Roderick

You're english is very good for being your second language.
And you're neurotic like a lot of us on this site - wanting to make the right choice.
But I think you've gotten all the info you need. Buy the CLASSIC already. It's better built, more reliable. And more easily modified.
All roads lead to it.
But maybe you're not really ready to buy - which is okay.
It's the problem with the internet. It allows one an almost infinite resource for information - so much that we get overwhelmed and are unable to decide - so we go on the hunt still looking for MORE info. The search becomes more important than the actual decision to BUY.
Sometimes I wish for the olden days - there were only a couple choices of products; no internet; you asked one or two people; talked to the salesclerk - made your choice.
Good luck.

Gaggias are generally very reliable. Many people have had their Classics or Babies for ten years or more. The machines are quite simple internally, so there's not much that can go wrong as long as you follow basic cleaning and maintenance procedures like descaling the boiler once in a while. There is a fuse that can burn out if the machine overheats, but it's a cheap and simple matter to replace it if and when it fails.

I can't vouch for the newer Gaggias, however. They may include some new features that can create potential for new problems. This is another reason to go with one of the older designs like the Classic, since there's less to go wrong and they have an extensive track record.

vitomatt wrote:Roderick
Sometimes I wish for the olden days - there were only a couple choices of products; no internet; you asked one or two people; talked to the salesclerk - made your choice.
Good luck.

Go ahead, ask two random people and a salesclerk in the local electronics store on what they think is a good espresso machine. No webshops allowed. I'd bet good money on you ending up with a Capresso/Jura superautomatic and Illy beans.

Yes, that's true, but I think you may have missed the point. For those who have a hard time making decisions the internet can be like... crack.

I know this is my first post but i would strongly recommend against getting the Gaggia Twin Baby. I have owned several Gaggias one of which was a twin baby. They are each the same different, similar internals but not all have stainless steel boilers even. The Twin Baby has an aluminum boiler for example but all that is besides the point... get the Classic. The Twin Baby has horrible steam power and the thermo block is almost completely useless. Sorry if i repeated someone else but I haven't read this for a while but wanted to register just to let you know i like gaggias but don't like that machine.

Hi

thank you all for your valuable input. I just wanted to let you know that, after reading your posts and reading some more user reviews, I decided to buy the Gaggia Classic as my very first espresso machine.

Radek