Review on Gaggia Velasca Prestige Stainless Steel Espresso Machine by Robert Mulrooney

I've been using this machine for about two weeks and I love it! I make two to four cups a day. It's really very easy to use and clean. An important clue. If coffee beans are left, it does not mean it is a return or refurbished. Machines are factory tested with coffee, cleaned and packaged after testing. Expect a slight learning curve. Once you get the hang of it, it's really amazing. The first cup I made, the puck was soft, almost runny. So I looked online and the grinder needed a finer adjustment. This is where things got a little interesting. I've read online that it's much better to adjust the grinder on the fly, but it doesn't work without the lid so it's impossible to adjust on the fly where you set it. under the lid. There is a way around this. You pour in beans, hold the magnet where the magnet would be on the lid and press the drink button. If it grinds, you can adjust it now. If you choose this route, be careful not to let your fingers touch the grinder. The finer the grind, the richer the taste. If it is too fine, the coffee tastes bitter. So just adjust a little bit. Cleaning the device is very simple and does not take much time. It needs a thorough cleaning once a week. Which really means just rinsing everything and removing the brew group to give it a good rinse. After the coffee has brewed and rested for a while, you will hear the machine turn back on and how it works. At first I thought oh no, that's not right. But before it goes to sleep, it just lets in a little water to rinse it all out. This rinses the decanter outlet. When it's done, I just put it in the fridge the next day. Once a week I take it apart and clean it thoroughly. It looked a little intimidating in the instructions, so I watched a YouTube video on how to take it apart. It's actually very easy to follow the step-by-step instructions in the book, but the video gave me a good idea of how it all fits together. The only problem I've had so far is putting a milk carafe (frother) into the machine. It just doesn't seem like things are going that smoothly. After repeated use it seems to be a bit better, so I don't know if he just learned to put it in or if it just needs hacking. I am very happy with my purchase. I bought the extended four-year warranty because I snagged it the day it was only $25. The manufacturer's warranty is one year and you can download the service manual from the Gaggia website along with the parts list, instruction manuals, etc. Update: I still love making coffee with this machine! A few things I've learned. When emptying the coffee grounds container, make sure that the device is switched on. Sometimes the "empty" light would come on and there would only be a puck or two in the drawer. I read something and that was because I emptied it sometimes when the machine was off. Since then this has not happened again. The box is always full when the light comes on. To prepare 2 espressos at the same time, press the button twice. The display shows x2 (I can't believe how long it took me to figure that out). Finally I added a picture of a cappuccino with a thermometer. The device is set to the highest temperature and the cup was at room temperature, not heated. It's a constant 140-141°F when it's done. Milk froth was 140°F before coffee was added. SCA recommends heating milk to 139-149°F with a maximum temperature of 158°F and a minimum temperature of 122°F. So although I would like it to be a bit warmer, it warms as it should :)