Gaggia Unica Espresso Machine
HOw do you descale the unit? Does the descaling solution go in the water and get filled with water? And then which is the hot water function?
5
Vote
[+] View Larger
Gaggia Unica Super Automatic Espresso Machine
On Sale! $499.00
Reg Price $699.00
Free shipping on orders over $50. No sales tax!
4.8 Out of 5
qty:
Availability: In Stock
Features
WHOLE LATTE LOVE EXCLUSIVE
note: 2 year warranty on NEW machines only!
Created with ease-of-use and convenience in mind, the Gaggia Unica is equipped with everything you need to go from bean to cup. It has automated grinding, tamping and brewing capabilities as well as has a straight-forward interface perfect for home use. Reasonably priced, the Unica makes the most of its small footprint, integrating solid features such as a ceramic burr grinder, 15 bar pump, swivel base, removable brew group and Pannarello steam wand. This well-rounded espresso machine actually shares the same internal components as the high-end Gaggia Platinum line; at a fraction of the price, the Unica is recommended for value-conscious coffee lovers.
We recommend using only light to medium roasted coffee beans for best Unica grinder performance. Dark roasts with more surface oil on the bean, or oily beans in general tend to inhibit the grinder performance. Do not use Starbuck's Dark Roast, or the rebranded Starbuck's Dark Roast like Pete's and Kirkland Dark Roast Coffees in the Unica. The surface oils on Dark Roast beans will certainly cause the grinder to jam and fail.
Brewing
The Gaggia Unica has been fitted with a stainless steel boiler and 15-bar pump. The front panel of the machine features a straightforward interface consisting of a LED display, with illuminated icons, and four control buttons. Power, brewing and steaming options each have their own dedicated button to make machine operation a breeze. You can opt to make a single or double espresso by pressing one of the two coffee buttons located on the front panel. Both buttons can be programmed to dispense the desired drink volume for your convenience. Best of all, the coffee dispenser can be raised or lowered to allow you to accommodate tall and short cups alike.
Grinder and Bean Hopper
Featuring a ceramic burr grinder, the Unica minimizes heat transfer to protect the flavor and aroma integrity of your coffee. There are 5 grind settings to choose from, allowing you to fine-tune grind fineness as needed. The grinder takes full advantage of the Gaggia Adapting System to adjust grinding duration and rpm to ensure that the proper coffee volume is ground every time, regardless of the roast.
We recommend using light to medium roasted coffee beans for best grinder performance. Dark roasts with more surface oil on the bean, or oily beans in general tend to inhibit the grinder performance.
Once your coffee has been ground, it is automatically dosed, tamped and brewed, according to the drink selected, for your convenience. The Gaggia Unica also has an 8.8oz bean hopper, with an aroma saving lid, to let you to safely store up to ½ pound of whole bean coffee directly in the machine.
Steam and Hot Water Features
The 1.7-liter water tank is accessible from the side for easy refilling. You can dispense hot water for an Americano, tea or soup directly through the steam wand. Should you choose to make a latte or cappuccino, the steam wand is also equipped with a Pannarello attachment to create rich steamed and frothed milk.
Rotating Base and Drip Tray
The base features three-heavy duty wheels for maximum mobility. The Gaggia Unica’s clever design lets you rotate it as necessary or even slide it down the counter without having to lift machine. Gaggia has also equipped the Unica an easy-to-remove drip tray for hassle-free maintenance.
Cleaning and Maintenance Alerts
The Unica features a series of alerts designed to let you know when the machine requires attention. Dedicated icons, located within the LCD display, will alert you when the machine needs to be descaled, the water tank should be refilled or the bean hopper is empty. There is also a ventilate notification.
Housing
This super-automatic espresso machine has a durable Thermoplastic exterior, with a matte silver front panel and black side panels. It weighs 18.8 pounds and measures 12.6”W x 14.6”H x 18.1”D.
| Misc Data | |
| Manufacturer | Gaggia |
| Model | Unica |
| Specifications | |
| Dimension - Width (Inches) | 12.6 |
| Dimension - Height (Inches) | 14.6 |
| Dimension - Depth (Inches) | 18.1 |
| Weight (lbs) | 18 |
| Watts | 1500 |
| Volts | 120 |
| Housing | |
| Housing Materials | ABS Plastic |
| Drip Tray Material | Plastic |
| Drip Tray Cover Material | Plastic |
| Drip Tray Capacity (Oz) | 8 |
| Drain Line Adaptable | No |
| Spent Coffee Capacity (Dregs Drawer) | 14 |
| Easy To Rotate | Yes |
| Tall Legs | No |
| Power Cord Length (Inches) | 36 |
| Cup Height | |
| Adjustable Height | Yes |
| High (Inches) | 4.5 |
| Low (Inches) | 3 |
| Frothing Wand | |
| Material | Plastic |
| Steam Wand Style | Pannarello |
| Wand Movement | Rotating |
| Usable Length (Inches) | 6 |
| Height Off Counter (Inches) | 4.5 |
| Optional Cappucinotore | No |
| Number Of Holes | 1 |
| No Burn Wand | No |
| Optional Steam Tips Or Wands | No |
| Water Source | |
| Reservoir Or Plumbed | Reservoir |
| Reservoir Capacity (Oz) | 57 |
| Reservoir Material | Plastic |
| Reservoir Removable | Yes |
| Water Level Visible | No |
| Water Filter | Mavea |
| Controls | |
| Type Of Controls | Push Button |
| Display Type | Indicator Lights |
| Programmable Brewing | Yes |
| Temperature Control | No |
| Adjustable Coffee Dosage | No |
| Coffee Dosage Quantity | 8 |
| Cup Volume Control | Yes |
| Aroma / Flow Control | No |
| Bypass Doser | No |
| Pre-Infusion | Yes |
| Low Water Warning | Yes |
| Energy Savings | Yes |
| Multiple Programmability | No |
| Cup Warmer | |
| Material | Plastic |
| Size (Inches) | 6x3 |
| Passive / Active | Passive |
| Brew Group | |
| Material | Plastic |
| Type | Automatic |
| Preheat | No |
| Removable | Yes |
| Self-Cleaning | No |
| Boiler Data | |
| Number Of Boilers | 1 |
| Brew And Steam Simultaneously | No |
| Rapid Steam | No |
| Brew Boiler Data | |
| Brew Boiler Type | Thermoblock |
| Brew Boiler Watts | 1400 |
| Brew boiler Volume (Oz) | Low |
| Brew Boiler Material | Stainless Steel Lined Aluminum |
| Pump Data | |
| Type | Vibration |
| Maximum Pressure (Bar) | 15 Bar |
| Self Priming Pump | Yes |
| Grinder Data | |
| Number Of Grind Settings | 5 Stars |
| Hopper Capacity (Oz) | 8.5 |
| Burr Type | Flat |
| Burr Material | Ceramic |
| Freshness Lid | Yes |
| Performance | |
| Initial Heat Up (Seconds) | 50 |
| Recommended Heat Up Time (Seconds) | 50 |
| Brew Temp (F) (2 Oz Shot In Paper Cup) | 174 |
| Brew Time for 2 Oz | 15 |
| Brew Temp (F) (8 Oz Shot In Paper Cup) | 171 |
| Time To Produce Steam (Seconds) | 15 |
| Time To Steam 8 Oz Milk (Seconds) | 70 |
| Hot Water Temp 8 Oz (F) | 183 |
| Hot Water Time 8 Oz (Seconds) | 58 |
| Hot Water Recovery Time (Seconds) | 0 |
| Sound Level - Brewing (Db) | 66 |
| Sound Level - Grinding (Db) | 72 |
| Maintenance | |
| Maintenance Alerts | Yes |
| Descaler Used | Gaggia Descaler |
| Water Filter | Mavea |
| Details | |
| Warranty (Years) | 2 |
| Country Of Manufacture | Italy |
| NSF Certified | No |
| Recommended Applications | Home, |
| Available Internationally | Yes |
| Service provided | |
| Repairs By | Whole Latte Love |
| Contact Number | 888-411-5282 |
Average Customer Rating
4.8 out of 5
(9 Customer Reviews)
4.8 out of 5
(9 Customer Reviews)
Rated 5 out of 5
Posted By:
beatrix skinner
04/09/2013
Has owned for:
More than 1 year
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
great machine
i love this machine. i own it since over a year now. it works great.
How Long Have I Been Using This Product?
More than 1 year
What's Best About this Product?
push 1 button and you have your fresh brewed coffee
My Experience With Using This Product:
Coffee Lover
Some Improvements I Would Recommend for This Product:
bigger water tank
Ease of Use:
Espresso Quality:
Steaming Ability:
Construction:
Price Value:
Instructions:
0
Rated 4 out of 5
Posted By:
Mark Clifton
11/14/2012
The elimination of the pre-ground coffee bypass from more expensive models is aggravating; it's almost as if they needed to take a feature away, even though it doesn't affect production cost, just so they could justify the price reduction, kind of like how they sell down-clocked Intel CPUs. According to the product detail, the coffee grinder does not handle dark roast oily beans, so if you use them it becomes a $500 paperweight. I haven't seen this happen yet but I'm not taking my chances. This is an espresso machine, so it should be able to handle the darkest variety out of box, especially since you can't bypass the grinder. The adaptation of the tamping pressure/coffee amount has no indication of what it's doing or trying so you never know when you have the most optimized pull ; the instructions are vague about whether it takes 2,3 or more pulls to achieve this. You just have to keep pulling shots until they taste better. The grinder only has 5 granularity notches, limiting the ability to achieve an ideal shot with some coffee beans. These are all simple issues that I would have gladly paid an extra $50-100 for. All that said, this is an extremely well designed and thought out machine, and it really takes a lot less time/hassle out of the espresso brewing process. There is no other machine priced this well in its class, and that's why I'm giving it the 4 star overall rating. Shots that come out of this are better than my breville cafe roma (even though the cafe roma seems to have a bit more crema), but probably not as good as you'd get with an Rancilo Silvia or a Gaggia Classic, simply because I'm not convinced the adaptation is doing what it needs to do. I have no problems with the plastic casing; it may last longer than a metal case. Steam wand is adequate; I really haven't perfected my froth, and have given up on achieving the froth as seen at a good cafe like Blue Bottle in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Ease of Use:
Espresso Quality:
Steaming Ability:
Construction:
Price Value:
Instructions:
1
Rated 4 out of 5
Posted By:
Patrick Cummings
08/15/2012
Bought the Gaggia Unica to replace another brand's super-auto; previous model lasted 18 months, heavily used. The Gaggia has all the same features at roughly half the cost. The Quality of brew is great. Great choice. Whole office is a fan. We use very dark beans, contrary to WLL's recommendations, but we like the flavor. This sometimes causes the coffee to jam up 90 degree turn in the passage from grinder to brew cup (?), but this only requires a long, unfolded paper clip and a wet paper towel for clean-up. Would recommend this purchase, emphatically, if you need good esspresso with no time for manual brewing. WLL is also the best sales site for this and other machines, in my experience.
Ease of Use:
Espresso Quality:
Steaming Ability:
Construction:
Price Value:
Instructions:
0
Rated 5 out of 5
Posted By:
junko miners
04/13/2012
I love this machine!! Simple, easy to use and makes a great espresso. I was worried because it's cheaper than other machines, but so glad I got it. Also I'm very happy to purchase this from wholelattelove. Their customer service is excellent. Their return or exchange is very easy and smooth without any hustles. If I decide to upgrade machine with more features, I'll buy it from this company because of their excellent customer service.
Ease of Use:
Espresso Quality:
Steaming Ability:
Construction:
Price Value:
Instructions:
0
Rated 5 out of 5
Posted By:
don donahue
12/28/2011
This machine makes great espresso. It's cheap, but uses the same 'guts' as the expensive Gaggias do. It is exclusive to wholelattelove in the U.S., but is sold all over the world and not manufactured for them alone. I've had 3 Jura Capressos and like coffee from this one better than ones that cost 3 times as much. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the more expensive models, so it costs a lot less, but it makes great coffee.. It's simple like an iPhone is simple. It does just what I want and nothing more.
Ease of Use:
Espresso Quality:
Steaming Ability:
Construction:
Price Value:
Instructions:
0
Rated 5 out of 5
Posted By:
Peter Cohen
11/01/2011
Have had this machine for just about two months. I really wanted a super auto but couldn’t spend the big bucks. The Unica has proven to be a great machine and I really have no complaints about the quality of the espresso I have been getting….ten times better then what I was getting at the local café.
Ease of Use:
Espresso Quality:
Steaming Ability:
Construction:
Price Value:
Instructions:
0
Rated 5 out of 5
Posted By:
mike brown
10/22/2011
We bought the Gaggia Unica a couple of months ago and love it. It makes great coffee and is easy to use. The machine fits great on our counter and has been very reliable. I'm glad we did our research and went with the Gaggia. It has met all our expectations.
Ease of Use:
Espresso Quality:
Steaming Ability:
Construction:
Price Value:
Instructions:
0
Rated 5 out of 5
Posted By:
Jason Kurnok
09/19/2011
I have been brewing espresso for some time with my Gaggia Coffee. After many years of use I decided that I wanted to look into a super automatic machine. After many hours of research I cam across the Unica. I have had the machine for a little over a week now and could not be happier. The Unica produces a great shot of espresso and does a good job steaming milk for the occasional latte.
Ease of Use:
Espresso Quality:
Steaming Ability:
Construction:
Price Value:
Instructions:
1
Have a Question? Then ask the community...
Get answers from in-house espresso experts & customers.
Get answers from in-house espresso experts & customers.
The Buzz
Lauren Kay
asked a question about a product...
at 01-19-2013 9:18pm
2
Tracys ♦ You need to do it manually. You need to put solution in the tank, add water . Then run the solution out the steam wand using the hot water function. Start it then let it sit for about ten minutes, then continue running hot water out of steam wand. When done with that then run clean water out about half a tank to rinse it all out then you are finished.
peretz partensky
buzzed about a product...
at 10-31-2012 3:35pm
Gaggia Unica Espresso Machine
I just got the Gaggia Unica from you guys and am just getting used to it. After frothing the milk, the machine needs to cool down before it can return to coffee brewing mode, which it indicates by a blinking steam icon. How long is this supposed to take? It is taking upwards of 3 minutes for me, which is a long time to wait if I am making one cups worth of milk, which I then want to add coffee to. I suppose, I could reverse the order and use more containers, but thought I'd ask.
0
Vote
0
mjackson ♦ Peretz,
You will find it easier to brew coffee first. That would be my suggestion. It will be easier that way to heat it up for steaming.
zahi mechref
buzzed about a product...
at 09-30-2012 2:47am
Gaggia Unica Espresso Machine
How to descale the unica?! I have liquide descaling but how to start the process ,is it manual or automatic?
0
Vote
0
mjackson ♦ Zahi,
You need to do it manually. You need to put solution in the tank, add water . Then run the solution out the steam wand using the hot water function. Start it then let it sit for about ten minutes, then continue running hot water out of steam wand. When done with that then run clean water out about half a tank to rinse it all out then you are finished.
Gaggia Unica Espresso Machine
Just purchased a Unica, I have not used it in over 2 days, and it stopped working. The Empty/Insert coffee grounds drawer. Light is just solid. I am not sure what is causing this issue, I have removed and cleaned the Brew Group, and no matter what it just stays lit. Any ideas?
0
Vote
0
mjackson ♦ Paul,
It is tough to say what the problem is. You would be best served by calling our technical support line and they will be able to assist you. I am afraid I do not have a simple fix.
Richard Wilson
buzzed about a product...
at 06-19-2012 12:34pm
Gaggia Unica Espresso Machine
Just purchased this after our Syncrony died after 4-5 years of use. Have a few questions I hope you can answer:
1) Does using light or medium roast beans really make a difference to the life expectancy of the grinder ? How can you tell if beans are oily or not ?
2) On our old Syncrony I used to descale once a month and just wash out the brew and wand every weekend (we make 5-6 cups per day). I was planning on repeating this, however should I used the tablets for brew group ? If so, how often ?
0
Vote
0
mjackson ♦ Richard,
Good questions.The oily bean should not affect this grinder as much as the older metal burr grinders. But I still think the really oily beans may not be best overall for the machine. If the beans are really shiny then they are oily. Keep up on the cleaning as you were doing, you also may want to try using the Intenza filters as well. The tablets certainly help.
sheri cavanaugh
buzzed about a product...
at 05-30-2012 11:39pm
Gaggia Unica Espresso Machine
does this machine have temp controls, different grind settings, pre infusion, by pass doser, rapid steam? How big are the water n hopper? does the hopper vibrate to help beans into grinder? Can u change the setting temporarily and then it will go back to the original settings? does it have 18 bars of pressure?
0
Vote
0
mjackson ♦ Sheri,
It does have variable grind settings, it at most will give you 7 grams of coffee, the other Gaggias will give you up to 10.5 grams. It does not haev a bypass doser and also does not have Rapid Steam.It also does not have pre infusion. You may want to look at the Gaggia Brera to get the features you want. The hopper does not vibrate either. Get the Brera is my suggestion.
Ram Manikarnika
buzzed about a product...
at 05-21-2012 12:46pm
Gaggia Unica Espresso Machine
hello, instead of using decalcification, etc - can a gallon of distilled water be kept next to this Gaggia and used ? is this advisable ?
0
Vote
0
mjackson ♦ Ram,
You can use distilled water. It is interesting that some people think that ultra pure water is not the best. It is a good way to keep your machine clean and certainly will cut down on the need to descale. I would go ahead and use the water as it will prolong the life of your machine .
Jocelynn Holleran
buzzed about a product...
at 05-12-2012 7:31pm
Gaggia Unica Espresso Machine
Hello,
We purchase a refurbished Unica about 1 month ago and yesterday it stopped grinding beans. It is going through the cycle but not grinding anything and then clear water comes out of the machine. What should we do first?
Thank you,
Jocelynn
0
Vote
0
mjackson ♦ Jocelynn,
You may want to try making the grind coarser and see if that frees it up. You may also need to clean your brew group as well. I will email you somethings to try. If that does not help call our technical support line.
Steven Turner
buzzed about a product...
at 03-03-2012 6:46pm
Gaggia Unica Espresso Machine
We are very happy with our Gaggia Unica. We need to do our first descale, but I'm not sure how much of the Gaggia 250 ml Decalcifier to use. Alternatively, do the Gaggia Coffee Clean Tablets work just as well? Finally, does the Mavea Water Filter definitely fit the Unica water holder?
0
Vote
0
mjackson ♦ Steven,
Use half of bottle of descaler. The cleaning tablets are really to use for the cleaning of the brew group. They really do not help the descaling process. Yes the Mavea filters will fit and do a great job of helping to keep your machine working properly.
Melvin Perry
buzzed about a product...
at 03-01-2012 10:40am
Gaggia Unica Espresso Machine
I just read your page on the Gaggia Unico -- you say "small footprint", but its actually larger than the Vision!
Do you have any videos on it? Or one comparing it to the Vision?
I've been lusting after the Vision, but feel guilty since my old Gaggia Classic works fine.
Great website!! Keep up the good work
Melvin
0
Vote
0
Michael Rosso ♦ Melvin...Thank you for your interest in the Gaggia Unica. The Unica measures H14.75 x W12.5 x D17.5, and we currently have a video on our sight for the Gaggia Unica. I hope this helps, however if you have anymore questions please feel to contact us directly at 1-888-411-5282. Thanks.
Loading... 
- Coffee
- Whole Bean Espresso
- Accessories
- Water Filters
- Cups & Saucers
- Cleaning Products
- My Selected Items
-
-
-
-
$29.99Bundle Price: $22.19
Save $7.80! -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
$24.99Sale Price: $17.90
Save $7.09! -
-
-
$12.99Bundle Price: $12.34
Save $0.65!
-
-
$9.99Bundle Price: $9.29
Save $0.70! -
-
-
$16.99Bundle Price: $11.99
Save $5.00! -
$16.99Bundle Price: $15.80
Save $1.19! -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
$99.99Sale Price: $74.99
Save $25.00! -
-
-
-
$39.99Sale Price: $29.99
Save $10.00! -
$25.99Bundle Price: $24.17
Save $1.82! -
-
-
-
$39.99Bundle Price: $37.19
Save $2.80! -
$39.99Bundle Price: $37.19
Save $2.80! -
$49.99Bundle Price: $46.49
Save $3.50! -
$49.99Bundle Price: $46.49
Save $3.50! -
$31.99Bundle Price: $29.75
Save $2.24! -
$31.99Bundle Price: $29.75
Save $2.24! -
$49.99Bundle Price: $46.49
Save $3.50! -
$49.99Bundle Price: $46.49
Save $3.50!
$499.00
Selected Items (0) view
Amount Saved When Purchased Together: $0.00
Value of Add-on Products: $0.00
Value of Add-on Products + Featured Item: $0.00
Hours of Operation
Monday - Thursday: 9am-8pm
Friday: 9am-6pm
Saturday: 10am-3pm
Sunday: 12pm - 5pm
Whole Latte Love - 2200 Brighton Henrietta Townline Rd, Rochester, NY 14623
Copyright ©2013 Whole Latte Love. All rights reserved.
mjackson ♦ Beatrix,
We are always glad to hear about a happy customer and thanks.
04-12-2013 8:04am |