This is our UK review of the popular and highest buyer rated bean to cup coffee machine from the Gaggia brand. It is called the Gaggia Brera Bean to Cup Coffee Machine. As you can see from the image above, this is a very nice looking machine.
It came out as the number one choice on our list of the top 15 Gaggia branded coffee machines.
Brief Description
As the name would suggest this is a bean to cup experience. That means you buy your preferred type of coffee beans, and pour them into the top of the machine. You can then select how you would like your beans to be ground.
The ceramic grinder then goes to work to create a fresh grind. This is then placed into the machine, where the 15 bar pressure goes to work to make you the perfect espresso. From that espresso, you can then make your favourite coffee drink, using the rich crema espresso as your base.
Below you will find a detailed review. For those who don't have time to read all of this, then we have put together a short summary review of this product just below.
Summary Review
- This is not a "fully automatic machine." It makes espresso but you will have to froth the milk separately in a jug or cup, if you want to make lattes, cappuccinos etc
- You can buy and use pre-ground beans, or if you prefer just buy whole coffee beans and let the grinder in the machine do that instead.
- It is a 15 bar pressure machine that has a stainless steel body and a hot water/steam nozzle
- It has a ceramic grinder which is easy to adjust for your preferred grind (250 gram capacity)
- There is an automatic cleaning and descaling system
- Measures 45.5 x 33.0 x 42.5 cm, weighs 8.5 kg and has a water tank capacity of 1.2 litres
For those who want or prefer to read more details, then please continue reading below.
How Buyers Rate the Gaggia Brera Machine
- Overall buyers gave this an overall buyer satisfaction rating of 78%
- 70% of all buyers gave this machine a full 5 star review
- 9% gave this machine a bad review
What Buyers Say About This Machine
Just below you can read what buyers have to say about this particular Gaggia model. It is one of their best sellers and has been so for quite some time. As you can see 7 out of every 10 buyers deem this machine worth a full 5 star rating, and the number of bad reviews is relatively low.
We shall of course still want to know why buyers leave a bad review so we have covered that off below in a pros and cons table. We find that a handy method to summarise the good and bad points about this machine.
PROS
- Buyers said this made great tasting coffee quietly and with little fuss
- Buyers liked the fact that you could try a different coffee without having to empty out the beans in the hopper, thanks to the compartments inside the grinder
- Buyers found it very easy to clean and maintain
- Buyers also said that the frother was very good
CONS
- The bad complaints were that the machine broke down either after a few weeks or a few months and had to be returned under warranty
- A couple of buyers did also receive a faulty product
To summarise what buyers said, those who left a bad review (around 9%) did so because they either received a faulty product, or it stopped working within a few weeks or months of using it. That is of course very disappointing and a pain, when you have to start packing it up and returning it.
The contented and satisfied buyers liked the machine a lot, and said that it made excellent coffee. They also said it was easy to maintain and clean. A couple thought the descaling process was a bit long winded, but worth the extra time to keep their machine clean.
Our Verdict on the Gaggia Brera Bean to Cup Coffee Machine
Some buyers simply just like this Italian Gaggia brand, and they have been around for over 75 years. Generally speaking their machines are high quality and make good coffee with very little fuss.
This one did come out as the number one buyer rated coffee machine on our top 15 Gaggia branded coffee machines.
It has an RRP of £575.00 but we would recommend looking online for any better offers. With a 78% buyer satisfaction rating, it has stood up to a lot of online buyer reviews and maintained this level of rating for some time.
Gaggia Brera FAQ
Just below we have answered the most frequently asked questions that potential buyers want to know the answers to. Hopefully you will find that useful.
Q. What is the difference between this and a fully automatic machine?
A. When buying a coffee machine like this from any brand, the terminology is easy to confuse. On most fully automatic machines they will have a milk container which also adds the milk to your coffee, so the entire process is automated from end to end. This may be useful for a small coffee shop, but for home use, we don't think that is over important. This Brera model does not have that milk container.
Q. Does this machine create a good crema?
A. Many coffee drinkers want to have a really good crema on their espresso. The machine does play a role in that, but mainly the quality of the crema produced is down to the quality of the beans you buy and how fresh they are.
Q. Does this machine have a good frother?
A. This one works really well according to buyers. It is a steel wand and it does create the right temperature for frothing milk. If you want a rich froth, then whole milk works the best.
