Gaggia Velasca Prestige Espresso Machine, Stainless Steel

Updated on August 16, 2019. I've been using it for a couple of weeks and I'm really enjoying it! Every day, I make between two and four cups. It is extremely simple to operate and maintain. One thing to keep in mind. It's not a return or refurbished item if there's coffee bean residue on it. At the factory, the machines are put through their paces with coffee, then cleaned and packaged afterward. br>A small learning curve is to be expected. It's truly amazing once you get the hang of it. br>The first cup I made had a mushy, almost soupy puck. So I did some research and discovered that the grinder needed to be fine-tuned. It began to get interesting at this point. I read on the internet that adjusting the grinder while it's running is much better, but it won't run without the lid on, making it impossible to adjust while it's running because the adjustment point is under the lid. There is an alternative to this. You fill the container with beans, place a magnet in place of the lid magnet, and press the drink button. You can now adjust it while it's grinding. If you go this route, make sure your fingers don't get caught in the grinder. The flavor is stronger with a finer grind. If it's ground too finely, the coffee will have a bitter taste. So only make small adjustments at a time. br>Cleaning the unit is easy and quick, and it should be done once a week. Which essentially entails rinsing everything and removing the brew group in order to thoroughly rinse everything. You will hear the unit turn back on and run after the coffee has been brewed and sat for a while. At first, I thought to myself, "Oh no, what's wrong?" However, before going into standby mode, it only runs a little water through to rinse everything. br>How to Clean a Milk Carafe - Run the quick clean after you've finished making your drinks. The Carafe's spout will be rinsed out. I just put it in the fridge for the next day when it's done. Once a week, I disassemble it and clean it thoroughly. Because the instructions were a little intimidating, I watched a you-tube video. It's actually quite simple to follow the step-by-step instructions in the book, but watching the video gave me a good idea of how it all goes back together. So far, the only problem I've had is getting the milk carafe (frother) into the machine; it doesn't seem to fit very well. It does seem to be getting better after a few uses, so I'm not sure if it was just a matter of learning how to insert it or if it simply needs to be broken in. My purchase has made me extremely happy. I did buy the extended four-year warranty because it was only $25 more on a particular day. The manufacturer's warranty is one year, and the service manual, as well as part lists, instructions manuals, and other information, can be downloaded from the Gaggia website. br>Update: I still enjoy making coffee with this machine, and I've learned a few things along the way. Make sure the unit is turned on before emptying the coffee grounds container. When only one or two pucks were in the drawer, the empty indicator light would come on. I did some research and discovered that it was because I was emptying it while the machine was turned off. Since then, nothing like this has happened. When the light switches on, the drawer is always full. Press the button twice to brew two shots of espresso at once. The number x2 will appear on the screen (duh, I can't believe it took me so long to figure that out). Last but not least, I included a photo of a cappuccino with a thermometer. The unit was set to its highest setting, and the cup was at room temperature, not hot. It's always around 140 degrees. When done, the temperature will have reached 141°F. Before adding the coffee, the milk froth had reached a temperature of 140°F. Heat milk to a temperature of 139–149°F, with a maximum of 158°F and a minimum of 122°F, according to the SCA. So, while I'd prefer it to be a little hotter, it heats up properly:.

Walter Holden

| Dec 26, 2020

I purchased the machine and used it for three days before it began to malfunction. At home, we use a variety of beans, but I typically buy Whole Foods' medium dark roast. I contacted their support and was told that "all of the Gagia machines will not be able to handle oily or darker roasted coffee. " After some back and forth and some steps to root cause the problem, I was told that "all of the Gagia machines will not be able to handle oily or darker roasted coffee. " Furthermore, if oily or dark roasted coffee is discovered to be causing a problem with the machine, the warranty may be void. " I spent $1,000 on the machine and had not anticipated such a restriction, which had already caused issues after only a few days. I really liked the flavor and how easy it was to use, and I wish it could handle a variety of beans. Anyway, if you use light roast, go for it; otherwise, you'll have issues, according to their support. BTW, it should be mentioned in the product description or in a prominent location. I was extremely disappointed to learn of this restriction after making a purchase.

Addilyn Ross

| Mar 11, 2021

STUFF DOESN'T GET REVIEWED BY ME. I did, however, want to share this. It's only been a few days, but it's already been incredible. I'm hoping to find a flaw in it. Cannot. Simple to work with. Makes a wacky cup of coffee or espresso. It foams up like a *bucks location. It's fast, hot, and absolutely incredible. frother is truly remarkable. It's also quiet! Gaggia was replaced by a newer model. I was disappointed that the older gaggia was nowhere to be found. But, wow, we're glad we got it.

Denver Contreras

| Jun 18, 2021

Making froth is noisy, and non-dairy milks don't froth as well. The following were the main reasons for returning it:br>1. It actually hurt my ears because the frothing was so loud that it could wake up a house full of sleepy people.
1. The biggest gripe is that, even on the highest setting, the coffee does not get hot enough. br>However, if you don't mind a very loud frother and don't mind your coffee being super hot like I do, this is a fantastic machine.

Aubrie Meyers

| Apr 08, 2021

We were very excited to upgrade to a super automatic Gaggia after having enjoyed our Titanium Gaggia for over 6 years. We bought the Anima Prestige after doing a lot of research, but we returned it after about a month. While the frother worked well, we kept getting no bean errors, which resulted in a lot of ruined drinks, frustration, and wasted beans. The machine would grind the bean serving, then dump it into the dredge drawer before rinsing it into a new cup. We decided to return the Anima and replace it with the Velasca Prestige, which a member of our family had recently purchased and enjoyed great success with. br>br>On the Valasca, we immediately stopped getting bean errors. We had several calls with custom support and had to go through the time-consuming and inefficient process of "training our Velasca's algorithm. " (One would think that for $900, the machine would come preprogrammed to make a cup of coffee. ) We had some success for a while, but changing the aroma strength puts you right back where you started. Getting four isn't unusual. While attempting to make one espresso drink, I made six no bean errors. We had to double our Lavazza subscription due to the amount of coffee we waste. br>br>When we first got the new machines, they didn't seem as solid as our titanium, but we were willing to overlook that because they promised new and exciting features. Now that I've had two machines fail, I can't help but believe this brand's quality isn't what it used to be. I'm hoping to be able to return it because we're currently using our $30 french press and the $900 machine is collecting dust and taking up counter space.

Leslie Lynn

| Sep 27, 2021

Our new Gaggia Velasca Prestige super-automatic espresso machine is fantastic. espresso machine that works on its own We had purchased a different, well-known product, and it was extremely simple to use right away. a well-known brand that was a little less expensive a few years ago By a long shot, this machine outperforms the previous one. We used the same coffee beans in both machines, but the Gaggia Velasca Prestige machine has a much better flavor, and we are very pleased with our purchase.

Dion Cunningham

| Sep 27, 2021