Gaggia Classic RI8161 Coffee Machine with Professional Filter Holder, Stainless Steel Body

Treat Your Taste Buds with Over 60 Years of Italian Espresso Tradition

Gaggia is a company deeply rooted in Italian espresso heritage. Yet its coffee machines have evolved over the decades, from the original pressure-generating, lever-activated piston, to the latest fully-automated, bean-to-cup technology which, at the touch of a button, grinds, brews and dispenses a delicious cup of espresso. However you prefer to brew your coffee--whether you want the simplicity of bean-to-cup or crave domestic barista status--there is a Gaggia machine for you.

History

In 1938, Achille Gaggia filed patent no. 365726, an ingenious invention which saw steam pressure applied to ground coffee, so that the water forced through the coffee extracted all its flavours and aromas to create a rich foam crema layer. However, the real revolution came 10 years later when Achille filed a new patent, for a lever-operated piston machine incorporating a spring. This spring provided additional pressure, and this pressure forced water through the coffee in a shorter time, producing a short black espresso in just 15 seconds.

In the 1950s, Gaggia found fame in the trendy coffee bars of Rome and Milan, and most notably in London’s prominent Sirocci in Soho. These coffee bars soon became icons of the '50s lifestyle. With the launch of Baby Gaggia in 1977, the company began producing domestic espresso machines, making the professional values inherent in Gaggia’s commercial machines widely available for use in the home.

Ground coffee or coffee pods

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Professional filter holder

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Rotating steamer

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Solenoid valve

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Gaggia Classic

There's nothing like a good cup of coffee to inject a little luxury into your daily life. The Gaggia Classic RI8161 coffee machine is an ideal introduction into the world of Italian coffee and offers a real hands-on, professional coffee-making experience. The elegantly styled machine brings modern coffee shop looks to your kitchen, as well as coffee shop quality and great taste into the comfort of your own home. The simple-to-use and durable manual machine is perfect for everyday use, combining advanced technology and a classic, compact stainless steel body.

The 1300 watt, 8 kg Gaggia Classic is powerful, yet lightweight. It comes with a 15 bar pressure pump and 1.2 litre water tank for outstanding results. The removable water tank/reservoir and stainless steel boiler ensure that it's practical and easy to clean.

Your choice--ground coffee or coffee pods

Gaggia’s manual machines come with coffee filters for one or two cups of ground coffee, and a special filter for ESE (easy serve espresso) pods. All Gaggia’s coffee machines have two special 'crema perfetta' filters that allow you to use either ground coffee or coffee pods.

Professional filter holder

A manual coffee machine is the most traditional and well-known way to make espresso, using the filter holder and ground coffee. A professional chromed brass filter holder and ring, the same as used in Gaggia’s commercial machines, ensures a consistent temperature throughout the coffee making and dispensing process. The material of the filter is durable and safe to use. It is inert and thus ensures the best results with consistent temperature.

Rotating steamer

The panarello steamer attachment rotates for easy access to froth milk in seconds, and also delivers hot water for tea and other hot drinks.

Solenoid valve

Espresso coffee, originally created in Italy, is made by rapidly forcing water that has been heated to the correct brewing temperature through finely ground coffee beans. The heart of the espresso machine is a precision engineered pump. The pump and water flow is easily controlled with just a flick of the switch. The internal mechanism of the Gaggia Classic is composed of a solenoid expansion valve that allows rapid drying of the interior. Gaggia’s solenoid valve delivers a widespread shower through the coffee, eliminating hotspots which can burn the coffee. Its precise pressurisation ensures no drips and leaves drier coffee grounds after brewing, for easy cleaning.

Traditional frother

The Gaggia Classic coffee machine comes with a traditional frother. The higher the fat content in the milk, the denser the froth will be. The 'turbo-frother' will give you perfect, creamy froth, but just a tip--don’t let the milk come to the boil! It may require two or three attempts to become an expert barista, but you will be successful at frothing milk if you give it a chance. Just swivel the turbo-frother steam nozzle slightly outward so that you can get the frothing pitcher under the nozzle without knocking the base of the machine.

Important to know……

1 . The taste of your coffee depends on the characteristics of the beans from which it is made, the type of bean, and where it was grown and processed. Coffee beans that are roasted for a longer period of time and at higher temperatures will be much darker in colour. Darker beans will produce a richer cup of coffee than lightly-roasted beans.

2. A variety of dark roasts are available from which you can choose to brew your espresso. Each of these roasts is a blend of coffee beans that are roasted at a specific temperature producing a specific type of flavour. There are also decaffeinated beans that have had up to 98% of their caffeine content removed. The next time you purchase coffee for your espresso maker, experiment with one of the many kinds of coffee on the market. You may just find that it tastes better than the blend you have been using.

3. A fine 'espresso grind' for pump-driven machines must be used. Be sure to ask for this when buying coffee or when having beans ground. Do not use a blade-type grinder because it makes too much coffee dust and produces an irregular grind.

4. The mark of real espresso is its dark colour, rich taste and the light brown, natural froth called 'crema' in Italian.

5. Cappuccino is simply a combination of espresso and hot, frothy milk. Cappuccino is usually topped with cinnamon, nutmeg or cocoa powder.

6. Espresso coffee should be served immediately after it is made.

7. Espresso should be served in 2 to 2½ oz demitasse cups. A 4 or 6 oz cup or glass should be used for cappuccino.

8. Ideally, coffee beans should be ground immediately before using. Remember, it must be an 'espresso grind' for pump-driven espresso machines.

9. Ground coffee tends to absorb food odours, so it’s best to store ground coffee or whole beans in an airtight container in your freezer.