RATED: Gaggia Brera

Italian coffee machine manufacturer Gaggia is in the midst of celebrating their 80^th birthday celebrations as I write this in 2018 which makes it more appropriate now than ever to take a look at their beast of a machine the Brera.

With that much experience, it is no surprise to learn that Gaggia has become market leaders in what they do, and we have picked the Brera for a number of factors such as capabilities and price.

Read on to find out why we rate the Brera so highly but also point out a few things it is wise to learn before making your next decision on which bean to cup coffee machine to buy.

Italian Style

Hailing from the fashion capital of world Milan, it was inevitable that Gaggia was going to have taste in abundance when it came to style and the Italians never disappoint in their offerings.

The Brera has a silvery chrome look to it and is compact enough to fit into most open spaces in a kitchen.

Just to look at the Brera looks more expensive than it is with its smart centered display looking crisp and professional and balanced feel meaning you are likely to have a little smile on your face every time you happen to glance at it from the corner of your eye.

Hot Key

Gaggia came up with a smart feature called a ‘Hot Key’ so your favourite customised drinks are easy to access on the control panel.

As you create numerous styles of drinks you will quickly realise how handy this feature is and will make you fall in love with this machine just a little more.

They say it is the small things that matter and although it may sound unrevolutionary as many machines have a way to save customised drinks, however, not all have them on speed dial, literally!

Energy-efficient

At least with this machine, you can do your bit to help save the Earth whilst enjoying a quality cup of joe.

This is because the Brera goes into standby mode after one hour without use automatically which is pretty handy because let’s be honest, when do you actually turn your bean to cup machine off?

This does not mean that when you want a brew you have to wait for an age, oh no, it just switches to an energy saving mode which powers down everything that is not required at the time and thus just uses one watt per hour the machine is in standby.

At that rate, it means the machine will pay for itself in saved electricity bills (although perhaps not for about 50 years).

Ceramic Grinder

Believe it or not but this really matters to coffee aficionados.

This is because a ceramic grinder helps retain the purity of aroma which is something coffee shops take advantage by pumping that beautiful coffee smell out their front doors and onto the high street in order to entice punters in.

So, why not do the same with the Brera and have your neighbours green with envy at the stunning aromas wafting their way out of your kitchen?

Another neat thing the Ceramic grinder can help to do is grind as coarse or as fine if you wish to allow you to experiment to your taste buds.

Compartments

Something else that is pretty unique is the ability to brew a different blend without having to change the beans thanks to the ground coffee compartment.

That is a neat trick and one that pays dividends to the fussy coffee drinker as well as in social situations when people want different styles.

Price

This machine can be picked up for under £400 if you buy at the right time and that is a bit of a bargain.

The RRP comes in at £575 which is still worth it for this machine but why pay it when you don’t have too.

For value for money, at £400 it is one of the best especially considering the number of features it houses as mentioned above.

All that makes this a machine it would be foolish to discount when it comes to your next purchase even if there is plenty of competition in that price bracket.

Maintenance

The Brera boasts a removable brewing unit making access to the parts you need to clean a piece of cake.

However, other machines do more to aid the cleaning process and a thorough read of the instruction manual is recommended before beginning the cleaning process.

What’s wrong with it?

The features and functions of this machine make it a real winner but read the reviews and you will see there are a couple of irritations from owners.

Cleaning appears to be one such issue even with the removable brewing unit customers still found the cleaning process took longer than it probably should and does even on much cheaper models.

Another worrying factor was customers reporting breakdowns of their machines.

According to some customers it seems the Brera can be a little temperamental and can almost be likened to an Alfa Romero, you’ve got to have one, but sooner or later it will let you down.

Of course, reviews are dangerous things but should still be considered even if they may prove to be isolated incidents but you still can’t rule this machine out because of those misdemeanors.

Conclusion

The Brera is like a fine wine, it just keeps getting better and maintains a classic look.

Cleaning issues can be forgiven for the vast number of features that take centre stage and enable you to take your brewing to the next level on a machine that is priced remarkably well.

Everything about the Brera is presented well as we have to expect from Gaggia and its compactness make it an ideal purchase for the space conscious coffee connoisseur.

If you are looking for a mid-range bean to cup machine that punches slightly above its weight, then you may well have just found it thanks to Gaggia and their magnificent Brera bean to cup coffee machine.