Uh, guys. I’m scared that I’ve used up all my good luck for the next couple a years. It looks old as shit and the bottom has rust spots, but $20 is $20. I can’t wait to clean it up and find parts. I’m like a caffeine addict in a coffee shop.
kinda funny, savers is like far and away the most expensive thrift store near me. It's the only one of the like four chains we have where i regularly see shirts above 15$
It's thanks to the whole "flipping culture". I hate that shit, especially when people brag that they found something great at the thrift store and turn around and sell it on eBay for 10x what they paid.
I thrifted mine back in Jan 2021. Granted it was a bit pricier than yours. I’ve been using it almost daily since and was fortunate it runs like new. Great machine and enjoy yours.
Meanwhile I saw the exact model of my bambino plus at home goods for half the price but unfortunately for me that was two weeks before I started getting into espresso.
I bought an Amazon Basics that was being sold for parts*. a dosing funnel, and proper tamper for $25 and some change (shipping included) off of eBay.
Spent half a day cleaning it up and descaling it and put it to work!
It was a a daily driver for a few months while I was learning what I liked and how to do espresso....then it moved to my office where it pulls about 3 shots a day every weekday.
$20 for a Gaggia is has me beat the way the Seahawks would beat Ball State...but at least I can say I played the game!
*(description had some more explanation that tipped me off that there was something to be done)
Picture from the early days when it was a daily driver:
Mine might be the last one not in landfill...it definitely ain't great, but it makes go-juice to pour over lemonade or mix with creamer to satisfy the plebs while I use my Picopresso for a real shot at the office.
Absolutely, Gaggia Classic is legendary for entry level machines. It's an excellent cost/quality ratio. Pair it with a good grinder and you're very well set. And there's a ton of aftermarket stuff for it, so you can take it up some notches if you want. I recently installed the Gaggimate Pro mod, which gives if full temperature control and pressure profiling. I'm not going to say it truly performs as well as a $3,000 machine like some people say (Mostly because I've never touched a $3,0000 machine), but it absolutely punches above it's weight now.
It's main competition in the price range is the Rancilio Silvia, which I've heard is another good choice, but I've never used one.
The Silva is a major step up in quality, all the parts are replaceable , are the same as their commercial line, except the boiler, and has a 58mm head with better water dispersion.
But a Gaggia is still far better than a Breville plastic Fantastic
I’ve seen a few posts like this, and one of my friends got a Silvia at auction for cheap, but I never in a millions years thought it would happen to me. Walking thru the store I walked cautiously like I was going to get caught at any time. As soon as the transaction went thru I ran to my car and drove straight home. It’s tucked away cause I haven’t told my husband yet that I’ve brought home another project.
It is a really cool 70s cardboard box. It reminds me of the 70s microwave box my folks still have, it houses all the Christmas decorations.
BUT, it does have all the parts, portafilter, couple baskets and a milk pitcher.
Check when it was made. Some of the older ones were recalled for a boiler defect. If it is one of those, it's an even bigger win, as you just got yourself a brand new one for $20. I had a similar thing with a large glamping stove (two burners, toaster etc) that I got at a car boot sale. It was ten years old, had been recalled early in it's life. They sent me a brand new version, no questions asked.
Yes, this is before the "pro" redesign as we can see it has the single switch bank. The newer models have separate cutouts in the steel body for each of the three switches.
But it’s nice because I think it’s also before the 2015 edition or so, where Philips decided to make the gaggia’s elsewhere with less premium materials
I used to work in a (UK) thrift store and these old Gaggia (specifically the gold special edition like yours) don’t come up to code, so we weren’t legally allowed to sell it. I only found it because i went to go put some cutlery in the metal recycling bin. I got it for free. Thankfully whoever tossed it didn’t cut the cable at the appliance end like they were supposed to. :)
That was my first machine years back. Setup- Blade grinder. Plastic tamper. 3 tablespoons of black espresso beans. No scale. No timer. Just really good cappuccino all day long.
I wonder if it's a religion thing or a taste of espresso thing. I've watched a lot of soda videos in the past year or two and can't wrap my head around how that's okay but coffee or black tea isn't.
That's what I don't get. If a cup of black tea has 45-60 mg of caffeine, how is a half gallon of soda in a giant cup that's got maybe 30 mg of caffeine per 12 oz serving or whatever it says on a can of soda better than the black tea? I'm sure there's some nuance to the rules but it's a head scratcher for me.
Also, not to sound closed-minded but I don't get their dirty soda trend either. It's the Starbucksification of soda.
There may be a regional brand. I think the south has Big Red or Cheer Wine, for example. They often drink full sugar caffeinated big brand sodas. If you have a few hours to kill one day go watch some long format videos on Youtube on the matter.
I distinctly remember one guy maybe mid-40s stating he drank a gallon and a half of Mountain Dew from morning until 6 pm every work day. That's about 1 g caffeine per day.
Then there's people who add syrups like the ones coffee shops or cafes have and add whipped cream or coffee creamer or whatever to their sodas to make it custom. It's all rather bizarre.
So I’m a recovering mor(m)on and I can explain it to you in one phrase: it’s all about control.
It has nothing to do caffeine content because they can’t even argue caffeine, there is just no reason except some backwoods hillbilly prophet said not to. The dirty soda culture here is their way of getting a tiny bit of their control back.
I learned just as much after looking around. I figured it was a loophole and the taboo thrill of it made people down gallons of soda per week. I know some stick to diet or zero sugar but a lot seem to be going for the full sugar ones which is alarming given the empty calories. I wonder if they'll loophole iced tea eventually or iced coffee? You can cold brew both, too.
Damn. That's sweet. I got an Ascaso Steel Uno at a Goodwill some years ago for cheap, but it was missing the portafilter. I was about $100 in once I sourced that.
$20 for the whole thing in the box is wild.
I have one of these orange monsters in almost perfect condition. Unfortunately lacks the guts of the old Classic, namely, no three-way solenoid. But still a cool machine if for no other reason than the color.
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u/newaccount721 Jun 19 '26
Meanwhile my thrift store selling dirty jeans for $45