Gaggia Classic Pro Vs Breville Bambino Plus (and Bambino)
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- čas přidán 28. 06. 2024
- Breville Bambino Plus: amzn.to/3uvuim5
Gaggia Classic Pro Evo: amzn.to/3Goadkg
Breville Bambino: amzn.to/3N1T7N6
Espresso accessories (both options): amzn.to/3qfDdGc
Read more on Craft Coffee Spot: craftcoffeespot.com/espresso/...
Choosing between the Gaggia Classic Pro and Breville Bambino Plus is a really close call. They are similar in price and come pretty close in terms of pure quality. The Gaggia Classic Pro can definitely beat out the Breville Bambino, both in brewing espresso and in frothing milk.
But, Gaggia falls short in terms of ease of use. The Bambino Plus is far easier to use to brew espresso or make a latte. The interface, design, and accessories are all superior imo. You can have far more consistency when using it.
That said, the Gaggia can be mastered by anyone. The whole debate over temperature surfing on the Gaggia Classic is overblown. I think if you have found this video (and are even readint this description), you’ll figure out the process and find the Gaggia Classic Pro produces better espresso. More extraction and more brightness to the shots - you can taste more of the acidity and range of flavor notes.
The “Evo” change to nine bars is important in comparing the Gaggia Classic Pro vs Breville Bambino. I have the older GCP that was at 12 bars and it was very difficult until I installed the nine-bar spring. Nine bars makes the GCP more forgiving to use, which is needed to make this workable for anyone.
Also, check out the Bambino regular. I think it’s a more budget-friendly option that I still like more than the Bambino Plus. Full video comparison here: • My 1-year Review Of Br...
Chapters
0:00 Introduction
0:32 Design and Interface
1:30 Accessories
2:05 Espresso brewing differences
2:38 Gaggia Classic - espresso “temperature surfing”
3:45 Espresso quality differences
4:47 Bambino Plus espresso comparison
6:08 Milk frothing
8:27 The Bambino pitch
8:46 Value
9:28 Recommendation
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Update: the Gaggia Classic Evo falls further due to "boilergate". The interior coating of the GCP Evo boiler *seems* to chip and get into your drink. Gaggia says they'll deal with each case and it's not a health issue, but it's certainly unpleasant! It makes me lean even more strongly to the Bambino. btw, I used an older modded GCP in the video.
More detail on boilergate: tomscoffeecorner.com/boilergate-gcp-evo/
Reddit boilergate: www.reddit.com/r/espresso/comments/197xmm9/gcp_boilergate_the_hive_had_its_chance_and_blew_it/
How about a Lelit Anna with PID at 9 bar? I think it will perform better out of the box compared to the Gaggia and Bambino.
@@weesmild likely but much more expensive, right?
@@craftcoffeespotgood question. I guess it depends on the country you live. In The Netherlands I can buy the Gaggia between €450 and €500. The Lelit Anna with PID sells for €499 and without PID €429.
For me it's an easy pick if you just want fantastic espresso and latte drinks out of the box. Steaming on the Lelit is definitely out of the box much better. If one would be planning to invest more in modding from the beginning perhaps the Gaggia is a better deal 😊 However, if one would plan modding from the beginning I personally would pick a higher grade machine for the money.
Kudos for this review! The best yet
Fwiw the base bambino is a solid option for both espresso and milk frothing (and for its price the steam wand is probably its best feature). As my first espresso machine, I've been able to pull velvety and smooth frothed milk and get clear latte art. On espresso itself, unless the portafilter and basket are preheated, the temperature is quite low, it comes out at 57°C/135°F which for milk based drinks (with milk at 60°C) makes the drink feel lukewarm. Otherwise, really decent machine for the price point. The PID in the bambino plus is definitely an upgrade (although with some more manual effort you can get great results in the base bambino).
Agree, the base Bambino is excellent. Also agree, you must pre heat it. However, the Bambino does have a PID. The temperature stability it the same as the Bambino Plus, and the Bambino runs a little hotter and better than Plus, imo.
Hey .. awesome video as always.. I have a gaggia carezza and looking yo get a bottomless portafilter for the machine .. could you pls suggest a couple of options which I can buy online ?? Thanks
That's a 53mm portafilter - never used that size and hard to find accessories for it.
Great comparison!
Do you know whether the brew temperature on the Bambino Plus (or the base Bambino) can be adjusted?
And does the Bambino Plus have an insulated steam wand?
No and No. you can’t adjust temperature and steam wand is not insulated. Temp mod would be really nice.
Thanks for confirming. Definitely would be nice.
Very nice and informative video. I still cant decide between those two machines. (i was sure about the GCP but now with the boilergate, im not sure again). I love this hobby, im using a dedica with unpressurized basket and modded steam wand for 3 years. I take my time with making every drink and after covid destroyed my taste, i cant drink straight espresso, so i drink milk drinks only. Do you think the bambino would be a better choice for me ? And is it capable of holding up for 3-5 years ? Thank you
Given your situation and just doing milk drinks, Bambino or Bambino Plus is better. The milk quality is so similar and easier on the Bambino. GCP is for espresso purists who want “the best” - maybe that’s you though.
Also, my Bambino is 2 yrs strong (with poor maintenance 😝). Bambino Plus was actually bought used and no issues.
Gaggia boilergate on the Evo changes everything imo, I can't imagine getting one now until that's completely resolved.
I had the Bambino (not plus), and now I have a Gaggia classic with a PID. The Gaggia classic is orders of magnitude better than the Bambino.
“With a PID” -> very important qualifier here. That removes a lot of variability with GCP.
Yes no frills succinct review - i have outgrown my Bambino plus and looking at Gaggia Evo with 9bar, PUD and dimmer modification installed into a new machine ...
Let me know how the mod is - thinking about more mods myself for a GCP.
nice gaggia sells 11 bar evo on ialy I dont understand why they dont sell it with 9 bar pump
It’s a very easy modification. You can buy the spring for $5, just need a wrench and 10 minutes to fix. Highly recommend.
Bambino plus needs less time to be ready (ca 8 seconds). This translates to the energy saving. And time.
Yes, I talk about that in the video. Coffee Kev measured the electricity use for each one and found the difference was minimal though.
Gaggia classic pro is for a ser coffee drinker the other is for a coffee lover who's in a hurry. I'm retired and have the time. I love my gaggia.
Great summary 👍
Care to elaborate? Deciding between a bambino and something in that range
Bambino is quicker in the morning it has aids to speed things up . And makes good espresso or drinks you like. The Gaggia is a real machine handmaid it's not a appliance. Built like a tank last forever if you descale and take care of it. And you can make Great espresso and drinks. It's just all Manuel. I have the time I'm not in a hurry anymore. Gaggia is quality.
showing bambino plus as a worse machine for steaming than gaggia classic pro is a bit funny ^^ Milk frothing is incredible with bambino plus and it is one of the winning points. Not sure how did you managed to get that hube bubles with it, even with auto steaming it does a better job that that.
I’m the only person who doesn’t like the Bambino Plus steam a wand. Mostly don’t like the aggressive auto purge. I almost never get a thin micro foam. Maybe bc I typically use oat milk.
To be clear, Bambino is still way, way easier than the Gaggia.
Boilergate makes the Evo impossible to recommend over the Bambino now imo.
Agree. I’m going to make a pinned comment about this.
The gaggia classic has a boiler problems
Yes, I need to make an update about “boilergate” - it seems the interior coating will chip on the Evo boiler. Note, I used a regular classic in this video that’s been modified to nine bars. If the new Evo does have this problem, it’d make me favor the Bambino even more.
I've had in the past a couple of expresso machines by Delonghi but was never impressed with them. The stot's quality was always questionable, watery tasting, and almost always bitter. So I bought a Gaggia and Rancilio Silvia (both from new) but after a few years of use I've got fed up with them for a large variety of reasons such as they had both very noisy pumps that do your head after a while, too much waiting time between shots, really inconsistent results, rudimentary water tanks with no empty sensors, no PID controller, extremely heavy if you need to move them, the steam tap started to squick on both machines after less than 1 year of use, the cheap plastic material used, The build quality inside is an absolute mess (is like a rats nest in there) no logic or tidiness whatsoever. So, I got rid of them both (no regrets), and guess what? I purchased a Breville Bambino Plus and boy...what a nice difference. Bambino is light years better than those. More consistent and far better-tasting stots that's a fact. So, I said to myself. I would never buy any Italian-made machines ever again. The only thing I'm not sure of is how long would the machine last. The time will tell.
Thanks for sharing. Always like having another perspective on here.
Personally, I like the Rancilio. The espresso was excellent and loved the portafilter. But it’s big and takes awhile to heat up.