Gaggia Velasca Review

What’s unique about the Gaggia Velasca? It is an espresso machine that can improve your experience with brewing your favorite drinks.

Finding a suitable machine to make your espresso to your taste can be painstaking. Fortunately, the right tweaks and programming can get you the hot drink you crave. However, not all machines offer the mind-blowing experience that the Gaggia Velasca offers.  

Gaggia Velasca is a super-automatic espresso machine with many outstanding features. So, it is one of the best machines out there to help you make your coffee the perfect brew. It is one of two similar automatic brewing machines designed by Gaggia. Its twin is the Gaggia Velasca Prestige. The two espresso machines have so much in common. But they both keep their unique features and identity.

The Gaggia Velasca is a bean-to-cup espresso machine that offers so much for its price. It offers so much flexibility and customizations which are a part of its selling points. But there’s more to this machine.

If you want to know why you should consider getting a Gaggia Velasca, you should keep reading.

Design

Friendly Interface: The Gaggia Velasca has an excellent, straightforward interface that makes it easy to use. It has a monochrome LCD interface that is not too fancy but just right to give you an incredible user experience.

Pannarello Steam Wand: The Gaggia Velasca has the Gaggia’s signature Pannarello steam wand that automatically makes milk frothing even better. The Pannarello steam wand injects air into the milk. The wand sucks air from the surface and pushes it into the milk. This produces milk foam that makes lattes and cappuccinos creamier.

You can also switch the steam wand from automatic to manual in no time. You can take complete control of your brew by detaching the Pannarello wand from the machine.

The adaptive Pannarello steam wand lets you hit the brakes by simply dipping the air intake into the milk. It does not end there, however. Gaggia Velasca’s steam wand dispenses hot water when you hit the hot water button.

Adjustable Spouts: The Gaggia Velasca allows you to adjust the height of the spout to save heat. This comes in handy, especially while making multiple cups of espresso. The spouts fit different cups of varying sizes. This ensures that your drink does not cool off or splash while pouring.

Front-loading Drawers: The Gaggia Velasca fits perfectly in available spaces. This means that you do not need to do too much redecoration to create a place for your machine. It sits well even in the tightest spots. You can easily access the device through its front-loading water reservoir and dreg drawer.

Valesca’s water reservoir is accessible from the front of the machine. The reservoir has a 54oz capacity. There is also the bean hopper with a 10.5oz capacity that is easily accessible. 

The dreg bin can hold ten pucks of coffee. The drip tray also prevents any spills from the machine.

Programming: The programmable feature of the Gaggia Velasca espresso machine lets you keep your tweak to have your brew perfected to your craving. You can configure the beverage volume as you like it. Additionally, you can choose the strength and the temperature of your drink. The programming feature allows you to choose pre-ground and whole-bean preferences.

Energy-Saving Standby Mode: Another fantastic thing about the Gaggia Velasca is its ability to save energy. The machine automatically switches to a standby mode when inactive for up to one hour. The espresso machine only consumes -1w of energy in power-saving standby mode.

Durability: The Gaggia Velesca espresso machine promises long-lasting use.  Gaggia espresso machines are generally famous for their durability.  

Features

One-Touch Control Buttons: The Gaggia Valesca is easy to use, thanks to its one-touch button controls. The espresso machine features three one-touch buttons for three beverage types. These beverages include espresso, lungo/Caffe lungo, and hot water. There is also a dedicated button for steam. 

The one-touch button control feature allows you to make multiple drinks by simply pressing the button numerous times. To make two cups of espresso, tap the espresso button twice. 

Adaptive System: The Gaggia Velasca has an adaptive system that records your preferences and saves you time in subsequent use. Aside from keeping tabs on your preferred configuration, the machine also adjusts duration to just the right amount of time needed for your drink.

Grind Settings: The grind setting for the Gaggia Velasca lets you pick between 10 selections to determine the fineness of your beans. Configure the grinder to be coarser when using longer coffees. You can also make espresso by setting the grinder for a more acceptable coffee.

The grinder setting can also help you choose how thick you want your coffee. You can set it to ground a smaller amount of coffee for a lighter drink and more coffee for a thicker cup. Pre-ground coffee is also acceptable.

Another exciting feature about the grinder in the Velasca is the use of pre-infusion. This makes your coffee beans a little wet, ensuring that you get more from the beans during extraction. The machine does the infusion automatically.

Aroma Strength: The espresso machine gives five options for the aroma strength of your brew. The available choices cater to your preference and give you the right aroma that fits your mood.

Temperature Level: One of the features you want to look forward to in the Gaggia Velasca is the ability to set your drink’s temperature to any of the three temperature levels available. These include the maximum, medium, and minimum levels.

Frothing Method: The Pannarello Wand is one feature that is exclusive to Gaggia’s espresso machines. This lets you froth your milk with an automatic feature. However, you switch it to manual easily.

When making a Cappuccino on your machine, you can program the frothing method. The drink volume is automatic, but you can change it as you please. Simply press and hold a button to bring out the menu and choose the amount of milk. You can save the preference for a future brew.

Dreg Drawer Capacity: The dreg drawer can hold as much as ten coffee pucks at a time. So, you will not have to do maintenance so often.

Aquaclean Water Filter: The machine comes with an Aquaclean filter. It removes chlorine from water and prevents scale build-up. This allows you to brew more espresso, as much as 5000 cups, over some time without needing to do some maintenance.

Display: The Gaggia Velasca has a monochrome LCD designed to alert you for various purposes. The screen tells you when your machine requires water. It also indicates when to add beans and when the grind bin is full.

The display shows when your machine requires descaling maintenance. But it does not only act as an indicator. The Valesca display shows you a preview of your settings, so you get to know the temperature you are brewing at. The indicator also shows you the standby timer and the water hardness level. You can set these and the contrast of the display using the menu button.

Lubrication: The machine comes with a well-lubricated brew group. However, experts have advised that you lubricate your unit every month or after 500 drinks. You can use the Gaggia food-safe lubricant for this. Washing your brew unit with water does not necessarily make it require lubrication. However, when you do a deep cleaning, lubrication is necessary. And you can safely lubricate the machine with the Gaggia lubricant.

Espresso Quality

The Gaggia Velasca promises a high-quality espresso brew. With the right tweak and programming, you can get the best taste that you crave.

The many features come together to create a flavor as true to your touch. The machine gives you the option to choose your drink strength, temperature, steam, among other possibilities. With the Gaggia Velasca, you do not have to make do with whatever you get from the machine. It allows you to compute your needs in detail and get the expected result. It also remembers your preference for subsequent use.

Maintenance

The Gaggia Velasca is easy to maintain as it has removable parts for easy cleaning. The espresso machine also has a useful automatic rinse feature to clean your device. It comes with a descale cycle too.

The machine indicates when it requires you to empty the drip tray. The bin for used coffee pucks is easily accessible for cleaning. You can also wash the container with soap to keep it clear of mold.

To clean your Gaggia Velasca clean and ensure your coffee remains fresh, you can pull out the brew unit of the machine from the side. The automatic descaling feature helps you make descaling easier. The device comes with descaling fluid to ease the process.

Frequently Asked Question

1. How do you use the Gaggia Velasca?

Firstly, adjust the grind size as you want it. Then pour your beans into the grinder. Cover the grinder with its safety cover to avoid getting your finger into it while grinding. Hit the aroma strength button to adjust the brew strength to any of the possible five levels. Press the button five times to take it to the most substantial level. Press the espresso button and wait for the machine to pre-infuse and brew. You can hold down the espresso button to save the quantity of espresso you will be making as your preference.

2. How do you clean the Gaggia Velasca?

The Gaggia Velasca comes with a descaling solution that you can use to clean the machine. Remove the drip tray and the water reservoir. Empty both of them. Then remove the water filter from the reservoir. Pour a bottle of the descaling solution into the water reservoir. Fill the reservoir with water and replace it in the machine. Replace the drip tray too. 

Pull the rubber off the steam wand. Keep the wand tip in a bowl to collect the decalcify solution while cleaning. Hit the “Menu” option on the machine and choose the “Start calc clean” option. Select the “okay” option. Your device should start cleaning.

It takes between 20 to 30 minutes to descale the machine. Once the cleaning is over, the indicator screen turns into a red background showing “Calc clean.” Remove the water reservoir and drip tray again. Then rinse them to rid them of the decalcifying solution.

Refill the water reservoir with fresh water and return it to the machine. Hit the check button to begin the rinsing process. This should take about four minutes. Remove the water reservoir a third time. Replace the water filter and fill the reservoir. Return the water reservoir to the machine. Fix the steam wand rubber into place. Restart the device and let it rinse automatically.

Lastly, pull out the brew group from the side of the machine and rinse it under a running tap. Avoid washing the brew group with soap. Replace the brew group in the machine. Your Gaggia Velasca should be ready now.

3. What is the difference between a super-automatic and a manual espresso machine?

Super-automatic espresso machines come with designs and features to ease the user experience with espresso machines. Like the Gaggia Velasca, semi-automatic machines help you prepare different drinks faster. They speed up the process of making espresso, coffee, cappuccino, frothing, and others.

However, super-automatic espresso machines do much more than brew faster. They make maintenance easy. The Gaggia Velasca, for instance, has an automatic rinse feature and indicates when descaling is required.

Programmability is another feature that super-automatic espresso machines can boast of. Most automatic machines can store your preferences and reapply your settings for future use. And you operate them simply by hitting a few buttons.

While manual machines may not boast of such features as the super-automatic ones, they offer the chance to show off your skills in the pure craft of brewing.

4. How do I save my preferred quantity?

The Gaggia Velasca programmable feature lets you save your preferences for future use. You can save the quantity of your drink and skip a repetition of the selection process. Hold the espresso button down for a few seconds. The display will indicate that the MEMO mode is active. MEMO tells you that the machine is in programming mode. Press STOP once you have gotten the preferred quantity. This should save your configuration.

5. How do I change the grinder setting?

If you want to change the grinder setting, look inside the coffee beans container. Press the grinder adjustment button to push and rotate the knob. You should do this while the machine is grinding your beans.

There are ten available grinder levels in the Gaggia Velasca. The settings are marked from 1 to 10. Level 1 is the boldest and is best for light roasted coffee, while level 10 is perfect for dark roasted coffee as it is the lightest. 

6. Which Gaggia Velasca components are removable?

The removable parts of the Gaggia Velasca contribute to its easy maintenance. The removable parts of the machine include the removable brew group, the milk frother, Panarello steam wand, CappinCup, drip tray, milk carafe, and the water tank.

You may want to remove these parts for maintenance and cleanup. However, you want to consider how to handle them while cleaning. The drip tray plate, for instance, is dishwasher safe. The brew group should not be washed with soap. You should wash other parts like the Panarello, water tank, and CappinCup under running water. You should also avoid using rough and scratchy materials with solvents while cleaning.

Check Price

Conclusion

The Gaggia Velasca is one super-automatic espresso machine you should consider buying. It promises so many features and comes at a great price. The machine is designed by Gaggia, a company well-known for making power espresso machines. 

A significant advantage of this product is its small size which saves you a lot of space on your counter. Also, it is easy to use and requires less frequent maintenance. 

You want to look forward to the promise of your favorite milk drinks. The frothing by Gaggia Velasca is top-notch. The Panarello steam wand, a signature Gaggia feature, automatically makes the frothing. You can also switch to manual operations easily when you want to hold the reins of your brew.

The noiseless Gaggia Velasca requires little attention and takes less of your time. It saves your preferences and takes charge of your brew when you need it to. Happy coffee-making!