ☕

eggcellent comprehensive video. Thank you. @pid

Great video, I have gagia Gran Prestige, and I have problem with botomless portafilter like you speak.

#PID Another awesome video. Thanks, Tom.

hopefully you’ll do a follow up video on this when there are more users out there. so far i’ve read that people are switching out their shower screens to IMS ones and they fit. that combined with the 9 bar OPV mod seems to have greatly improved their experience with the machine. I’m planning to get this hopefully in the last quarter of the year as it is still not available in our Southeast Asian region yet. fingers crossed. though I wanna say that I’ve been enjoying your videos. keep it up!

I would not look a lot on the PID numbers, if you look at Lance Hedrick's review on the Bambino Plus, you'll see that the Bambino's temperature is identical to this one. So as long as it doesn't continuously rump up and down in temp, and the results in taste are good, it should be ok.

Thanks a lot for the series on this machine. I got it as my 1st machine, so i dont have much experience. I was going mad with the water overflowing, did not understand why. I've ordered the opv springs now. Hope to get a decent improvement If not,seems i've wasted my money on this machine. It's very difficult to get a decent shot with medium-light or light roasts 😢. Works much better for medium and dark roasts

This has been an interesting journey! #pid

I know you basically thought this machine was rubbish but I still kind of want one. I guess it’s like when you choose to buy an Alfa Romeo. It’s built in Italy, home of the espresso and it’s more style over substance. It requires effort to get along, like adopting a rescue dog. It’s aimed at people like me with a history of making poor consumer choices based on emotion.

I have owned a DeLonghi Stilosa for about a week now, got a $50 new open-box e-bay item. It is good, but I feel incredibly limited. I am considering an upgrade to a HiBrew H10A.

comparison video against the delonghi ECP 35.31 would be cool :)

#PID Thanks again for your honest opinion! This was on my short list together with the Dedica and ECP, but I think this one will leave the list. Next to your pointed out points I also find it still looks to plasticy.. I wonder if this machine is just a remake of the Gaggia EG2109 which does not seem to have many postive reviews although it also has an PID. Cheers Tom!

Waiting for Tom to make a video about swapping out the Gaggia's weak button lights with LEDs😅

Tom, I saw a video of how they put sugar in portfilter on coffee, maybe you could make a video about it?

Does anyone have any advice for the frother on this? With the plastic tip attached, like Tom I get a ton of foam too quickly and no temp in the milk. Without it the milk gets very hot but not thick and frothy at all. Just warm milk.

On my Saeco Starbucks Barista, if you crack open the steam knob after pulling a shot, it relieves the pressure in the group head so you can remove the portafilter. Mine doesn't have a 3 way solenoid as well. Might be worth trying that on this machine

Is there a basket that holds more than just 14 grams 'double shot'?. I'm looking for a deeper one (as the 53mm diameter is a fixed factor) and can't seem to find anything. Does a bottomless portafilter hold more? I'm using the stock pressurised basket that came with the machine. Thanks.

As you had to install a 9bar spring we can say that a extraction with a bottomless portafilter has a lower flow than with a pressurized basket. The resistance of the Puck in a bottomless portafilter is Higher than at the pressurized basket. For sure the Resistance depends on how fine you grind the Coffee. Back to Advanced mode-setup with 9bar spring installed. The pre-heated thermoblock most potententially get a shut-off by the PID-circuit at the early beginning of the extraction because the flow is lower than at a pressurized basket and overheating is the a reason for the countermeasure "shut-off" of the heating of the Thermoblock. So quite early, as PI"D" also stand for quite a fast regulation, the heating of the thermoblock is switched on again and the I-character of the regulation is shown. The I-character is shown by the re-ramping towards the goal temperature. You may measure the current for the thermoblock heating element....

Isn't the standard portafilter helping to retain the heat that as produced whilst warming up? I get better shots on my Classic using the original portafilter instead of a naked one.

Thank for this review! Surprised that gaggia has so many disapointing things, just comparable to contless nonamed chinese mashienes.. Seems like saeco-gaggia brand success came to the real end.

9:56 oh you do have a latte art here. Looks like a butt 😂

#PID thank you Tom

For me it’s a toss up between the Carezza Deluxe and the Espresso Deluxe, it seem the Carezza seems have more clearance space🤔

@tomscoffeecorner thanks for this in depth update. I’ve gone down the route with the portafilter but have the leaking issue - shall I persevere or call it quits and get a bambino plus? Cheers!

Its not a bad machine for the price I've never used the panerello other once just sits I the draw

Is there a link to the basket you mentioned?

Thank you very much for this very good and in deapth video! This is what I conclude from your videos. A plastic group head has little thermal mass, so temperatures will be unstable. Also I definatly do not like the idea of clamping in a portafilter into plastic threads every day. So the Gaggia Espresso and the Dedica is out because of this. So for me, this leaves the Delonghi ECP's, with a brass boiler on a brass group head as my first choice for a low budget espresso machine. Have you tried temperature surfing by flushing the machine before pulling a shot? To warm up the group?

Vzery good video Tom, do you have one for the Gaggia Evo?

I have an Evo Pro that I use off-label in that I let it run to about a 4 ounce shot that I like to drink as a small coffee. I'm wondering if the Evolution would produce a similar brew. Anyone out there have any experience with this?

Hi Tom. i am using ec685 with non pressurized basket . I'm wondering whether to upgrade to gaggia classic pro or another device. Will coffee quality improve? Just brew 3-5 cups a day

do you think the steam mode temp hack would help with (higher) temperature stability on the non pressurised PF?

Hi Tom, have you the temperature measurements using the solis basket in the standard portafilter? How does the temperature chart compared to the ones you produced with the dedica Annfield GCP?

Hello Tom, Who is your reduced diameter portafilter basket by? I purchased the Edesia 53mm bottomless portafilter upon your earlier video as my reference. My home barista espresso journey began with capillary action and major confusion 😂 . Thanks for the clarity. After ongoing experiments: 2mm mesh puck screen provides more even resistance than a flat disk perforated puck screen with the Edesia bottomless. Results may vary and as you suggest grind settings are key. #PID

Hi Tom, Is there a compatible filter holder on Amazon USA for this machine? I am from Uruguay and it is very difficult for me to get accessories from Europe. Thank you very much and continue with your excellent reviews

Hey Tom great video and thank you. Do you think its also possible to mod the shower screen?

A question of this unit. Does the Espresso Deluxe PID have a three-way valve or just use preload with a strong spring on its "anti-drip" check valve? Do models like the Gaggia Classic have a similar anti-drip system? The reason I ask is that if one has to overcome the backpressure of the anti-drop valve and the other does not, maybe they should use OPV valves set for different pressures. Units with spring-loaded anti-drop valves lose some pressure to overcome the spring. In other words, if it takes 2 bars to overcome the force of the spring, the pressure that actually gets to the coffee is 2 bars less than being produced at the pump. If you want the puck to see 9 bars of pressure, your OPV should be set for 11 bars.

Would the non pressurised basket fit into the included portafilter and be a good combination for this machine as the included portafilter as better temperature stability? #PID

We want Gaggia Classic Pro with PID and Timer . We call it EVO+

With the mods made, this would be roughly the same price as a Flair Classic with a gauge, or not too far away from a Cafelat Robot. Which would you recommend, thinking of 1, the money spent, and 2, the best possible shot? #pid

Hi Tom! What shower screen size should I been looking for if I want to change the stock one?

Hi Tom! I have an issue with the extraction of this machine and wonder if you possible could help me out, please. I used the same amount of coffee and poured the same amount of liquid as your first try in this video. I used fresh beans with the finest grind the grinder allowed me to make (which is a really fine powder) and I pressed the tamper the hardest I could using the included tamper (which is btw too small for both the single and double filter), I only got an extraction time of 6 seconds! Which is waaay too fast. Although I tried to copy you completely, I don't get a good extraction time and I am really not sure what I am doing wrong or how to improve the extraction time. Thanks in advance if you have time to help :D

What about the original portafilter with a different basket?

I am considering this as an upgrade to a ROK presso.. Is this machine grind fussy when using a large single wall basket in advanced mode?

Which one would you buy - the Delonghi Dedica or this one?

#pid I was about to order this over Dedica and ECP… and now I’ve watched this video. There’s a little choice in my market within this price tag, and as a beginner who just fancies a good double espresso in the morning and a flat white in the evening I’m now even more confused… do you recommend more this or Dedica, or ECP? I know it may seem stupid but for me ECP looks like the hardest one to use? For my whole life so far I’ve used only drip machines:)

@Tom's Coffee Corner Which is the best value SuperAutomatic coffee machine so far ?

9:35 Lance only was able to get the milk froth that way by taking out the bubbly froth with a spoon in the pitcher while leaving the fine froth in there. There seems to be no good way to steam with a panerello, otherwise machines targeted at enthusiasts would have it I assume.

As an entry level machine this one seems ok. #pid

#PID I've got this machine, with the bottomless portafilter, but no spring mod - and have been impressed so far. I've only had one instance where I got capillary action, otherwise it's been absolutely solid. It does run fast and I do get cratering but I've been using a mesh screen to mitigate that, so I'd be interested in trying it with a different spring. Overall, for ~200 quid including new portafilter, I'm struggling to feel anything negative about my purchase(s). Also, with the steam wand I've had the intense splash once - the first time I did it lol. That was a shock. The rest of the time I purge it briefly just before use and it doesn't do that anymore, producing lovely results - purging it first doesn't seem to have a negative impact on the steaming for me, but I'm not the best (or even a good) latte artist so maybe I'm missing something. Great review, very in depth and useful to see the issues people are having with it, will be interested in watching your video implementing the new spring!

I cant find the spring link in the description

I changed the shower screen, that was the first thing I did when I bought the machine. The stock one was terrible.

#PID Thanks for your dogged persistence in testing this, it's really an eye-opener. I was thinking of getting this machine for my daughter, who has no experience making espresso, but it appears that you need experience to get the best out of it. Kinda paradoxical. Still, she only has my old Baratza Encore grinder which, although I jimmied it to get a slightly finer grind, is essentially a non-espresso device. I suppose it would be OK with just the standard pressurized basket... That dance you have to do with the steam wand though, is a bit off-putting. Re your bottomless woes (sounds like the Pit of Despond), I suppose if confronted with them Gaggia would reply that they can't allow for non-Gaggia accessories, which would be fair enough. All the same, other machines accommodate to 3rd-party PF's... Anyway, this machine doesn't appear to be carried by French dealers yet so I reckon I'll mull it over a bit longer, or order from over the border in Germany - if that's where yours came from. Cheers!

In this video you have put the 9 bar spring or not yet?

What if, you use the non presurized basket in the 2 hole portafilter?

Is it actually OK do use a metal portafilter in the plastic machine?

i think you're right on the money with using pre ground for this and these type of machines this machine is a crappy version of a dedica is my of crude assessment

I think I'd rather go with the De'Longhi ECP series for less. #PID

Please share where did you buy the steam wand.

Is this Modell the Same as eg2109?

#PID😺

I think the reason your commenting viewers (I would guess they’d mostly be subscribers) don’t want you using pre-ground coffee, is that these viewers/subscribers are mostly coffee hobbyists at one level or another and aren’t interested in pre-ground, and/or commodity coffee. But we’re still interested in entry level machines for one reason or another. For that see our comments from your prior “Channel Direction” video. KZfaq videos have two kinds of viewers: the subscriber and the non-subscriber. I know, earth shattering revelation. But I think that I can accurately say (vaguely) who these people are. The typical subscriber of your channel is someone very interested in coffee. Either a full on hobbyist, or just getting started; dipping a toe in. The non-subscriber is a casual viewer who got sent to this video while searching vaguely for something about espresso, Gaggia, this machine, or whatever. Who knows how algorithms REALLY think. The hobbyist (or at least the entry level espresso hobbyist) is interested in this machine. We want to know what it can and cannot do, is it for us and if so, how can we get the best out of it. An advanced hobbyist (or at least someone who can afford really high-end gear) might be interested in it as a gift or recommendation for a beginner friend or family member. We subscribers either have grinders or at least know they’re the way to go and may want this machine (or not) as a starter to either go with the grinder(s) we have, or are planning on upgrading our ability to get more out of a machine like this by eventually getting a grinder to use with it. I, for example, was the non-subscriber type two years ago, when I got a moka pot for Christmas (which I thought was a cheap way to make espresso) and found myself searching KZfaq to figure out how to use it. I already had a Breville 450XL, which I think is a rebadged Wilfa Svart. Through the videos (mostly James Hoffman), I discovered specifically coffee, and within 3-5 months I was experimenting with specialty coffees, found I loved high acidity, light roasts and spent, over the next year, around $1000CAD on an Aeropress, J-MAX hand grinder, nicer cups, pitchers, milk frothers, tools, etc, etc, etc. I built a nice little coffee bar in a relatively out of the way corner of my dining area. I don’t have an espresso machine now. But some day, maybe. And that’s why I watch and have subscribed. I suspect that I’m not atypical. #PID. Ps, keep up the good work.

#pid thx

Just bought one, now ive watched this and i kinda regret it. Currently using aldi nespresso pods lol.

#PID

Couple of minutes ago i saw a video of yours and it need payment subscription to see it. I tried to support you as much as i could in past times. I watched your videos, i liked your videos and subscribed your channel. But after saw that thing now i unsubscribed from your channel. Thanks for your videos that i watched in past and i wish you a good life...

Well, after watching this detailed review, it seems like the Delonghi Dedica might be a better option compared to this machine. The Gaggia Espresso Deluxe falls short in terms of mod possibilities. The plastic construction of the portafilter doesn't quite appeal, especially when compared to the versatility offered by other options like the Dedica. Additionally, the low light button is somewhat disappointing. It makes you wonder how such design choices get approval. #PID

I’ve never had an expresso machine and i think that I rather pay a little more money instead upgrade it with extra pieces

Really had high hopes for this one :| #pid

#pid. ... I bought this machine on recommendation from another youtube reviewer, tbh I'm just getting into coffee making , but I am disappointed I was expecting something better, I wish I had spent more on another brand .

#PID this machine vs the ECP3420... seems like no contest

my hardly used Gaggia espresso evo machine is forsale if anyone interested?

Thinking of buying this machine or whichever of it's siblings are cheapest. Then spending an extra £30 on a 9 bar spring, Edesia basket and 33.3m screen. Have you tried the Edesia basket in the Gaggia portafilter or will I need an Edesia portafilter too?

The dedica blows this out of the waters for 200 bucks

#PID even your worst latte art is better than mine.🤣

I wouldn't purchase this machine or any other similarly priced machine solely because they do not have a 3 way solenoid valve

No, this is not worth it. The time & frustration for a sub par shot. The pressurized shots look thin. Too much work. Tom can you find the best auto espresso maker where you only have to drop the grinded coffee in the hole and it does the rest. I had this Magic Saeco. It wasn't perfect but I only had to push the button and I got a decent shot. I have the cheap delonghi 680 and 685. I'm tired of grinding, making a mess, the shot fails. The water cannot come out of the portafiller. Then I adjust the grind and may work, sometimes bitter. It is so much work. I'm thinking of going back to automation. Thanks for the videos! I was just thinking how you Make it look so easy. It was good to see you have a video where you struggled just like the rest of us.😅

Ugh fine i'll just get a bambino...

It seems as if you went out of your way to sabotage this review, when steaming you continue to let the small jug overflow and watch it do that. When you zero the scale it's with the small jug, then you measure it with the large jug 🧐. When you put it into advanced mode you already know the large jug is better for you but you go back to the small jug. It seems you wasn't advanced to use it in that mode, slowing down the video to 0.25x you can see you lower the milk allowing it to spray out. Even the shower screen puck image you show at the start and at the end are different, one has a clear spot in the middle and the last one doesn't.

I was stupid enough to buy this machine... It actually burns the coffee produces no crema at all My old cheap china machine was atleast 3 times better for 1 3rd of the price!!

This machine is poorly engineered, constructed from much cheaper materials, gives an inferior espresso, and is substantially more expensive, than the ECP 3420 or ECP 3630 models from Delonghi. I don’t quite understand what Gaggia was thinking when they put this out. There isn’t even a comparison. This is a machine that can do nothing for the company but sully their good name and they should really pull it off the shelves immediately.

This needs a temp & pressure gauge :)

#PID

#PID

#PID