Cheapish Gaggia in Currys - any use?

flogen

Spotted this in Currys - Says its down from €250 to €120.

http://www.currys.ie/Product/GAGGIA-Cubika-Plus-RI815160-Espresso-Machine-Black/308632/331

I know Gaggia is generally a recommended brand on here so wondering if this is a decent (though basic) machine to go for?

Sinfonia

Looks good to me, I say go for it!

the beer revolu

Depends on what you're after.
That machine is not anything like the Classic but isn't bad for that money.

Gran Hermano

Amazon UK has the Classic for a bargain price of GBP 188.

PPC

From what I remember reading, the Cubika is a pretty bad machine.
Its averaging 6.3 on CoffeeGeek's review section http://coffeegeek.com/reviews/consumer/gaggiacubika

dilallio

Thinking of buying the classic. This will be my first coffee machine.

The reviews seem fairly decent, and I was wondering if anyone has any tips on what else I need to purchase.

Should I buy a grinder and grind myself, or is it ok to use ground-coffee?

I've also read that skimmed milk is better with the frothing attachment than full-fat milk.

As a newbie, any suggestions (no matter how small) would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

PPC

dilallio wrote: »

Thinking of buying the classic. This will be my first coffee machine.

The reviews seem fairly decent, and I was wondering if anyone has any tips on what else I need to purchase.

Should I buy a grinder and grind myself, or is it ok to use ground-coffee?

I've also read that skimmed milk is better with the frothing attachment than full-fat milk.

As a newbie, any suggestions (no matter how small) would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Its worth spending money on a grinder, if you are using pre ground coffee you may as well by a Nespresso, you'll be drinking stale coffee either way.

The frothing attachment is ok and works with both milks, but in the long run you should look at upgrading the steamwand on the machine.
It takes about 10 minutes to change and makes a world of difference.

cankles

dilallio wrote: »

Thinking of buying the classic. This will be my first coffee machine.

The reviews seem fairly decent, and I was wondering if anyone has any tips on what else I need to purchase.

Should I buy a grinder and grind myself, or is it ok to use ground-coffee?

I've also read that skimmed milk is better with the frothing attachment than full-fat milk.

As a newbie, any suggestions (no matter how small) would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Make it easy on yourself to start with. Buy ground coffe, use whatever milk but get to know your machine. Then buy a grinder when you have mastered the art of your perfect cup and play around with grinds etc. it's not an art, it's your own taste and what may be divine for you, may be muck for others and vice versa! I have the classic. Great machine.

jdburkedjburke

The Classic is a nice machine to start off with but would definitely buy a good grinder

flogen

Thanks for the advice folks.

So out of curiosity, what's the difference between the classic/baby class and the likes of the espresso pure from gaggia? Just a different casing?

Sinfonia

cankles wrote: »

Make it easy on yourself to start with. Buy ground coffe, use whatever milk but get to know your machine. Then buy a grinder when you have mastered the art of your perfect cup and play around with grinds etc. it's not an art, it's your own taste and what may be divine for you, may be muck for others and vice versa! I have the classic. Great machine.

I did this initially, and I'd really advise against it. A month or two of drinking swill while waiting to be able to afford a grinder.
If you can't afford the machine and a good grinder immediately, buy the grinder first and get an aeropress (~€30) or a stovetop moka (similarly priced). You won't get the full-on espresso experience, but you'll get something very close to it, and you'll be drinking gorgeous coffee while you save up for the Classic.
Even then, the aeropress will still be great for a quick handy cup, or for bringing to work etc.

donnacha

Agree 100% with sinfonia - no point in buying a decent espresso machine and going pre-ground. Invest first in grinder + freshly roasted coffee.

Gotham Knight

donnacha wrote: »

Agree 100% with sinfonia - no point in buying a decent espresso machine and going pre-ground. Invest first in grinder + freshly roasted coffee.

+2

I learned the hard way. I've had two Classics and used pre-ground for years. The result was that I thought my Nespresso machine was pretty much as good as the Classic.

Then I bought a grinder and discovered the truth.



Better late than never I guess. And now I can start a whole new adventure with decent coffee beans. That's why I'm on this site today, to discover the world beyond supermarket beans.