I want a Gaggia Classic, and a grinder to go along with it, and I am concerned about longevity. I won't be able to do *any* upgrades until after college, but want to explore and learn about espresso while in college.

Does a good grinder last 5+ years? Can someone recommend one?
And with proper maintenance, is there any reason a new gaggia classic won't last 5+ years?
After college I will get a prosumer machine and a great grinder and roaster. I simply cant right now, but want to get consistently good shots of espresso for the next coming years.

Thanks.

The Gaggia should be no problem if it is fed decent water.
For consistently good shots, the opening bid for new is probably the Baratza Vario. A better deal would be a used Mazzer.

EspressoFiend wrote:Does a good grinder last 5+ years? Can someone recommend one?
And with proper maintenance, is there any reason a new gaggia classic won't last 5+ years?
After college I will get a prosumer machine and a great grinder and roaster. I simply cant right now, but want to get consistently good shots of espresso for the next coming.

With proper care, your equipment will last much longer than 5 years. If you continue to frequent this website, your satisfaction with it (or most any other equipment) will not last 5 months.

I had a Faema Family, very comparable with a Gaggia Classic, for 14 yrs. Worked seamlessly. The only part I replaced in all those years was a leaking steam valve ($ 10 or so).

I sold it because I wanted something beefier, and also because the parts weren't available any more, but not because it didn't work.

I know this makes me sound "rich" or whatever, but my dad told me If I graduated from College and got a first real job and place to live, he would buy me whatever espresso machine I wanted (within reason). Espresso is a hobby we share, and we love to discover new beans together and modify equipment, etc.

Unfortunately, I now live away from home. Missing espresso hard...
Thanks for helping me get over my fears, guys! Im about to drop a lot of money on a good setup.

Should a new baratza vario work well for 5+ years? Will the burrs stay sharp?
Im sorry to act so worrysome; I just would hate to be a poor college student and have my 300$+ grinder break. Are the parts cheap/easy to come by?

Edit: Gaggia New Baby for $300.00 new. I could afford a great grinder at this price. Go, or no go?
Is it as reliable as the classic?

You might have to replace burrs over that period of time on the Vario. In the meantime you will have the advantage of low grounds retention, good distribution,the ability to weigh coffee pretty accurately pre-grind, and the ability to change coffees frequently (because you can grind single shots). If you don't do single grinding, there's also the ability to do a timed grind. If I didn't have the Versalab the Vario would be my "go to" grinder.

If you are prepared to spend significantly more the Versalab is a very long term "keeper." I would not trade it for anything else out there. There are many discussions about both on the forum.

EspressoFiend wrote:Edit: Gaggia New Baby for $300.00 new. I could afford a great grinder at this price. Go, or no go?
Is it as reliable as the classic?

My daughter has the Gaggia Classic and I like it a lot. Personally I think that is the one of the home Gaggia's to buy. WLL and maybe Seattle Coffee Gear sometimes sell the Classic and the Vario together at significant discounts.

EspressoFiend wrote:
Edit: Gaggia New Baby for $300.00 new. I could afford a great grinder at this price. Go, or no go?
Is it as reliable as the classic?

If you have the extra, go for a Mazzer Super Jolly or Major second hand. Drop new burrs in it and you should be good for 5 or 10 years before you need a burr replacement.

I have an older Gaggia Classic I bought used.

It needed a good cleaning when I got it, but it works like a champ now.

The gaggia home machines are pretty simple, there is not much to break, and the things that do can be fixed. The newer gaggias do have a self priming valve that seems to be a weak point in their design. There is a way to fix it, if it happens after warranty expires, by plugging it up, and then you just need to open the steam valve if you need to prime it.

BTW, I was trying to figure out the difference between the classic and the new baby. I'm pretty sure the boiler, heater, and pump are the same. They share the same basic internal parts.

I thought the difference was either the 3 way or adjustable opv. The classic has both, I thought the baby is missing one. The wholelattelove page says the baby has a 3 way, and I saw elsewhere where someone said the baby had the adjustable opv, so I don't know what the difference is.

Randy

Thanks everyone!
I just needed a confidence boost. Seems like all I end up reading are negative reviews and problem threads. Maybe those just stick with me.

I will probably end up buying my grinder first, then saving up more for a machine.