Gaggia Carezza Deluxe Espresso coffee Machine - RI8525/08

Product Information

On the front panel are a temperature gauge, buttons for power, brew, water and steam, and that knob for turning on steam and hot water. Water Reservoir When my long-suffering Gaggia Classic finally gave up the ghost after many years of hard service, I decided to give this a try. My only reservation about the Gaggia Classic was its disappointing steam flow rate for steaming milk. I hoped that this would be better and I was not disappointed. The Carezza Deluxe is a great machine which has proved to be an all round improvement on the Classic – everything about it is better designed and it produces much more steam. It isn’t as robust as the Classic, so I don’t expect to get quite as many years of service out of it but I have no regrets about making the change. A great machine. From espresso to filter coffee, it is possible to choose among 15 different grinder settings. Moreover, the digital timer allows you to grind pre-set quantites of coffee. The Gaggia Carezza Deluxe is an accomplished espresso maker that provides great-tasting coffee and an eye-catching design that we imagine will be just what many people are after. Even if you are using Filters or Water from a filtered source, it is important to regularly carry out the descaling process.

Gaggia Carezza Deluxe RI8525 (English - 80 pages) User manual Gaggia Carezza Deluxe RI8525 (English - 80 pages)

All espresso machines must be “DESCALED” regularly. Filtered water or bottled water is free from chemical odours but not free from minerals. Using a water softener is the best option for mineral free water. If a water softener is not installed, then the best option is to descale the machine at least every 2-months. Gaggia spa recommends using the Gaggia Descaler for descaling your machine. Do not rely on the machine to remind you when descaling is due. When available, this feature is programmed by the number of espresso's served. The machine cannot sense the variable hardness of water from one part of the country to another. Follow a definite schedule for descaling every two months. Please DO NOT use vinegar or lemon juice for descaling as a residue will remain on the inside of the boiler which will be hard to get rid off and your coffee will end up with a taste of vinegar or lemon.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. I’ve had my Carezza for almost ten years and it is going strong, making my daily cappuccino as well now as it did when it was new. I highly recommend this work horse of coffee machine. So I ignored some of the older machines. There were older machines that were “evergreen” such as the Gaggia Classic, Sage Barista Express and so on that made perfect sense to try to get hold of, but there were a few machines that just didn't seem to warrant the effort as it seemed they had been replaced.

Gaggia Carezza Deluxe Espresso coffee Machine - RI8525/08 Gaggia Carezza Deluxe Espresso coffee Machine - RI8525/08

The Gaggia Carezza Deluxe is also a little on the noisy side. While any 15-bar pump is going to create a fair amount of noise, the noise seems to be exacerbated by the construction – you’re not just hearing the pump but the slight hum it causes in the machine itself. It’s not serious, but is perhaps a sign that the look is a little more impressive than the build. 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. Barista Pro IMS Filter 20 gr Nanotech: the filter holes are specifically designed to ensure uniform extraction and the best in cup result, avoiding channeling. Filter diameter: 70 mm. Height 26 mm. 661 holes. Aisi 304 steel. 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.

The machine actually comes with two different filters – one for the regular coffee grounds (it allows for up to two cups of ground coffee), and the other one for Easy Serve Espresso pods. So if you're not bothered about looks, and you're purely focusing on performance, then it's just worth keeping in mind that what I said about the DeLonghi Dedica above when compared to the Carezza where performance is concerned, also goes for the Smeg espresso machine. Anyway, the tank is small, at 1.3L, and yes it uses 0.1L of this when doing the purge, but it is front accessed so it's very easy to fill. It has a manual shot button, press to start, press to stop, so nothing flashy there, but it's fine, it does the job & it's very simple.

Gaggia Carezza Range - GAGGIA UNITED KINGDOM

But, I have to say that I think for the kind of user this – and other cheaper machines – is intended for, it's not a problem.Gaggia provides you a filter basket which compromises with merely 12 grams of coffee; the carezza’s twofold basket maintains 18 grams of cafes.