Gaggia Cadorna Prestige OTC Automatic Coffee Machine (Stainless Steel)

I have been an automatic espresso maker user for 14yrs, and my Magnifica, finally gave up this month. After agonizing reviews and debates whether I stay with automatics or go double boiler prosumer. I went with the Gaggia to fill the needs of the family and not just my desires. The Cadorna Prestige is a well built machine, however, the adjustment of the grind settings is a royal pain in the Ass, broke the tool to adjust on the first attempt, yes I adjusted while grinding, So Gaggia please make the adjustment easier, faster, and with more adjustment range. The U.I. Is very intuitive, and easy to use, luv it. The choices, adjustments are easy, and profile saves are a wonderful addition. The result is a machine that provides a good cup with little effort once ... MoreI have been an automatic espresso maker user for 14yrs, and my Magnifica, finally gave up this month. After agonizing reviews and debates whether I stay with automatics or go double boiler prosumer. I went with the Gaggia to fill the needs of the family and not just my desires. The Cadorna Prestige is a well built machine, however, the adjustment of the grind settings is a royal pain in the Ass, broke the tool to adjust on the first attempt, yes I adjusted while grinding, So Gaggia please make the adjustment easier, faster, and with more adjustment range. The U.I. Is very intuitive, and easy to use, luv it. The choices, adjustments are easy, and profile saves are a wonderful addition. The result is a machine that provides a good cup with little effort once setup has been accomplished, but be prepared for time investment to setup the way you like it, because with flexibility comes adjustment and time. Chaó

A thing of beauty!

I've now owned this machine (outright..took me three months to pay for it!) since December. My old Gaggia Evolution finally just would not work. I'd tried fixing it and gave up. Started looking at Latte Love for a replacement. I'm up at 4 and out the door for 14 hour days in the commute grind, so my grind in the morning has to be fast. I have a Nespresso, and while I enjoy their things, I do not like their footprint. So, was originally going to replace my old Gaggia beast with a similar new beast. After researching, I went with a super automatic. Sexy. It's a learning curve, but it makes very good espresso drinks. The milk container DOES seem, as others have said, a tad like it would be the first thing to break. And the milk spout thingy does not quiiiiite make it ... MoreI've now owned this machine (outright..took me three months to pay for it!) since December. My old Gaggia Evolution finally just would not work. I'd tried fixing it and gave up. Started looking at Latte Love for a replacement. I'm up at 4 and out the door for 14 hour days in the commute grind, so my grind in the morning has to be fast. I have a Nespresso, and while I enjoy their things, I do not like their footprint. So, was originally going to replace my old Gaggia beast with a similar new beast. After researching, I went with a super automatic. Sexy. It's a learning curve, but it makes very good espresso drinks. The milk container DOES seem, as others have said, a tad like it would be the first thing to break. And the milk spout thingy does not quiiiiite make it into the cup all the time depending on the cup or mug you are using. I find I have to situate each cup just so. But overall I'm so happy with how this thing has turned out the cafe in the morning. It's not quite as fast as my Nespresso, nor as slow as the Evolution, but the taste is so much nicer and I can control so much of the outcome. It IS HUGE on the counter, so I've lost a bit of real estate, but it's quite worth it overall. I'm hoping it lasts a very long time with proper care. I've never purchased a single kitchen gadget that was this spendy. Ever. Vitamin might be a close second. Lol. So I'm hoping it really continues to live a long life. Whole Latte Love has been great with fast shipping and support.

Best purchase! Love our gaggia machine.

I did a lot of research on coffee machines after realising we spend around $70-100 a week on coffee from cafes. This machine will pay itself off within 6 months, and that's even after buying cleaning products, coffee beans, milks etc!I wanted and easy to use machine without having to stand and make it myself in the mornings. This is perfect. You can set multiple favourite coffees and settings. We purchase the same coffee beans from our local cafe who make great coffee and it's been a game changer. It tastes the exactly the same.. if not better as you can adjust it to your taste and get it the same every single time.Setting up the machine is quite simple with onscreen step by step instructions.Choosing my settings took me about a week. You will get the full ... MoreI did a lot of research on coffee machines after realising we spend around $70-100 a week on coffee from cafes. This machine will pay itself off within 6 months, and that's even after buying cleaning products, coffee beans, milks etc!I wanted and easy to use machine without having to stand and make it myself in the mornings. This is perfect. You can set multiple favourite coffees and settings. We purchase the same coffee beans from our local cafe who make great coffee and it's been a game changer. It tastes the exactly the same.. if not better as you can adjust it to your taste and get it the same every single time.Setting up the machine is quite simple with onscreen step by step instructions.Choosing my settings took me about a week. You will get the full flavour after 5-10 brews.Cleaning the machine is quite simple too. Daily use can do a quick milk clean, otherwise the machine will run hot water through the brew components when shutting down. I would recommend looking through the manual for all the cleaning recommendations and also purchasing the appropriate cleaning solutions when getting the machine. The milk carafes get cleaned once or twice a week. I purchased a second one for different milks.I do a milk circuit clean and brew group clean once a month. You'll want to have the milk circuit powder cleaner, brew group tablet cleaners, descaling solution and spare filters for when these are needing to be done. It's a little bit of effort, but when your spending money on a good quality machine, I think its important to keep it well maintained.

Love the Gaggia Cadorna Prestige

After at least 9 months of dedicated research on specs and reviews I finally drop the coin for the Gaggia Cadorna Prestige. I really wanted the Jura 8 but, due to the extra coinage it was slightly out of my reach. Finally, the first machine was ordered and shipped. Funny thing, just after I ordered it, the price dropped. Love the response from the WLL crew. I emailed them; they filed for a price match and then refunded my card for the difference. I had not even received the machine yet.Boom...finally the Cardona Prestige was received and setup. Oops, the grinder won't work. After 2 hours of working with the NEW machine, I took out pieces of broken ceramic grinder. I packaged it up and filed for a replacement unit. The grinder was declared DOA. Well, after a few ... MoreAfter at least 9 months of dedicated research on specs and reviews I finally drop the coin for the Gaggia Cadorna Prestige. I really wanted the Jura 8 but, due to the extra coinage it was slightly out of my reach. Finally, the first machine was ordered and shipped. Funny thing, just after I ordered it, the price dropped. Love the response from the WLL crew. I emailed them; they filed for a price match and then refunded my card for the difference. I had not even received the machine yet.Boom...finally the Cardona Prestige was received and setup. Oops, the grinder won't work. After 2 hours of working with the NEW machine, I took out pieces of broken ceramic grinder. I packaged it up and filed for a replacement unit. The grinder was declared DOA. Well, after a few phone calls, support sent out a call tag for UPS and the broken machine was picked up.About one week later my 2nd new machine arrived. It was setup following all of Mark's instructions and the machine, once fine-tuned, produces perfect coffee drinks each and every time. As of this review, I have only been operating it for three nights, but so far, it has been an excellent addition to the house. Now, if I only had a little extra real-estate on my kitchen counters.For those of you who don't, make sure you save ALL the packing material and boxes until that warranty expires. The coffee I bought with the machine, WLL Crema Wave….yeah…I am loving this one.So Goodbye to Patty at Starbucks, I will miss her but I love the daily $3.95 savings (Venti Americano Black).

My $200 Saeco is better

Great concept, but perhaps I got a dud? Although it makes a variety of drinks, the espresso, which is the base for many drinks, was very consistent. Unfortunately, consistently awful. There was very little crema, and had it not been for the extreme bitterness, the espresso was tasteless and horrifically watery. Yes, I experimented with all the functions to no avail. (Heat, grind setting, long, short, extra coffee, less coffee, different coffee beans, etc.) Also went though 2 pounds of espresso beans as directions said it would take a few drinks for the machine to "adjust" - after 40 I quit.NOTE: I called W.L.L. immediately upon opening as there were water stains in the container and coffee grounds in the machine. The rep told me I had a new machine as Gaggia fully ... MoreGreat concept, but perhaps I got a dud? Although it makes a variety of drinks, the espresso, which is the base for many drinks, was very consistent. Unfortunately, consistently awful. There was very little crema, and had it not been for the extreme bitterness, the espresso was tasteless and horrifically watery. Yes, I experimented with all the functions to no avail. (Heat, grind setting, long, short, extra coffee, less coffee, different coffee beans, etc.) Also went though 2 pounds of espresso beans as directions said it would take a few drinks for the machine to "adjust" - after 40 I quit.NOTE: I called W.L.L. immediately upon opening as there were water stains in the container and coffee grounds in the machine. The rep told me I had a new machine as Gaggia fully tests each machine at the factory with water and beans. (Without cleaning it afterward?) The W.L.L. website shows how their local store tests every machine, but says nothing about grinding and adding water. When I doubted the machine was new, the rep asked for my info and said, "Yep. Your machine is new." (How did she know it was new without asking my info before?") Oh yes, after 2 days the buttons on the machine had become inoperable. Unplug it and plugging it back in 5x did nothing, then after 2 days it inexplicably started work. OK, let's try the coffee now - still no good. Either way, kudos to W.L.L. for refunding me without asking any questions.Bottom line. I have no problem spending more that $1200 for a machine that makes good espresso, but not only could this not even hold a candle to my entry level, all manual Saeco, the old stovetop Bialetti that my older mom bought for $30 is better.

Super HaPpY!

What a wonderful machine! I’ve had the machine for a few weeks now, and have been putting it through its paces and it is performing flawlessly. I like a darker, heavier body coffee, which necessitated me adjusting the grind setting in the bean hopper. Key to success in doing this is that, according to the manual, this adjustment be made, while the beans are grinding, you cannot make the adjustment otherwise. I mentioned this because this little note in the manual might be overlooked by some. I also set the strength button to five-beans on the display interface. This still was not to my liking, and I attribute this to the particular beans I was using, the beans that came with a machine, not a bad flavor just a little weak for my preference. We switched to Cafe La ... MoreWhat a wonderful machine! I’ve had the machine for a few weeks now, and have been putting it through its paces and it is performing flawlessly. I like a darker, heavier body coffee, which necessitated me adjusting the grind setting in the bean hopper. Key to success in doing this is that, according to the manual, this adjustment be made, while the beans are grinding, you cannot make the adjustment otherwise. I mentioned this because this little note in the manual might be overlooked by some. I also set the strength button to five-beans on the display interface. This still was not to my liking, and I attribute this to the particular beans I was using, the beans that came with a machine, not a bad flavor just a little weak for my preference. We switched to Cafe La Llave, a fantastic Cuban inspired roast. Holy mackerel, the flavor was fantastic, but the strength and body were over the top and necessitated I dial things back down on the machine. This just proves that the coffee bean is an essential component of the entire process and you can’t make great coffee with mediocre beans and a fantastic machine, it all has to work together.The flat white is my favorite and I use a mixture of sweet cream and half-and-half in the milker with no issues. I really only have three smallish negatives to comment on.1. The machine is very good at cleaning itself, but this feels up the waste water reservoir, rather quickly necessitating, frequent emptying . I do like the baffles that are in the reservoir to minimize the chance of slashing as you move it to the sink.2. When removing the freshwater tank, it feels is though it might break because it takes a heavy pull to get it out. I put some of the supplies food safe grease on the water connector and it’s better but still challenging.3. The hot water adapter inserts quite easily, but my wife simply cannot remove it, and I must admit that it is quite difficult to remove it. Both sides of the adapter must be squeezed sufficiently to get it out and the two points for depressing the release are just not that prominent. I think I can attest that it’s getting a little bit easier with you so maybe with a little bit more use it will get easier overtime, for now I just leave it out most often so that it does not become a point of frustration for my wife.All in all, a great machine and the folks at Whole Latte Love were very helpful. I would definitely recommend this purchase and While Latte Love as a source of purchase.

The Wait Is Over!

Upgraded from a Keurig and wow! This gives me the coffee/espresso flavor I’ve been longing for at home. So much more flavor and character is drawn out from the beans. I can’t believe I waited so long. Well we finally made the leap and it is well worth it. I’m very satisfied with the variety of drink options available (one of the reasons why I chose this model). The other main reason was for the milk carafe and the simplicity of creating milk drinks.The package came double boxed and well protected. The instructions to setup were easy to follow. It does take about 15 min or so before you can start brewing. Cleaning and maintenance seems fairly simple. YouTube has all the tutorials you will need if necessary.As for functionality, the Cadorna Prestige is easy and ... MoreUpgraded from a Keurig and wow! This gives me the coffee/espresso flavor I’ve been longing for at home. So much more flavor and character is drawn out from the beans. I can’t believe I waited so long. Well we finally made the leap and it is well worth it. I’m very satisfied with the variety of drink options available (one of the reasons why I chose this model). The other main reason was for the milk carafe and the simplicity of creating milk drinks.The package came double boxed and well protected. The instructions to setup were easy to follow. It does take about 15 min or so before you can start brewing. Cleaning and maintenance seems fairly simple. YouTube has all the tutorials you will need if necessary.As for functionality, the Cadorna Prestige is easy and intuitive to operate. Control over the drink settings are very good. Just wished that you could control the foam consistency. However, coffee amount, milk amount, brew strength and temperature adjustment options get me my coffee beverage as I crave it.I had a problem similar to what I’ve read about and seen on YouTube regarding the bypass doser not brewing coffee (grounds went straight into the puck basket). I believe it is because filling the scoop to the top (leveled out) is too much grounds. I found better success going a little below the top of the scoop with the coffee dose.My home is enjoying the Cadorna Prestige so far. It brews sensational coffee drinks! We’re very happy with it and look forward to our daily brews. I’m hoping we get to enjoy it for quite some time.

Very Automatic for a trade off in flavor

There are a ton of options. It's easy to save your preferences and get an espresso and milk drink made properly. You will likely need to find a bean that gets the most out of the machine. More info below. The milk carafe weekly maintenance consists of taking it apart, cleaning all ten parts and reassembling it.Our prior machine was a Breville Barista Express that we used for five years. We tried many beans and found beans we very much liked. These same beans in the Cadorna Prestige lacked the same robust flavor. This is when we learned a lot more about the machine.- It has a short brew time of 15 seconds- The puck contains 11g of beans- It uses more water than you set- It froths less milk than you set.We tried many options and also talked to support. In the ... MoreThere are a ton of options. It's easy to save your preferences and get an espresso and milk drink made properly. You will likely need to find a bean that gets the most out of the machine. More info below. The milk carafe weekly maintenance consists of taking it apart, cleaning all ten parts and reassembling it.Our prior machine was a Breville Barista Express that we used for five years. We tried many beans and found beans we very much liked. These same beans in the Cadorna Prestige lacked the same robust flavor. This is when we learned a lot more about the machine.- It has a short brew time of 15 seconds- The puck contains 11g of beans- It uses more water than you set- It froths less milk than you set.We tried many options and also talked to support. In the end, it was going to take 44g of beans and low brew volumes to attempt to get close to the flavor we had in the past with an 18g puck. Because of this, we returned the unit and got a semi automatic machine.Whole Latte Love was great in every step of the process.

We have only had the

We have only had the machine for about a week but so far, we are impressed. It is a significant adjustment from our old Giaggia Synchrony but we do enjoy it's total automation. It is a little quirky in that one day it will accumulate 10-12 pucks in the coffee waste bin (we make several four shot drinks) and the next day it shuts down at four pucks.We have always used Costco's Starbucks Espresso roast beans, a dark oily roast, and are still looking for an alternate due to the prohibition against dark, oily roast beans. We have tried mixing the Costco beans with Whole Latte Love's Maromas Orhphea beans and with four shots, are able to achieve the 22 oz drink we are looking for however, the result is a great deal of surplus water in the drip tray. It could benefit ... MoreWe have only had the machine for about a week but so far, we are impressed. It is a significant adjustment from our old Giaggia Synchrony but we do enjoy it's total automation. It is a little quirky in that one day it will accumulate 10-12 pucks in the coffee waste bin (we make several four shot drinks) and the next day it shuts down at four pucks.We have always used Costco's Starbucks Espresso roast beans, a dark oily roast, and are still looking for an alternate due to the prohibition against dark, oily roast beans. We have tried mixing the Costco beans with Whole Latte Love's Maromas Orhphea beans and with four shots, are able to achieve the 22 oz drink we are looking for however, the result is a great deal of surplus water in the drip tray. It could benefit from a larger water reservoir and less surplus water but all things considered, it is an excellent piece of kitchen equipment, Over all, we are most pleased and are certain we will learn to anticipate the machines quirks. Well done, Gaggia

Wondering when the milk carafe will fail

Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, the Cadorna makes a wonderful tasting espresso. And all of the functions are easy to use.But, I had to downgrade the total review because of some big design issues with the milk carafe.The first one is how difficult it is to remove the hot water dispenser in order to insert the milk carafe. I thought it would become easier to take out with some use, but now I'm just not putting it back because I'm afraid I might not get it out the next time. Neither of us can do it. So, there's kind of a gaping hole in the front of this beautiful machine.The next issue is taking apart the milk carafe for cleaning. I must use a needle nose plier to get out two of the parts (the little round one on the left and the tiny faucet-like part at the ... MoreFirstly, and perhaps most importantly, the Cadorna makes a wonderful tasting espresso. And all of the functions are easy to use.But, I had to downgrade the total review because of some big design issues with the milk carafe.The first one is how difficult it is to remove the hot water dispenser in order to insert the milk carafe. I thought it would become easier to take out with some use, but now I'm just not putting it back because I'm afraid I might not get it out the next time. Neither of us can do it. So, there's kind of a gaping hole in the front of this beautiful machine.The next issue is taking apart the milk carafe for cleaning. I must use a needle nose plier to get out two of the parts (the little round one on the left and the tiny faucet-like part at the bottom.) I've never successfully removed the remaining bottom part so I'm always wondering whether I'll be able to push that tiny faucet-like part back in after I've attached it under that little soft flappy cover. None of this is fun and makes me wonder when the need to clean will break the thing. I clean it after using the carafe for two days and then I avoid milk-based drinks primarily because of the hassle.I would use a steam wand instead if the machine had one. I thought that Gaggia's decision to make the top of the Cadorna line a milk carafe-only machine meant that it would be a really good milk carafe, but no...Oh, and the froth is weak. The cappuccino froth is like a latte.