
"Gaggia has done an excellent job in creating a coffee machine that gives the user so much flexibility in coffee customization, while still maintaining effortless operation."
The Gaggia Brera Espresso Machine is supreme in quality, appearance and creating intense coffee taste. This coffee maker is an automatic coffee maker, and with a price tag of around $460-$480, it’s one of the best-priced super automatic coffee machines on the market. The Brera accommodates for pre-ground or whole bean coffee, so you’ve got the option to decide which you prefer and when. The Brera espresso machine does all the hard work for you and provides great-tasting coffee every time. Gaggia is a highly reputable brand, manufacturing superior appliances like this coffee machine, so you can rely on them for delivering expert quality.
Design
The general appearance of the Gaggia Brera coffee machine is a classically elegant look with a hint of luxury. It’s striking in its design and is sure to make a great feature of your kitchen. It is mid-sized, with the dimensions of 10 x 15.5 x 11.5 inches and weighs 19 pounds, so it’s a heavy-duty coffee machine. Although the Brera isn’t the largest coffee machine available, it’s also not the smallest. While Gaggia has attempted to compact this coffee maker without affecting the quality, it will still take up a significant amount of room on the countertop. This is just something to bear in mind if you’re thinking about purchasing the Gaggia Brera. The stainless-steel front panel emphasizes its durability and highlights the quality finish, and one thing is for sure, it will undoubtedly become an excellent conversation starter for guests in your kitchen thanks to its timeless and trendy design.
Gaggia also promotes energy-efficiency in this machine, as it comes with a standby mode that can aid in saving your energy bills as it automatically activates, using less than 1 watt per hour. As well as this, the water tank on the Gaggia Brera is located at the back of the machine, with the only elements on display at the front being the Pannarello wand for milk frothing and the drip tray to place the coffee cups on. The control panel has been designed with simplicity in mind and adds to the overall sleekness of this coffee machine. Four buttons give options of coffee strength, water quantity, bean or ground coffee and the on/off switch. The attractive feature on the control panel is the LED display with illuminate icons, which add to the professional and smart appearance of the Brera coffee maker.
Coffee Customisation
Gaggia has done an excellent job in creating a coffee machine that gives the user so much flexibility in coffee customization, while still maintaining effortless operation. The Brera espresso machine comes with five grind settings and a ceramic burr grinder, so you can ensure that you get expertly ground coffee with a grind to suit your taste. Not many coffee machines that accommodate for ground coffee have this versatility when it comes to grinding options, so it’s certainly a big plus factor of the Gaggia Brera. As well as this, the Adapting System Gaggia integrates the grinder to learn how you prefer your coffee ground, and it remembers it for next time, so you get your favorite cup of coffee each time.
There is also the option to alter the brew strength of the coffee with either a single or double shot of espresso, with this adjustment being made by the simple touch of a button on the front of the machine. As well as this, the steam feature on the Brera heats up to the perfect temperature in less than 10 seconds, so it’s quick and efficient. The Gaggia Brera also comes with the option to create milky coffees like lattes and cappuccinos, thanks to the integrated Pannarello wand. This allows you to steam and foam your milk until its silky smooth and gives you the option of creating a variety of milky coffee drinks. This milk frother attachment is much higher-quality than other brands that have a Pannarello wand, so it’s good to know you’ll be getting your money’s worth in the features of this coffee machine.
Ease of Use
On the whole, the Gaggia Brera is easy to clean and maintain. Although the super-sleek exterior will show up marks more easily, it also means they’re much more straightforward to wipe clean. And with a coffee maker as high-quality as this one, you’ll want to make sure it’s always in tip-top condition. The Brera also has a rinse cycle included that automatically starts whenever the machine is turned on or off. This is great to keep in good condition, but many customers have stated you will need to put a cup underneath the spout to catch the excess rinse water, so it doesn’t go into the drip tray (that you’ll no doubt have just cleaned!) so this is just something to note. A nifty feature on this coffee maker is that it indicated when it needs to be descaled, so you can keep up to date with this and prolong its life so it can continue to make you excellent coffees in years to come! The water tank, drip tray, and brewing unit are all removable, so these can be simply cleaned and quickly put back into place.
The Brera coffee machine comes with a user-friendly display with the control buttons on the front so you can easily see what you’re doing. The instructions are easy to follow, and overall, this machine is easy to get on with. One of the main selling points of the Gaggia Brera is that it’s automatic, so other than filling the coffee beans or ground and foaming the milk, all you have to do is push a button and wait for your delicious coffee to be made. Although some customers mention they refill the water tank quite often, it’s still roomy enough to make several cups of coffee before needing to be refilled.
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Final Thoughts
Overall, the Gaggia Brera coffee machine is fantastically simple to use and creates great tasting coffee. It’s beneficial for coffee making beginners, as you’re still able to create barista-style coffee to your liking in the click of a few buttons. There are no fiddly features like tamping to get to grips with and the LED display shows you exactly what to do with clear instructions. Although this coffee machine isn’t compatible with capsules, it’s still one of the easiest to use and makes a variety of coffees, all tailored to your taste. The five grind options, along with Gaggia’s one-year warranty and reasonable price make the Gaggia Brera coffee maker one to consider.