Customer Reviews

Gaggia 102533 Espresso-Dose Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine, Warm Silver

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is my 5th espresso machine i've owned. I must say the picture is a bit deceiving on build quality and how flimsy the machine really is.
I was very dissappointed when i received it from Amazon. Even mre so when I brewed my first cup. Coffee was very weak and with very little crema. I then noticed online that Gaggia offered an optional cremafilter for this machine which is almost impossible to find. However when i did find one the coffee actually tasted completelly different. It suddenly had the right texture,crema and stretto enough to put a grin on my face from the satisfaction.
but the as time went on 6 months or so. the crema filter became useless when it clogged up. I got it going several times after cleaning it but it involveed to much effort and time. So at this point i'm back to the original filter that came with the machine. Which means it's very difficult to get a good cup of coffee the way i like it. and yes i've try many different blends, grinds, beans. I'm less than a year into it and i'm ready to throw in the towel and move on to another machine.

I bought this machine from Wholelattelove and am very dissapointed. It failed after 30 days. It started pumping spontaneously, pumped itself dry and then quit pumping. So far its taken Wholelattelove 2 months to repair it and I still dont have it.
Its a lightweight flimsy machine, with some odd quirks. Why is the on/off switch in the back where you cant reach it. The water reservoir leaks, and steamer fell off.

I dont recommend the machine or Wholelattelove.com They dont respond to emails, and dont seem to care about customer service.

Gaggia has a reputation for building relatively solid though finicky espresso makers. This machine is one of the new generation of Gaggias, which evidently are attempting to retreat from the reputation of solidity. This machine - the Espresso - has three iterations: the Pure (the simple black plastic cheap one), the Color (one color, red, costs more than the Pure evidently because of the color), and the Dose (which can be calibrated to deliver a fixed amount of liquid per button press, which costs even more. The units all have the same mechanicals - stainless steel boiler, roughly 3.5 ounces in size, a brass coated brewing group, and (note well) a non-pressurized 58mm "commercial" portafilter.

Right out of the box, the Espresso feels cheap and flimsy. No metal in sight, and the machine (in my case the Dose) looks like a big ugly hunk of plastic. The steam control knob feels like a child's toy and is so poorly mounted on its stem that it feels like you could twist it off. The water reservoir is a skimpy 42 ounces, and the alleged warming plate is ugly white plastic and produces markedly little warmth. This by far is the ugliest appliance in my kitchen and is also among the most expensive. Most importantly, the machine weighs only 10 pounds, which makes tightening the portafilter a chore as you have to pin the machine down to keep it from tipping over or just being shoved around the counter.

The mechanicals inside appear to be solid, and the portafilter is sturdy and serviceable. The boiler appears willing enough, though it is really tiny, and the steaming wand is excellent. The dosing function on my Dose model appears mainly useless, as my brewing results worked better with manual operation, and this pointless features adds about $50 to the price of the base model. Eyeball your cup's fluid level and save $50. No three way valve, but the filter puck is reasonably dry and easily emptied.

Now the real problem - if you plan to use your own beans for this, you need a $300 grinder from Gaggia. That's it, end of story. My $90 Capresso Infinity after much experimentation with tamping and grind proved incapable of making anything other than sludge due to the non-pressurized portafilter. I called the vendor up and their service staff informed me (in a sympathetic and polite manner) that the Infinity simply couldn't produce a consistent fine grind. Even the popular Baratzas (in the $100-$200 range) can't produce a "Gaggia grind" without being disassembled and modified by the user. (This is true - check the Baratza website FAQs). Upshot: nothing less than a $300 grinder can produce home ground coffee for this machine.

The vendor told me to try pre-ground espresso, and sure enough the commercially ground coffee I tried was much much better, but this means dealing with a short lifespan and keeping the coffee in an airtight container in the freezer. Even after trying that, I found that the pre-ground produced nice crema only when very fresh, like 1-2 days, and generally not after it came out of the freezer. If you don't mind running off to a local store for a small dose of commercially ground coffee every day, this is your machine. Or you can buy a grinder that costs as much or more than your Gaggia machine does.

Anyway, the disappointment for me here was not necessarily that the machine has such extensive "special needs". If it was elegant and solidly made, I would still give it a pass, though maybe not for me personally as buying $600 worth of home espresso equipment is beyond my budget. However, even if we factor out the demanding grind requirement, the flimsiness of this machine and its ugly plastic frame simply is unacceptable at the $250-$300 price point. A Saeco Aroma in the same price range is made of metal, has a bigger steel boiler, weighs 30% more, and uses a pressurized portafilter that works nicely with less finely ground coffee.

The Gaggia has a better reputation for durability, but the new Gaggia Espressos look like they are made on the same assembly lines as Saeco's (the companies are commonly held) with the main difference being the portafilters, so I have little reason to assume that this cheap plastic eyesore will prove any more durable than a comparable Saeco. The Aroma is much easier to use, does not need a grinder that costs as much as it does, IMO is more attractive, and is at the same price point. I don't know why anyone would buy one of these Gaggias. Maybe if you have an expensive grinder, and your old espresso machine died, and you need a cheap replacement? Whatever. I am underwhelmed.

I purchased this from Amazon in January and found it makes great espresso for a relatively small and light weight machine. I also have a Sirena which is much sturdier and more expensive but I think that the Gaggia makes a better espresso. I initially gave this product a lower rating because the lights failed to operate after a few uses and I was frustrated because it wasn't clear how to trouble shoot the machine from the Gaggia website. Thanks to Google, I found the customer support number in the US. They called me back promptly and were very helpful. They were able to resolve the problem with me over the phone with a simple screwdriver in about 5 minutes. They actually knew a lot about the machine and I didn't need to send it back and wait 5 weeks! Despite the issue with the lights, I think the machine has been well worth it.

I gave this machine as a present, and two parts were missing (the black plastic cover for the frother and the coffee tamper). I contacted the seller, who was on a trip and he promised to check in case these parts were left behind. He promised to respond after Jan 31, and it's only Jan. 30. If the parts appear, I'd be happy to change my evaluation.
Thanks, Noraida

I bought this machine in November 2008. Since then, I have been having problems with it, the gasket in the portafilter does not last much, and after a year or so, water starts dripping a lot when is been heated to be used as steam. I have called Gaggia but never were able to help me. Do not buy this model.

My husband and I were very excited about this purchase. We decided we wanted to spend a little more money and replace our old espresso machine and stovetop espresso makers and he'd read great reviews about the product at that time.

We bought this product from wholelattelove. After the first month the machine started leaking from the filter basket. We disassembled the parts and cleaned them out just in case grinds had made their way up there. This didn't solve the problem. Next we figured it might be a bad seal so we tried to find a replacement. We ordered replacement seals from the same company only to have to cancel the order when we noticed they were for another machine. We couldn't find the seals anywhere. So we've had to keep a plastic tupperware container to catch the excess (and I do mean excess) water from spilling all over the countertop.

After about 6 months the machine started to have some kind of electrical failure as well. One of the button lights goes out so that you can't tell when the machine is ready to make coffee.

Another thing, the machine is made from a flimsy plastic. Feels cheap.

Positives are hard to pinpoint but when the machine actually worked it produced decent crema and the steam wand still makes decent froths as well.

Our recommendation is you spend your money elsewhere.

I bought my Dose two years ago and have been very pleased with its performance as well as the quality of espresso it produces. The water reservoir is more than adequate. The crema the machine produces is very satisfactory and the frothing function produces a fine capuccino. I find the quality of workmanship to be perfectly fine. I selected the Dose specifically for its stainless steel boiler. Controls are solid and the unit is sturdy. This is not a $2,000 solid stainless steel, bells and whistles-laden barrista's wonder machine. But it is a fine basic unit that, for me, has performed consistently well. I use a basic $20 grinder, which renders the right grind of coffee for this machine. And, as I said, the crema it produces is good.

My only criticism is that the programmable dose-maker is confusing and the manual's poorly translated English instructions don't shed much light (but the original Italian doesn't either, for that matter). So, I ignore the programmer and custom-make each cup of coffee. All-in-all, I find the Dose a worthy buy for the price.

I have owned a number of Gaggia machines and liked them. I bought this for my girlfriend and it is the worst espresso machine I have used. it is a poorly manufactured plastic imitation of a Gaggia machine.

It is too light and you have to hold it down to attach the porta-filter.
The heating tray on top is practically useless as it doesn't get hot.
the Filter seal started leaking after 2 months and I have waited 3 months for a replacement.

It does not siphon water into the tank so you have to prime it everytime you use it.

Don't waste your money - spend more and get the Gaggia Baby or Coffee. both of these are great machines that will make better espresso.