Reviews Gaggia 1003380 Accademia Espresso Machine

I purchase this Gaggia 1003380 Accademia Espresso Machine unit a couple of months ago after reading a number of reviews and watching u-Tube videos, etc. I will admit that it took a bit of motivation for me to spend 2K on an espresso machine. But this thing has entered my home and changed the way I enjoy morning coffee. I use to have coffee in the morning, now enjoy a cappuccino and my wife has her favor as well.

This is my 8th machine and by far my favorite. Having owned one Capresso C1500, three Jura-Capressos, one Saeco and now the Gaggia Academia, I've found this machine to outperform the rest by far. I loved the quality of the Capresso and Jura-Capresso machines, but having to send them in once a year for service at a cost of over $300 was excessive.

• Adjustable telescopic coffee dispenser with a maximum height of a little over 6-1/2-inch to accommodate a wide variety of cup sizes
• Ceramic burr grinder with integrated bean hopper and double lid aroma saver
• Integrated coffee grounds container, removable from the front
• Programmable coffee quantity - from 7 to 10-cup
• Pre-brewing system for maximum flavor extraction

You'll be surprised with the highly durable construction, in particular, the stainless steel finish which seems to be impervious to finger prints in my usage so far -- and the high quality hinges that reveal the inner workings of the machine: the brew group, drip tray, and grounds drawer.

One unique feature of this Gaggia 1003380 Accademia machine is that the brew group is fully removable for easy maintenance and cleaning. A great appliance for any coffee lover's kitchen!

I Like Gaggia 1003380 Accademia Espresso Machine

• The quality of coffee is amazing! This machine produces coffee very close the the Pasquini semi-automatic at my office. The quality is much better than my Jura machines.
• The built-in frothing wand. Most of the milk that comes out of super-automatic machines is not hot enough if the latte or cappuccino is not going to be consumed immediately. This is not a problem with this machine.
• The machine is fully adjustable by coffee strength, milk amount, water amount, etc. You can even adjust these settings on the fly via the color screen.
• Machine rinses itself before and after every use, so there is no "old" coffee taste when you brew your next cup.

I Don't Like Gaggia 1003380 Accademia Espresso Machine 

• The price. This machine is very expensive. If you have couple-of-times-a-day trip to S'bux like I did, then the machine will pay for itself in about a year. However, it still in the same ball park as a lot of nice used cars.
• The pickiness with coffee beans. With super-automatics you can not use beans that are oily AT ALL.

I couldn't be happier with my Gaggia 1003380 Accademia Espresso Machine unit. The coffee taste, strength, and temperature are perfect. The adjustments are virtually unlimited and you can achieve precisely the results you want consistently.