Customer Ratings & Reviews

First off, thank you for the feedback to purchase a Gaggia super automatic from BestBuy instead of Amazon or Importka, the sole US distributor. The ability to walk this machine back into a brick and mortar store for an immediate refund took all the sting away from issues occurring during the few weeks of ownership. The Good: Settings allow a 180* temp for an extra hot beverage. LCD display is one of the nicest to view. Water can be added from the top opening door without removing its 1.8L (60 oz.) dispenser. Its steam wand has been converted into a milk frother with a clear plastic tube and triangular aerator. Any cup, glass or container will have the milk removed by suction from the tube, aerated at the nozzle and dispensed as froth. Only the tube and nozzle needs to be rinsed for cleanup. Unused milk can be poured back into the container or simply placed in the fridge in the same cup. The unused milk never enters the machine or gets heated. It has a great compact footprint to fit under cabinets. The Not so Good: Rinse water is routed to the concealed, integral drip tray instead of the dispensing nozzles. It's no fun to pull the tray after every 4-5 uses and balance it to the sink. The tray is baffled to keep it from sloshing over the sides when pulling on it but this makes it almost impossible to pour into the sink without splashing coffee water. Every baffle will release water at a different angle as it's poured out. Setting the tray into the bottom of the sink and tilting it is the only way to empty it without splashing rinse water. By design, the display cancels use of the machine for Mandatory removal of the brew head for rinsing. It does this every 5-7 uses. The brew head looks like a trebuchet and larger than most. It's also covered with food grade lubricant. A dedicated dish towel is needed to remove and replace it. It's the only way to avoid tracking your prints all over the unit and the rest of your kitchen. It's factory setting for the grinder will not allow oily beans (Starbuck's) to be used without them sticking in the bean chute. I used a magnet to bypass the door (shutoff) sensor to corral the beans down the chute. It avoided most clogs that otherwise would have stopped it cold and waste almost a full serving of beans. A courser, less appropriate grind for espresso will keep it from clogging but there should be no compromising at this price point. Fingers cannot get under the machine unless it's tilted. It must be pulled along the counter or tilted until both sides are manipulated to get your fingers underneath. Guess what happens when the machine is tilted if the drip tray is full of rinse water. The grinder adjustment must be done with a plastic tool, not your fingers. If the bean tray is more than half full the tiny adjustment sprocket can't be seen, it's buried with beans. Since the hot rinse water never drains through the dispensing nozzles into a waiting cup, your container never gets warmed prior to being dispensed. A pannarello wand for manual frothing is not included with this unit. The faint, narrow, font used in its instruction manual makes it hard to read. This is an attractive machine that performs very well when in tip top tune. It's a better choice for an individual who knows it will have higher maintenance and adept with its mechanicals. My one call to Importka for a service question was not pleasant. The woman who answered the call was indifferent and responded/interrupted me with "Ok" over and over again. I was told to return the machine after a 5 minute call due to an indicator light not going out. As I packed up the unit I realized I did not place the puck container back on the tray before closing the door. That was my dumb mistake but I had no intention of calling Importka back for any other issues in the future. If I would have purchased the unit online or directly from Importka I would of had to mail the unit back, potentially pay for post, wait up to a month and be at their mercy for the outcome of any issues. I simply returned this unit back to my local BestBuy with its 2 year warranty received a full refund. I ordered a Delonghi ECAM23210B Magnifica S to replace it while I was there. It arrived five days later for in-store pick up. I hope to get at least ten years of service out of this new Delonghi unit like my last Delonghi ESAM 4400 Magnifica purchased almost a decade ago.