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Product Description
Two of the most celebrated Italian espresso brands, Gaggia and Illy, have teamed up to introduce a single-serve machine, that consistently delivers authentic beverages using the famous iperEspresso capsules. Carefully measured and packaged for optimal flavor retention, Illy's iperEspresso capsules can be offered for sale by individual retailers. Instead of having to place an order with the manufacturer, once their capsules have run out, customers can simply visit their retailer of choice for a refill. Convenient for the customer and a source of repeat business for retailers, the Gaggia for Illy Plus and iperEspresso system are truly a win-win for everyone.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
What a great espresso machine this is. I have used it for a few days now and it works great, and puts out an amazing shot of super rich espresso. It uses illy's new coffee capsule called "iperespreso". At about .70 cents a cup it costs about double the price of ground or whole beans, but the convenience and ease of clean up more than make up for it. The other night I pulled 7 shots in a row without it breaking a sweat. Hit the brew button and about 20 seconds later you have a perfect shot of espresso. The turbo frother makes great steamed froth, but I found it hard to use, so I choose to just nuke my milk for a rich hot latte, or over ice for a chilly cold latte. My first maker, I bough a few years back, was a Francis Francis X3. It made zero crema and was a pain to grind, tamp, and clean, so I sold it. This unit makes incredible thick rich crema time after time with very little effort and zero clean up.
UPDATE: I have used this little gem for about 2 weeks now and it still works amazing. It still pumpes out 6-7 shots in a row with ease and they all come out great time after time. I do wish they sold the model without the frother here in the USA, for people like me that don't want to froth or find it too difficult to use. Gaggia does sell a basic frothless model in Italy but only imports the "plus" model here. Other than that I have no problems with this machine.
UPDATE: I have used this little gem for about 2 weeks now and it still works amazing. It still pumpes out 6-7 shots in a row with ease and they all come out great time after time. I do wish they sold the model without the frother here in the USA, for people like me that don't want to froth or find it too difficult to use. Gaggia does sell a basic frothless model in Italy but only imports the "plus" model here. Other than that I have no problems with this machine.
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
I really enjoy making and drinking espresso, so I jumped on the chance to review this Gaggia espresso machine.
* How does it work?
This machine is very easy to use and care for. There are two compartments: On the left is a removable water tank, and on the right is the removable drawer for the spent pods. To brew you just pop in an espresso pod, which must be the Illy brand or compatible, and press the brew button. 30 seconds later you have a hot cup of espresso which is very drinkable. For those of you who don't like straight espresso, you can add hot water (via the steam wand with the turn of a know), you have an "americano". You can also set the machine to brew longer, which will give you a fuller-tasting americano. To make a cappuccino (less milk, foamier) or latte (more milk, less foam), just fill a large mug with milk, then press the Steam button and wait for it to heat up. Turn the steam knob with the tip of the wand submerged in the milk and soon you have hot frothed milk.
* How does it taste?
Straight Espresso: I drink espresso straight, about 1-3 times a day. It is so concentrated this way that it is very easy to taste any defects in the espresso. This Illy machine, using the red medium roast capsules, made a very mild and drinkable cup of espresso with nice crema and very mild bitterness. It wasn't the best espresso I've had, but better than you get from many "espresso" cafes in the US.
Other drinks: The steam wand is an automatic frother type, which means you can make nice foam without practicing on a commercial machine for a week. If you are making other drinks with added water, sugar, and/or milk, I recommend going with the darker roast (blue) Illy capsules, as you'll want the more robust flavor to stand up to what you are adding.
* Likes:
- Super easy to use. Compared to my manual grinder and espresso machine, which leaves a huge mess and takes lots of practice, but can make better espresso, this Gaggia machine is dead simple. You can't really mess it up with this machine.
- No mess. I spend a lot of time cleaning around my grinder and espresso machine.
- Price: Very affordable.
- Brand: Gaggia has been making espresso machines for decades. I have one of their grinders and it has worked without any issues for many years.
* Dislikes:
- Coffee expense. See my thoughts on pods/capsules below.
- Packaging waste. Pods don't seem very recyclable/compostable.
- Hard to find capsules. Order online or go to a fancy kitchen store. My supermarket didn't have these capsules.
- Build quality. You get what you pay for. Nice design but it is mostly plastic. This is expected at this price range.
* Summary:
If you want an affordable machine that uses no-mess, Italian-flavor Illy capsules, this is a solid little machine. I recommend it with my caveats about coffee capsules below. 4 of 5 stars. Will update this review if anything breaks.
* Footnotes: Coffee capsules (a.k.a. pods)
I'm not a big fan of coffee capsules, but I did not count this against this review. The benefits and drawbacks of capsule machines are pretty obvious: You pay 3x the price for coffee, waste 3x the packaging, and make 1/10th the mess of a manual grinder and espresso machine. You have very little control but the results are pretty consistent. Getting really fresh coffee is pretty hard. Illy has made a science of packing coffee for long shelf life (nitrogen purged canisters, for example), and it always seems to taste decent. But getting a local roasted bean that was roasted a week or two ago and extracting it just right can be worth it. The choice is yours. If you want the simplicity of capsules but don't want to waste so much packaging, you may want to consider a fully automatic machine. These machines are 3-5x as expensive as this one, and do require more maintenance, but offer the simplicity of one button brewing and no separate grinding, and the ability to use whatever whole bean you want.
Again I didn't count the capsules against this rating of this machine but now you know..
* How does it work?
This machine is very easy to use and care for. There are two compartments: On the left is a removable water tank, and on the right is the removable drawer for the spent pods. To brew you just pop in an espresso pod, which must be the Illy brand or compatible, and press the brew button. 30 seconds later you have a hot cup of espresso which is very drinkable. For those of you who don't like straight espresso, you can add hot water (via the steam wand with the turn of a know), you have an "americano". You can also set the machine to brew longer, which will give you a fuller-tasting americano. To make a cappuccino (less milk, foamier) or latte (more milk, less foam), just fill a large mug with milk, then press the Steam button and wait for it to heat up. Turn the steam knob with the tip of the wand submerged in the milk and soon you have hot frothed milk.
* How does it taste?
Straight Espresso: I drink espresso straight, about 1-3 times a day. It is so concentrated this way that it is very easy to taste any defects in the espresso. This Illy machine, using the red medium roast capsules, made a very mild and drinkable cup of espresso with nice crema and very mild bitterness. It wasn't the best espresso I've had, but better than you get from many "espresso" cafes in the US.
Other drinks: The steam wand is an automatic frother type, which means you can make nice foam without practicing on a commercial machine for a week. If you are making other drinks with added water, sugar, and/or milk, I recommend going with the darker roast (blue) Illy capsules, as you'll want the more robust flavor to stand up to what you are adding.
* Likes:
- Super easy to use. Compared to my manual grinder and espresso machine, which leaves a huge mess and takes lots of practice, but can make better espresso, this Gaggia machine is dead simple. You can't really mess it up with this machine.
- No mess. I spend a lot of time cleaning around my grinder and espresso machine.
- Price: Very affordable.
- Brand: Gaggia has been making espresso machines for decades. I have one of their grinders and it has worked without any issues for many years.
* Dislikes:
- Coffee expense. See my thoughts on pods/capsules below.
- Packaging waste. Pods don't seem very recyclable/compostable.
- Hard to find capsules. Order online or go to a fancy kitchen store. My supermarket didn't have these capsules.
- Build quality. You get what you pay for. Nice design but it is mostly plastic. This is expected at this price range.
* Summary:
If you want an affordable machine that uses no-mess, Italian-flavor Illy capsules, this is a solid little machine. I recommend it with my caveats about coffee capsules below. 4 of 5 stars. Will update this review if anything breaks.
* Footnotes: Coffee capsules (a.k.a. pods)
I'm not a big fan of coffee capsules, but I did not count this against this review. The benefits and drawbacks of capsule machines are pretty obvious: You pay 3x the price for coffee, waste 3x the packaging, and make 1/10th the mess of a manual grinder and espresso machine. You have very little control but the results are pretty consistent. Getting really fresh coffee is pretty hard. Illy has made a science of packing coffee for long shelf life (nitrogen purged canisters, for example), and it always seems to taste decent. But getting a local roasted bean that was roasted a week or two ago and extracting it just right can be worth it. The choice is yours. If you want the simplicity of capsules but don't want to waste so much packaging, you may want to consider a fully automatic machine. These machines are 3-5x as expensive as this one, and do require more maintenance, but offer the simplicity of one button brewing and no separate grinding, and the ability to use whatever whole bean you want.
Again I didn't count the capsules against this rating of this machine but now you know..
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
In the past six years I've owned two other brands of single-serve espresso makers. I don't drink a lot of regular coffee, but I do enjoy my shots of espresso in the morning, and I particularly appreciate the ease and simplicity of these single-serve machines. So, when offered an opportunity to review this Gaggia machine*, I enthusiastically agreed, then waited impatiently for it to arrive. Neither of my other two machines have a milk frothier. This one does, so I was especially looking forward to that new experience, too.
There are a lot of espresso machines available. How do you choose? Consider how much convenience you need in a machine. If you decide on the convenience of a single-serve machine, then you better do a lot of research on the flavors of the espresso offered in the proprietary capsules/discs/pods of each brand. Consider the footprint/size, color and style of machine that will suit your kitchen. When you've got those questions answered, then it's time to compare prices.
Personally, at our house, the workers in the family wake up and are out the door one short hour later. We are away from home for the next twelve hours. So, our philosophy is this: Connoisseurs may debate that taking shortcuts by using a single-serve espresso maker cannot produce a "perfect" cup of espresso or, latte or cappuccino, but for the people in our family, these single-serve machines allow us a little luxury while expending a minimum amount of time. We're willing to sacrifice perfection for the opportunity of a few sips of wonderful coffee. What have we learned? We feel that flavor is NOT diminished by using a single-serve machine.
This is what I learned when we experimented with this Gaggia machine: We not only get beautiful espresso, but the milk frothier with this machine produces terrific foam--with tiny, tiny bubbles--very easily and in a minimum amount of time. We love the Pannarello Wand! I don't know how I've lived without a milk frothier all my life....We are having a great time and a lot of fun with this frothier--in the morning and after dinner, too. (We've been experimenting with steamed milk and froth and some of our chocolate, mocha, coffee and French vanilla liqueurs. Very nice!)
This machine only uses illy brand capsules--called iperEspresso capsules. I don't have any problem with a machine that only uses proprietary capsules; my other two machines are the same way. The problem I did have with the illy brand capsules is that I couldn't find them anywhere in the Houston, Texas area.* I contacted customer service at the company that distributes this machine in the US, and they were surprised to hear that I couldn't find capsules in my area. I was told that they are easy to find in many other areas of the country. So, if you do NOT want to take advantage of the company's mail order delivery service immediately (as in PRIOR to receiving your machine), check out capsule availability before you decide to buy this machine.
Another important point: Capsules are available in only four different types of espresso--two strengths, one lungo and one decaf. (One of my other machines has 16 different blends of beans.) If you are already an illy fan, you already know this: The flavor, aroma and crema is top notch: Not bitter, a little citrusy, robust-- all-around nice and consistent. The intensity of the dark roast is not as high as available in some other brands. And I found that I did not appreciate the medium roast when milk was added.
A few other observations: 1.) The water heats up quickly: Equal with the other machines I have. 2.) Clean-up is not difficult. 3.) Customer service is friendly and helpful, but not available on weekends or holidays--but hey, that's okay, since during the week you get to talk to a real person from the first hello! And, it sounds as if she's always smiling! 4.) This machine is black and blocky--no beautiful design here. There are other companies out there that produce white and other colors. And there are some beautifully designed machines, too. And some have smaller footprints if you're short on counter space. 5.) The platform for your cup is adjustable, but the height allowance is still limiting. There are machines that allow for a taller cup. (Sometimes I like to froth my milk in a cup, then add a shot of espresso to that same cup. I know, unconventional, but it works for me.)
Here is a short list of what you need to buy and/or have on hand before your machine arrives: Capsules--crazy as it sounds, not a single espresso capsule arrives with the machine; a frothing pitcher, preferably stainless steel and 20 ounce size is recommended; a variety of cup sizes--take a look at the Bodum double-walled cups, they are great.
*I was offered this machine through the Amazon Vine Program. Because I had such difficulty in locating capsules, the Vine Program removed the machine from my list of items to be reviewed. I was told I was not required to review this product, but they did not tell me I couldn't review it.
There are a lot of espresso machines available. How do you choose? Consider how much convenience you need in a machine. If you decide on the convenience of a single-serve machine, then you better do a lot of research on the flavors of the espresso offered in the proprietary capsules/discs/pods of each brand. Consider the footprint/size, color and style of machine that will suit your kitchen. When you've got those questions answered, then it's time to compare prices.
Personally, at our house, the workers in the family wake up and are out the door one short hour later. We are away from home for the next twelve hours. So, our philosophy is this: Connoisseurs may debate that taking shortcuts by using a single-serve espresso maker cannot produce a "perfect" cup of espresso or, latte or cappuccino, but for the people in our family, these single-serve machines allow us a little luxury while expending a minimum amount of time. We're willing to sacrifice perfection for the opportunity of a few sips of wonderful coffee. What have we learned? We feel that flavor is NOT diminished by using a single-serve machine.
This is what I learned when we experimented with this Gaggia machine: We not only get beautiful espresso, but the milk frothier with this machine produces terrific foam--with tiny, tiny bubbles--very easily and in a minimum amount of time. We love the Pannarello Wand! I don't know how I've lived without a milk frothier all my life....We are having a great time and a lot of fun with this frothier--in the morning and after dinner, too. (We've been experimenting with steamed milk and froth and some of our chocolate, mocha, coffee and French vanilla liqueurs. Very nice!)
This machine only uses illy brand capsules--called iperEspresso capsules. I don't have any problem with a machine that only uses proprietary capsules; my other two machines are the same way. The problem I did have with the illy brand capsules is that I couldn't find them anywhere in the Houston, Texas area.* I contacted customer service at the company that distributes this machine in the US, and they were surprised to hear that I couldn't find capsules in my area. I was told that they are easy to find in many other areas of the country. So, if you do NOT want to take advantage of the company's mail order delivery service immediately (as in PRIOR to receiving your machine), check out capsule availability before you decide to buy this machine.
Another important point: Capsules are available in only four different types of espresso--two strengths, one lungo and one decaf. (One of my other machines has 16 different blends of beans.) If you are already an illy fan, you already know this: The flavor, aroma and crema is top notch: Not bitter, a little citrusy, robust-- all-around nice and consistent. The intensity of the dark roast is not as high as available in some other brands. And I found that I did not appreciate the medium roast when milk was added.
A few other observations: 1.) The water heats up quickly: Equal with the other machines I have. 2.) Clean-up is not difficult. 3.) Customer service is friendly and helpful, but not available on weekends or holidays--but hey, that's okay, since during the week you get to talk to a real person from the first hello! And, it sounds as if she's always smiling! 4.) This machine is black and blocky--no beautiful design here. There are other companies out there that produce white and other colors. And there are some beautifully designed machines, too. And some have smaller footprints if you're short on counter space. 5.) The platform for your cup is adjustable, but the height allowance is still limiting. There are machines that allow for a taller cup. (Sometimes I like to froth my milk in a cup, then add a shot of espresso to that same cup. I know, unconventional, but it works for me.)
Here is a short list of what you need to buy and/or have on hand before your machine arrives: Capsules--crazy as it sounds, not a single espresso capsule arrives with the machine; a frothing pitcher, preferably stainless steel and 20 ounce size is recommended; a variety of cup sizes--take a look at the Bodum double-walled cups, they are great.
*I was offered this machine through the Amazon Vine Program. Because I had such difficulty in locating capsules, the Vine Program removed the machine from my list of items to be reviewed. I was told I was not required to review this product, but they did not tell me I couldn't review it.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Convenient and delightful, but reliability is suspect.
Machine initially was good, but failed in short order, where the machine couldn't generate the pressure needed and struggled to put out a succession of drips of lukewarm espresso. Read more
Published 7 days ago by Suriyun
Do not get this machine
This is my second Gaggia for Illy espresso machine in 3 months and it is broken again!!
This machine is of very low quality and breaks time after time with very limited... Read more
This machine is of very low quality and breaks time after time with very limited... Read more
Published 1 month ago by OA
Perfect For The Fans of Illy Espresso
For diehard fans of Illy Coffee who want the convenience of coffee pods, the Gaggia for Illy Espresso Machine is *the* machine to get. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Avid Reviewer
Only small cups can fit under dispenser
I generally consume lattes and prefer to prime the cup I will ultimately drink out of then dispense my espresso. Read more
Published 2 months ago by N. Nelson
Very good coffee, wins on convenience
Got this as a gift this past xmas and love it. It's a simple and classic looking machine that makes quality espresso. Read more
Published 2 months ago by diggy
Great Espresso Machine
I was pleasantly surprised by this espresso machine. While it is pod only, the quality of the coffee is good and the pod process provides for excellent consistency. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Matthieu Hausig
Mixed feelings make this just average for my family
I had really high hopes for this espresso maker since my husband lived in Italy and likes Illy coffee very much. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Shala Kerrigan
Simple, easy to use, and consistent espresso coffee
I had another Illy machine a while ago and did enjoy it. This one in comparison is so much easier to use. It is no wonder it's the top seller in Italy. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Michael
Great Coffee machine
This is a nice little coffee machine to have. I think its perfect for offices and home offices and homes alike because of how simple it is . Read more
Published 5 months ago by mommylove
LOVE!
I am not a coffee drinker save for on a rare occasion but my husband makes up for my lack of drinking two fold and was extremely excited for this new machine. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Corey A. Doyle
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