Gaggia Velasca

Gaggia generally gets it right . . .

I am a happy, repeat American consumer of Gaggia espresso machines, logging over 8,000 pulls on my Gaggia Syncrony and then almost 16,000 pulls on my Gaggia Titanium. The surprisingly long life of those two machines is why I insisted on buying another Gaggia despite the prevalence of positive features and review of other better known machines in the US market. I chose the Velasca because Gaggia has earned my loyalty with exceptional durability in the past, but I am value-minded and don’t care anything about the wider range of pre-programmed beverage options in the more expensive machines. (I can easily make my own variations.) The Velasca has a slight advantage in power and capacities over the Anima series, and I didn’t care about the built-in milk storage features of the Prestige versions. (My partner drinks almond milk in her espresso and I drink milk, so we microwave our white stuff.) The Velasca is a top-notch espresso machine. It is simple and straightforward to operate, very quiet in operation, and pulls a consistently high-quality espresso. Although there are fewer settings for grind density and pull strength, who cares. I set them once (at the strongest and finest setting) and never change them. Here’s what I miss in the Velasco. - The pre-ground bypass opening is ridiculously small. It is lovely in appearance, but it is small and round, whereas the provided scoop is large and rectangular. There is no way to put a scoop of ground coffee in that small round hole without spilling 10%-15%, which doesn’t sound like much until you have to clean up the mess after a bunch of such pulls a day. Very messy and unpredictable, and for no apparent reason. It would have been easy to make the opening a suitable size. - There is no “pull counter” in the electronic menu. For a variety of planning and maintenance reasons, I want to know for certain how many expressos I have actually pulled using my machine. (How else would I have known how durable my earlier machines as a reason to want to buy another? Gaggia, pay attention.) - Side access to the brewing unit (opens on the right side) is a surprising challenge. The Velasca does not have a swivel base (as my earlier machines did have) so in order to access the inside unit for cleaning, I must place it on the counter where nothing crowds it on the right side. That cuts out half of my counter placement options. - Certainly, the hopper and water holders are smaller than I am used to. But I am surprised how little that matters to me. They are easy to re-fill. - The door to the water reservoir is dinky. It is very hard to pull open (I guess it needs to be tight to protect some kind of water seal ability) and the light plastic pull-edge feels like I am on the verge of breaking it. I’ll let you know later how durable the Velasca is, but I am very optimistic.

I just got a Velasca after my Brera failed to come out from standby mode. For me this machine is an upgrade from the Brera model, it is easier to use, water reservoir and coffee hoper are larger. I like the options available for water temperature, Coffee fineness and coffee concentration. Milk frothing is very good and works fine every single time, as long as your milk is cold. The menu and routine for descaling it also much easier to follow. I recommend this machine to anyone looking for a simple and reliable espresso machine.

One button to great espresso

Not only is the machine easy to use (press on button) and you have espresso or coffee. I had a cheaper brand which required me to grind the beans, pack it and clean it, plus the espresso was just ok. This machine does everything including making a great espresso. My wife figured out how to make a single cup of coffee and now she only uses this Machine. Cleaning and maintenance is quick and easy. I have zero complaints. I can’t believe all you get and the quality at this price