Gaggia Brera Bean To Cup Coffee Machine

Description

After extensively testing dozens of bean-to-cup machines in our coffee lab, we’re confident the Gaggia Brera stands out brilliantly in the sub-£500 category.

What truly impresses us about this compact powerhouse is how it masters the essentials: straightforward operation, robust construction, proper double shots, and precise control over both dosing and volume.

As professional baristas, we particularly value its user-friendly brewing unit – a component that’s not only accessible but also simple to maintain or replace when needed. The stellar support from Gaggia Direct adds another layer of reliability to this already impressive package.

Features and Benefits

• 1.2 L water tank
• Panarello steam wand
• Ceramic burr grinder with 5 grind settings
• Automatic pre-infusion
• Bypass chute for pre-ground coffee
• 3 dose options
• Max cup height of 10.5cm
• Stainless steel front panel and metal frame
• Compact size of 33cm wide, 26cm deep, 33cm tall
• Front accessed water tank
• Max internal waste bin of 8 used pucks of coffee

Through our hands-on testing, we’ve found the Gaggia Brera offers remarkable value for money. Its build quality and performance punch well above its price point – an observation that struck us from our very first brewing session.

While the DeLonghi Magnifica machines compete closely in terms of price and popularity, our extensive testing reveals several advantages that set the Brera

First, there’s the superior construction quality. The Brera’s stainless steel front panel and solid build provide a premium feel that plastic-heavy competitors simply can’t match.

We’re particularly impressed by the intuitive dose selection system. The one, two, or three bean options deliver approximately 7, 9, or 11 grams respectively (exact weights vary by bean and roast level). Combined with straightforward volume programming, this makes achieving your ideal coffee ratio refreshingly simple.

A standout feature we discovered during testing is the Brera’s ability to pull a genuine double shot – just press the shot button twice in quick succession. This sets it apart from some competitors that merely increase volume without properly doubling the dose, which in our professional experience doesn’t constitute a true double shot.

The machine comes equipped with a panarello steam wand (sometimes called “turbo” or “auto” frother by other brands). While this works perfectly well for basic milk frothing, we’ve found a clever workaround for those seeking better microfoam: simply remove the panarello attachment and use the bare steam pipe like a traditional single-hole wand. We’re also excited to share that Gaggia plans to offer their professional steam wand as a retrofit upgrade for the Brera in the near future.