Review on Gaggia 1003380 Accademia Espresso Machine, ☕️ Silver: A Perfect Blend of Style and Functionality by Justin Albright

First of all I have to say I was very nervous about buying an expensive coffee machine on the internet before I saw the machine in action or tasted coffee , but after seeing the reviews on the internet and many comparisons with other machines on the internet, I chose this model. As it turned out, all my worries were for nothing because this car is absolutely fantastic. Shipping was a bit tricky as it was sent with UPS and required a signature which I had to be at home to sign for. After talking to UPS a bit, I was able to pick it up at their distribution center. Mind you, it comes in a large box that weighs over 45 pounds. It's a large machine and takes up little countertop space. What they don't tell you is that you need some space around them to open the front to empty the drip tray and pull the brew group out for cleaning every now and then. Pros: * The machine does it all: espresso, single or double coffee, cappuccino, latte coffee (labeled caffe macchiato) and even hot frothed/foamed milk for hot chocolate (chocolate needs to be added).* Coffee can be made with a strong Coffee is ground in a mill with ceramic grinding stones. Features a bypass spout so you can also use pre-ground drinks.* The easy-to-use milk jug keeps milk cold in the fridge and makes it easy to make milk-based coffee.* Easy to program: Each drink has its own settings, and you can use one-touch, press and hold to get the exact amount of coffee and milk. * Very easy to use. * You can use the SBS dial to adjust the back pressure. Sometimes I switch on a whim.* Good temp, good foam, good grind.* Fairly quick on/off cycle. Heats up pretty quickly. It also runs its own cleaning cycles making this machine easy to maintain.* Nice display with an easy to use menu system. No learning curve required. Also loved the animation. * Drip tray and brewer pull out easily for cleaning. * Supports low and tall cups and glasses. * Steam/water wand works great and is easy to use. * Looks nice Cons: * Expensive machine, but no more than the competition.* Requires water changes and more frequent draining/overflows than desired. Also, I seem to go through milk and water pretty quickly. But topping up milk when needed isn't too difficult, and the machine will tell you when to do it.* The milk seems to squirt a little more than I'd like. If you look at videos of other machines on the internet, these machines seem to do what they do. However, turning it on and off will run through a rinse cycle. I'm sure it makes maintenance easier, it uses water and requires me to hold a cup under the spout when turning it on and off. I don't use a timer, but turn it on when I need it and turn it off when I'm done.* Some extra wide cups may not work because the cup is pressing against the milk carafe. This machine is probably functionally identical to the Saeco Exprelia as they are owned by the same parent company and appear to use the same parts. I chose the Gaggia Accademia primarily because of the color display, the nicer look, the additional coffee button and the lower price. Overall we love this machine and enjoy fresh, hot and delicious coffee several times a day. We would recommend it to anyone looking for a super machine.