Review: Gaggia Anima Super-Automatic Espresso Machine
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- Опубликовано: 1 окт 2024
- Marc and Todd from Whole Latte Love take a look at the Gaggia Anima super-automatic espresso machine. New from Gaggia, the Anima series consists of 3 machines. This video features the base model Anima with auto-frothing wand for milk based drinks like cappuccino and lattes. See this exceptionally slim and easy to use machine in action.
Learn more and purchase here:
www.wholelatte...
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I'm considering buying one, thank you for your review
Hi p, You are welcome and thank you for the comment!
Marc
Many thanks for your review! What is the difference between gaggia anima black and the magenta plus. I want to focus on latte milk, mostly.
Hi IZ, Here's a link to a side by side spec comparison of those machines. If focusing on the milk and you want latte art quality froth your best option of those 2 machines is the Magenta Plus with manual steam wand. The base Anima has a wand but it's an autofrothing design so does not give the same level of frothing control as the manual wand: www.wholelattelove.com/pages/compare?products=NjU2ODA5MTM1MzE0MiwxNTQ1OTE3NzU5NTQ3
Any issues with the ground coffee function not working? I use that setting and it basically just shoots out dirty water
Hi JT, No issues I'm aware of. Any chance you are using coffee ground for drip brewing in the bypass doser? Drip grind is too coarse for good results when using pre-ground. Look for pre-ground coffee labeled/intended for espresso brewing.
Marc
Marc, your videos are fantastic! Question, is Jura's PEP brewing really worth the extra money over a Gaggia model? I would be new to super automatic machines and have never tasted any espressos made from any of them. Thanks again!
I have the same question. Gaggia Anima VS Jura A1 or E8 or something.
Hi John, So I have a Jura ENA Micro 90 at home and a Gaggia Babila in the studio. I use both for multiple coffees/espresso daily. My go to bean in those is Maromas Orphea. So I'm doing same coffee in both on a regular basis. The ENA Micro 90 is very similar to the Jura A1 ASMR KR is considering. There are some key differences but for the most part I get a very similar coffee/espresso out of both. I honestly don't have a preference for one or the other. If doing a double espresso Gaggia machines will do 2 grind cycles yielding a dose up to ~20g for the double. Most Jura machines dose up to about 14g so request a double on a Jura and it uses ~14g. You can have it do two grind cycles but you have to push button after the first shot is finished to do that. On the Gaggia 2 initial pushes and you can walk away while the machine does it's thing. As I do both espresso and long coffees on the machines there's a difference on how I use them. The PEP brewing on the Jura is used only for espresso. Make a long coffee and PEP is not used so the coffee is not over-extracted during the longer flow time. Without PEP if you're particular It would be best to use a finer grind for espresso and coarser setting for long coffee. PEP makes that adjustment unnecessary. The Gaggia Babila has a flow control dial on the spouts. It accomplishes essentially the same thing as PEP. Quickly restrict flow for espresso and increase flow rate for long coffees. With that you can leave grind setting the same on the Gaggia as well. The Anima is a different story. It does not have the flow control. With that you'd want to tend to a finer grind if doing only or mostly espresso and a coarser grind for long coffees. Changing grind size can be a pain - in my experience most end users rarely change grind size. So PEP on the Jura machines and flow control on the Gaggia Babila (also on Gaggia Accademia) makes life easier.
Jura machines usually cost more for the same capabilities. What you get for that price is a design/look that some prefer and easy maintenance. Jura machines do not have removable brew units. For cleaning of coffee system you put a tablet in the bypass doser when the machine alerts you to do so and the machine does the rest. Gaggia machines do have removable brew units. Once a week or so you should remove it and rinse with plain water at sink, let dry and re-insert. With any Jura machine if you use the water filter as directed descaling is never required. Gaggia machines can use an in-reservoir filter as well but even with that you will need to descale from time to time. Using a filter in a Gaggia machine does significantly extend the time between descaling. Depends on your water hardness but with filter use it can go out to more than 700 brew cycles.
I hope that helps! If you have more questions let me know. You can also call our experts at 585-924-7170 and they can help find a machine which best fits your needs.
Marc
What did you go with John and have you tried any of them ? I wanted to know the same thing. I’m looking at those two same machines myself because I don’t wanna deal with the breville express unless these are crap espresso lol
Very helpful video, thanks! Just one question if you don't mind. I like my coffee really hot. Does this machine make it super hot? I realize this is subjective, but other machines like the Delonghi I've tried before and the temperature is more warm than hot. Thanks for your help!
Hi David, Thanks for the comment and question. The Anima does make a hot coffee. IMO generally hotter than Delonghi or Jura. Was just speaking with a coworker who has had a number of different machines in her home. Currently has an Anima and says she had to use a medium heat setting on a machine for the first time ever.
Marc
I just got one - is it normal for it to make cracking/knocking sounds after it’s done brewing? Like when it’s dumping the used grounds?
Nice video! But I was kinda hoping that I could see how do I adjust the the ceramic grinder.
Hi RP, Thanks for the comment. Sorry that was not included in the video. Here's how to do it: You can always adjust the grind to a more coarse setting. When going coarser you can make as big an adjustment as you want. Just turn towards the larger dots. When adjusting to a finer setting move only one dot at a time. Run a brew cycle in between each one dot adjustment to a finer setting. This because there are likely some bean particles between the burrs and they will prevent or make difficult large adjustments. Being to aggressive with adjustments to a finer setting may damage the adjustment setting.
Hope that helps!
Marc
You missed it, but it was in there. At 4:30 that bypass scoop handle is the tool to adjust the grind setting.
i didn't know i was an expresso machine
lol
Marc is this type of machine can used pre ground coffee ? And how can make regular coffe (americano) because the choice only espresso and lungo. And how abot the brewing unit,is that can take out to wash.i have 2 unit jura impressa but can't take out the brewing unit.
Hi SBS, The Anima does have a bypass doser four using pre-ground coffee if desired. American (or long black) is made by doing an espresso and then adding hot water from the frothing wand. Brew unit is removable from the Anima for rinsing and service.
Marc
Hi...my machine has been thoroughly cleaned and decalcified...the water will heat up and the coffee prompt will appear...upon pressing coffee or espresso button the machine will shut down and go back to ready...never had an issue with this machine in years...help
Hi Lauren, Sorry to hear you are having trouble after years of no problems. Please contact our Tech Support staff at 585-924-7170 for assistance resolving your problem.
can this machine make flat whites? thanks for the informative video.
Hi cs, It can make a flat white which is generally thought of as a short latte made using a double shot of espresso. Some think of a flat white as a wet cappuccino as well. Process would be make a double shot of espresso and then finely froth a about 3oz/90ml of milk and pour over the espresso. The included autofrothing panarello wand can make the fine froth with some practice. Another option is to remove the autofrothing wand and froth with the straight steam pipe. That requires more skill but with practice can produce a super fine texture capable of pouring latte art. Yet another option is this accessory: www.wholelattelove.com/gaggia-latte-art-pannarello-wand-147430150
The Latte art wand retains autofrothing capabilities but has a slide off sleeve which converts it a manual wand.
I'm considering in getting this one...I wonder, can a milk pipe(the plastic or stainless steel tube) be connected to this model? Thanks!
Hi BE, It's a good buy. As far as the milk pipe do you mean for frothing manually? Like to go to latte are froth quality? If so, a few options:
1. Just pull off the auto-frothing portion of the wand. you'll be left with a pipe that can froth manually.
2. Attach this latte art frothing wand that can auto-froth or pull off a sleeve for manual frothing with a deeper reach into your pitcher than a straight pipe: www.wholelattelove.com/products/gaggia-latte-art-pannarello-wand-147430150
3. If I misunderstood and you want a frothing device with milk pick up tube this works: www.wholelattelove.com/products/gaggia-cappuccinatore-upgrade-kit
4. For a more capable Gaggia super-auto machine with a manual frothing wand have a look at the Gaggia Cadorna Barista Plus: www.wholelattelove.com/products/gaggia-cadorna-plus
Hope that helps!
Marc
What whole bean coffees do you recommend for this machine?
Hi John, Thanks for the question. I love recommending coffees! First let me cover the beans you should not use. Any bean with an oily surface sheen or visible oils on the surface should not be used. Beans with oily surface tend to be over-roasted and you 'd be tasting the roast and not the delicious bean itself. Also do not use beans which have been flavored. The flavorings tend to include some sugar which can gum up the works.
Coffees I do recommend... It depends on what you like and what king of coffee you are making. Is it espresso? Or are you making longer cups? Bonus tip: If making espresso set your machine's grinder to a fine setting. If doing mostly larger cups use a coarser grind setting.
Italian style bean blends - these tend to be darker roasts:
Maromas Orphea (one of my favorite all around coffees and it's about $10/lb.) www.wholelattelove.com/maromas-orphea-whole-bean-espresso
Lavaza Super Crema: www.wholelattelove.com/lavazza-super-crema-whole-bean-espresso-coffee
On the brighter and fruitier side:
Look for single origin beans, grown at higher altitudes in medium roast - FYI these tend to cost more than other coffees
Check out our selections from Joe Bean Coffee Roasters: www.wholelattelove.com/coffee-and-espresso/whole-bean-coffee?product_brand=1119 I'm Currently enjoying their Freddy Bermeo from Peru grown at 1,800 meters: www.wholelattelove.com/joe-bean-freddy-bermeo
If you go to this page on our website you can select a coffee by "Flavor Family":
www.wholelattelove.com/coffee-and-espresso/whole-bean-coffee
Hope that helps. Be sure and read reviews from customers on our website to help you decide.
Marc
Marc, can you please do a video showing how to change the charcoal filter in the Gaggia Anima series? That would be helpful because I suspect there are specific procedures for doing it. Thanks as always. Mark
Hi Mark, Thanks for the request. Here's a link to my video (cued to water filter installation) for the Gaggia Velasca: ruclips.net/video/QUnr3GdF_kQ/видео.html The procedure is similar for the Anima machines including setting the filter to your source water hardness. Also might want to bookmark our support wiki for the Gaggia Anima: wiki.wholelattelove.com/Gaggia_Anima/diagrams_and_manuals All kinds of use, maintenance and troubleshooting info there including videos, user and service manuals and diagrams. Hope that helps!
Marc
I'm considering ordering one of these from WLL. I was wondering, can you purge the steam wand before frothing the milk, and afterwards to blow out remaining milk? That's been my one reservation with these that have button-controlled steaming. I'm considering the Brera instead because of this, but I like the Anima's extra cup clearance.
Thanks for the great videos! You guys taught me almost everythjng I know about espresso making!
Hi PJW, You are welcome for the videos and thanks for your question! Yes, you can purge the wand prior to frothing and after. Just turn steam on/off prior to use. When done frothing you can use steam by turning it on again or request water from the machine to rinse the wand.
Marc
the machine doesn't come with "burst" mode, meaning that you'd have to push the steam button, wait for 30 seconds and turn it off rather quickly to end it...
Instead of doing that, the metal wand is removable, so you can remove it and run it under running water and it's clean.
Like the Brera, can u remove the auto frother and do latte art quality frothing on this one?
Hi RS, Yes you can!
Marc
How to calibrate and clean gaggia anima pannarello? Are you forecast when they will make a video? It would be very cool
Hi FB, We have some videos on the Pannarello wand - see links below. They work essentially the same on all Gaggia machines. There are some slight variations in regards to the air intake location. Some have a single pinhole while other have slots.
Troubleshooting auto-frothing steam wands: ruclips.net/video/8Tlup2Pilak/видео.html
How to test and use: ruclips.net/video/gXr7ohKkcBE/видео.html
Comparing types of wands: ruclips.net/video/zfyoCpjMPrs/видео.html
Marc....purchased the Anima from WLL a few months ago and am quite happy with it overall. Out of curiosity, are you getting comments from people wishing the high temperature setting was, in fact, a bit higher? That would be my only wish. Out of curiosity as well, do other brands tend to have higher settings or does "high" mean the same temperature across brands? Many thanks.
Hi Christopher, Thanks for the comment and question. Glad to hear you are enjoying the machine! Temps are fairly standard across brands. All are set to provide brew water contacting the coffee at 195-205F. By the time it exists the machine it will cool a bit. I have not run into big differences between brands with in cup temps. Most tasters will tell you people drink coffee too hot. Hard to pick up flavor in super hot or super cold beverages. Why bad coffee is served extra hot and bad beer extra cold!
Marc
@@Wholelattelovepage Interesting and helpful. Many thanks.
Are there any machines with non-plastic brew group? Isn’t plastic harmful when it contacts hot water?
Hi SG, Thanks for the question. Plastics used in machines are certified for hot water contact. If plastics bother you have to go to semi-automatic espresso machines.
Marc
Whole Latte Love hi, thank you very much for your response.
Is the Pannarello removable?
Yes
I bought my re-conditioned Anime from you guys about two years ago, and have been very pleased with the performance and reliability. I don't pretend to be an expert, but this machine gives me consistent results, ease of use, low maintenance, and delicious cappucini/lattes. Couldn't be happier, and I appreciate the how-to videos.
Hi LL Jr, Thanks for the comment sharing your experience with the refurbed Anima! Super-autos make it easy to get consistent results. Refurbed machines are an excellent value!
Marc
Makes a great cup of coffee. You should put a video of making an expresso single size with a authentic ceramic expresso cup. Not a coffee mug or glass shot glass.
Hi AI, Thanks for the comment. I tend to use shot glasses in the videos so it's easy to get a visual on the entire shot showing crema layers etc. I'm honestly not sure what you mean by "slash back".
Marc
I see on Amazon that you are a re-seller of this machine so this is more of an advertisement than a review
HI Chris, Yes, we do sell this machine. Something we are very open about - we say as much in the video. We put the time and effort into doing these videos to assist consumers in making informed purchase decisions. We review the features, performance and capabilities of the product as we do with many other similar products. While it is fair to consider it an advertisement if you like, our videos go well beyond that. Our goal is to help consumers learn about a potential purchase by providing detailed information and close-up looks at products. It may be better characterized as "content marketing" than an advertisement.
Chris S so what dickhead? The guys allowed to make a living ain’t he?
I like Marc and his videos. I have learned a lot from his videos and his comments. He always answer most of questions from people quickly. I have Amazon credits with 5% cash back if I buy things on Amazon. But I decide to buy an espresso machine in WLL because of more than one reason. Chatting service while shopping through the website is very helpful as well. I asked so many questions and I received more advices than I expected. Marc is the best. You don't need to buy anything from their website but watch more videos and you might find some helpful information.
What is the problem ? you can buy it anywhere...and you can look for other reviews in the internet. These guys do a fantastic job and I never bought anything from them yet, mainly because I live in Brazil but I will by a Gaggia Anima for me in the next month or so down here....why people only complain about something in the web ?