Gaggia Carezza Deluxe Espresso coffee Machine - RI8525/08

Product Information

When people raise their eyebrows at my suggestion of not keeping a full water tank, I usually ask them if would they use what water was in the kettle from yesterday in the morning, or fill it fresh? Would they drink the same water from their water bottle a day or two days later, and just top up when empty, or would they clean it and then refill it each day? The coffee we drink is, of course, mainly water, so I think we should treat the water in the same way as if we were drinking it neat. So given that I've been asked about the Gaggia Carezza a few times, a machine that I just thought looked really old-fashioned and was probably just in their range still because they're sentimental and don't like discontinuing stuff, I thought I'd better get hold of one and see if I was wrong about that too… This is notable because of the machine’s manual style. You have to twist in the portafilter – the coffee holder with the long handle – and the force it requires means you may need to hold the machine in place with another hand to ensure it doesn’t move on the kitchen top, especially if the water reservoir’s running low. The coffee arm uses a spring-loaded mechanism, meaning it automatically centres itself, helping you to align your cups properly if you want to serve two coffees at once. As a largely traditional espresso machine, the design caters primarily for smaller espresso cups, and the portafilter height is fixed, but there is enough room to fit a mug if you like your coffee Americano-style.

I say “pro steam wand”, really it's just a slightly elongated steam pipe, with a rounded end so it doubles as a single hole steam tip, but it works just like any other pro steam wand. Actually, being really honest, I never expected the blog to be anything but a hobby. I had no inkling that a handful of years later I'd be doing this as my “job”, playing with coffee machines, basically what I'd be doing if I'd won the lottery or something! I certainly never expected that brands would want to send me stuff to review. They both have 1L water tanks, they both have slightly smaller drip trays than the Carezza, they both have a Panarello steam wand, and you can remove the wand, but the pipe underneath is just the usual steam pipe. Is the Carazza Worth It vs the Gran or the Viva? Bean to Cup machines are also called automatic coffee machines.. These have built-in grinders and produce a coffee on the touch of a button. The way they brew the coffee is very similar to a manual system but instead of you doing the grinding and tamping, the machine does it for you. It has a button for steam, it has a dial for steam and hot water, a rinse button, and an on/off button, and that's all there is in terms of interface, so very little in terms of bells and whistles.Yes, in my opinion. Unless I was really pushed for worktop space, I'd go for the Carezza over the Dedica myself. It's just a bit more substantial, I prefer the fact that you can choose to buy it with a standard basket portafilter instead of having to hunt around for one, and again I prefer the steam wand on the Carezza, and the steam is a bit more powerful too. Combining the tactile benefits of a manual espresso machine with many of the digital innovations of an automatic machine, the Gaggia Carezza Deluxe features a pre-infusion function for espresso, allowing for maximum flavour to be extracted from the coffee, as well as an auto-clean function that gives the machine a short rinse every time it is turned on.

I think my favourite thing about this machine, though, or at least the thing I found the most surprising, is the steam wand. This machine does have auto pre-infusion, but it's not low pressure preinfusion. Preinfusion in commercial machines would usually be line pressure preinfusion, meaning that it's at the pressure of the plumed in water line, with no pump activity. The Gaggia Carezza Deluxe uses a pre-brewing and pre-heating process that can make it feel as though you’re at the whim of the thing’s temperamental nature a little. Odd little pauses following button commands and slightly unpredictable breaks in the delivery of hot water and steam make operation seem quirky and slightly inconsistent. From there I tried to get my mitts on whatever machines I could get sent to me on loan for review, and it made sense to focus on newer machines, as brands are usually wanting to promote their latest releases, rather than machines that they released years ago. Similarly to the DeLonghi Dedica, it takes up a smaller footprint than the Carezza, it's slightly more modern looking, it has a 1.2L water tank, a fairly small drip tray, and it comes with a pressurized portafilter. You can mod the portafilter, but it seems to break the gasket quite easily, so I'd recommend buying a compatible portafilter.If you just want to press a button to get a cappuccino, the One TouchModels will do the job for you. All you need to do is​ to pour the milk into the milk carafe and press the button for the required milk drink. This is available on the following : The drip tray cover is metal, and it's held onto the drip tray with a magnet, so it doesn't move at all when you're using it. OK, a small thing, but a small impressive thing, a really nice little touch that I wasn't expecting from such a cheap machine. As we’ve already said, the Gaggia Carezza Deluxe is not a completely idiot-proof machine and you do need to learn how to use it a little. For example, there’s no tamper included, and if you’re not a little careful about how the grounds are arranged you can end up with quite a pale, weak crema.

To prepare an espresso with Gaggia Carezza Deluxe, it is necessary to fill the supplied filter holder and hook it to the machine. Starting the machine activates the preheating function. Gaggia Carezza is equipped with a pre-infusion function aimed at moistening the ground coffee for a couple of seconds in the moments before the drink is dispensed. Gaggia Carezza Deluxe has 2 “perfect cream” filters respectively dedicated to the use of ground coffee for 1 or 2 cups and for the use of single-portion pods. The Pannarello steam wand is used to prepare the milk froth. the steam spout emits steam or hot water and is activated by means of the buttons on the front by turning the dial towards the type of function required. All the machines can make any coffee you want. The amount of water that goes through the coffee is your choice. You can have a small espresso or make a longer coffee. All of the machines have a traditional frother or an automatic frothing system. The grinder can even dose the chosen amount every time. One person can choose, say a 7g shot and another person can choose a 9g shot. The variations of dosage can depend on the machine model. For instance the Gaggia Anima, Velasca and Babila have 5 settings for strength. This allows you to choose 7g, or 8g or 9g or 10g or 11g every time. On the Naviglio, Brera and the Accademia the variations are 7g, 9g or 11g.You may see certain Gaggia models selling for a lower price than shown at Coffee-Direct, but it is important to note that these products are often imported from outside of the UK and are sold with no UK warranty. If you decide to use coffee beans, grind them at the right size: not too coarse (or water will flow too fast) and not too fine (or water will not flow) The Gaggia Carezza Deluxe has more style than most coffee machines. With a rounded front and a retro-looking analogue temperature dial, it has a lot more personality and Italian flavour than most. I then pulled the plastic piece, though, and it came off and revealed the pro steam wand that was hiding underneath! This included the Gaggia Carezza, or the “Gaggia Carezza Deluxe” to give it its full, official title. It included the Sage Duo Temp Pro too.

Without wanting to accuse Gaggia of valuing style over substance, the look has been given plenty of attention here – and as an appliance that’s going to be a centre point of your kitchen, that’s no bad thing. Yes, I believe so. Why? Well, overall the Gran and the Viva will produce just about the same espresso quality if you were to use them with the same portafilter and the same grinder, but I prefer the build quality of the Carezza, and for me, it's worth it just for the steam wand. If you're not interested in steaming milk, then there's less value in the Carezza vs the Gran Gaggia or Gaggia Viva, but still, I think the Carezza is just slightly nicer to use overall, and I would expect it to last longer. It’s mostly plastic, though, aside from the front control plate, the cup warmer and the coffee holder mechanism. Everything that’s prone to wear in the Gaggia Carezza Deluxe is made of strong enough stuff, but the largely plastic construction means it’s relatively light. Frothing up milk with a steam spout naturally requires a bit of expertise, but we also found its occasional stop-start operation to be a complicating factor. The analogue-style control knob is also a slight red herring, with the actual delivery of both steam and water being much closer to a straight on/off relationship. Much like the temperature gauge, its design is as much for the pro look and feel it provides as anything else.You put ground in a filter holder or portafilter, water in the tank and the press a button for the required coffee] If you're just looking for the best short-term value for money, then I'd say it's the Gran or the Viva, as they'll produce almost the same cup quality. They're smaller than the Carezza, lighter, they look and feel cheaper in my opinion (they are, though, so I think that's fair), and they come with the same pressurized portafilter but are both available with the traditional portafilter. This machine is made to work with pressurised baskets, so the pressure cut off is roughly 14 bars. What this means is that although you can use it with a standard basket, the overpressure valve is set to about 14 bars of pressure, instead of the more desired 9 bars.