Any one seen, used, or own the Gaggia Achille?

[lino]

Any one seen, used, or own the Gaggia Achille?
That's the machine pictured above.
I like the 58 mm Group.

ciao

lino

[srobinson]

What kind of collection are you starting. You've been poking around every strange machine that I look at.....or are you just doing research?

[lino]

Don't really know what kind of collection you'd call it, maybe research is a good term...
Anyway, now I've got both a LaPeppina and a MicroCimbali on the way.

I was also very impressed with the pics of JonR10's Mini Gaggia, I'd like to find one of those too. Looking on the gaggia site is where I found the Achille, just before that pic was posted. Cant find much about it though. Spring or not, etc....
Found it on German review site at one point, but I haven't studied German for years and Ich habe es alle vergessen, so that didn't help much. Doubt I could find the site again anyway.

I plan to apply for an LMWDP membership number soon (waiting for my preferred #), even though I try to strictly adhere to the "Groucho Marx Principal"*

ciao

lino


* For those unfamiliar, Groucho Marx said he would never join a club that would have him as a member. On the other hand, regarding his "Principles", he also said: "Those are my principles. If you don't like them I have others"

[ladalet]

As near as I can tell the Achille is only available in Europe. I can only find it on European online stores. On the Gaggia website it is listed until you go to the after sales centre and America is not listed. To further support this it only comes in 220V (230-240V). When you go to the Gaggia worldwide page and select USA only one source, the master importer, is listed http://www.importika.com/products.htm and they do not list the Achille. This is unfortunate. I have been waiting patiently for quite some time for this machine to become available in the US. It retails in Europe for about 750 Euros or ~$900 US. This is a very good price for a machine with the features that the Achille sports. It just remains to be seen if it performs. I can't wait to get some information or a review or two on it. EsprossoCoffeeShop has it on sale for $767.10 with free shipping until Sept. 9. http://www.espressocoffeeshop.com...aggia_achille.html I guess you can work out the voltage issue after it arrives.

Lino, did you buy one of the 2 Micro Cimbalis that recently sold on Ebay item numbers 4401706453 and 4401224350?

P.S. If you go to the Gaggia Master Distributors website--importika--you will see a major error on the main page. They make a patently false statement about Gaggia history "Achille Gaggia patented the first electric pump driven system in 1938 to become the Father of the Modern Espresso Machine." About 1938 Gaggia purchase the rights to a patent for a screw piston group from Sr. Cremonesi that applied about 8-10 bar of pressure to the coffee producing the first modern crema espresso. In about 1946 he began producing lever piston machines, patented it in 1947, and introduced it in 1948. After Cremonesi's death Gaggia had to share the patent rights and pay royalties to the widow of Cremonesi because the two designs were similar and used a piston for extraction. A hair dryer manufacturing company called Valente produced the parts for his machines. Later Valente decided to go into the Espresso machine building business for themselves as Faema and Gaggia then set up a factory with Sr. Capsoni as engineer to make complete machines--The Gaggia Company. Faema introduced the first modern pump driven espresso machine in 1960. Giovanni Achille Gaggia died a year later in 1961.

[lino]

Yeah, I got the ebay one that ended second, don't remember the #. It also *appeared* to be in the better condition of the two.

I think one could get ahold of the Gaggia with a little effort, and I'm not really worried about the voltage too much. Right now, I can't really justify the cost of it, even though you appear to get alot for your money.

ciao

lino

[Paul L]

Guys, I struggled to see what you do get for the money with the Achille. I like the way it looks but perhaps due to its rarity it looks like it costs about £600 here in the UK. In comparison you can bring in a Europiccola for £300 or the Pro for a little more (all chromed) and an Elektra Micro Casa for just over £500. The Achille's 58mm filter basket caught my attention but the capacity seemed to be 0.8L as per a Europiccola and I couldn't see a lot beyond that other than unique styling.

By all means correct me and I can add it to my APDS (acquisition, provery and despair syndrome)!

[cannonfodder]

I believe that was intended to be a direct replacement for the 'Factory' which was made by Pavoni for Gaggia and discontinued the first of this year. The 58mm PF would be nice, the Factory uses a 51mm. 0.8L, that is bit small, my Factory is around 1.5L.

[nicci]

hi everyone,

been a lurker around here for a while and finally figured I should join since I'm awaiting the arrival of my first lever machine - a mini Gaggia or miniG as I've already nicknamed.

Anyhow I just wanted to add that I believe the allure of the Achille is the HX and thermosyphon features. You can apparently use the machine without it overheating and it has the 58mm pf. You can actually download the instruction manual from the gaggia site. I'm certainly no expert on the machine (so I could be wrong on the features I just listed) but I posted a similar inquiry over on CG a few days ago and that was the general consensus.

Au revoir!

Nicci

[ladalet]

I see a fantastic value in the Achille. In addition to the 58mm portafilter it has a removable .8 litre cold water tank that continually fills the boiler to keep better temperature stability which reduces or eliminates the overheating issue. In fact, Gaggia claims that the Achille is an "advanced lever-operated Espresso machine that makes one cup after another without pause." It also has a removable cup warming tray. I really miss the cup warming tray on my Pasquini Livia 90. Also, it has a 1250 Watt boiler--wow--that must heat up quickly. They do not state the boiler size, but it looks as big as the Elektra. The .8 litres in the cold water supply tank would effectively add to the shot pulling capacity of the machine as if it had a boiler .8 litres larger. To me this could be the machine to beat. For $900, the price of an Elektra or LaPavoni, you have a machine that competes with the Cremina at $2200 by reducing or eliminating the overheating issue. The Cremina may still be better built, but for those of us that cannot afford a new Cremina for $2200, we may be able to afford $900 for the Achille.

[King Seven]

I had an early prototype back when I worked for Gaggia UK, about a year or more ago.

I never really got on with the La Pavoni machines for various reasons.

The Achille is a much easier machine that produced far better results. The 58mm pf is a good thing as was the lever action. I'm not sure how it works (not very technical myself I'm afraid) but the lever requires a certain pressure to depress it regardless of resistance. Using the same grind as my two group commercial, and the same dose, I got lovely espresso from it. The heat exchange system works pretty well, and brew water is constantly refillable. Obviously steam is pressurised and you have to cool and drain the machine before refilling.

It was the nicest domestic lever machine I've used, but still a little too expensive for my tastes. (Says the man with the La Spaziale S1 at home....)

[jojolever]

For the curious about the Achille...



Time to warming: 15 minutes
Portafiter size: 58 mm (Gaggia std)
Weight: 9 kilos.
body: steel
Handles: plastic
number max of cup per puck: 2 glass of 0.8 ml., but better shot for one glass of 0.8 ml.
Grinder setting (rocky): 9-10
Coffee weight: 18 gr.
quality of shot: Good with brown crema...
Remarques:. a little water drop after the shot, normal if i refer about the handbook.
.condensation between water tank and boiler screw.
the coffee drop not symmetrical, a little more volume of the left than the right if you take 2 glass you might alternate it to have the same volume at the end of shot.
total rating: 9/10.
I will post a pic of a shot when in find the time to do this...

[Paul L]

I see that the pf has the double-funnel (probably correctly called something else) which screws underneath the pf. On my Pavoni pf I quickly found it superfluous to be honest and unscrewed it. I know it's there for pouring into shot glasses but for anyone who pulls the shot straight into the intended cup I can't see it as useful. To me, the funnels simply restrict room underneath, ge tin the way, and present unecessary cleaning obstacles. A pf without this seems a lot easier and probably cleaner too.

Is the Achille the machine which can be refilled without the pressure issues of Pavoni and others? If so, how does it work?

Also, 15 minutes seems a long time to wait, do you then have the restriction of pulling only 2 or 3 shots before the group gets too hot and needs cooling or is it different to some other levers?

[jojolever]

the warming time i have written is approximately in the handbook, it writes 12-15 minutes for optimal temp.
Yes you can refill it when you work with it, the plastic glass of top is the water tank, it seems work like an heat exchanger between the water come by the water tank and the water in the boiler which is under pressure.
You can take more that 2 -3 shots without problem, but i haven't improvised a coffee party to test that...a thermostat regulates the temp, a green light indicates when you can put the lever down.

[HooHaw]

Is the Achille really a HX lever? What about the steam wand? In the pdf manual it looks like it has a froth aider for a tip.
I don't suppose you would care to come up with a comprehensive review...

[HooHaw]

I see that the pf has the double-funnel (probably correctly called something else)...

How about 'spout'?

[jojolever]

Some shot pics....

[JR]

Nice shots

How good is this machine at frothing milk?

[jojolever]

For me it works good but i am not an expert and i make machiatto with a little milk froth on top but i don't make latte art.
It's not a professional steam wand its a home adapted steam wand (panarello).
the quality of milk froth is quite good for me, but for latte art i don't know.
You can see on detail the steam wand on the handbook of Achille on the Gaggia internet site.
A pics with the steam wand

[Hogfire]

Well, so far the Achille sounds like a winner! 58mm portafilter, massive grouphead (w/thermosyphon?) for thermal stability, actual boiler twice the size of Silvia's so it should provide ample steaming, continuously refillable HX brew water routing, and classic good looks. The only point I'm not keen on is the panarello style steam wand. Hmmm, since the steam wand appears to be ball-jointed, I wonder if it could be easily swapped out for something like this:

http://www.espressoparts.com/category/03.01.gaggia.02/

(part GI. 308)

I know, I know, other heretical types may quip, "Why not just use a real HX machine?" The fact is, I just can't stomache the noisy pumps and ensuing rattling of surrounding parts. Not to mention, a machine like this takes up far less space. By the way, does anyone have any idea why it is not marketed in the U.S.? I am at one and totally content with my Factory G106, but if the Achille becomes available this side of the pond, . . .

Hogfire.

P.S. how does one go about claiming a number (sorry if I'm being lazy, rather busy at the moment). I'd gladly have #23 if it's still available. And cheers to jojolever for all the info!

[HB]

P.S. how does one go about claiming a number (sorry if I'm being lazy, rather busy at the moment). I'd gladly have #23 if it's still available. And cheers to jojolever for all the info!

I maintain the official list. Steve explains the rest in the first post to the thread:

Since this site is becoming quite the lever family, I wanted to start a post to let members say a bit about themselves and hopefully show a picture of their machines. I also want to start a more automatic way of handing out membership numbers since growth is quite rapid right now. So we are at #0021. If interested in joining this elite club, post a short story about yourself and your passion for levers and take the next available number. I am always here for tie-breakers.

I've noted your enrollment as LMWDP #023.