Gaggia Classic Pro E24 Espresso Machine

Weird gap between top of water tank and start of machine, but i just put some padding below it to raise it up to meet. Didnt realize getting specific with the wood meant i got a whole extra portafilter so that was a nice surprise. It takes a hot minute to heat to pull espresso at an even pressure, but not bad espresso pulled at uneven temperature. I would recommend this.

E24 replaces GC, great machine

For us, this machine replaces a 2011 Gaggia Classic. It's great. Shots come out more consistently, maybe because of the brass boiler. It's quieter (the pump is mounted differently). The pump seems not to labor as much as the one in the GC. The steam wand is great, lots of power, foams milk really well. (Hold the steamer jug in your palm, it's very easy to overheat/burn the milk. ) I've been tempted by the possible mods, and by the Gaggia Up, but my old GC did fine and this one is doing better. Same for fancier machines like heat exchanger/E61: I know I can make a good espresso with this machine and that's what I want. This time around I'm being much more careful about water (bought an Aqualizer pitcher and the BWT anti-calcium pad) since that was consistently a problem for the old GC. (I live in NYC, and our water is soft, but there was always significant buildup in the boiler. )

Surprisingly easy to live with

It's a fantastic machine. I was able to pull some really good shots within the first week of getting to know it, and I think we're going to be best (morning) friends for a long time. :-)