#so sad boiler steam sold out

[munchboxart]

Got Birmingham inks and a new fountain pen (TWSBI ECO - medium) and it's crazy how good this actually is. If you live in the US, I highly suggest picking up inks from them holy shit

[karl-jensen]

Henry and the Great Western Fiasco, 1919

This drawing that I made on December of last year was based on Henry's old shape and who built him. To pair up with the drawing, I also made a headcanon concerning Henry's old shape and who built him and it just so happens to be related to a failed Pacific locomotive that a certain railway experimented on.

H E A D C A N O N T I M E .

The Great Bear

Our story begins in 1908 in Swindon Works when Chief Engineer George Jackson Churchward designed an experimental engine that can haul passenger and freight trains. This came in the form of Number 111, also known as The Great Bear. The engine turned out to be a failure due to some issues with its boiler, which resulted in the engine being converted into a Castle-class Locomotive in January 1924. Churchward was distraught at his optimistic ambition being turned into a failure, but when he had heard news that Scottish-born Chief Engineer Sir Nigel Gresley was going to design a Pacific Express Locomotive, he remarked with "What did that young man want to build it for? We could have sold him ours!"

Churchward vs. Gresley

Illustrations of Henry's old shape in the Railway Series featured a brass-tip on his funnel which was common on locomotives of the Great Western Railway meaning that the original illustrator Reginald Payne associated Great Bear to Henry. Hints are present as to why I made Henry a Great Western engine.

Seeing a brass-tipped funnel on Henry looked very odd to me. Doesn't it remind you of the Great Western Railway?

During the design process of the now famous A1 Pacifics of the London and North Eastern Railway, an unknown engineer sent out thieves to steal plans for Gresley's express locomotives. People say that the engineer was old Mr. Churchward who still could not recover from the failure of his experimental Pacific. A Blueprint was stolen, but it wasn't the latest design that Gresley had drawn up, but an earlier design that he drew up in 1915 when the Great War was at full swing. The drawing had a boiler that was quite small which made Gresley think about the consequences. However, a certain Swindon Engineer decided to build it to satisfy his needs. That man was George Jackson Churchward.

And so, the engine was built under the orders of Mr. Churchward. He had placed William Stanier as the technical advisor of his latest Pacific project. Stanier recommended that he redesign the engine and add a larger firebox, but due to Churchward's decisions it didn't happen. The engine was finally built in 1919 and was given a name - and that is Vanguard. However, Factory Workers would often call the engine Henry.

When Henry rolled out of the factory, he was given a nice healthy batch of Welsh Coal for testing. Great Bear wasn't pleased when Henry rolled out and thought that he'll outperform him. When the first trial run came, Henry was steaming properly while pulling a heavy train consisting of twelve coaches jam-packed with passengers. Great Bear envied him, but when Henry was put into regular passenger service, the same problems from Great Bear finally showed up when he was given a batch of regular coal. With this, Henry was deemed a failure and was planned for scrapping. However, when a Railway Director was buying a locomotive (specifically a 4-4-2 Atlantic), he received a Pacific-type locomotive in the form of Henry. His remarks were quite enraged and profanity-filled.

"I wanted an Atlantic. But that stupid, son of a bitch gave me that instead!"

— Sir Topham Hatt I, 1922

Henry was planned to be scrapped indeed, but when the Director saw Henry's sad expression, he had no choice but to give him a chance. The rest is history.

Mr. Stanier's Chance

After Henry's infamous crash with the Flying Kipper in January 1935. He was sent to Crewe Works to be rebuilt entirely. The engine was skeptical until he met a familiar face that he had seen years ago back when he was in Swindon.

"When I first met Henry at Crewe, I was very surprised to see him in such a beaten-up state. I had intentions in redesigning him prior to being built, but that impatient old man [Churchward] did not listen. Seeing him like this made me want to redesign him entirely, but would cost me plenty of money to create a new boiler and frame for him, as well as a new tender. Instead, I went for the cheaper alternative and turned him into a Black 5 instead of what was supposed to be a 'prototype' for the Coronation class."

— Sir William Stanier, 1948 Interview

Sir Topham Hatt did not have enough money to completely convert Henry into a Princess Royal or redesign him entirely. Instead, he decided to turn Henry into a Ten Wheeler. His smokebox and front wheels remained, but the trailing wheels were discarded. Everything else were parts from the Black 5, including his Tender.

"Being rebuilt entirely was a huge blessing for me, and many people sent me 'Get Well Soon' cards and flowers while I was at Crewe. My smokebox and wheels were retained while many of my old parts were scrapped or perhaps reused as spares. I now felt better after that fix up at Crewe, and I managed to share stories with Mr. Stanier, whom I first met in Swindon when I was in my old shape."

— Henry, 1963 Interview

During his rebuild, he met several Princess Royals that were being maintained. Mr. Stanier explained to him that he was the inspiration into building a Pacific locomotive.

"Seeing those beautiful engines made me want to cry, since they told me that I was the inspiration for their design. The Princess Royals were meant to be the success that Mr. Churchward wanted, but failed to achieve. I do envy him and wished that he had the patience to make his dream come true. Great Bear would have seen those beauties."

— Henry, 1963 Interview

The rest is history...

And as for the laconic version or the TLDR:

Henry was designed by George Jackson Churchward as a second attempt for a Pacific Locomotive for the Great Western Railway.

[weirdowithaquill]

Traintober 2024: Day 16 - Golden

Oh, How Rebecca Loved the Sun...

In a siding, tucked behind a long line of trucks awaiting transport to the works for repairs, sat a West Country class. Her name was Rebecca, and she was patiently awaiting her crew. Golden rays of sun shone down on her, warming her boiler through and leaving her comfortable and just a little sleepy.

“Morning, Rebecca,” called her driver, striding over from the sheds. “I see they left you out in the sun again, eh? You always were fond of the sun.” “It just feels so nice, driver,” chuckled Rebecca. “Surely you understand?” Her driver just nodded in agreement, already starting his checks. As soon as he was out of sight though, he grimaced.

Rebecca was a delightful engine to work with – but she was naïve and oblivious to the extreme. All around her, steam engines had been withdrawn and replaced by diesels and electrics – she herself had been moved from Exmouth Junction just before all her classmates there were unceremoniously pulled from service and dragged away to be cut up. And yet somehow Rebecca didn’t realise. She barely noticed as the number of steam engines around her grew smaller and smaller with each passing year, long time friends vanishing while she was out on an express run.

“They’re just being useful elsewhere!” Rebecca would say when her driver tentatively asked what had happened to them, hoping one day Rebecca would wise up to the truth of the situation and admit they’d been scrapped. And every time Rebecca replied that her old friends – many of whom she’d known since she was built – had simply been transferred, her driver caved and agreed that he’d heard that too.

What was he supposed to say to his engine? This living sunflower of a locomotive who only seemed to see the best in everything, even as she became run down due to a lack of maintenance.

“Come on Rebecca, we’ve got a train to pull,” her driver said kindly, and swung up into her cab. He could only hope to keep protecting her for as long as possible. At least until she either figured it out on her own or he was unable to hide it any longer. And much to his displeasure, he didn’t think either of those options had a very long lifespan left in them.

***

Rebecca’s driver clung to the letter, scrunching it up in his hands. His engine had been sold off.

“I thought I’d get longer,” he sighed, letting the letter fall to the floor as every fibre of his body seemed to sag in sadness. His golden girl was being preserved, sure – but not on the railway. She would likely not run again, not where she was going.

“Morning Rebecca!” he chirped, trying to put on a brave face. The West Country Class opened a sleepy eye, gazing down at her driver even as she hummed at the warmth of the beams of sunlight gently warming her boiler. “I have exciting news for you!” “Oh? What is it driver?” asked Rebecca curiously, gazing down at him with bright eyes. Looking closer, the deep, also black of the pupils was flecked with hints of golden, her eyes an almost warm brown in the sun.

“You’ve been sold,” her driver said as gently as he could. “You’re going to get a full overhaul and a special coat of paint next week, and then you’ll be going to your new home!” He tried to smile, but it felt weak in front of his engine. Rebecca just stared at her driver in confusion.

“Who bought me?” she asked. “S. J. Edwards’,” replied her driver. Rebecca frowned; had she been a puppy, she’d have tilted her head to the side in confusion. Her driver felt a bit like he was telling a golden retriever he was ‘selling it to a farm in Scotland’.

“Isn’t that the toy company?” quizzed Rebecca. “I didn’t know they needed an engine.” “Neither did I, Rebecca,” replied her driver. “But that’s who bought you.” Rebecca seemed… apprehensive about the revelation that she was being sold on, but still went about her regular duties with her usual cheerful mood.

“Maybe I’m going to pull special trains of toys for children,” she thought to herself out loud. Her driver winced in her cab, but said nothing. He would just have to let her dream for a little while longer.

The days passed rapidly, far too rapidly. The sun kept up its shining for once, giving Rebecca plenty of time out in its golden rays. To her driver, it was almost as if the heavens above were giving Rebecca her swansong. She was certainly getting the most out of the good weather, spending all her time out soaking up the sunshine in between trains. In the sheds, the other engines spoke in hushed tones about the odd West Country Class who just seemed oblivious to everything, though her driver did everything he could to keep Rebecca from hearing the whispers.

It was not enough. It was never enough.

Rebecca was sent to Eastleigh Works for the repairs. She was to get a full overhaul to prepare her for her new life – one of the last major overhauls of a steam engine the works would ever undertake, and also Rebecca’s first true taste of the truth. Without her driver or her friends around to protect her, Rebecca was faced with the ugly reality of British Rail. As she waited for her turn in the works, she was placed in the Eastleigh engine sheds, right near where rows of steam engines stood silent, men weaving between them with cutting torches. These men held none of the same love for steam engines that her driver did. Instead, they silently did their work, slicing deep cuts into slowly rusting engines to pull them apart and sell off their metal for reuse. A line of stonily silent trucks stood between the engines living at Eastleigh sheds and those dying there, a stark dividing line which was being steadily loaded up with the cut-up remains of the engines.

The weather changed too, the sun hiding away behind thick grey clouds that unleashed great heaps of rain all over the countryside. Rebecca was left cold and alone, not even able to talk to the other engines due to how shocked she was.

“Poor thing,” sighed a Lord Nelson Class from the other side of the yard. “She really had no clue apparently. Must’ve been nice, living without the knowledge.” Rebecca didn’t agree. She wished she had known, she wished she’d been able to grab all of her friends and cling tightly to them. They were gone now, weren’t they? Brought to places like this and left on cold, damp sidings until they were ripped into by the scrappers. They’d all put on such positive attitudes around Rebecca that she’d never suspected, never heard the undercurrent of fear that permeated every illness and rust patch that made itself known.

Her friends were dead.

Rebecca was a very different engine, going into the works. Even as she was buffed and shined and gifted brand new parts machined to perfection to ensure she was the absolute peak of health, all she could think about was how there were hundreds of engines right outside being treated to agony and death while she was pampered. Rebecca didn’t even notice the golden yellow livery being deftly applied until it was finished, bright orange and red lining and embellishments being carefully added to compliment the new colourful livery. Her number was changed, as was the lettering on her tender.

Gone was the old British Railways logo; in its place stood a large stuffed bear holding a banner with ‘S. J. Edwards’ written on it in a fancy logo. The teddy bear looked very fancy, not that Rebecca could see it. All she could see was the men scurrying about in front of her, preparing her to be moved.

She had taken up enough space in their workshop for too long already, and now they wanted her gone so they could begin work on the next EMU overhaul. Rebecca was dragged out by a Class 07 and gently pushed backwards up a rickety ramp and onto the back of a Scammel Contractor lorry. Rebecca felt very odd as she watched her tender get added to a second trailer moments later, seeing just how different it looked for the first time.

“Where am I going now?” she asked the foreman. “S. J. Edwards’ main plant,” replied the foreman briskly. “You’ll be their shining mascot… or something like that.” He turned away to signal that Rebecca was chained down and ready to move, even as Rebecca began to realise just what the foreman had said.

She was to be a mascot. Mascots didn’t move, they didn’t haul around presents. They sat still and smiled even as the years wore down on them. She’d seen it from an old tank that had been the mascot of a town until he was so rusted and tired that he had to be taken away and placed in a specialist museum to be restored.

Or maybe that had been a lie, and he’d also been scrapped.

Rebecca travelled far on the roads, through towns she’d once served that now had only diesels, if any railway at all. How had she been so blind to everything changing? How had she managed to miss each event as it happened?

The truck turned again; Rebecca felt something shift under her. The roads were so uncomfortable, and yet it was the only way to the factory now. There was no railway out to the S. J. Edwards main facility anymore, because British Railways didn’t think it important.

There were no more steam engines safe from scrap because British Railways didn’t think they were important.

The truck slowed to a stop, and a crane rumbled up. Rebecca looked over – the building was certainly fancy, and right inside the front entrance there stood a plinth. It was empty but for a pair of rails set into the concrete.

That… that was her new home, wasn’t it?

Rebecca was carefully pushed inside, moved on temporary rails up to the plinth before her brakes were locked on, chocks were forced under her wheels and the temporary rails were ripped up. Her glorious golden paintwork was starkly contrasted by the tears falling from her eyes.

“Stop crying and smile, idiot!” snarled a man in a pinstriped suit. “You’re meant to be a mascot, not a sob story. What child wants to see a blubbering mess when they come visit?” The man rapped his cane against Rebecca’s buffers. It didn’t hurt, but it was enough to silence the stunned engine.

Rebecca looked up – above her stood a large dome from which great white lights hung to illuminate everything far too brightly. It was nothing like the golden rays of sun Rebecca so loved to feel on her boiler. These lights weren’t warm, they were cold and unforgiving.

And at night, they were abruptly shut off, plunging Rebecca into the dark with only her own thoughts and her tears.

And even today, one has to wonder if Rebecca will ever feel the sun again? 

Back to the Master Post

[michaelfallcon]

Gaggia Classic 2018/19 Review. Do They Make Them Like They Used to? Lets See…

As you’ll know if you read my original Gaggia classic review, I’m really fond of the original Gaggia Classic – as many people are. Released in 1991, the Gaggia Classic was an incredibly popular home Espresso machine and remained largely unchanged (why fix what isn’t broken?) until 2009 when Phillips took over Gaggia & things began to change. 

The original Gaggia classic was made in Italy, had the the 3 way solenoid valve, all brass group and full sized 58mm portafilter, and really was built to last, proven by the fact that there are still so many of the pre 2009 original classics still going strong, it really was a stonking machine for the money.

The only thing this inexpensive (when compared to other home barista Espresso machines) machine was lacking when it came to home barista use, was a proper steam wand – and this simply involved a 5 minute job of removing the factory fitted panarello and fitting a £15 Rancilio steam wand. 

But after 2009, things began to change, they “messed” with a machine that most users agree didn’t need to be messed with.

This came to a head with the 2015 model, which had push buttons instead of rocker switches, a mechanical valve instead of the 3 way solenoid valve, a couple of plastic bits that were previously metal, lower power, and a panarello steam wand that was much more difficult to modify.

This is the 3 way solenoid valve. Most home barista Espresso machines use one of these, to release the pressure from the brew head after pulling the shot. Previous models had a mechanical valve to do this instead of the solenoid, which aren’t quite as good at doing the job, but which require less maintenance.

So the general consensus about newer models, and especially the 2015 model, is: They don’t make them like they used to. 

Then what happened?

It appears, that Gaggia listened to their customers! 

By the way – before I continue, I just wanted to make it completely clear that this not a sponsored or paid for review. I have no business relationship whatsoever with Gaggia, Gaggia Direct, or Caffe Shop Ltd.

I never do any kinds of sponsored or paid posts or reviews on coffeeblog, every post on this blog is 100% based on my own … I wouldn’t go so far as to say expert opinion ;-), but I can say for sure, unadulterated opinion.

I say this because I know that many people (myself included) get fed up of using the web to find genuine, unbiased reviews, opinion & information, only to get to the end of a post with a feeling that we’ve been taken for a mug by a paid advertisement thinly disguised as a genuine review. You can be 100% sure that this will never happen on this blog. With this being such a glowing review, I suspected that some new readers who don’t realise that I don’t ever do commercial posts, may assume it’s a sponsored review, so I just wanted to make it very clear that it’s not, this is 100% my own opinion.

Anyway, to get back to the Gaggia Classic 2018/19 review.

The new 2018/19 Gaggia classic:

Is Made in Italy

Features the famous solenoid valve

Has lost the bits of plastic

Has some other improvements (which I’ll get to shortly)

and…

Features a professional steam wand!

This for me, is a big deal. Call me sad, I don’t care ;-).

The one thing that I feel always kept the classic within the domestic/consumer Espresso machines category, was the fact it comes factory fitted with a panarello steam wand. Other than this, I’ve always seen the Classic as a prosumer home barista Espresso machine. 

It has a proper boiler, not a thermocoil or thermoblock. It has a full sized, metal portafilter, a decent sized water tank, decent sized drip tray, everything about it has always said home barista, to me, except the steam wand.

So the fact Gaggia have finally noticed, after several years that many people who buy the classic, mod it with a Rancilio steam wand, and decided to factory fit a pro steam wand – is great news!

I spoke Raj Beadle, the owner of Caffe Shop Ltd, Gaggia distributor in the UK (he was the MD of Gaggia UK until the Phillips takeover), to see if I could get a loan unit for a week or so to work on a user review, and unfortunately they had completely sold out of all the UK stock of this machine. The only one they had left at the time was the demo unit in their head office, so I headed up there to get my hands on it. Here’s what I thought. 

Gaggia 2018/2019 Review. 

The first thing I think I need to point out about this, is that we’re talking about the latest (at the time of writing) 2018/2019 model. Be very careful if you’re buying this from anyone but gaggiadirect.com, as there are others who appear to be selling the 2015 version as the “2018” based on the manufacture date, however simply being manufactured in 2018 doesn’t make it the new 2018-19 model. Also, if you do appear to be getting a great deal on a Gaggia machine (or any other machine), I’d recommend doing a bit of Googling to ensure that you are actually buying a machine from within the UK, with UK warranty – as there are firms who claim to be selling UK stock, who aren’t. 

They don’t make them like they used to… they make them even better!

I know it may seem strange to put the conclusion of a post at the beginning, but I thought this may be helpful for anyone who just wanted to quickly find out what I thought, overall, of the new Gaggia Classic 2018/19, and that is, that in my humble opinion, it is not just as good, but even better, than the highly acclaimed original Gaggia classic.

To quickly explain why I’ve come to this conclusion – and I’ll get into more detail shortly – but in a nutshell, it has the 3 way solenoid valve, and everything else that was great about the original, but it also has the professional, factory fitted steam wand – it heats up in about 45 seconds, there’s a lower profile drip tray available, its easier to see the water level in the tank, and personally I think just the rounding off of the front of the standard drip tray makes the new classic slightly more aesthetically pleasing.

If that’s all you wanted to know, then there you go, go put your pre-order in at gaggiadirect.com or give them a call on 01422 372554. When I was there (2nd of Jan 2018) they had completely sold out, they have more on the way very shortly but you’ll probably need to get a pre-order in if you want one of these, as they’re selling like hot cakes apparently. 

If you want to know more – then read on

Appearance

On the face of it, the Gaggia Classic looks very similar to previous models.

The front edge of the drip tray is rounded off which I think is a good thing, it’s only a small touch but I think it makes the machine look slightly more modern. The pressure overflow pipe has an anti burn cover on it, as does the new pro steam wand.

There’s a slight cut-out on the side of the metal framework which gives you another way to view the water tank level, which again I think is a positive change. The steam and coffee buttons have swapped positions, which may throw you a bit initially if you’re used to the older models.

Other than these small details, it’s very obviously the Gaggia Classic in appearance. 

The solenoid valve is back

Some other models, including the more recent 2015 version, had a mechanical valve instead of the 3 way Solenoid valve. Actually, switching to a mechanical valve made sense on paper.

Although they’re not as powerful, they actually require less maintenance than solenoid valves. If you live in a harder water area, it’s a bit more important to keep on top of descaling with a machine with a solenoid valve vs a mechanical valve.

But, the people spoke, they wanted the power of the good old solenoid, and Gaggia listened ;-). Actually the new solenoid valve is slightly smaller than the older ones, but I’m told it’s just as powerful, and that size doesn’t always matter…

Aluminium boiler

Speaking of size, the 2015 classic featured a larger (200ml vs 130ml), stainless steel boiler. The new 2018/19 version has gone back to the smaller aluminium boiler.

Anodised Aluminium

If you’re one of the few readers who have emailed me in the past asking if the Aluminium boiler on the Classic is coated to prevent water from coming into direct contact with it, the answer is yes. The Aluminium boiler is anodized, meaning there’s a coating to ensure that the water in the boiler isn’t coming into direct contact with the Aluminium.

One thing to add, though, is that if you do live in a harder water area, one of the reasons it is important to keep on top of descaling, is if limescale builds up and causes pitting on the surface of the boiler, this can, in theory, cause damage to this coating over time, allowing the water to come into direct contact with the Aluminium.

Another thing to note, is to make sure you’re using the proper descaler. Raj mentioned to me that some people use different kinds of descaler, which can also damage this coating. Gaggia create a descaler which is made specifically for their domestic machines, so It’s worthwhile using this – or at least contacting them to ask if the descaler you’re planning on using is compatible, and isn’t going to cause any damage.

Faster warm-up time

One of the benefits of the smaller, Aluminium boiler vs the larger stainless steel boiler that previous versions have used, is that the new Classic heats up quicker, at around 45 seconds (I’m assuming the increase power helps in this regard too, but more on this shortly).

Smaller boiler, less steam power?

The larger boiler size would naturally provide more steam power, but actually, I was very impressed with the steam power on the new classic. 

While Raj was showing me the new classic, one of their regular customers called in to buy some coffee and enquire about purchasing the new model. He’d bought the original classic from them in the early 00s, he told me it was still going strong but he just liked the look of the new one, and he’d had over 15 years use from his classic, so he thought it would be a good time to replace it. 

While he was there he asked about the larger milk jugs that Gaggia offer, so Raj decided to find the biggest jug they had, poured a large quantity of milk into it, and decided to see how it would handle such a volume of milk. I’m guessing there was maybe 500-750ml of milk in the jug, and it steamed it fine.  

The new professional steam wand. 

Yes, I know I’m going on about it ;-), but one of the reasons I think this model is better than previous versions – is it comes factory fitted with a proper, professional steam wand. 

For me, a machine with a panarello wand is a standard domestic Espresso machine. Home Baristas need full control over the steam, for making a wide range of different drinks, not just the thick cappuccino foam that a panarello will provide. 

The new steam wand does look very similar to the Rancilio steam wand that people have been using to mod their Classics for years – but the biggest difference is that it has a two holed tip as opposed to a single hole steam tip.

The idea of having more than one steam hole is that it helps to get the milk spinning, to distribute the micro-foam throughout the milk. It seemed to work very well, although I���d want to spend some time using it before deciding whether or not to swap it for a single hole tip.

The water tank

Not much to say about the water tank really vs the other models, it’s the same large 2.1L capacity water tank. The only thing to note is that I did often find it difficult to tell what the level was by looking at the tank, probably due to the lighting in our kitchen. The new design of the metal frame includes cutouts on the edge, enabling you to see the water level there too, which I think is a nice little touch.

The drip tray

One of the things I’ve missed actually, about the classic after boxing it up and using my La Pavoni Europicolla for a while, is the drip tray. It’s got plenty of capacity for home use, and it’s very easy to remove and clean.

The drip tray on the Europiccola is almost non existent, and any water dripping from the steam wand has a tendency to drip down under the drip tray and make it float – so I do appreciate the drip tray on the classic. 

The drip tray on the new classic has a rounded off front edge, which I think is a slightly nicer look. They also now offer a nice looking low profile all chrome drip tray, which is good idea for anyone who likes to pull their shots directly into taller cups rather than using shot cups or glasses.

New stainless steel low profile drip tray available for Gaggia Classic.

All brass group & portafilter

The older versions of the classic featured an all brass group head, and all chromed brass portafilter (except the handle of course). The 2015 version contains some plastic to aid the locking of the portafilter into the group, the 2018/19 model doesn’t have this, it’s all metal. 

Metal splitter

Metal splitter on Gaggia Classic Portafilter. Photo credit: Rodolphe Courtier

The splitter on the bottom of the portafilter, which does the job of separating the Espresso flow into two sides, is metal on the original versions, but the 2015 version came with a plastic splitter.

On the 2018/19 model, I’m happy to see that they’ve switched back to the metal splitter. 

Traditional baskets and pressured baskets

There are two kinds of baskets you can use with Espresso machines, pressurised or “perfect crema” baskets, and traditional baskets.

Pressurised baskets were developed to aid domestic Espresso machine users to generate the pressure in the basket to create better Espresso. Most domestic machines come with pressurised baskets, while prosumer or home barista machines, and commercial Espresso machines, will always come with standard baskets. 

The new classic comes with both pressurised baskets, and single baskets. 

So if you have no interest in catching the home barista bug, which is really a hobby rather than just a case of buying a machine, and you want to simply buy pre-ground coffee rather than to also buy a grinder and grind your own beans, then you’d use the “perfect crema” pressurised baskets, which will help you to get better results from pre-ground coffee.

You may consider yourself to be a home barista, as I do, meaning you want to do everything yourself including grinding the beans, spending the time to dial in the grind for each bean, before dosing and tamping the coffee into the portafilter, and then steaming the milk and making a proper pigs ear of the latte art

as I often do, it’s so much harder than the professionals make it look, isn’t it??

In this case, then you would use the standard non pressured baskets, and use the perfect crema baskets as mini frisbees, or something, or actually, probably a good idea to keep them for when someone (it’s the thought that counts) buys you pre-ground coffee as a gift, so you can at least use it if you run out of coffee beans ;-).

You may just be considering buying the classic purely because you want a great Espresso machine, and you have absolutely no interest in taking up a new hobby. In this case you’d reach for the pressurised baskets (make sure you don’t lose the small pressure pin that will be in the bag with the baskets, you’ll need that) and put the standard baskets away for a rainy day.

The buttons

Rocker Switches on the new Gaggia Classic 2018/19

The buttons on the 2018/19 model have gone back to the more traditional rocker type switches as opposed to the more standard buttons on the 2015 model, so in this regard the buttons look more like the older models – with one major difference, just for a prank, they’ve swapped the position of the coffee button and steam button. 

Actually I doubt they’ve done it for a prank, although I like to think they have ;-).

I’m not sure what other purpose there would be for doing this, but it doesn’t really make much difference other than the fact it may throw you a bit until you’re used to it, if you’ve had one of the older models of the classic for years. 

Another change re the buttons, is that each one has its own light. It used to be that there was one light above the power switch, and one above the steam which was the light for both the coffee button and the steam. There’s now a separate light for each.

Push buttons on the 2015 classic.

While the 2015 version had push button switches, the 2018/19 model has the rocker switches that we’re used to seeing on the classic.

The power button is a spring loaded rocker switch which actuates a relay, the steam and coffee switches are the same traditional rocker switches you’ll be familiar with if you have used one of the older models.

Auto off

The reason for the change to the push buttons on the 2015 model, and the reason that the power switch on the 2018/19 model is a spring loaded rocker activating a push button relay switch, is the necessity for the auto off feature.

This is thanks to EU regulations (see EU rules force coffee machines to switch off) which came into force in 2015 and applies to most kitchen appliances, not just Espresso machines. Coffee machines & other appliances now can’t be sold with the EU which don’t have an auto cut off function. 

How things will change if we ever actually leave the EU, remains to be seen, but actually I don’t think this auto off thing is a big deal for Espresso machines, at least not for a machine like the classic which heats up so quickly. 

The 2015 version and the 2018/19 version both automatically turn off after 9 minutes. The boiler water is actually up to temp with the 2018/19 classic within around 45 seconds, and just over a minute with the 2015 model.

Some people (I did too when I first bought my Gaggia classic a few years ago, I think I’d read it in a forum thread) seem to think that they need to leave the machine to heat up for 10-15 minutes, which would seem ridiculous if it cuts out before it’s heated up, but this is a bit of a misconception. 

You can actually start brewing with an Espresso machine as soon as the brew temp is reached. The only issue at this point is that the other parts of the machine including the group and the portafilter, won’t be up to the desired temp and the flowing Espresso with the first couple of shots would be cooled down as a result.

So all you need to do in order to bring the other parts up to temp is to run some hot water through the group with the portafilter inserted. The cup, or both the shot cup or glass and the coffee cup (if you pull the shot into a shot class or cup and then decant into a larger cup) should be warmed too, to prevent the espresso being cooled down by hitting cold ceramic or glass. 

So, for example, if you pull your shot directly into your cappuccino cup, you can fill up the cup with hot water from the group head, with the portafilter inserted, to heat everything up at the same time.

This style of shot glass (this one is from Motta)  without a handle, will fit inside most coffee cups.

If, like me, you pull your shots into a small shot cup or glass & then pour this into your larger cup (my cups don’t fit under the portafilter, although they may do with the lower profile stainless steel drip tray that is now available as an optional extra) if your shot glass will fit inside your bigger cup, you can put it inside the cup, and warm both cups up at the same time while warming up the group head and portafilter.

Hot water dispensing

With the 2015 and some other previous versions of the classic, due to the type of valve in use, you couldn’t dispense hot water purely via the steam wand. You could only get it flowing via the brew group and the wand at the same time, which is a bit of a pain if you’re just wanting to get some hot water through the wand. 

With the new 2018/2019 model however, as with my 2003 model, you can actually turn the steam wand into a hot water tap, by turning on the steam, then turning on the coffee button, and then turning the steam knob – and water will only flow from the wand.

Power

The original classics were 1425 Watts, including my 2003 model. After the Phillips takeover, the power dropped to 1300W, so not a huge drop, but the 2015 model dropped still to 1050W. While I assume that this, coupled with the smaller Aluminium boiler is why the 2018 heats up quicker than the 2015 model, I doubt it makes a huge deal of difference.

Other well respected and more expensive home barista Espresso machines have a similar wattage to the 2015 model, including the Rancilio Silvia (about £425) & the Nuova Simonelli Oscar 2 (about £700), which is what makes me say this. 

Price

The one thing that the 2015 model, has against the new 2018/19 model, is price. The 2015 model had an RRP of £310, but is currently on sale at Gaggiadirect.com for £190 to subscribers (so, erm, subscribe before you buy… maybe). 

This new machine costs more to build, therefore it costs more to buy. The RRP is £425, but is currently on offer at Gaggiadirect.com for £399.

At the moment having just launched, they’re flying out of their doors, so I’m not sure what offers they’re going to be doing in the very near future, but I would expect promotions in the future once the initial surge slows down a bit.

As with the 2015 model, though, the best offers will be sent to subscribers, so it is well worth subscribing. I’m on their list, and they don’t sent a huge amount of emails, it’s usually only when they have a new machine or a special offer. 

Should you go for the 2015 model while it’s on offer??

There are two main markets for manual Espresso machines. The standard domestic market & the home barista market. 

The standard domestic market consists of every day coffee drinkers who just want to make the best espresso they can, with a machine they can afford.

The home barista market consists of people who see coffee as a hobby, and are happy to invest a considerable amount of time and money into upgrading their skills and their equipment, to gain a continual improvement in the quality of the coffee they’re able to make.

The classic has always straddled these two markets, as a top end manual semi auto Espresso machine for the standard domestic market, and as an entry level home Barista machine. 

In my opinion, the 2015 model better suits the domestic market. The mechanical valve vs the solenoid I think is fine for a domestic machine, it’ll do the job OK, but it doesn’t require as much maintenance. The fact that the steam wand isn’t as easy to mod doesn’t matter for the domestic market, as most users are happy to use the panarello. The fact that some bits are plastic, will be helping to reduce the RRP, and I don’t actually think it makes a huge deal of difference to performance anyway.

If you’re going to be using the Espresso machine with pre-ground coffee, and you have no interest in things like learning to pour latte art (most people are more than happy with spoonable cappuccino foam, and the panarello wand will do a fine job of this) then the 2015 model is probably a great choice for you while it’s on offer. 

If you’re a home Barista like me, then the 2015 model won’t be for you. You’ll want the pro steam wand, you’ll want the solenoid valve, even if the difference in performance is only slight and that it makes maintenance more important, you’ll want the increased power and the slightly better all metal build quality.

Want an original classic but have a much smaller available budget?

I know some new budding home baristas will be reading this who don’t have anywhere near the budget for the new classic, and this was me when I bought my classic a few years ago.

If this is you – then why not do what I did, look for a used pre 2009 classic, these machines are practically the same as the new 2018/19 machine. That’s my 2003 model on the left, just after I’d bought it and modded the wand.

Yes you may find that a used machine needs some TLC, but if you’re careful enough to read the descriptions properly, look at all of the images, and ask questions if you’re unsure (you may want to ask if it has had regular maintenance such as descaling) you should be able to find a machine with no issues.

I ended up picking up my 2003 model, which was pristine, absolutely no problems with it, for £100 on eBay. 

A tip to help you find an original, is to look at the badge. If it has an etched logo like mine does, on the photo on the left, then it’s definitely a pre-2009 model. If you see one with a stuck on badge, as per the photo over on the right, it may be a post 2009 model. If the seller hasn’t specified the date, just ask them to look at the sticker on the bottom, with the manufacture date.

A tip when it comes to limescale, is to check where the item is, and google to see if this is a hard water area or a soft water area. If you can get a machine from a soft water area (as I did) there’s a lot less chance that the machine will be suffering from any limescale issues. 

Is the 2018/19 classic still an entry level home barista machine?

For me, the new Gaggia classic 2018/19 is definitely a machine for home baristas. When you look at the build quality, the fact it has the 3 way solenoid valve, the power rating, the fact it has a pro steam wand – it’s built for home baristas.  

But, with an RRP currently of £425, I think it’s in a very competitive area price wise, at the same cost as the popular Rancilio Silvia, and with other interesting machines at a similar price point including the Lelit Gilda PL41PLUS which is about £50-£60 more. The Silvia has a 300ml copper/alloy boiler, the Lelit has a 300ml brass boiler, so I can’t help but think that maybe the 2018 classic is punching slightly above it’s weight with this RRP.

But as time goes on, as usually happens with machines, I’d expect to see promotions for the new 2018/19 classic, at around the £300 mark, and I think when available for this kind of cost, there’s really nothing to compete with the new classic at that price. 

Why buy Gaggia machines from Gaggia Direct?

Gaggia Direct head quarterd in Elland, near Halifax, where I went to check out the new Gaggia Classic 2018/19.

When shopping online, most of us tend to buy based on price alone, as if price is the only thing to be concerned with. But when purchasing an electrical appliance such as an Espresso machine, we really need to think about who the after-sales support and service will be handled by, and what kind of experience we’re likely to have when it comes to it.

I don’t think many people would choose to save a few quid on a machine if they discovered that this UK was shipping directly from Italy, would actually take over a week to come, and wouldn’t have a UK warranty – but unfortunately some people find this out when it’s too late.

Gaggia Direct (Caffe Shop Ltd) based in Elland, near Halifax (and with shops in Castleford, Northampton, Braintree, Cambridge, Surrey, Glasgow, Pontypridd, Winchmore Hill & Harrow) are basically Gaggia UK, the UK arm of Gaggia Milano. 

When Phillips took over in 2009, Raj Beadle was the Managing Director of Gaggia UK. In order to keep the company going, and keep his team in jobs, Raj formed Caffe Shop Ltd, bought the business including the Gaggia shops, and continued to run Gaggia Direct via the new company, as the sole UK distributor for Gaggia Milano. 

From what I saw during my time there (and I was there from 10.30am to 2PM, so I had plenty of time to look and listen) these are people who really care about their customers and really know about their products, and it’s no wonder this is the case, given that they are Gaggia UK when all said and done.

When I was there, Raj was taking support calls as the main customer support person was out of the office, and this is someone who clearly knows the Gaggia machines inside and out.

The engineer I met there, who had a look at my 2003 classic for me (which I’ll come to shortly), told me he’d been with them since 1989 – and his level of experience with these machines were clear when he knew just from the sound that my steam knob was making when being turned, that the steam valve needed replacing.

If you’re buying based on price, and you find a deal better than Gaggia Direct, I’d just recommend that you spend 5 minutes checking trust pilot reviews, Google & Facebook reviews, you may well save yourself some potential aggravation.

The end…

There’s no need for a conclusion, really, as I opened with it. Basically, I think the new Gaggia classic 2018/19 is even slightly better than the original, and I think as long as you’re either buying it directly from Gaggia Direct, or from one of their re-sellers (so you have a proper UK warranty with Gaggia direct themselves) then you can’t really go wrong. 

My 2003 classic, in my kitchen next to my Sage Smart Grinder Pro, which is still going strong.

The only other thing to note is that Gaggia Direct will repair and recondition older machines. I didn’t realise that when I went, but as luck has it, we had been decorating the kitchen, and my 2003 classic which had been sat in a box in the kitchen for a while, just happened to be in the boot of my car!

I’d really given my classic a run for its money over a period of nearly two years. I’d treated it at times like a commercial machine, pulling shot after shot, and steaming jug after jug for latte art practice. 

Water had begun to drip from where the wand connects, and I was intermittently getting some poor shots, and the odd really sloppy puck, so I just thought I’d ran it into the ground. I boxed it up and thought maybe I might look at trying to repair it one day, but it had been there for probably a year now, so I was starting to think I’d never do anything with it. 

It was in my boot as there was nowhere else for it while the kitchen was being painted, and I was actually considering just giving it away to someone who reconditions machines, or worse still – taking it to the tip…

When I mentioned to Raj that my classic was in my boot, he very kindly asked me to go get it so he could ask one of the engineers to have a quick look. The engineer (who I mentioned earlier in the review) knew from the sound the steam knob was making, that the steam valve probably needed replacing, and he thought that the group seal probably needed replacing too.

So I left it there and asked them to just give me a shout to let me know what the damage would be to fix, and just a day or so later I got an email to let me know that it was all done, the steam valve was replaced, a new seal had been fitted, and they also found it needed a new thermostat. The cost for all this – £85, which I think is great! 

My 2003 classic will probably go strong for years now – especially given that from now on it’ll probably only get occasional use. I now also have a La Pavoni Europiccola, which also may start to get little use soon due to something I’ll be announcing soon about a new plan I have which involves using and reviewing a range of different prosumer Espresso machines. 

Life is like a box of chocolates, so follow me on Twitter, and that’s all I have to say about that.

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