Gaggia Brera Espresso Machine in Black

Received this wonderful espresso machine for Christmas and I am very happy. Love the ease of use. I love a good latte and this machine makes delicious latte. Who needs Starbucks?

I’ve tried them all…Jura, Saeco, Delonghi. Decided with all the great sales on Gaggia I’d have to give them a try. Hands down the Gaggia Brera makes the best espresso that I’ve had out of any super-automatic I’ve owned. From what I understand about the Brera is that it has a superior grinder (ceramic burrs, self adjusting) then most of brands which apparently makes a big difference in the quality of your espresso. I can tell you one thing…the grinder is definitely much more quite then my Delonghi machine. Quite honestly the Delonghi I sounded like a jet airplane starting up every time the grinder ran. I would certainly recommend the Brera to anyone looking for a reasonably priced super automatic that makes great espresso.

One thing I learned on my trip to Italy is that Gaggia is pretty much a household name over there. Not being a huge fan of espresso and cappuccinos before my trip, I had the revelation while I was there that we as Americans are really missing the boat when it comes to drinking our good old drip coffee. That said, I knew nothing about making espresso and thought that I would have to become a trained barista and purchase a $3000 machine to make espresso that came even close to what I was getting in Italy. Being that I had a budget of less then $1000 dollars and my 55 hour a week work schedule kind of put a halt on me becoming a barista I decided to take my chance with the Brera. I can say with all honestly that the Brera makes as good, if not better, espresso then I was getting in Italy and believe it or not it literally is as easy as the press of a button. I’m extremely happy with my purchase and I’m now addicted to cappuccinos and haven’t had drip coffee at my house in the six months that I’ve owned this machine.

This is my third Gaggia super-automatic in as many years (not due to any problem with the machines, just due to my life circumstances). I'm an Army officer finishing up a deployment overseas, and I had the Brera shipped out to me just a few days after it became available on WholeLatteLove. Most of the larger bases over here have a coffee shop of some sort, but our tiny, remote base does not, and I couldn't stand the thought of a year with nothing but Army chow hall coffee. The small footprint is perfect, since I live in close quarters. It sits atop my mini-fridge in my room. It is super easy to use, right out of the box. Others have given a less-than-perfect rating of the instruction manual, but I found it to be clear enough (especially after the instruction manual for the Titanium, which was truly awful) and mostly unnecessary, as the Brera is SO easy to use. As with my other Gaggia machines, this makes fabulous espresso (and caffe lungo), and it's easy to make near-perfect microfroth with the panarello wand. I only have two minor complaints. First is that the steam wand is not as mobile as the ones on my other machines (Titanium and Platinum Vision), and that made it a little awkward at first getting the milk pitcher under it, but I'm used to it now. Second, the water reservoir is TINY. It's fine when I'm just making my own morning coffee, but when I'm making several for my colleagues, it's kind of a pain. Overall, though, I like this machine well enough that if it makes it back to the States, I'm thinking of keeping this one for my kitchen, and giving my Platinum vision to my cappuccino-loving sister-in-law.

I second the rest about the quality of coffee and the flexibility of the bypass, but I'll add a few suggestions for folks who have this thing who want something fast and delicious besides coffee: 1. Hot cocoa! Add a heaping tablespoon of dry mix and maybe a big of syrup to a mug. Pour in milk to about 5/6 full. Submerge the frother arm to above the metal line and steam the mix to a boil - don't let it foam up! Don't forget to stir regularly to get the mix regular. Garnish with whipped cream and a cookie, and or a twist, fold in some rumble mint schnapps! 2. Indian Chai: Try a similar prodedure as above using a metal tea ball loaded with a few crushed spices indluding a green cardamom pod, a few cloves, a bit of cinnamon bark, a few black peppercorns, maybe a bit of star anise and of course some fine black Indian tea like nilgiri. I get my ingredients dirt cheap at the local Indian grocer. Sometimes I'll put some sugar or sweetener in too before I steam. I them let it steep for another couple of minutes before drinking.

Wanted an espresso machine that was simple to use but still had some key features. Love having a bypass doser so that I can make my wife decaf so that she is less irritable. Really easy to steam milk with. Our counter space is very limited, so this smaller sized machine is perfect. Shots come out HOT...no more heating our drinks up in the microwave after we brew them like our old machine. Stainless steel front panel looks great against the black sides and top.

I must say Gaggia has put a lot of thought into this machine making it simple, easy to use and well built. Both the reservoir and dump box remove easily from the front of the machine to fill (in the case of the reservoir) or to empty (in the case of the dump box). This task is easy to accomplish, even though the machine sits under kitchen cabinets. The drip tray is large, can be easily removed without having to open the machine, and has baffles that help prevent spillage while emptying it. What a relief to know I shouldn’t have much to wipe up on the counters and floors. The bean hopper has a very nice rubber seal that fits around the lid to help keep the beans fresh. I also noticed that there is a disk in the hopper that shakes, making sure the beans fall into the grinder and don’t get backed up. The finest grind setting on the grinder produces a nice crema. The spout for the coffee is adjustable in height which helps prevent the crema from breaking up if it falls too far into the cup. The Brera short height fits nicely on the counter under the cabinets and allows easy access to the bean hopper. It is solidly built and has a great stainless steel front. Overall, very happy.

I recently bought this machine to replace my Saeco Vienna Plus. This machine makes a great shot of espresso and has great steaming ability. The steam wand makes it very easy to create micro foam. I wish that the steam wand had vertical motion but the horizontal motion works well and it is easy to steam and froth my milk. Another benefit of this machine is that the brew spout is adjustable so I can fit many different sized cups under the spout. The espresso out of this machine is great. It allows for the adjustment of the strength of the coffee. I prefer to have a medium strength while my wife tends to like a string brew. With this machine we can both adjust our preferences with the optidose function. I have had my machine for 3 weeks and i am very pleased with the performance and the overall ease of the machine.

I have had enough of my semi automatic. I am always on the move and the Brera allows me to be able to brew my morning shot with the push of a button. I can walk away from the machine and when I come back my shot is waiting for me. Another feature I enjoy is the simplicity of the steaming system. I was never able to create a great milk froth but with this machine it is easy. Glad I finally purchased a super automatic, it is defiantly a necessity for my life style.

We had waited a long time to get a machine and had tried the coffee out of a Brera at a friends house. We had also watched the videos and finally decided to get one. We LOVE it. We really like the ability to brew one cup at a time and there is really no need to brew a pot of coffee. I am getting to enjoy espresso and like the milk steaming if I want to try something a little more fancy

I have owned a few machines in the past. I was not really happy with the espresso out of my super automatic. The person I talked with on the phone asked me what I liked to drink and I said espressos. I said I was willing to try another super auto as my life is more hectic now with a family and time constraints. I got my machine and it was easy to get started with it. The salesperson was right - I really like my espresso and have been pleasantly surprised with the quality of it.

Just received my machine earlier this week. This is my first super automatic machine and i couldn't be happier. From out of the box to my first shot of espresso this machine does it all. The display screen is a great feature because it is fool proof. If you need water the machine will let you know. The adjustable brew spout is a great feature if you are using different sized cups. Steam feature is easy to use and makes it easy to produce great milk froth. I could not be happier with the machine and will recommended it to all my friends. Thanks Whole Latte Love!

I ordered this machine and received it two weeks ago and I really love it. The one thing I really like about it is the water reservoir is in the front of the machine and easy to fill compared to my old one.