Gaggia Brera.LP Review

The Gaggia Brera has been the entry point to super-automatic espresso from Gaggia for over a decade. In that time, several new lines have been introduced, like the Anima and Velasca, and later Cadorna and Magenta machines. At the same time, machines like the Gaggia Accademia have been updated and reimagined with modern features in mind. The new Gaggia Brera.LP (LP standing for Long Play coffee, every day) takes the latter approach, embracing new features and design touches while retaining its core identity that blends premium construction and affordability.

I’m always excited by the launch of a new Gaggia machine, even if it is the reimagining of a familiar face, so let’s take a look at the new Brera.LP. I happy to say that there were more than a few surprises waiting for me with this one beyond what I had initially read on the spec sheet.

The Design

Visually, the Brera.LP maintains much of its original identity, albeit with several major updates. The first is the new color TFT display and capacitive touch buttons that replace the aging icon based interface, push buttons and selector knob. It’s actually the same controls and display as the Magenta series machines, with clearly labeled, page based navigation for drinks, and several core options for power, home, cleaning/settings, and starting and stopping a drink.

If you look a bit closer, you’ll notice several smaller changes, like the inclusion of the signature red band across the top of the dispensing spouts while the spouts themselves are backed in black with the Gaggia logo and machine name in stark contrast against it. The bypass doser has also been updated to feature a “G” design that honestly looks super cool. In my opinion, the Brera.LP looks closest to the Accademia, in particular the brushed stainless steel version. Size wise, the Brera remains very compact at only 10.1” wide, 12.4” tall and 17.8” deep, allowing it to fit pretty much anywhere.

In terms of layout, the machine is still front loading apart from the bean hopper. The water reservoir pulls out from the left while the dreg drawer is accessible from the right. Capacity wise the machine is unchanged with the reservoir still holding 40oz while the dreg drawer can accommodate 8 spent pucks. The 8.8oz bean hopper now features a magnet sensor to detect when the lid has been removed, so you’ll want to take care to keep the magnet sensor clear when refilling the hopper with beans.

Build Quality

Apart from the visual changes, the Brera.LP has also received several build-quality upgrades aimed at improving the hands-on user experience. In particular the brew group has been retooled to slide in and out of the machine much more smoothly. The drip tray has also been updated for similar easy removal, and the inner tracks of the tray now feature a downward slope that directs water forward. This results in a slight decrease in total capacity, but makes it much easier to remove the tray without spilling.

In terms of things that haven’t changed, the Brera.LP is still made-in-Italy in the Gaggio Montano factory and still features real brushed stainless steel paneling

New Features

The Drink Menu

Much like the original, the Brera.LP is a coffee specialist when it comes to programming, owing to the fact that milk is frothed manually. That said, the menu of coffee drinks is more than doubled and now includes:

Espresso, Espresso Lungo, Coffee, Americano, Hot Water, Steam, Over Ice Coffee

My favorite additions are the Americano and the Over Ice Coffee. Another major improvement is that each drink can now be programmed with your desired strength (5 levels), volume (varies per drink), and temperature (3 levels). You can also brew with pre-ground coffee, and brew a x2 Espresso, Lungo or Coffee where the machine will grind and brew the same drink twice in a row.

I would like to have seen a cleaner conversion from metric to imperial measurements in the drink menu as drink volumes measured in fl oz typically have pretty weird decimals, but it’s the coffee in the cup that counts more than anything.

Over-Ice Brewing

Gaggia’s Over Ice brewing is now standard on nearly all of their modern super-automatic machines and uses lower temperature and a slower extraction to change the overall profile of the coffee and reduce the amount of ice melted while brewing. You can program a much shorter cold espresso, or make a full sized cup of Over-Ice coffee. The Coffee Boost function can also be used to prepare two Over-Ice drinks back to back.

The Grinder

Something I wasn’t expecting when I first read through the Brera’s spec sheet but that pleasantly surprised me is that the grinder has been updated on the new machine, more specifically the grind adjustment. Coffee is still ground by a set of blind, 48mm flat ceramic burrs, what’s changed however is that the grind adjustment knob has been redesigned and is now significantly improved over the original. Not only is the knob larger and more comfortable to adjust than the original, but contrary to what the spec sheet might tell you, there are now 9 grind settings compared to the original 5 (5 numbered settings each with half increment marks between each whole number on the knob).

The experience of adjusting the grind is much easier, and you have more range to play with relative to dialing in. This only adds to the impressive value of the Brera.

Cleaning and Maintenance

Compared to the original Brera, the LP has seen a major upgrade in terms of maintenance and upkeep. Thanks to the new display and software, the Brera now has the same guided programs for brew group cleaning and descaling, and the Brera can now programmed with your water hardness and whether or not you have a water filter installed.

Brewing on the Brera.LP

To brew a drink, you first have to select it from the menu by pressing its corresponding button. Each screen has a maximum of three drinks, with the bottom right button dedicated to navigating between pages.

When you press a button for a drink, its programming menu opens up, allowing you to change any settings you want before brewing. You can adjust drink volume (water passed through the puck), strength (the amount of coffee ground into the puck or optionally pre-ground), and temperature (except on the Over-Ice Coffee). On all drinks except for the Americano, you can select to prepare the drink twice in a row (on Over-Ice Coffee this is done with the Coffee Boost function). On the Americano specifically, you can also adjust the amount of added water.

Like all Gaggia super-autos, the Brera features the Gaggia Adapting System, a learning algorithm that adjusts grinding time to produce the correct amount of ground coffee per your select dose. When changing grind settings or coffees, it can take several shots to settle in, but overall it works very well. The Brera’s flat ceramic burrs do justice to more complex specialty coffees, allowing for a high degree of in-cup clarity that I appreciated when brewing some of our Ethiopia single-origin.

Steaming

Steam has its own dedicated menu option that is selectable on the first screen of drinks. After selecting the steam option, it took a little over 28 seconds (28.53). To steam again immediately after (if you want to purge the wand first for example) took roughly another 10 seconds. It would be nice if the Brera.LP had a dedicated purge button like the Accademia which serves to clear condensation and heat the boiler all at once, but I was satisfied with

Two Ways to Froth

Interestingly enough, the color of the Brera.LP you choose will have more of an impact on your user experience than you might first expect. Depending on whether you go with black or silver, that machine you receive will have either the traditional Pannarello steam wand that’s been with the Brera from the start, or a new full length commercial wand similar to the Cadorna Barista Plus.

Pannarello Wand

The Pannarello Wand is a bit of a cheat code for milk frothing. It has a small air intake that injects air directly into your milk to add volume. The bubbles created this way aren’t as fine as what you can produce with a commercial wand, so you won’t achieve the same latte art quality texture without knowing how to properly use the wand.

For starters, you should always purge the wand first by running a steaming cycle and letting the condensation in the wand get pushed out. Then when frothing, you can control the amount of air you’re adding to the milk by leaving the intake exposed, or covering it with your milk. When covered, you’ll continue heating the milk but you won’t add anymore volume to it. Using the right sized pitcher and the right amount of milk make this much easier to accomplish.

When you’re done frothing, you’ll want to clean the surface of the wand immediately, and once it’s cooled, you’ll want to remove and disassemble the Pannarello in order to rinse any remaining milk off of the inner components.

Cappuccinatore

Because the black Brera.LP uses the traditional steam pipe found on many other Gaggia machines, it’s compatible with the Cappuccinatore which is an auto-frothing assembly found on numerous Gaggia machines. It’s similar to how JURA milk frothers work, using a pickup tube and steam pressure to siphon milk into the frothing assembly, inject air, and then dispense directly into your cup.

For the Brera.LP in black, you’ll simply connect the Cappuccinatore in place of the Pannarello wand and use a steaming cycle like you normally would. Just like the wand, you should purge any condensation before frothing. You’ll want to thoroughly clean the assembly after use, and if you’re using the Gaggia Glass Milk Carafe, you can connect the tube from the Cappuccinatore to the small plug on the carafe lid and return any leftover milk to the refrigerator.

Commercial Wand

It’s no secret that Gaggia leans into tradition when it comes to machine design, and the commercial steam wand is a great example of that. If you’re looking for the most control over milk texture, there’s nothing better. Not only that, but the actual quality of milk foam you can produce with a commercial wand is also significantly better as well.

That said, there are a few idiosyncrasies to steaming on a super-auto, but if you follow them, your in-cup results will definitely see an improvement:

Frothing Tips

Purge the Wand First: This is standard practice for all steam wands, but before you steam, purge the wand first. This can be done by initiating a steaming cycle and simply allows the condensation in the wand to purge into the drip tray or another container and then stop the steaming cycle. This also pre-heats the thermoblock so it won’t take as long to heat up again.

Angle Your Pitcher: Angling your pitcher while steaming, and using a smaller pitcher that’s appropriately sized for the amount of milk you’re using will help to establish a roll in the milk to incorporate air.

Wipe the Wand Immediately: The wands are not “no-burn” meaning that the surface of the metal gets very hot. You’ll want to wipe it down immediately for the easiest cleaning possible.

Final Thoughts

I’m very pleased to see the Brera getting some much deserved attention from Gaggia. It’s a machine that’s welcomed so many people into brewing espresso at home, and this latest update has delivered meaningful improvements that will help keep the machine relevant for years to come. If you’re looking to brew simple, on-demand espresso and coffee at home and you don’t mind frothing your own milk, this is the perfect super-auto to start that journey with.

Photography by Quinton Marchand

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