Gaggia Brera Bean to Cup Coffee Machine

Product Information

With the ESAM 4200, there's no way to know from the dials exactly how much volume you're going to get, that's a case of trial and error. If you like a good espresso at home without all the hassle (and expense) of using a traditional espresso machine, you could probably do with a bean to cup machine, like the Gaggia Brera Automatic. It will enable you to have barista style coffee at the touch of a button. It’s also quite a compact machine, at just 12.4 inches, meaning that it will fit easily into any kitchen, no matter how small, without making a nuisance of itself. It has a front-loading dreg drawer and water reservoir, which are both easily accessible. The drip tray is a little on the small side, so will need emptying fairly often – however, in such a small machine, this is completely fair enough. And, despite being so small, you can still get a decent sized cup into it – up to 4.5 inches. Accessible from the front of the machine, you should have no problems removing the Brera’s 40 ounce (1.2 liter) water reservoir. The nifty water tank panel reminds me of a trap door, but I doubt you’ll be finding any booby traps inside.

Turn the machine on, bring it out of stand-by mode, and have it ready for use, with water and beans. Anyway, I’m glad to see the folks at Gaggia share my opinion. Rather than sideline pre-infusion to a programmable feature, they’ve made it a default setting on the Brera. Brew Group To be honest, the only things that really disappointed me were the flimsy manual steam wand and the overall build quality. While the machine’s design feels well-conceived and all parts fit (almost) seamlessly, I couldn’t help but feel like something will end up breaking sooner rather than later. In addition, we find that customers who use filters in the tank, sometimes forget to change them on time, and this can cause more problems as carbon particles can seep through into the machine. It’s time to talk mechanics in my Gaggia Brera review. Once you’ve run through the basics of setting up the machine – like plugging it in, turning it on, filling up your bean hopper and reservoir – it’s time to brew some espresso.Make sure your filter baskets are cleaned thoroughly and degreased, especially if they are the double layered perfect crema baskets. You can identify them as they have lots of holes on the top layer and only one hole on the bottom layer] An acceptable espresso which is a good base for a longer coffee, but it’s not up there with the best manual machines’ shots Then, if you want a double shot, you just press the button twice. So if you want a double shot made with 18g (which is my norm) you'd set the strength to 2, set the volume to a single espresso, then press the espresso button twice.

Granted, this isn’t the most durable machine I’ve seen from Gaggia. Beneath that stainless steel, you’ve still got plenty of plastic to contend with. If you’re looking for an espresso machine to outlast you, it’s not going to be this one. With the Gaggia Brera, it's very simple. You press the bean strength button to toggle through the three strength settings, 1: 7g, 2: 9g, and 3: 11g. To set the volume, you press and hold the espresso or lungo button. The Gaggia Brera allows you to combine the delivery of the classic espresso with an integrated grinding performed in the instant, giving the best coffee aroma. The Gaggia Brera is equipped with a ceramic grinder (250g) which allows optimal coffee grinding, and can be adjusted for different coffee weights, from 7g to 10.5g. The Aroma Adjustment function allows you to choose the intensity of the flavour, and has four aroma options. The machine also has a special compartment to hold the ground coffee DESIGN We think that this super automatic machine is incredibly good value for money, especially when compared to more expensive models that offer fewer features (e.g., no steam wand). It’s certainly an investment when compared to entry-level budget options, but don’t forget that this is not just a basic espresso machine. It includes a ceramic burr grinder and allows you to make different types of coffee, including americanos, cappuccinos, and lattes. Some manufacturers treat pre-infusion like an add-on or an optional feature, but I’d say it’s a vital first step.I’m no scientist, but that seems a little fishy to me. Who knows, perhaps Gaggia has just used very low-grade metal or something. Anyway, the only stainless steel part I could identify with certainty was the drip tray grille.

The final step toward operating this machine is selecting between an espresso shot or lungo coffee. Fresh espresso should begin pouring into your cup, and when you’ve got the desired amount, just press the coffee button again. My ObservationsThough it looks beautiful, there is a sense that Gaggia have let down the quality of the build. The front is stainless steel, but pretty much all of the rest of the frame is made from plastic, as are the controls. This makes it feel a little cheaper than a machine like this – with this kind of price tag – should. Talking about speed, the standby mode is fantastic. It automatically comes on after an hour, saving energy and thus money, whilst keeping the machine ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice.