Hi all,
I have been playing during several months with an Europiccola, had a lot of fun and discovered how tricky it might be to get a good espresso shot, and finally manage to (sometimes) produce delicious shots. Because I loved the Europiccola but wanted a machine that allows an easier control of the temperature, I managed to get a Caravel. That's a wonderfully simple machine and can produce sublime ristretto. The only problem is that the Caravel can hardly produce more than 20ml of espresso. My dream machine would be a 58mm gravity-fed lever. If I could find a Mini Gaggia, I think that I would buy straight away...
It might sound a weird idea, but I am now thinking of getting a Gaggia Classic. No, this would not replace the Caravel, but they would form a team. I just like the idea of getting a cheap 58mm machine, with plenty of spare parts available, that is not too long to heat up, with a reasonable temperature stability. I would PID it straight away. I never drink milk, only consume 3/4 espresso shots a day, and the machine would almost never be used to entertain more than one person. I already have a good grinder (Porlex, a Rosco on its way). Because I have only used lever machine before, I am just slightly worried about the (lack of) pressure profile + pre-infusion of the Gaggia.
I often read that after a year or so, people want to "upgrade"? Taking my needs into accounts, I simply cannot see why I would upgrade? As I am guessing that many people here have started with a Gaggia/Silvia, I am now curious what made them want to "upgrade"? For example, does a HX+E61 really makes a better espresso than a cheap PIDed Gaggia classic operated by somebody who knows what he is doing?
I have been playing during several months with an Europiccola, had a lot of fun and discovered how tricky it might be to get a good espresso shot, and finally manage to (sometimes) produce delicious shots. Because I loved the Europiccola but wanted a machine that allows an easier control of the temperature, I managed to get a Caravel. That's a wonderfully simple machine and can produce sublime ristretto. The only problem is that the Caravel can hardly produce more than 20ml of espresso. My dream machine would be a 58mm gravity-fed lever. If I could find a Mini Gaggia, I think that I would buy straight away...
It might sound a weird idea, but I am now thinking of getting a Gaggia Classic. No, this would not replace the Caravel, but they would form a team. I just like the idea of getting a cheap 58mm machine, with plenty of spare parts available, that is not too long to heat up, with a reasonable temperature stability. I would PID it straight away. I never drink milk, only consume 3/4 espresso shots a day, and the machine would almost never be used to entertain more than one person. I already have a good grinder (Porlex, a Rosco on its way). Because I have only used lever machine before, I am just slightly worried about the (lack of) pressure profile + pre-infusion of the Gaggia.
I often read that after a year or so, people want to "upgrade"? Taking my needs into accounts, I simply cannot see why I would upgrade? As I am guessing that many people here have started with a Gaggia/Silvia, I am now curious what made them want to "upgrade"? For example, does a HX+E61 really makes a better espresso than a cheap PIDed Gaggia classic operated by somebody who knows what he is doing?

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