Gaggia Titanium Super-Automatic Espresso Machine
Another question: the panarello is no longer frothing. Milk boils and bubbles and doesn't expand. I cleaned the wand, including the little hole.
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With its elegant looks and enviable feature list, the Gaggia Titanium Super-Automatic Espresso Machine outclasses just about every other super automatic available. A sleek stainless steel front panel and steel outer shell house the Titanium’s pride and joy – a stainless steel lined brewing boiler and additional steaming boiler. These boilers create what we call Rapid Steam and eliminate the wait time between brewing and steaming or frothing milk. Add this up with the Titanium’s programmable brewing buttons, the option of using either the stainless steel Gaggia Turbo Frother or the included auto-frother, and an electric blue LCD display, and you have one machine that refuses to be outperformed!
Want to customize that coffee drink? The Titanium makes it a breeze. You can start by programming one of the three brewing buttons to dispense any amount of coffee you’d like. Then take a peek inside the Titanium’s 8.5 oz bean hopper and you’ll find two more control options: a choice between 18 individual grind settings, and another option to use between 6 and 9 grams of coffee for each shot. You can change any of these settings at a whim – a feature that even extends to the type of coffee you’re brewing with. If you’re in the mood for something a little different than the whole bean coffee you keep in the machine, just add some preground coffee to the Titanium’s bypass doser and voila! An instant break from your normal routine.
Rounding out the feature list is the Titanium’s electric blue LCD display. Every time the machine needs more beans or water, or simply needs to be cleaned, a helpful message appears, prompting you to do so. And with its swivel base, the Titanium provides easy access to the 60oz removable reservoir, as well as the dump box, drip tray, and internal brew group for the simplest cleaning and maintenance possible. The LCD display also lets you take a closer look at the Titanium’s menu options. A menu button in the control panel offers one touch access that makes it easy to program auto turn on and shut off, see the number of cups that have been brewed with the machine, set pre-grinding and pre-brewing options, and change the display language among several other options.
Available in silver, the Gaggia Titanium comes complete with a 7 gram coffee scoop, water hardness test strip, and a grinder cleaning brush.
This is more than just an "Espresso Machine!" It is easily capable of making any style of cappuccino or latte. In fact, most of our customers use their Super Automatic espresso machines for "crema coffee" instead of drip coffee. Crema coffee is simply an espresso brewed to fill a regular coffee mug. This produces a much more aromatic and flavorful cup of coffee. As a result of the pressure brewed process (8 to 10 atmospheres of pressure!), the gravity based drip coffee systems simply cannot match. The Gaggia Titanium will also produce hot water for Tea or Steamed Milk for Hot Chocolate!
This technology allows you to instantly go from brewing to steaming and back again without the wait time normally associated with single boiler systems. There is no faster way to make cappuccinos and lattes in your home!
It really does not get any easier then this. Just press the brew button and the machine does the rest. It will automatically grind and extract the coffee to your desired taste. When the coffee is finished brewing it will place the coffee grounds into an internal dump box for later disposal (it will even tell you when it is full). Depending on the size of the coffee that you are brewing it will be done in as quick as 35 seconds and ready to brew again.
The LCD display will show you in words what is happening in the machine. It will tell you when to add beans, add water, when to decalcify and even if the brew group is out of place. Use this also for system programming that includes temperature control, language, auto-shut off, pre-infusion, pre-grinding, cup warmer, temperature and cycle count.
You have total control over the coffee volume (liquid) that is dispensed with three programmable buttons. These buttons come preprogrammed but can be changed easily to suit your needs.
The Gaggia Titanium has an adjustable doser which controls the amount of ground coffee used for each beverage (6 to 9 grams for a single shot). Combine this ability with the "adjustable volume control" and you have total control over coffee strength and flavor at the push of a button. Drop the drip machine forever!
One special feature of the Titanium is the ability to control the temperature of the coffee. There are 5 different settings for maximum control. The settings are Maximum, Minimum, High, Medium or Low. For those of you that like a very hot cup of coffee select Maximum for the hottest coffee available. Temperature range according to our performance tests show 7 degree delta between the extremes which is very noticeable.
This is another advantage of the Super Automatic coffee center. The first step takes about 2 seconds as it moistens and conditions the ground coffee. Next a 2 second pause allows the aromatic oils to leach from the interior of the coffee. The second step activates the high pressure pump to ensure absolute maximum flavor extraction with a perfect crema topping.
This is used with ground coffee only. Perfect for those occasions when you don't want to be "caffeinated" or have decaf-only guests. This is also useful for experimenting with different types of coffees. If you are naturally a decaf drinker then use the bypass doser for regular instead. This has proven to be a highly sought after feature.
The dispensing spout slides up or down to adjust for different size cups. It adjusts from small espresso cups up to large mugs with no splashing.
The grinder has 18 settings providing plenty of control. You can grind from fine to coarse to accommodate any style of coffee roast. Light, medium or dark, espresso or regular coffee beans.
Preheating your cups is important. The Titanium will hold up to six espresso cups and is actively heated. When the machine is on, the cup warmer will be on.
Hot water is instantly available by turning the steam/hot water control knob. Makes 8 oz for a cup of tea or hot cider in 30 seconds
The Titanium comes equipped with a new stainles steel Turbo-Frother frothing wand. The new design makes great froth every time with no problems. Also, it comes with an automatic frothing attachment. This attachment will drop pre-frothed milk directly into your cup. No matter which attachment you use frothing is a breeze.
The large removable reservoir holds 60 oz of water; enough for 30 espressos or 10 cups of coffee at a time.
The Gaggia brew group is easy to remove. Just open the front panel and remove with the thumb release lever. This gives you access to everything that brews the coffee. Normal maintenance would include a quick rinse and dry.
Holds 8.5 oz of fresh whole bean coffee - about enough for 30 espressos before refilling.
The dump box is located inside the machine and is easily accessed from the front by sliding out the drip tray. The digital display will indicate when the tray or the dump box need to be emptied.
Program the energy saving mode to automatically turn on whenever you desire. This will shut the boiler down but keep the controls on and ready.
The swivel base makes accessing the different parts of the machine for maintenance, refilling water reservoir and bean hopper easy. Just rotate the machine, no lifting required!
This feature lets you keep count of how many cups the machine has brewed.
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Since joining Whole Latte Love I’ve had a lot of fun playing around with semi-automatic espresso machines while learning a great deal about brewing espresso. And my coffee journey has also taught me a bit about myself as well. At the end of the day, I really just want to push buttons. This week, my wish was granted as I was re-united with the simplicity of super-automatic espresso machines when I spent some quality time with the Gaggia Titanium.
Something that struck me right away that was notably different from all of the other super-automatic machines I've used is that the Titanium has a steam wand. The Jura-Capresso machines I operated previously used automatic milk frothing systems so I was surprised to find that the Titanium gives you the choice between manual or automatic milk frothing. It comes packaged with a Pannarello wand, a specialized steam wand which I'll discuss momentarily and a Cappuccinatore, which is an auto-frothing attachment, so it's really up to you how you want to froth your milk.
For the most part, my experiences with manual frothing have ended in disaster, but I've always wanted to give a Pannarello wand a try, so I did. Now, some people refer to the Pannarello wand as the “turbo frother,” and for good reason. All I really had to do was stick the wand into my pitcher and turn the steam on. Like any wand, it won't work if it's too close to the surface of the milk or the side of your pitcher, but other than that, it's pretty foolproof. If however, you'd like a bit more info on frothing with the Pannarello wand, Todd made a fantastic tutorial video which you can find here.
To be honest, I'd say that the Titanium is built for steaming and frothing milk with its set of dual thermal block boilers, one aluminum and one stainless steel and its robust 60oz water reservoir.
The buttons on the Titanium, aka, my favorite part of any super-automatic machine, are made of polished metal and labeled with icons. There are three programmable one-touch drink buttons, as well as buttons for the bypass doser and hot water.
In terms of niceties, the machine sports a number of features that I found to be very attractive. Cased in stainless steel, the Gaggia Titanium is equipped with an active cup warmer and rests on a turntable, making it easy to rotate as needed. It has a cool electric blue display and a float in the drip tray that tells you when it needs to be emptied. It also has an adjustable coffee spout to accommodate different cup heights.
When it comes to brewing, the Titanium uses a 15 bar vibration pump, which I found to be a bit noisier than the commercial rotary pumps of the Rocket Espresso machines I've used, but it brewed fast and the crema was excellent.
For me, the Titanium really had everything I could want in a machine. It was easy to use, like all super-automatic machines, but it was all of the extra features that elevated it above and beyond the norm. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to buy an ergonomic super-automatic espresso machine.
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In the sales department, we consistently hear one question from customers when talking on the phone with them. The phrasing may vary, but this question can be applied to each and every machine we carry…”How long can I expect this machine to last?” While we can’t give specific date ranges because of the number of variables are involved in the outcome. Variables range from the obvious such as the number of shots you pull per day, to the not so obvious like “How hard is the water you use in it?”
While every situation is different, there have been a couple of examples of the durability of the Gaggia Titanium in particular. A blog from a production company in New York City featured a machine that had 10,000 shots brewed on it. Since we didn’t actually sell them the machine, we didn’t spotlight it, but endeavored to find an even better example of the guts inside a Gaggia.
One of our customers, hailing from Texas, where everything (including espresso-machine counter totals) is bigger, posted 19,914 shots from their Gaggia Titanium, in the course of approximately 6 years. This is a phenomenal total, and not to be expected, but this picture is proof of durability through the persistence of regular maintenance.
The bulk of the issues we see when a machine comes in for repair stems from neglect. We always recommend descaling every three months or so, and a weekly cleaning of the brew group along with any applicable lubrication the group may needs. With proper maintenance we have found that most super-autos wind up between 5000 and 7000 shots, and for most users that comes out to 5 years or so.
What’s your counter up to? Feel free to send a pic and or count below.
Terry Rolon One last point, my Starbucks drink is a Grande Latte, $3.26 each. Those have two shots. That means I'm getting about 750 of those per overhaul with my super autos. That's $2,445 I didn't spend at SB every year. That's why I have two. I always have a spare for when the one at bat needs an overhaul. My Gaggia titanium, with 5500 shots on the counter, has saved me $8,965 all by itself.
So yeah they break too often, but they're worth the repair cost. And the coffee is good.
Wavel 5k to 7k shots?! You gotta be kidding! My Jura S7 has at least 8000 shots and is running like it was day one. It has been back for a few repairs over the years though :)
William67 Jura S9 Advantgarde. Over 8,000. Never been in for repairs. Done some maintenance myself and have to stay away from oily beans.
mjjackson 4100 and counting and we've only had our Titanium since October 2011! We've had no need for repair and ensure consistent proper maintenance.
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If you would like to know a little about the many types of espresso machines we sell, this would be a good video to get you started. This video covers the machines we sell and based on your lifestyle, what you like to drink, and ease of use. It will give you an overview of different espresso machines and help you determine which one best suits to your needs.
I would watch the video and focus on a particular kind of machine—prosumer, semi-automatic, and super-automatic to decide which kind is ideal for you. Then, you can go and look at individual models to get a better idea of exactly what you want. Of course, if you narrow it down to a few espresso machines and are still undecided, give us a call and we would be glad to help!
Chance Great video. Covers the basics and really helps you find the category that fits your life. Super auto for me!
| Misc Data | |
| Manufacturer | Gaggia |
| Model | 90500 |
| Specifications | |
| Dimension - Width (Inches) | 11 |
| Dimension - Height (Inches) | 14.5 |
| Dimension - Depth (Inches) | 16.5 |
| Weight (lbs) | 26 |
| Watts | 1250 |
| Volts | 120 |
| Housing | |
| Housing Materials | Metal |
| Drip Tray Material | Plastic |
| Drip Tray Cover Material | Stainless Steel |
| Drip Tray Capacity (Oz) | 28 |
| Drain Line Adaptable | No |
| Spent Coffee Capacity (Dregs Drawer) | 15 |
| Easy To Rotate | Yes |
| Tall Legs | No |
| Power Cord Length (Inches) | 36 |
| Cup Height | |
| Adjustable Height | Yes |
| High (Inches) | 4.8 |
| Low (Inches) | 3.4 |
| Frothing Wand | |
| Material | Stainless Steel |
| Steam Wand Style | Pannarello |
| Wand Movement | Articulating |
| Usable Length (Inches) | 2.5 |
| Height Off Counter (Inches) | 5 Stars |
| Optional Cappucinotore | Standard |
| Number Of Holes | 1 |
| No Burn Wand | No |
| Optional Steam Tips Or Wands | No |
| Water Source | |
| Reservoir Or Plumbed | Reservoir |
| Reservoir Capacity (Oz) | 60 |
| Reservoir Material | Plastic |
| Reservoir Removable | Yes |
| Water Level Visible | Yes |
| Water Filter | Mavea |
| Controls | |
| Type Of Controls | Push Button |
| Display Type | LED |
| Programmable Brewing | Yes |
| Temperature Control | Yes |
| Adjustable Coffee Dosage | Yes |
| Coffee Dosage Quantity | 6-9.0 |
| Cup Volume Control | Yes |
| Aroma / Flow Control | No |
| Bypass Doser | Yes |
| Pre-Infusion | Yes |
| Low Water Warning | Yes |
| Energy Savings | Yes |
| Multiple Programmability | Yes |
| Cup Warmer | |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Size (Inches) | 10x4 |
| Passive / Active | Active |
| Brew Group | |
| Material | Plastic |
| Type | Automatic |
| Preheat | No |
| Removable | Yes |
| Self-Cleaning | No |
| Boiler Data | |
| Number Of Boilers | 2 |
| Brew And Steam Simultaneously | No |
| Rapid Steam | Yes |
| Brew Boiler Data | |
| Brew Boiler Type | Thermoblock |
| Brew Boiler Watts | 1250 |
| Brew boiler Volume (Oz) | Low |
| Brew Boiler Material | Stainless Steel Lined Aluminum |
| Brew Boiler Heater Location | External |
| Insulated | No |
| Steam Boiler Data | |
| Insulated | Yes |
| Steam Boiler Type | Thermoblock |
| Steam Boiler Watts | 1250 |
| Steam Boiler Volume (Oz) | Low |
| Steam Boiler Material | Aluminum |
| Steam Boiler Heater Location | External |
| Pump Data | |
| Type | Vibration |
| Maximum Pressure (Bar) | 15 Bar |
| Self Priming Pump | Yes |
| Grinder Data | |
| Number Of Grind Settings | 18 |
| Hopper Capacity (Oz) | 8.5 |
| Burr Type | Conical |
| Burr Material | Stainless Steel |
| Freshness Lid | Yes |
| Performance | |
| Initial Heat Up (Seconds) | 84 |
| Recommended Heat Up Time (Seconds) | 84 |
| Brew Temp (F) (2 Oz Shot In Paper Cup) | 174 |
| Brew Time for 2 Oz | 10 |
| Brew Temp (F) (8 Oz Shot In Paper Cup) | 170 |
| Time To Produce Steam (Seconds) | 13 |
| Time To Steam 8 Oz Milk (Seconds) | 98 |
| Hot Water Temp 8 Oz (F) | 165 |
| Hot Water Time 8 Oz (Seconds) | 63 |
| Hot Water Recovery Time (Seconds) | 0 |
| Sound Level - Brewing (Db) | 61 |
| 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 |
4.8 out of 5
(70 Customer Reviews)
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
1 - 6 months
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
Definitely a joy to own. Easy to use. We are enjoying stout brew which comes out extremely hot. Fantastic!!!
1 - 6 months
Great features and ease of use
Coffee Lover
Assortment of organic coffee and expresso
Krups super automatic 3000
mjackson ♦ This machine has always been a favorite and thanks for the update on your purchase.
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
Less than 1 month
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
I have to confess that I was apprehensive when I bought this item - my first automatic espresso machine. Could I learn all the skills and techniques I might need ? Dan (the man!) at WholeLatteLove recommended it to me based on my needs and preferences. He answered all my many questions before I bought. He also re-assured me that - if i didn't like it - for any reason - I had 30 days to return it. But I need not have worried! To get it all going, I just followed the Instruction Manual, and, when stuck or puzzled (happened twice), I simply called Tech. Support and they instantly guided me with patience and understanding. Now - after just a couple of weeks with this baby - I feel like an expert barista! And more importantly, I am making GREAT espresso coffee - just the way I like it. AND I am making great decaf lattes for my wife. I highly recommend this machine.
Less than 1 month
Makes GREAT coffees, is easy to use, LCD screen guides you clearly, looks great on the counter, rotating base makes it easy access to water reservoir and bean hopper...and NEVER a trip to Starbucks again!
Relax! If you need help...just call WholeLatteLove Tech. Support!
Coffee Lover
Lavazza Super Crema Whole Bean Espresso Lavazza Dek Ground Decaf
Reduce noise. Extend Frothing Wand's reach and make it more flexible.
Keurig
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
Less than 1 month
Ability Level:
Connoisseur
Wow! Ordered my Gaggia Titanium on Monday and was unboxing and using it Thursday. Thank you, Dan, for the advice on moving on from my old machine to the Titanium. I have to admit I was intimidated by going to a digital machine, but this machine is so intuitive that within 10 minutes of setup it was ready to go! First: after programming (easy-beezy) the small coffee selection to the amount of espresso I like I was ready to move on to a cappuccino. The steam was instant and it frothed the milk beautifully. Instant yumminess! I'm extremely pleased with the machine so far and really love the cup warmer. It makes a huge difference to pour into a warm cup! I'm thrilled and look forward to thousands of espressos, cappys and lattes! The price offered by WLL is unbelievable and the quality of the machine is above par. Love the quietness of the operation and the nice stainless cladding. Two thumbsup!
Less than 1 month
Ease of use
Connoisseur
Espresso d'oro
Two semi-autos Two Gaggia synchrony Saeco superauto
Daniel Moraldo ♦ "Instant yumminess"...I totally agree. The Gaggia Titanium really is a great machine and a true work horse too. It's always great to hear when someone is happy with their purchase. Cheers Darlene!
I was a cup of drip coffee in the morning type of person until I went to Germany to visit family over these past holidays. Everyone in my family, and their friends seemed to have a super automatic espresso machine. I was blown away by the convenience of the Saeco Vienna Plus my sister owned. So when I returned home I decided to do a little research and it landed at the Gaggia Titanium. Man, I love this machine, the coffee is good, the heat options are nice, programming to the size of my coffee cups is awesome too. Hopefully it will last a long time!
Less than 1 month
looks
Rated 4 out of 5
Has owned for:
More than 1 year
Ability Level:
Connoisseur
It was love affair at first shot. This machine has been in our possession for about 15 months and has ensured every day is a happy day. 4050 shots and going strong, we are quite enamored with this device. It's easy to use with straight forward menu options, cleaning and maintenance is easy with the help of videos from Whole Latte Love, and the espresso it produces is superb. We consume a mix of straight espresso as well as lattes and cappuccinos and crema coffee. The double boilers are something we will never live without again. There is no downtime between espresso shot and steam; and the steam is consistently strong. We have had no issues at all with the Titanium during 15 months of hard use. We've just ensured that proper maintenance and cleaning are completed consistently. We absolutely recommend this machine. Two of our friends have purchased a Titanium and are also very pleased. My only critical comment is it's kind of loud. My only comparison, however, is a my friend's Gaggia Platinum Vision. It's noticeably quieter, but with only one boiler, I'll accept a slightly louder Titanium. Thanks to Whole Latte Love for your advice when I was researching machines and for consistently excellent customer service. It's also worth noting the current price of the Titanium. At $700, it's an incredible value. I paid $800 during one of Whole Latte Love's great sales and felt like I got a great deal. Seven bills is a steal for a super auto with double boilers.
More than 1 year
Ease of use that consistently produces a quality product. Endless steam with no delay.
View Whole Latte Love's videos for care and maintenance. The videos are an indispensable tool in knowing how to properly care for your machine.
Connoisseur
Lavazza Super Crema & Tierra, Gaggia Intenso, Filicori Gran Crema and Forte, Whole Latte Love Malabar Gold, Monaco & Buzzopolis, Stumptown Hairbender.
More sound insulation. The grinder and overall mechanics of the device are kind of loud.
Various semi-autos; Gaggia Platinum Vision, DeLonghi super-auto, La Marzocco during the barista days.
Rated 2 out of 5
Has owned for:
More than 1 year
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
If you are asking yourself, 'Is this really worth the expense?' my opinion is ABSOLUTELY!! I purchased my Gaggia Titanium over 5 years ago, and it has worked beautifully. It has continued to brew excellent coffee every morning without fail. (For a 'non-morning person'/coffee lover, this is key.) I have even ordered a second machine for my other home and convinced now, very happy friends, to make the investment as well. Also, I would strongly recommend that you make this purchase through Whole Latte Love. Their customer service is excellent!! The instructional videos on how to properly maintain your machine are spot on. As is usually the case, the manual that comes with the machine could be better. Therefore, just look for the Whole Latte Love videos on Youtube. I have not stepped foot into a Starbucks since. :)
More than 1 year
Quality of the brew - can even make generic whole beans taste like the some of the finest coffee; ease of use; not wasting coffee; low maintenance
Watch the Whole Latte Love videos on Youtube for maintenance tips
Coffee Lover
The instruction manual could be improved; diagrams are not clear and troubleshooting tips are not fully covered
French Press; Traditional Espresso Pots; Grind & Brew
Kristen C Thank you for your great review! We really appreciate your feedback and are glad you are finding our videos useful. The Gaggia Titanium is a great machine!
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
More than 1 year
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
So sad, sent my titanium in for repair but it is shot.....5 years and over 22,000 shots of coffee!! The repair man could not believe it. I loved my titanium, in fact so much , that I am going to purchase another one. You won't be disappointed with this machine.
More than 1 year
the crema
Coffee Lover
noisy, hinge on bean lid broke after awhile
Kristen C Thank you for your review and I hope you enjoy your new machine just as much!
I just received my new Gaggia Titanium...at an amazing price price I might add. This is a Christmas present for my wife so I haven't used it yet. I just wanted to comment on the stellar packaging and condition the machine arrived in. I wanted to open everything up so I could make sure all was in good order (plus I wanted to lay my eyes on this gorgeous machine). I was pleasantly surprised to find that the machine is in a box...which is in another box...which is in yet another box!!! Everything was in perfect condition. I had a hard time putting everything back because I wanted a shot so bad. My Wife is going to go crazy over this thing!!! I will update this review again after the holiday. Happy Holidays everyone.
Michael Rosso ♦ Nick I am glad you are pleased with your purchase. Please do keep us posted on what your wife thinks when she opens her Gaggia Titanium up.
Nick Vantucci Well it has been a little over three months since I gave my wife the Gaggia Titanium for Christmas and I thought I should give everyone an update. In a word...Incredible!!! We absolutely love this machine!! Everything is so easy to use. There are only a few minor negatives, but nothing that would make me not recommend this product. First, the instructions are not the greatest. They work, but they could be better. Second, the drip tray is made of plastic (unlike the rest of the main body) and the titanium grey finish is wearing off in the heavy wear zones. Third, the warnings are based on number of brews instead of actual use. For example, every once in a while it won't let me make a coffee because it says that I need to empty the dredger draw...even though I just cleaned it prior to that coffee. Annoying but not a deal breaker. Buy it...you won't regret it. So easy. So gorgeous. So happy.
What a fantastic machine! My Titanium finally passed after 11060 coffees! It was born in February 2005 and was put to rest in June 2012. Over the years, the Wholelattelove team worked on it twice. The weakest point is the the rubber tube in the steam line which needs attention every couple of years. Other than that the grinder, brew group, boiler and all other components are top notch. In 2009 I got a second Titanium as backup and it has now on active duty. After 7 years, the display was dim, the grinder would not stop and the steam pipe was leaking. Again, this machine is a great value costing about .08/shot (coffee & milk @ market rate). Much better than a coffee shop! The quality of the brew is very good. Sorry for being sentimental but I do love my Titanums!!
I've had my Titanium for 6500+ shots. It produces a great espresso or coffee with no drama. It's easy to maintain and clean Taste will tell you when it needs to be cleaned. it does not like oily beans very well and feeding to the grinder clogs w/ an oily bean. The manual is typicaly Italian: it's partially there. Overall, this is a great machine.
Purchased the Gaggia Titanium over a year ago very happy with the machine. Sorry for the delay review. I only make double shots espresso fast and easy to operate. A few minutes to warm the machine and press small coffee button twice. Do not forget to descale the machine. I use Urnex Cleancaf also purchased from Whole latte.
Over 10,000 shots and counting!! We bought this machine at least 4 years ago and have made over 10,000 shots of coffee with it. It has never failed us and I regard it as one of our 'best buys ever'. I remember that before I bought the machine I did a lot of research on wholelattelove.com and decided on this machine. No regrets. It heats up fast, settings are easy to change and instruction manual is easy to read. One of the best features is the timer so it comes on first thing in the morning. We have several friends who were so impressed with our coffee that they bought one also. We used the milk steamer for years and it works fine but after I spotted the Nespresso milk frother I switched to it. That little machine is expensive but worth every penny. It's automatic so no need to check the temperature and cleaning is quicker.
This is the very best Expresso Machine, Great tasting coffee, many choices on the menu. The ease of use. I had a Syncrony Logic , this is so much better. Just had a hard time with the menu . They should include a video with this . That is my only complaint. The up keep is a little complicated. a visual aide would be very helpful. I called them, I would be willing to pay for a video on maitanance.
Received my new (refurbished, but new to me) Titanium on Tuesday, set it up at my 'Latteccino Bar', went through half a day of tweaking to get things sorted out and come up with just the right brew ... and have enjoyed this excellent espresso machina since then ... This is a replacement for two other manual espresso makers that I just plain worked to death ... and has proved itself to live up to it's excellent reputation ... I have never used an automatic or semi-automatic machine before and will certainly miss the Zen moments of the ritual of making latteccinos, especially that first one of the day ... but I will also enjoy the ease of use of this excellent machine ...
I really like the Titanium. I bought one to replace my aging Synchrony Compact, and it has been a worthy replacement. I would still love to see more solid construction, but I haven't had any reliability problems with this machine in over 18 months of use. Espresso quality is good, though not to the same standard as you might get from a prosumer semi-automatic machine. Steaming is easy and I get consistently wonderful results.
Great Machine, Great coffee. We have had our machine in use for 2 years now in our shop. It has brewed over 13,583 coffee's in that time. We have really done nothing to this machine except clean it on a weekly basis, and use bottled water to fill the water tank. All in all a great machine.
1 year later - I wanted to offer a review of our Gaggia Titanium, but just never got around to it. Having "graduated" from a Rancillio Silvia/Rocky grinder manual espresso maker setup, I was concerned about how durable a modestly-priced super would be, but am quite pleased to report that a year later, it has performed flawlessly. I was also concerned about espresso quality - having been involved with "spirited" debates with coffee afficianados who insist that my old manual setup was "far superior" to any super auto machine. I guess we are not "geeky" enough to experience this for ourselves. After dialing in our preferred settings, our Gaggia super has consistently delivered better shots than we were able to pull from my Silvia. With a fraction of the work and mess involved! My only negative is that sometimes the beans hang up in the hopper depending on how oily our dark roast beans may be. The same thing used to happen - even more often in my Rocky grinder. You can't beat the convenience. Just push one button, and you've got your perfect shot. My reason for revisiting this site now is that we've gotten a motorhome and can't bear to leave home without our expected level of wonderful coffee every morning. I went out and got one of those Keurig pod machines for our RV. It's good, but not up to our Gaggia brew. At $.50/cup, it's expensive coffee too, compared to our Gaggia. So- I'm back - shopping for another Gaggia Super for our home on the road. Anyway- sorry it took so long to leave feedback here, but maybe having over a year of good experience under our belts is good to share about. Gordon
Previously, I used a manual Krups and then for 9 years a Saeco Magic DeLuxe (until the grinder stopped working). I've had the Titanium for just less than a year and just over 1500 coffees. I drink about 4 coffees a day, either espresso or crema coffee, black. I've been using Caffe D'Arte Capri (medium Italian espresso roast) for about 15 years now. The Saeco was a trooper. I would guess it made about 10,000 trouble free cups for me. But the Gaggia Titanium is better in many ways, though there are a few usability details where it's not as good. For guests that want milk in their drinks, the double boiler is great. Essentially no time spent waiting for the machine to heat up to steaming or cool down to coffee making temperature. In general, the machine heats up quickly, and the adjustable stay-hot time is a nice feature that allows me to get a couple coffees in the morning and then only heat the machine when I want a coffee in the afternoon or after dinner. The controls become familiar after a while, but I have to say that the markings on the doser and the grinder are not intuitive and I have to resort to the manual to make sure I turn them the way I want to adjust it. BTW, putting those knobs in the bean hopper, and the indented tops, means that they both tend to trap a bean or two in them. If you've owned an Italian machine before, you know what to expect with the manual. The translations are sometimes odd. Even the ordering of the sections doesn't seem very intuitive. But if you look closely at the drawings and squint at the text, you'll figure it out. The Saeco grinder had no finger guard in the bean hopper, and gravity was always sufficient to bring all the beans into the grinder, so there was never a need to stick my fingers in there. The Gaggia has a finger guard, which impedes the beans from flowing into the grinder, so you have to push the beans down into the grinder every second or third cup, which makes the finger guard necessary. Sort of circular logic here. The machine is neat and clean to use, and easy to clean up, with its smooth surfaces. The water reservoir is easy to remove and replace -- never fill it to the level of the swivel handle, though, or it will leak. The lazy susan moves easily and allows good access, but I removed the swinging cover over the bean hopper because of clearance problems with my cupboards. The machine counts the number of coffees you make and *requires* you to remove the drip tray and "dregdrawer" after 14 coffees, regardless of whether you've been in there and emptied it early. (The Saeco attempted to determine how full the dump bucket was by weight, and it held more pucks.) Cleaning the drip tray and bucket are easy, but the even the mildest scrub sponge will take the silver paint off the plastic drip tray, so beware. And handle the door latch with care, it's just a piece of plastic you're bending. Descaling is easy, as the machine has a program for doing the routine. You do need to be around for about half an hour, but you don't have to monitor the machine much. That's so much nicer than having to do it manually. BTW, I'm on a well and have moderately hard water, but I only need to descale about every 3-4 months. Finally, how about the coffee? It's heavenly. The crema is rich and thick. The espressos are hot and full of body. I attribute some of the good flavor to the fact that the machine rinses the brew group every time it goes through a full warm up, so you don't get any old oils left in there to get rancid. Adjusting the shot size is the same as on the Saeco (which I believe the Gaggia is based on, studying the way the brew group works) -- hold the button until you get the volume you want, and the machine remembers it after that. Being able to turn up the temperature is also an advantage, though even the default setting is hotter than the Saeco was. I haven't had any of the problems others have mentioned; no leaks, no repeated "Ventilate" messages, no need to prime the machine. But when the 2 year warranty is up, I'm going to cut off the finger guard in the bean hopper.
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
Less than 1 month
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
Had for about a year now and is used at least twice a day. After dialing it in, makes fine espresso. Making latte is a breeze and is much better than shoppes like Starbucks or others since you make it to YOUR own tastes. Also, the money saved per cup pays for the Titanium in no time!! The only complaint is plastic finish around the drip tray wears and flakes off. Not that big a deal, but it detracts from a beautiful machine otherwise.
Less than 1 month
It is a simple process to make quite fine coffee after dialing in the settigs.
Coffee Lover
Lavazza Super Crema
More stainless steel in areas where wear should be expected
Krups
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
Less than 1 month
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
LOVE this machine!
Less than 1 month
espresso is good, construction, looks, ease of use, swivel base for ease of filling, flexibility of shot size, hot water dispenser
BUY IT! IT'S WORTH EVERY PENNEY
Coffee Lover
dunkin is favorite,,,,, starbucks second
you know what needs to change? NOT ONE THING!
spidem trevi combi saeco vienna
Rated 4 out of 5
Has owned for:
6 - 12 months
Ability Level:
Beginner
The unit makes incredible Latte's. Bought in March and used regularly for 5 months after first descaling. Grinder / Brew unit malfunctioned and is now in for repair. The sales staff at Whole latte have been helpful thus far and hoping unit will be repaired to original condition.
6 - 12 months
Coffee and Latte quality
Beginner
Lavazza
reliability
Rated 4 out of 5
Has owned for:
More than 1 year
Ability Level:
Beginner
I´ve had mine (Titanium Plus) for 4 years and 6000 cups. Never had any problems.
More than 1 year
Great coffee, no mess. Can easily make espresso/capucchino for my dinner party in no time.
Beginner
Sometimes you have to help the bean go into the grinder
Rated 4 out of 5
Has owned for:
More than 1 year
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
I own this machine for about 5 years now. We used to spend at least $10 daily at the local Starbucks until we bought this machine. The quality is even better than Starbucks! Grew up drinking coffee in Spain and we were 'in pain' trying to get decent coffee in the US. Our machine has dispensed over 14,000 cups to date and still going! Will buy this again if and when our machine dies.
More than 1 year
Ease of cleaning, swivel base, big enough water tank
Make sur you clean thoroughly the brew group or the water drip slows.
Coffee Lover
lavazza, illy, any peaberry kind but flavor of Tanzanian beans preferred, other Spanish and Italian brands
better internal plastic parts, sometimes manual doser doesn't line up (hence we use this less for our decaf drinking friends---:-().
Saeco, MWF, Nespresso
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
More than 1 year
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
Overall, an excellent machine. Very easy to use. Very, Very easy to clean. Great coffee with excellent crema. Easy to froth milk. Needs to be descaled often, even when doubled filtered water is used. If not frothed frequently, the steam cycle becomes unreliable, with intermittent bursts of steam. It is of utmost importance to keep the panarello wand clean, with the pore open and the inner plastic piece pushed all the way down.
More than 1 year
Great coffee, great froth, and easier to use than other semi-automatics. Very stylish design.
Needs to be descaled often (monthly), even when doubled filtered water is used. If not frothed frequently, the steam cycle becomes unreliable, with intermittent bursts of steam. It is of utmost importance to keep the panarello wand clean, with the pore open and the inner plastic piece pushed all the way down.
Coffee Lover
Lakota (Columbia MO) - Tanzania Peaberry, Yemen Mocha, Sumatra, Fireside Blend
The steam cycle. It seems to be very fragile. Might need more heavy duty O rings. Sending these things back for repair is a nightmare.
Nespresso, Saeco Via Veneto, Gaggia Syncrony Logic, Cuisinart basic, Krups basic
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
1 - 6 months
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
The long features list, push-button ease-of-operation, low maintenance, and excellent brew quality make this a brilliant machine! The menus are easy to navigate and the machine is programable to almost any specification. After days of research, we decided to make the Titanium purchase but, did so with a gulp; it's not cheap. However, we would do it again without any hesitation. We've had this machine for about three months now and have logged over three hundred coffees/espressos. It has seamlessly integrated itself into our daily lives. Best of all, the espressos taste as wonderful today as they did on day one.
1 - 6 months
Coffee Lover
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
More than 1 year
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
I love my maching and have had it 4 1/2 yrs. now. Would buy it again. It was much more expensive when I bought mine. Good price now.
More than 1 year
The ease.
Coffee Lover
Espresso
The water holder. Bigger
no
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
More than 1 year
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
We got the gaggia titanium the end of DEC. 2008 and fell in love with it from the start.We have never had any leaks or any problems at all we are up to 3875 total coffees made and it works just as good the day we got it.
More than 1 year
easy to use my wife couldn't use the silvia that i loved and didn't want to part with but with how easy the titanium is it's a no brainer
Use fresh super fresh roasted coffee and you will pull quality shots the better the coffee bean the better the coffee there is no machine out there that can make a good cup of coffee with bad coffee beans
Coffee Lover
many local roasters and self roast
Rancilo silvia
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
More than 1 year
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
Easy to use...easy to clean. Makes the best cup of coffee and or espresso I have ever had at home.
More than 1 year
You don't have to be a rocket scientist to use it!
Coffee Lover
Buzzopolis, New Orleans Coffee Exchange, Starbucks
Bean cover is flimsy...cracked early on. Beans must be encouraged to feed into the grinder at times.
None
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
More than 1 year
Ability Level:
Connoisseur
I have had the machine for just under two years and it works flawlessly. It looks great and makes a great shot. The controls are adequate and the steaming power is second to none. It is loud after grinding when it is presumably is tamping the puck (3 loud clunks). It really couldn't be any easier to use. I make 2 double lattes every morning and it takes less than 5 minutes from start to finish - mainly because of the steaming power. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a great espresso with an easy, no mess brewing experience.
More than 1 year
Ease of use; steam strength
Connoisseur
Illy, Vivace, Java Joe's (when WLL carried it)
Finish on the drip tray (worn/discolored); Durability of the plastic bean hopper cover (broke off the hinges). To be fair, it could be me since I had the same issue with my Capresso. It would be great if they made a machine where you could adjust the tamp strength.
Capresso C1000, Starbucks Barista Athena
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
6 - 12 months
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
I have owned my Titanium for almost a year now and love it. So simple to use and so little maintenance. I have descaled it about 4 times, clean up the dump box, drip tray and wand after every use and it always performs. My wife and I make 4-6 espresso's per day 7 days a week. The ease of use and flawless performance would make me spend the money again. Well worth it!
6 - 12 months
Ease of use. The super automatics rock!
Clean the machine after every use and pay attention to the LED screen and you really can't go wrong.
Coffee Lover
Alterra, Peet's, LaVazza
Finish on the drip tray by the wand. The finish has easily worn off. Also the drip try cover has become easily scratched.
Krups
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
Less than 1 month
Ability Level:
Connoisseur
This is our second super automatic and I am very happy with it so far. No complaints. The Capresso that we had before finally "bit the dust" and it was time to find a new machine. It makes good, flavorful, coffee with a nice thick crema. We did have to prime the machine right out of the box, but we have had no more issues with it since.
Less than 1 month
One touch button for great coffee. It also steams milk like crazy.
Connoisseur
Starbuks, Illy
The coffee dose adjuster does not seem to really make much of a difference...as the same amount of coffee is ground no matter what the dial is set to. I would like stronger espresso.
Capresso 1500, Baby Gaggia
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
Less than 1 month
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
Just got my new Titanium 3 days ago. Worked right out of the box. Easy to set up, easy to program and makes the best espresso (after drawing 3 practice shots) ever. Still learning how to get the most out of this baby, but so far, so good. Excellent frothing! I will post again at 1 month and then at 3 month intervals.
Less than 1 month
The look, the quality of the espresso shot.
If you get an error message saying "Dredgedrawer full" and the dredgedrawer is not full, just pull out the dredgedrawer and overflow tray WITH THE MACHINE ON, and wait 30 seconds. Put everything back and message should clear.
Coffee Lover
LavAzza, Peet's, Seattle Roasting Company, Illy
It would be cool if there was an insert advising about grind and coffee amount settings.
La Pavoni Manual, Krups 2in1, Baby Gaggia
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
More than 1 year
Ability Level:
Connoisseur
This machine is not only gorgeous, but it is a workhorse! There for us every day. This machine performs for us daily and guests are always impressed. There are no guests that have a better machine.
More than 1 year
It has very little plastic..and what plastic it does have is very sturdy. The Titanium...I really think it's brushed stainless..is lovely and looks perfect in my kitchen.
Make sure you read the Q&A on frothing tip. Whole latte love is the PERFECT vendor! They not only know the machine, they appear to admire it and know very well every little quirk of the machine. One phonecall and every little problem can be solved quickly and efficiently.
Connoisseur
Lavassa, Sant' Eistachio
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
1 - 6 months
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
I really like this replacement we got for our (7 year old) gaggia digital. The coffee is great and reliable.
1 - 6 months
Quality of coffee
Coffee Lover
Lavazza crema, Starbucks
the coffee bean container lid doesn't fit well and the grinder often runs empty even if it's full of beans.
Gaggia Digital, DeLonghi, Saeco
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
Less than 1 month
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
This is the machine I dreamt of owning during a 16 month deployment to Germany. As soon as I got home, I bought it and it has performed flawlessly since! That was over three years ago!
Less than 1 month
It's so simple to use and the product rivals that of my favorite German and Italian cafes.
I know when I was doing the research to purchase my machine, several reviewers mentioned how difficult the operators manual was to follow. I found it rather simple and the many illustrations to be helpful!
Coffee Lover
Lavazza, Starbucks
I wouldn't mind a larger water resevoire.
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
1 - 6 months
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
This machine has worked flawlessly since I bought it about 6 months ago. Coffee quality is good, although perhaps not superb. Steams milk extremely well.
1 - 6 months
Very easy to use clean; very reliable so far.
Coffee Lover
Wegmans Espresso
Setting it up with the menu is perhaps not as easy as it could be - but you basically do it just once. Instructions could be a bit better -
Delonghi, Krups
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
6 - 12 months
Ability Level:
Connoisseur
Great machine.
6 - 12 months
Ease of use.
Connoisseur
Lavazza, Cuban coffes (preground) ,local roasters
Dose quantity varies, and resets when you decalcify the machine. Steam wand clogs, but most probably because of our local hard water.
Gaggia Carezza, Gaggia Classic
For years and years, buying an espresso machine for the home was not option - I knew a home machine could never make an espresso as good as my favorite cafes (and really, I couldn't afford anything more than a basic low end deal). I was in the habit of getting my morning fix on the way to the office, and I knew where all the good cafes where around the city if needed...however, as I started to embark on a career change that would have me working from home a lot, I decided to start investigating home machines again. I was initially looking at the Illy/Francis Francis semi-automatics. I have a few friends who have them and like them well enough...I even tried them out and they tasted okay. I didn't like the idea of being tied down to pods, for the most part. I really wanted to get shots from fresh ground beans, and I wanted to get them from my favorite coffee company. Well, I'll spare you the other research I did and jump to the fact that I finally purchased the Gaggia Titanium (right before the price was lowered! doh! but that just means it's an even better deal now for you!) I've had this machine for three months now and have used it to make at least one double shot cappuccino every day. It's brilliant. If you're picky like me, it can take a few days to figure out your perfect combination of grind/grams/ounces...but it's super easy to do. I was really nervous about that at first. No, it's not as good as having a professional barista pull your shots on a La Marzocco machine, at your favourite cafe and not having to worry about cleaning anything up, but in the end, the taste is practically the same. I love this machine. If I hadn't purchased it, I'd be stuck with a local cafe by my home office now that's not always the best. The kind of beans and milk you use DO affect the taste - if you purchase this machine and use the same beans as your favorite cafes and such, you'll be making a drink at home just about as good as if you were there. I've had no technical problems in the three months I've had it...knock on wood. Only complaint would be that it seems the bypass doser doesn't make as good a shot. Not sure why, but I've tried various things (i.e. using the same brand decaf beans in the hopper to see if it's just the different taste of decaf). My partner doesn't notice so much though, so I imagine it's just me being picky.
1 - 6 months
The ability to fully customize a shot.
Don't wait for the display to tell you to empty the dreg drawer - keep that sucker empty so as to avoid a puck that might fall out into the machine.
Beginner
Barrington Coffee Roasting Company's Gold Espresso Blend
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
More than 1 year
Ability Level:
Connoisseur
I thought after 2 years of constent use I needed to post another review on how great our little Gaggia machine has performed. We just hit 5400 shots and the quality and the quality of the coffee is outstanding. My wife and I both have a double shot each day, the only way to start the day out right, and the machine has never once had an issue. We are very happy with the quality of this product and would recommend this to anyone looking for a nice machine to standout on your counter top.
More than 1 year
Size and features; love having the machine turn on and warmed up when I get up for work and then haveing the auto turn-off is great as well.
If your buttons stop clicking when you press them you can take the face plate off and re-align the rubber button housing; also a good time to clean out any pre-ground coffee that might have slipped behind the face plate. Just don't let your guests touch the machine without supervision.
Connoisseur
fresh roasted from home
The beans in the hopper need to be helped sometimes as the hopper angle is a little flat, not a big deal. I had commented on the plastic face plate in my last review but I am over that and realize it is just a small cosmetic issue. If you press any of action buttons too hard they will loose the click response, see solution below.
Private label Gaggia for 12 years in the home
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
1 - 6 months
Ability Level:
Beginner
After a year of waiting I finally convinced my husband to get an espresso machine. I wanted a super automatic, and after extensive research decided on the Gaggia Titanium. It has a relatively small footprint, but has all the features you'd expect in this top of the line machine. It makes wonderful expresso and crema coffees. WOW what a pleasure it is to wake up in the morning, push a button and have the coffee of your dreams at your fingertips! This machine produces amazing coffee, cup after cup. Each with a head of crema that is to die for! I am totally happy with our choice. Maintenance is very little. Rinsing out the removable brew group each week and you're done. It's just that easy!
1 - 6 months
The ease of operation, and the consistency of the brews. Also estheticaly the machine is beautiful to look at with its mpreive SS exterior and blue hued display.
Regularly rinse the brew group. This will keep your coffees consisitently good.
Beginner
Columbia Supremo
Nothing yet. Some hav commented that the manual was hard to follow. Whle it is a bit on the cryptic side, I found it pretty easy to navigate. Any questions were easily aswered by WLL's Customer Service. Great job guys!!
Jura Capresso
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
1 - 6 months
Ability Level:
Connoisseur
They say that certain scents or tastes transcend time--my first cup from the Gaggia Titanium took me back to our favorite cafe in Italy where we lived nearly 10 years ago. It was that good. It did take some trial and error to find the perfect grinder and dosing settings, but this is to be expected with any automatic machine. We have had the machine for 3 months now and it has worked flawlessly. I thought long and hard about the semi- vs. super-automatic decision. I made the right choice with the super-automatic, no doubt about it. Just pushing a button and getting a perfectly consistent cafe every time is truly a pleasure. Others have commented on the quality construction and beautiful appearance of the machine. I have to agree. It looks as good as it works.
1 - 6 months
Just push a button and get a great cafe every time.
Don't forget to order the descaling solution.
Connoisseur
Lavazza Qualita d'Oro
Rated 4 out of 5
Has owned for:
Less than 1 month
Ability Level:
Connoisseur
I am very happy with my new machine. It took several cups before I adjusted the grind and amount to my liking. Also I had to commit about 20 minutes to sit down and figure out how to program it because the manual, like others have noted, is somewhat lacking. But it is so FUN to just press a button POOF... and get a good cuppa. The machine itself is substantial and classy looking, not plastic and chintzy like some of the other reviewed superautomatics. I think I made the right choice and I have been looking at these coffee machines for quite some time before I decided to spend the moolah. I'll let y'all know how much I still like it after a year.
Less than 1 month
Connoisseur
currently Veritas Organic
The little steam wand is a bit small so if you don't get it right down into the milk, it spews all over. Also the manual could use revamping.
estro vapore, stove top "espresso" maker
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
6 - 12 months
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
Overall, I have been extremely happy with the Gaggia Titanium. It has been very reliable. It heats up in 1-2 minutes and makes tons of steam for lattes etc. I only drink lattes (not espresso) so I am not the best person to comment on the finer points of the espresso flavor, but it is at least as good if not better than the other machines I have used. I returned the Jura F7, because I couldn't get it to froth soy milk. This is no problem for the Titanium. Also, WLL's service is the best. I replaced the brew group improperly after cleaning one time and the WLL staff emailed me step by step instructions that allowed me to fix the problem. You won't get that kind of service from a retail store.
6 - 12 months
1. super fast; by the time I get the milk and pitcher, it is ready to pull a shot. 2. makes plenty of steam and this is fast as well 3. reliable: so far no problems with leaking.
1. Buy from Whole Latte Love 2. As others have mentioned, oily beans can get stuck in the bean hopper, but this can be fixed with the back of a spoon.
Coffee Lover
Peets, Starbucks, Illy
Like most of the superautos, there is a lot of plastic inside the machine. The entire brewgroup is plastic. It would be nice if there were more metal, but then it would weigh a ton and probably cost more as well.
Gaggia Coffee, Starbucks Digital Italia, Jura Capresso F7
Rated 3 out of 5
Has owned for:
Less than 1 month
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
I admit it...I am a newbie to the world of home espresso machines. My wife and I are passionate about our coffee, and we were sick of paying $$$'s to enjoy our habit. We decided to take a leap into home espresso machines. I researched various web sites for 4-6 months, read countless reviews, and decided on the Gaggia Titanium. We wanted something in all all-metal housing that would be reliable, make a great shot, and look good in the kitchen with our other stainless appliances. We decided to go with the Titanium, after reading the favourable reviews on this site and others. We live in Fredericton, NB, Canada where there is not a lot of selection for anything over a few hundred dollares. Our local kitchen store sells Gaggia products, so they were able to order one from Montreal. I was excited when they called and said it had arrived. Out of the box, it is a beautiful machine. The cracks around the buttons that have been mentioned repeatedly were present, as expected. Not a big deal. The metal and plastic that make up the cover of the by-pass doser had come apart...not a big deal, and fixed with a bit of epoxy. I plugged it in, and...nothing except a message to "fill watertank". It was full. I emptied it, refilled it, took the brew unit out, reinserted it, etc. Nothing! I returned it to the store, where my local guy called Montreal, and they said they would get back to us. I emailed Gaggia...nothiing. I emailed WLL, and got a response within 2 days (Thanks!). I had wondered what a small magnet in the bag with the brush and scoop were for. Apparently, the magnet interacts with the water sensor, and it needs to be inserted into the reservoir. This was not in the directions/manual, and I'm not sure how Gaggia expects one to be aware of this. To any event, the advice from WLL was correct, and I was happy my machine was saved. Unfortunately, the cap which keeps the magent in place would not stay in place, and the magnet would float out repeatedly. The solution from the Gaggia distributor in Montreal was to wrap plastic around it, and jam it into place. A band-aid solution for a machine that cost, here in Canada, $2100 taxes in. I did this, and then started pulling shots. I enjoyed the espresso, but, with each and every shot, the machine leaked water all over my floor and cupboards. I just returned from my local store minus this piece of junk. Perhaps this one was a lemon, but it left me with a negative impression of Gaggia. Other issues: - the beans do not fall into the grinder as others have reported. My local French Roast is a bit oily, but still... - The door which covers the beans sticks to the lid which is underneath, and comes off often when you open the lid to replace beans or, to stir them (see above) - When I first opened the main door to check out the brew unit, it fell off
Less than 1 month
It looks great. Decent espresso shot.
Coffee Lover
Stevo-o-Reno's, Uncommon Grounds, other local coffee shops beans
See the above review.
none
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
Less than 1 month
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
I am impressed. After 30 cups or so of adjustment and another 200 cups of pure enjoyment I am ready to declare that this machine is as close to consistent perfection you can get. The steam power is excellent and even the hot water is good enough for tea (with milk) and just perfect for mint teas. I have programmed my Titanium to prepare a single shot of espresso with 9 grams of coffee and with the grinding setting on 3.5. It's just wright. The medium button prepares a small cup of lovely cafe crema and the large coffee but prepares a large cafe crema. The medium and large cup settings beat a cafetiere or instant coffee in flavour, creme and aroma. It's so easy to keep clean and looks fantastic in my new kitchen.
Less than 1 month
As mentioned above I have previously owned a Gaggia Evolution. Although it made fantastic coffee occassionaly it was so hard to keep the machine clean. It leaked non stop (they do warn you in the manual) and in order to get a good cup of espresso you had to know the machine intimately.
Keep the machine cleaned.
Coffee Lover
Illy, Lavazza, Harrods blend or whatever interesting beans I may get my hands on. Of course they must be 100% arabica beans.
Incorporating the milk in the machine for a fully automatic cappuccino. Although I prefer to steam milk manually, it would have been an impressive feature.
Gaggia Evolution
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
1 - 6 months
Ability Level:
Connoisseur
After almost 6000 cups in the old Gaggia Syncrony we went for the Titanium SS. First, it is sharp looking in our SS kitchen. More importantly it makes the best coffee this side of Milan! Only annoyance is the tilt on the bean holder. You have to make sure that beans are ready to be ground. Small con...with so mnay pro's. Love this machine. Makes Starbucks taste like Nescafe.
1 - 6 months
Perfect expresso. Ground and consistently brewed exactly how I want it time after time.
If you drink several shots of expresso a day - This is your best friend.
Connoisseur
Lavazza Crema e Aroma beans
Would prefrer not to have to monitor the beans before they are ground. The instruction book was as good as the Gaggia Syncrony manual (excuse my sense of humor)
Gaggia Syncrony
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
Less than 1 month
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
I have owned my own commercial espresso machines and have had espressos around the world. I have to say that the Gaggia Titanium is quite a treat. The froth is pretty darn good and I am surprised actually. The shots are better than most any coffee house. I think the secret is the bean. The first on I got leaked like crazy and Wholelattelove replaced it with no problems. the new one works nicely, but it looks like each machine has its own personality and needs to be 'used' a few times to get your right brew!! Be patient.
Less than 1 month
Double boiler make froth to shot flawless---very good. Froth is excellent. Easy to use. Turn on, fast heat up, froth milk and double shot---you are the envy of the neighborhood.
Be patient. Even after you make adjustments, they take a couple of times of use to take place. Do not be afraid to call customer support.
Coffee Lover
various
It is a machine so it will have quirks. It makes you lazy a little. Some thing may get annoying like, the beans have to be swirled once in a while to slide through the grinder. And of course you have to fill the water tank, put in NEW beans, dump the pods---poor me! :P oh ya---a nice online instruction manual would be better than the little multilanguage useless one in the box!
small machines at home and larger commercial machines
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
More than 1 year
Ability Level:
Connoisseur
I bought this machine in early 2005 and have now made hundreds of cups of espresso. It still works perfectly and gives me a consistantly great cup of coffee. The steamer is so easy to use, it makes you look like a professional. If I could give a higher rating than 6 for the steaming quality I would give it a 10.
More than 1 year
Ease of use, variety of settings.
I've found Lavazza to be the best coffee for this machine.
Connoisseur
All kinds, but favorite is Lavazza
Nothing really. I'm still very happy with my purchase.
Krupps, Braun
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
Less than 1 month
Ability Level:
Beginner
This machine is the best automatic espresso maker by far. It makes wonderful crema cup after cup. I have owned this machine for over one year and have been incredibly happy with it. I use it every date to make cafe americanos. Any dinner party we have always ends with me cranking out regular and decaf cappuccinos. It is a huge hit. I enjoyed the cappucinator attachment but lost the little plastic piece which regulates the steam. I am now pretty good with the steam wand. I have recommended this machine for all of my friends and family. No more Starbucks for me.
Less than 1 month
Excellent all around machine which is very fast
The support at WLL is wonderful. They have been great in answering questions for novices. Definitely try a bunch of dinner coffee beans from the wide selection at WLL.
Beginner
Whole Latte Love Malabar Gold, Lavazza Crema de Aroma, Illy
One of the buttons to make coffee no longer clicks when I press it. The manual could be better.
Krups and Braun Drip Machines; Krups Basic Espresso Maker
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
6 - 12 months
Ability Level:
Connoisseur
This machine has performed very well over the last 8 months. I had owned a private label Gaggia machine for 12 years prior to buying this model. So far I have made over 900 shots, shot count is a nice feature to track your ROI, and the coffee this morning was better then the first. The machine looks great in my kitchen. Most guest comment how nice and small the machine is. Don't let the size fool you. I roasted and supplied coffee machines to local resturants for four years. During this time I have worked on a few especresso machines, granted commercial level, but this machine can hold its own for any house hold coffee needs. For your daily morning jump start to a dinner party of 10, this machine can delivery the goods. From the cup warmer to the adjustable water temp this machine has it all. The steaming wand works well but the milk frothing attachment is a hassel--who has time in the morning to play with all the attachments. Cleanup and daily use is very easy. The digital screen is easy to read, nice blue light at night. Like the lazy suzin base, makes adding water easy. Once you learn the logic the menu options flows well. Love the fact that the system tells you when you are out of water, dregger drawer is full, or you are out of coffee. The directions are easy to follow, once you figure out the flow. I am very happy with this machine and would buy another, hopefully in 8 years or so. Thanks.
6 - 12 months
The look of the machine and the fact that Gaggia makes good quality products. The internal specifications compared to other machines was impressive.
Setting the grind and water level took a few attempts. Depending on the type of coffee, water quality, and temp of the brew I have had to set the grind to super fine and the amount of coffee grinds per shot to the highest setting.
Connoisseur
Roast my own
The plastic face plate has stress cracks above all the buttons which is due to poor injection modeling. This is a bummer for a machine that is a ficture in anyone's kitchen. It would be nice to see Gaggia improve their injection process. I have had one of the menu buttons loose its click, the button still works but it no longer makes a click sound when pressed. Other then that all is good.
Gaggia, private label, Bunn professional series
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
Less than 1 month
Ability Level:
Connoisseur
Excellent machine, poor manual.
Less than 1 month
coffee quality
Connoisseur
Illy
Manual. For example when described ground coffee, 2 coffees: go again through the entire process. Starting from? Not clear. Manual not well organized.
Gaggia Classic
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
6 - 12 months
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
Excellent machine with rapid double boilers. Straight forward operation with multiple options for brewing amounts and strengths of espresso/coffee.
6 - 12 months
Sleek and foolproof with good-sized coffee, water and grounds reservoirs. Manual is fairly readable and helpful. Cleaning and descaling easy with good prompts given by machine.
Coffee Lover
Starbucks Espresso, Lavazza Espresso, Illy Espresso
Only smaller bean coffee should be used as have to "assist" beans to naturally fall down into grinder from coffee compartment. Illy seems to fit the best and Starbucks the most assistance. Would make grinder entrance larger.
Saeco Italia (Starbucks)
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
1 - 6 months
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
I've been using the Titanium for about three months now, and have been extremely happy with the performance. Not only does it look great in the kitchen, but it produces a terrific espresso, on par with drinks from a retail espresso bar. Operation is simple, and the quality from one draw to another is very consistent. I strongly recommend this machine whether you are a beginner at home made espresso, or a seasoned professional.
1 - 6 months
Quality of coffee, ease of use, appearance. Well worth the price, and a great value compared to machines costing a lot more.
Coffee Lover
Lavazza, Caribou
Beans sometimes need help in feeding into the grinder. Could be a result of a higher oil content in the beans I have used.
Jura Capresso
Rated 4 out of 5
Has owned for:
Less than 1 month
Ability Level:
Connoisseur
Several others have commented on the sketchy instructions and problems getting started. In my manual, there was an addendum. Neither the original nor the addendum really covered the requirement (in my case) of manual priming. Unfortunately, my machine would not go through the priming or rinse cycle on its own, so I had to manually pump water through the system. Based on advice from customer service, I tried a turkey baster -- no luck and very frustrating (water everywhere). But once I received the proper priming pump, I was able to complete the priming and the machine works great.
Less than 1 month
I like the whirring and clicking of the machine as it goes through its cycle -- almost like a little barrista inside scurrying around making the coffee.
Connoisseur
variety
Include the proper priming pump with every unit. This little item probably costs about 1$ -- why not include it with every machine?
Baby Gaggia
Rated 4 out of 5
Has owned for:
1 - 6 months
Ability Level:
Connoisseur
Very easy machine to use, great for when you stumble out of bed. As with full auto. the quality is not as good as with the semi Classica. Overall it makes a good cup. Crema could be thicker and have yet to be able to make shot as strong as on the semi. Granted I was told that the auto did not make as good coffee as the classica. I have the grinder on 2 and the amount of coffee to the max. For some reason I can't get the auto. frother to work as well as the wand. I just get a very thin foam while with the attachement, while I can really get volume witht he frother. It could be me, maybe I am doing something wrong. Great coffee for the morning or to sip while working. But a for a real espresso after a meal it dissapoints. Shot lacks body and complexity.
1 - 6 months
Ease of use and speed. My wife loves the fact that with a press of a button she is up and going. Its a good compromise as the coffee which it produces which my wife truly enjoys.
take your time, playing witht the grind settings as it takes a few shots for the setting to represent the brew..
Connoisseur
Lavazza Gold, California Coffee Roasters Nicaragua SGH and other (coffee could not be fresher as its only roasted when you order), Illey
Hopper needs to always get a stir between shots in order for beans to drop in. Otherwise you get the notice that the hopper is empty. the beans wich I use are very oily. If it could only produce close to the quality of the Classica, it would be the perfect machine. maybe its the user, I don't know. Price to performance value, and espresso quality would increase if shot would be of higher quality. Any suggestions would be welcome
Caggia Classica
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
Less than 1 month
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
This is my first Super Automatic and I love it for its convenience. I think many folks can make a great shot with a manual machine, but this makes it much more convenient and consistent. Once dialed-in anyone can use this machine and end up with a great coffee, latte, etc.
Less than 1 month
Convenience and overall quality. It looks great too. Programming functions are very nice and the machine heats up very quickly. The active heating element for the cup warmer is great. The machine's swivel base makes filling the water tank very convenient.
The inner lid to the coffee bean container fit so tightly that it would stick to the inside of the outer cover, preventing the outer cover from opening. A fine polishing stone was used to reduce the front lip of the inner cover and that solved the problem (a fine nail file would work). Clean the tiny air hole in the Pannarello wand's frothing sleeve frequently to prevent it from plugging with milk solids. If you're not getting proper milk frothing, more than likely the little hole is plugged. Be careful if you remove the nut from the Pannarello wand; don't do it over the sink. There is a small hard plastic gasket just under the nut and it would be easy to loose it down the drain!
Coffee Lover
Lavazza, Illy, various Starbucks
Instructions are not the best, but WholeLatteLove's great live support more than makes up for it. Don't hesitate to call them; you'll get friendly and professional advice. There are a number of small plastic parts that I wish were metal i.e. front cover (door) latch and side door for the steam pipe. The steam knob may be a bit difficult to operate for folks with grip problems such as arthritis.
Starbucks Barista, Francis X5, French Press
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
1 - 6 months
Ability Level:
Beginner
I purchased this machine because I was tired of going to those chain coffee shops and plopping down 4 bucks on a latte or mocha that was never made how I wanted it, extra hot, not too sweet. After researching all the great espresso machines on this site, I chose this one because of the cost and all the great reviews along with the videos. My husband was surprised on how much I actually spent on my daily caffeine fix at the coffee shops so he said go for it, as long as I used it and not just let it sit there. Well I used it 2 to 3 times a day since I work from home. I love it.
1 - 6 months
I like how I can program the temperature of the espresso, the amount I would like in a shot, or in a regular cup of coffee. Since I don't drink straight espresso, an espresso 'expert' came over to taste it for me and to help me set up the grind and the amount I would like in a shot. He was extremely impressed with the amount of crema there was and was very happy with taste. Since temperature is a big thing for me and I really like my lattes hot (180 degrees) I really love the how fast and easy it is to use the steamer with the stainless steel turbo frother attachment. Don't bother with the automatic frothing attachment, there is really no need for it. You can go from brewing to steaming without any waiting time.
Before trying your machine take at least 30 minutes reading your instructions before you start. Don't be intimidated by them, it just takes some time. What the videos, very helpful. If you use the steamer, always keep a cup under the steamer to catch the tiny bit of hot water that comes out when you start the steaming process, once the water comes out, then place your milk pitcher under there.
Beginner
Lavazza Blue
The directions but it looks like everyone had said the same thing. I really recommend watching the WLL videos on this machine a few times first.
Baby Gaggia
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
1 - 6 months
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
We didn't get off to a good start with the Titanium. The delivered machine had micro cracks on the perspex faceplate, loose parts in the water tank, a front door that was incrdibly hard to open, and to cap it all, when you ran it, it leaked coffee all over the countertop! We called WLL, who couldn't have handled it any better; they rush shipped a replacement machine to us and arranged the collection of the faulty one. The replacement machine still had micro cracks and a chip on the front perspex, but other than that, it didn't display any of the other bad traits of the original machine. Wrt the micro cracks I don't know if that was the shipping to WLL or the shippping from them. One thing I did find strange is that the product arrived triple boxed, with the middle box marked as "Fragile, this way up", but nothing on the outer box! In fact the second machine was shipped on its side - definitely not "this way up!" On to the machine itself... We actually had another superautomatic at home (a DeLonghi Magnifica) with which we could compare the Gaggia: Placement: We loved the fact that unlike the DeLonghi, the Gaggia would go under our cabinets and we could rotate it to enable access to the coffee bean hopper (Tip: remove the outer coffee bean lid and buy a "jelly-belly" scoop to squeeze the beans through the gap under your cabinets). Operation: Really couldn't be easier. Liked the fact that text messages gave clear diagnostics (again some other machines, including the Delonghi, just use lights with meaningless symbols!) . Also liked that fact that much of the operation was configurable, such as coffee amounts, dispense amounts, temperature. Also nice was the minimal delay switching from coffee to steam. I was very surprised at how good the capuccinatore was - much better than I could achieve without it. However that could just be because the panarello wand is a bit aggressive at foaming the milk, rather than just steaming it. I don't know if you can get a standard steam wand attachment to enable greater control over what you do with the milk, because the capuccinatore is a bit overkill for single cups of latte/capuccino? My major gripe with the operation would be that infernal bean hopper. Even the provided Lavazza beans often need stirring around to make them feed properly into the grinder. My current favorite beans (from Caffe Trieste in San Francisco) are more oily than Lavazza and were even more problemmatical. FWIW the DeLonghi had no problems in this area. How Gaggia can get this so wrong, I don't know. There's nothing more annoying than filling the hopper to the brim, and then be told that the beans are empty when you try and make a cup of coffee! The good news is that you can hear when it's having trouble feeding, so you can often stir the beans before it gives up. I'm trying to work up the courage to make the modification with a Dremel, that someone else here mentioned! Quality of produced product: It's all about the coffee! I was quite disappointed with the strength of the coffee produced - I'm European and like it strong. I know this is all configurable and I have played around with the amount of coffee to grind, coarseness and water quantity. But comparing directly against the DeLonghi, for the same 7oz size shot, the Gaggia produced weaker crema coffee for the same amount of product dispensed. This is only a problem from the economics point of view, since you just go through beans faster trying to satisfy your taste buds! The quality is still good and with the programmable dispense buttons, this is all made very simple. Cleanup: All very easy, though it seems to create a lot of liquid in the drip tray. I'm not sure if that's all from the rinse cycle, or given my experience with the leaky machine, whether it's being produced internally. I know that when it comes time to clean the drip tray there's often a little residue powder inside the machine that needs cleaning. The DeLonghi had a short rinse cycle on close down which seemed like a good idea, but the Gaggia doesn't. In fact there's no manual rinse cycle as such; instead you have to fake out the Gaggia by selecting a pre-grind product, but not putting in any powder. There's also no sensor to work out when the dreg drawer is really full (as opposed to when it think's it's full from counting cups of coffee). So it's quite possible for you to empty the drawer, make a cup of coffee, and have it tell you to empty the drawer again! I guess this is the conservative approach, but it's a little annoying at times. Overall a very nice machine!
1 - 6 months
Appearance, ease of use, clarity of messages, speed of operation & ability to use under cabinets.
Remove the outer coffee bean lid and buy a scoop to squeeze the beans through the gap under your cabinets and into the hopper.
Coffee Lover
Caffe Trieste
Coffee bean feeder and quality of construction. Do an automatic clean cycle on shutdown. Utililize a sensor to indicate when the dreg drawer is full. Move the little-used "descale function" button into the menus, and retask or lose that button.
DeLonghi Magnifica
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
Less than 1 month
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
I just got the machine this morning. My wife was very excited to start her morning with a fresh coffee from the new gadget. A few (around 20) shots and I had the grind and dose about right for both of us; a compromise between strong and paint thinner. Anyway, everthing worked as advertised and I am quite happy with my new gizmo. The auto-frothing attachment is great. I feel like I am cheating, but it makes great froth, what can I say.
Less than 1 month
Apperance and ease of use. It looks great and works like a charm.
When you first start your machine you will need to prime the thing. It is directed in the manual, but not real clearly. On start-up, just simply run some water through the steaming attachment and then you will get the proper message on the display.
Coffee Lover
Several already this morning !
The steaming arm leaks on start-up. I am thinking this might improve once the seals get more use and become better seated. I will update ya'll on this one in a couple of months.
Krups semi-automatic and manual
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
1 - 6 months
Ability Level:
Connoisseur
I've had this machine for about three months and I am quite pleased with it. After working with it a little to get the grind right, it makes great espresso. It's very versatile, allowing you to customize the water output for three different buttons. Another reviewer mentioned that for the "large" or "long" button it puts out too much water, but you can change each of the buttons to put out as little or as much water as you want. You can set it up to turn on at a certain time and then go into energy saving mode at another time. It's wonderful to be able to get up, have the cups already warm, make your coffee and not even bother turning it off. The double-boiler allows for quick, powerful steaming. It also allows you to customize the temperature, and it can produce espresso that is as hot as you'll want. With the ease of operation and the quality of the espresso, I'll never go back to a semi-automatic for home use.
1 - 6 months
The ability to customize so many aspects.
Connoisseur
Lavazza
Isomac Tea, Saeco Vienna deLuxe
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
Less than 1 month
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
Received my machine promptly and for the first time in my life decided to read the manual first. I'm glad I did. The manual could be better had to go from english to spanish but finally after about three readings, I was ready to set up the machine. Set up was easy just follow the instructions and menu. It takes the machine a few cups to I guess "break in." Now, we drink some pretty stout espresso and it actually took me about sixteen cups of coffee to get the settings for the style of coffee that we like. The grinder works like a charm, the control panel could not be easier and the coffee was great. Great aroma with beautiful crema and exceptional taste.
Less than 1 month
Looks, ease of use, appears to be quality construction.
Read the manual carefully.
Coffee Lover
Colombian Supremo Dark Roast
The manual
This is my first automatic for 33 years we have been using a stovetop expresso maker.
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
6 - 12 months
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
This is a copy of what I wrote in the forums. I've had my Titanium for about six months now and I love it! My wife and I mostly use it to make cafe americano by simply pushing the medium button twice. The large coffee button makes coffee that is way too dilute. I have it set at max dose and 6 grind. Any finer and the coffeee gets a little bitter. If I was just making espresso I would probably use a 4 grind and lower the water content for a single shot. It's very easy to custimize this machine. I too have had problems with beans getting stuck in the hopper, even with Lavazza, and got tired of stiring them up to get things going again. I didn't happen alot, but enough to be annoying. So I took out the hopper (just two screws) and cut out the feed silo and wings with my dremmel. I presume it's just there to keep your fingers out of the grinder. Now the beans never get stuck even with some oilyer brands I've tried. I'm sure WLL won't recomend this because of safty issues, but it sure works great!
6 - 12 months
Good looks, ease of use, auto on/off, excellent coffee after some tweaking.
Cut out the bean hopper safty gizmo.
Coffee Lover
Lavazza and various brands from Whole Foods
Larger grind basket and water tank. Better bean feed (although I solved that problem). Larger dose options. Less plastic!
None
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
1 - 6 months
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
I threw away my 5yr old manual Krups machine when I got fed up with it. It worked OK, but I gradually became irritated that you had to fine tune everything to get the best out of it, which would mean translate into lots of time before drinking. (edited out links) So far this machine works full stop. Even with way-off settings the machine would produce pretty good espresso and crema. After few goes to fine tune settings to grind fine and dose medium, the crema and kick from the espresso rocked. As good as the local pro Cafe Nero, and much a long way better than the watery stuff that Starbucks sells. Capuccinnos are still a bit of a faff - I think the next stage will be for machines to have a small fridge to hold milk and integrate the froth dispenser. That said the automatic frother works well. It just looks ugly, drips and requires cleaning. Menus and settings are straightforward to change and work.
1 - 6 months
-Quick to use -Switches itself on in the morning -Looks cool -Steam a few seconds after water and water a few seconds after steam
- Use freshly roasted beans - The grinder takes a few coffees to seem to settings (yes it says this in the instructions but I didn't believe it) - Spend 1/2h with the instructions and fiddling with the settings to get the best out of it, then leave it alone.
Coffee Lover
Fresh Illy, old Illy
- Despite weighing about 10kg and taking up half the worktop it's no Kitchenaid style solid object that you could hand on to your grandkids. It has a lot of plastic parts that will eventually crack. However I hope to get 5-10 years out of it. - Unfortunately it looks so good your relatives will think you are rich - Instruction book are crummy. Small pictures in the front of the book need to be referenced from the multi-lingual text. That said it's not exactly rocket science to make it all work. - Surprisingly easy to tip ground coffee onto the cup warmer rather than into the chute. Also possible to confuse the machine if you add ground coffee to the bypass chute, then make it dispense an ordinary coffee. Nothing breaks, you just get a super strong dose.
Krups, many non-machine means of making coffee
Rated 4 out of 5
Has owned for:
Less than 1 month
Ability Level:
Beginner
OK, so I admit it. The closest I've ever come to making my own espresso, latte, etc. was using a stove top Bialetti. That's it. For the most part I have spent a fortune in local coffee shops or Starbuck's / Barnes & Noble. I live in a relatively small town, so that's it. No fancy Internet Cafes, corner Latte Shops, etc. Just mega-bucks ate the franchises. So, I knew that I wasn't going to have the patience to acquire the skill necessary to do all the hocus-pocus required to acheive a consistently great espresso. Enter the Super-Automatic. The Gaggia Titanium. Of course I have absolutely no experience to compare the operation, ease or quality of the Gaggia Titanium to anything else. But, after a week of use, I find I can produce avery good espresso (Illy Medium Roast) and repeat it again and again. I am getting better at making a Latte that isn't a Cappuccino and vice-versa. From opening the boc of the Gaggia, to running the first espresso through was an easy 30 minutes. It only took that long because I actually read the manual. The operation couldn't be easier. Push a single button for your product choice. Cleanup is super easy since virtually everything is done for you. I would like the steam wand to be a tad higher on the left of the machine, but I can get a 20 oz. pitcher under it. So, more to follow, but this village idiot can produce a good quality product time after time. I'll try Lavazza Oro next and update this review when I have a few months of experience.
Less than 1 month
Super easy for the super lazy.
Beginner
various
Steam wand could be higher
Stovetop Bialetti Espresso Maker
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
1 - 6 months
Ability Level:
Connoisseur
First of all, it's a real looker. This machine is different from virtually all others on this site (at any price) because it is all brushed stainles steel and not plastic. It really is a gorgeous creature. Rock solid. I find it hard to believe that anyone would pay over $1000 for an all-plastic machine (which almost all the others are). When it comes to the guts of the machine, the features are unbeatable. Most importantly it's got two stainless steel lined boilers (again, hard to find). So many programming options (5 temperature settings, 3 programmable coffee volume buttons, and multiple grind/dose settings) that I can't imagine that anyone can't make espresso/ristretto/cafe crema/whatever exactly as they like it. The water resevoir and bean hoppers have ample capacity (smaller than some, but not so small that you're forever refilling like on the Synchrony Compact Digital). There is an active cup warmer that actually WORKS (unlike lame passive warmers), and you can turn it off if you don't want to use it. The frother is amazing! As an experienced user, I'm usually skeptical of all the frothing gizmos geared toward beginners because they typically produce inferior foam to a commercial tip with proper technique. Once I got over my assumptions (snobbery?), I found that this attachment makes some of the most incredible, velvety foam I've ever had. Go figure!... I love the energy saver mode, which shuts down the boiler after a specific length of time if you don't use the machine. You program how long it should wait to shut down. I'm forever leaving my machine on, which I know is bad for the hoses/gaskets/etc, so it's nice to know that it will turn itself off if I forget. One touch of the control panel, and it will switch out of energy saver mode and warm up again (running the full start-up rinse cycle if it's been 'sleeping' long enough to actually get stone cold... smart machine!) I'm also pleased with the product I've been getting. Nice, hot shots with good crema. It took some tweaking from the factory settings to be sure, but now that I've got it I get a consistent shot time after time after time. It's fair to say that a good barista on a top-quality/pro-sumer semi-auto can probably come closer to the 'ultimate shot' than a superauto ever can... but frankly, who's that good EVERY SINGLE TIME? But ah-- not having to deal with grinding, tamping and cleaning up...
1 - 6 months
Beautiful machine that makes me feel like a million bucks every time I see it gleaming on my countertop (good thing, because it almost cost that much!). Small footprint, unlike some that are the size of a small car. Unlimited programming options. No mess, no fuss. Unbelievable foam. And great coffee to boot.
Make sure to use the least oily beans you can find to minimize the grinder feed issue.
Connoisseur
Illy, Intelligentsia Black Cat blend, Java Joe's Espresso Deluxe (too oily for this machine), Terroir Northern Italian Espresso Roast
I have only a few gripes, one significant and one downright silly. Beans do not feed well from the hopper into the grinder. I'm consistently having to stick my hand in the hopper to get the beans to go down. I'm using the same beans I've used in other superautos without incident, so there's something about the shape/design of the feed tube. It's not really that big a deal, but it's a bit irritating. I have no idea how this is happening, but grounds are somehow managing to work their way behind the plexiglass cover on the control/panel display. Presumably from the bypass doser compartment which is adjacent. So there are now all these little brown specs in my beautiful display! It's not so bad that I can't see/use the controls, but it bugs me. The user manual may as well be hieroglyphics. Goofy diagrams and very unclear instructions. Good thing this machine does everything for you and doesn't require much figuring out.
Saeco Italia Superauto, Gaggia Compact Digital
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
Less than 1 month
Ability Level:
Beginner
I spent months researching most of the brands offered and finally decided upon the Gaggia Titanium. It had nearly all of the features I wanted and seemed to be a well-built, quality machine. I have not been disappointed. This machine is not only well-built, but it is beautiful on my countertop. The Titanium has made a wonderful cup of espresso, fine crema and is also very easy and enjoyable to use. I cannot say anything negative about this machine. I look forward to having it in my home and enjoying my cappaccinos whenever I like. No more Starbucks for me!!!
Less than 1 month
I liked the fact that the machine is well-built and that I can steam immediately after pulling a shot. No waiting. I also like the fact that the boiler is stainless steel, and that cleanup is a breeze. Maintenance is no bother either. Easy to do.
Beginner
Lavazza super crema
Only thing that could be improved might be larger water capacity and of course the instruction book being more informative and readable. I am a novice,however, and still managed to set up and use my machine in a very short period of time. A video included with the purchase would be a nice touch also.
Krups
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
1 - 6 months
Ability Level:
Coffee Lover
This is my second automatic machine and I must say I am very impressed. Not only does it brew a great cup but also it looks awesome in my new kitchen. We had a new kitchen installed and my husband gave me my choice of machines and the stainless steel and Blue LCD display look better in person than in the pictures.
1 - 6 months
Other than what I mentioned in my review I love the auto frother, its great for entertaining. Very fast and does a great job.
Siobhan at WLL told me to use the "Pre-grinding" feature when I had friends over and it is great, it speeds up the brewing.
Coffee Lover
Lavazza Super Crema and Lavazza DEk preground Decaf
I can't think of anything
Capresso C1000
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
Less than 1 month
Ability Level:
Beginner
Beautiful machine, easy to take apart and clean, makes great espresso or regular coffee with the push of a button. Provides hot water for instant cocoa or steam to heat other drinks. Just wish the directions were a bit clearer.
Less than 1 month
Ease of use, attractive appearance on counter. Easy to clean and maintain.
Make sure steam knob is in the "off" position before turning the first time.
Beginner
Camano Island Coffee Espresso Roast
Directions. Still haven't figured out how to set clock and a couple other features, but have figured out other great features
Krups
Rated 5 out of 5
Has owned for:
Less than 1 month
Ability Level:
Beginner
Though I found this particular espresso machine for a lot less money at other web sites, I'm counting on this highly rated one to assist me if I ever have problems with my new purchase. As for the Titanium, I love it. Once I figured out the directions, it is easy to use, beautiful to have on my kitchen counter and makes great espresso. Easy to dispense coffee, steam or hot water at the touch of a button.
Less than 1 month
Ease of use. You have espresso in an instant. Hot water or steam dispensed just as fast.
Make sure the hot water/steam knob is turned off before you press the coffee button to make espresso the first time.
Beginner
Came with machine purchased at Wholelattelove.com
A more clearly written manual on this web site.
Capresso, Krups
Gaggia Titanium Parts Diagram rev 08 - 03-10-2009
Gaggia Titanium Wiring Diagram 120V - rev X - 02-19-2004
Gaggia Titanium Brew Group Diagram - rev 03 -11-23-2009
Gaggia Titanium Brew Group Diagram - rev 00 -10-20-2006
Gaggia Titanium No longer frothing
Gaggia Titanium Parts Diagram, Rev 03-2012
Another question: the panarello is no longer frothing. Milk boils and bubbles and doesn't expand. I cleaned the wand, including the little hole.
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Daniel Moraldo ♦ Your machine could be due for a descaling but I would recommend contacting our technical support team first to discuss further. 888-411-5282 option 3
I've been getting the "beans empty" alert quite often, so last night I did a complete cleaning, following your video instructions, including the recalibration. When I was done, I still got the error message. I kept adding beans and stirring them up, feeding them into the opening. I could see them going down into the grinder and could hear the grinder working. Still, no coffee. So, I took everything apart again, vacuumed out a huge amount of ground coffee and started over. Same story. I had to go through about a cup of beans before I ever got a single cup of coffee. I did recallibrate the knobs. Afterwards, I set the grind setting to 9 and the dosage to just past the mid point. I could see through the plastic that the gears were indeed moving. I had no problem making my coffee, this morning, but I just know that there's a huge amount of coffee grounds in there, now. What gives? What to do? I did notice that the problem seemed to start when a friend gave me a bag of French roasted beans. She also has a Gaggia, but a more advanced model, so maybe it's okay for hers, but not mine.
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techkathy Oily beans can clog up the grinder chute. They also get caught up in the hopper on the small black cap. The way the grinder is designed it needs to grind a certain amount of coffee in order to recognize that there are beans in the hopper. The coffee that is ground in the machine is passing through a small chute that leads to the front of the machine where the brew unit is located. If the machine is working fine now there is no need to panic.
LisaMB It isn't working fine. :-( still getting "beans empty". I also noticed that the dredges are not nice puck shapes, anymore. Doing another full cleaning and switching back to Lavazza to see if the machine returns to normal.
Sanfam ♦ If the pucks are inconsistently shaped and mushy, I'd suggest turning the grinder to a coarser setting--this could be a sign that the grinder is set too fine for the beans it is being fed. Bear in mind that a change typically takes two to three full grind-and-brew cycles to clear out any residual grounds.
Are all beans in the light to medium (and medium-dark) roast range non-oily? It seems that the extended roasting process is what brings the oils to the surface of the bean. I just want to be sure before I start experimenting with store-bought beans. Don't want to mess up the machine.
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techkathy In general light or medium roast beans do have a lower oil content.
I like to have both espressos and regular coffees using this machine. How many ounces is a "caffe lungo" pre-programmed size on this machine? I looked at the manual and couldn't find anywhere.
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techkathy The "caffe lungo" is set to about 6 ounces. But you can reprogram the water volume to whatever you wish.
Why does the screen say "dredgedrawer full" *after* I've emptied it out? I have to open everything up a second time, to reset the message.
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techkathy The message is based on a cup counter. The Titanium (and many other machines) count the number of coffees brewed in order to signal when the dreg drawer needs to be emptied. The cup counter is only reset while the machine is powered on. So you must remove the drawer when the unit is still on in order for the machine to clear the message.
Loving my new Titanium! I've been using the cappucinatore for the past few days. As of last night, it's sucking up the milk very slowly, and dispensing only warm milk, not froth. OTOH, the steam is billowing all around the cup. What am I doing wrong? I've been cleaning it between uses by running 1/2 cup of water through it, instead of milk.
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techkathy There is a small rubber grommet under the cap on the cappuccinatore that creates a seal (just like on the regular pannarello wand). Are you missing this piece? It is a black rubber ring.
LisaMB Figured it out! The pin was firmly in place. I read here somewhere about using the pin to regulate the flow. So, I started playing with it, and out poured beautifully frothed milk! Meanwhile, I improved upon my pannarello skills...
I just got a titanium. I raised the temp to high, the fourth of the five choices, from medium, the middle of the five. My wife thought that made the coffee taste more bitter. I guess if I raise the output temperature, which I like, that raises the coffee grind soaking/brewing temperature too. Is that true? Does that make the coffee more bitter? A workmate suggested I set the temp to Low and just put the cup in the microwave after, for the least bitter coffee. What's the relationship between the five temperature settings and the coffee taste/bitterness?
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A A Robert,
The taste of the coffee is going to rely on a lot of things. The beans, the grind, the temp, the extraction and so on. The best thing about the titanium is that it has so many features, you really can fine tune the drink to taste how you like it! One very under used step is pre heating the cup. When hot coffee hits a cold cup, it gets shocked and can produce a bitter coffee. Try preheating your cup (Either with the active cup warmer, with hot water, or in the microwave) then brewing your shot into that. Let us know how it goes!
I have the Titanium SS. I had programmed the middle coffee button to produce 1.5oz of espresso. Worked fine. Last week, I made a couple of espressos and they were only about 1oz. The coffee (Illy Medium Decaf) was the same. I cleaned the brew group and cleaned/recalibrated the grinder (according to your video instructions). I then reprogrammed the middle button to produce 1.5 oz. The very next cup after programming, however, was again only about 1 oz. What might be going wrong here?
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Sanfam ♦ Out of curiosity, were you reprogramming the middle button to 1.5oz while brewing with actual coffee? If you were programming it with a blank shot, then brewing regular coffee, you could see a difference between the amount brewed between attempts due to the different amounts of backpressure impoarted by the coffee. Just to reiterate the programming process, you would press and hold the brew button of your choice, letting it go only once it has dispensed exactly as much brewed coffee as you prefer. If this doesn't help, does this problem happen to any other button?
I just got my machine, I have made a few coffees (still dialing it in), thus far no problem, but after it grinds during the brewing and tamping it makes what I consider loud clicking sounds. This is my first Super auto, I used a semi-auto before, so maybe this is normal. But since I paid alot I wanted to catch any problems early. So is this normal?
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A A That clicking you here during the brewing cycle is completely normal for the Titanium. What it is is the trap door opening to drop the grounds into the brew group. I wondered what it was when I first used this machine as well! Nothing to worry about, though.
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Sanfam ♦ The "decalcify" message is a request for you to run the machine through a decalcification cycle. To complete this process, you would need to fill the water tank with the correct amount of descaling solution (specified by the manual that shipped with your machine, but typically 32oz to half a tank of liquid water) and start the cycle by pressing the Decalcify button on the front of the machine. It is indicated by two overlapping circles (one full, one empty). At the end of this cycle, the machine may prompt you with a "Ventilate" message--this simply means that you need to open the steam knob and let some water rinse through. Once it goes away, you're all set! Please bear in mind that this process may take some time to complete.

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Terry Rolon I have a Gaggia Titanium super auto with 5500 shots on the counter. It typically goes in for an overhaul or repair every 1500-1700 shots. The problems are always in the steam system. The valve or the tubing or the heat block or all of them. Three months is not often enough on the descale for my water.
I also have an Saeco Incanto Sirius which is the Gaggia done better and just today sent it in for it's first overhaul, due to blown piping in the steam system at 1550 shots on the counter.
03-02-2011 1:09pm |