Gaggia Classic vs VV

cheeky

I know this has been reviewed to death!  So apologies in advance  

I am thinking about getting my sister a coffee machine and a grinder.  We currently have a Gaggia Classic with a Nemox grinder.  We are happy with both.  I am not sure whether to get another set or a VV instead.  She'd be making one or two cups a day and more when friends are over.  I wouldn't want to spend any more than our Gaggia and Nemox combo.  I read that the Gaggia boiler isn't as good as the VV but don't know why brass is better aluminium.  

It also sounds like a non-pressurised portafilter is essential for a VV.  How much a non-pressurised portafilter for the VV and where do you get one from?  Is there anything that needs to be installed or adjusted on a VV?  What is a good matching grinder?  Once a new portafilter is used, does it make this a better or more durable machine that the Gaggia Classic?

Many thanks.

C

Lovey

G'day Cheeky, the aluminium Gaggia boiler is more prone to corrosion than a brass boiler. I don't know the exact science behind it, but it has something to do with dissimilar metals in the boiler and the element. The quality of water you feed it also plays a big part. The VV has a stainless steel boiler, so no worries there. A pressurised portafilter is used on a lot of small domestic machines to give the appearance of good espresso, by producing a bigger, bubblier crema. This saves the average consumer from having to buy a grinder, so they can use pre-ground coffee. A non-pressurised portafilter would be about $40-50 and requires no modifications to the machine. I don't know where you would get one from, but google is your friend. It doesn't make the machine any more or less sturdy, but it does highlight the importance of the grinder in the equation though. By all accounts the Gaggia and the VV are both fine machines for their intended use, ie a domestic setting. Hope this helps.

FreshCoffee2

The following is lfted from 2 responses I posted in this forum up to 6 months ago, where some questions were asked about VV or GC or both. It may be of some help in your decision making process: "................ Via Venezia: Well built, solid, brass boiler construction BUT uses pressurized filter handle and therefore you get a different style of espresso than commercial style, if that is what you

cheeky

Thanks for the advice :D So am I correct in assuming that the VV is the same as the GC if I get a non-pressurised portafilter for the VV?  If that's the case, I should just buy the cheaper of the two option    I also had a look at the Sunbeam conical burr grinder at Myer yesterday for $199 which is cheaper than Nemox, I am not sure which is better.  Might have to look through some old threads.  How much is a Challenge?  How would you rank the Nemox, Sunbeam and Challenge?  Which would the best option?

BALATTACK

Sorry to sound dumb but we are referring to the SAECO Via Venezia here???

Unknown

Yes, the VV stands for Via Venezia.

Lovey

Thanks for the advice :D So am I correct in assuming that the VV is the same as the GC if I get a non-pressurised portafilter for the VV?

cheeky

I actually own a GC and a Nemox grinder.  They do what they are supposed to do, so in that sense I am happy with them.  I am thinking about buying another set for someone else as a present.  I thought the brass boiler of the VV was better/more durable.  I also thought a non-pressurised portafilter would set me back $50, so all up, the VV would cost me less (they are often sold under $400 whereas the GC is around $550).  No, I don't understand how the size of the portafilters (53 vs 58 ) would make.   As with the Challenge, how much are they?  Where can I get one from?  What do stepped and stepless adjustments mean?  Which is easier for a novice?

Lovey

G'day Cheeky, the VV has a stainless steel boiler, not brass, which should be more durable than an aluminium one (depending on what water is put into it). The difference between a stepped and stepless grinder is how the grinder is adjusted. On your Nemox, and other stepped grinders, there will reference marks on the adjustment ring, usually numbers. These marks correspond to adjustment 'steps' in the grind, so you might use the grinder on setting 3/4/5 for espresso for example. A stepless grinder uses a 'worm' drive to give you constantly variable grind settings. Depending on how fine the adjustment 'worm' is, you can tweak the grind settings by fractions depeding on how many turns of the adjustment screw. On most decent stepped grinders, like the Nemox, Rocky, etc. the difference between the steps isn't big enough to worry about and are fine for home use. A stepped grinder also gives you the advantage of easily moving between different grind requirements (if you have them) like plunger, espresso, turkish, etc. The above comments weren't meant to engage a stepped v stepless debate, only to inform of the differences between the two  . I know that Fresh Coffee sells the Challenge grinder, here's a link http://www.cosmorexcoffee.com.au/appliances.htm. In my un-expert opinion, I don't know what difference the portafilter size would make, ie 53 v 58 mm. If they hold the same volume of coffee, ie 7g single and 14g double, there shouldn't be a difference. Hope this helps.