Gaggia Classic Pro Vs Sage Bambino Plus
One of the most common questions I'm asked, is Gaggia Classic vs Bambino Plus. It's a really common question, but it's also kind of a weird one, in a way.
In one way it's not weird, they're two very similarly priced machines, and they're both espresso machines, but they're completely different kinds of machines, for completely different people.
Landrover Defender Vs Tesla Model X
This isn't a perfect analogy, as both of the above are not at all "entry level" cars, and these are entry level espresso machines, but still, it works.
While these are two great vehicles, they're completely different vehicles for completely different people.
With any of the Tesla models, you have space travel level technology, comfort, a brilliant drive & incredible performance.
With an original Defender (the latest ones are different of course) you have a steering wheel, a seat, and some pedals ;-), but a workhorse vehicle that will probably still be going strong in 30 years if you look after it.
This is a bit of an extreme example, but it paint a picture of what the answer is when it comes to Bambino Plus Vs Gaggia Classic Pro.
Some will say Tesla's aren't cars, they're space ships, and some will say that the Bambino plus isn't an "espresso machine" but that it's appliance grade coffee machine.
Horses For Courses
It's just down to the user. If you're the kind of person who likes proper machinery, you like things to be built the way things used to be built, you want to be able to tinker, maintain, repair, then you're probably the ideal Gaggia Classic owner.
If you're someone who thinks the Gaggia Classic looks like a lump of metal that needs weighing in, you prefer sleek, modern looking kitchen appliances, and you're mainly focused on user friendliness and ease of use, then you're probably who the Bambino Plus was designed for.
The Gaggia Classic Pro is very simple, old fashioned engineering. It's basically a stainless steel frame around an Aluminium brew boiler, with an Ulka pump (standard part), a brass group, an over pressure valve, a 3 way solenoid valve, and some basic switches and a few other bits.
They're made the way things used to be made, and there aren't many modern espresso machines that will last as long as a Gaggia Classic will last, as long as they're maintained.
Plus, they're so simple that just about anyone with a little bit of basic DIY ability can maintain them, or you can take them to most espresso machine engineers.
The Bambino Plus is a much more modern kitchen appliance.
It's actually just as capable as the Gaggia Classic pro where espresso is concerned, and out of the box with no modding it's arguably better, it has an OPV set to 9 bars, and it has a PID temp controller.
You can just take the Bambino plus out of the box, and be making pretty good espresso straight away, with no messing, no modding, and very little in the way of quirks.
The Gaggia Classic can be used straight out of the box, but it's quirky. One of the quirks is the big temperature swings, which require a temperature surfing workflow. This isn't as complex as it sounds, but it does put some people off.
You can get around this by fitting a PID (temperature controller) from around a hundred pounds, you'll then have a very temperature stable machine, but it does put the machine higher up the price range, so a Classic with a PID fitted does end up over a hundred quid more than the Bambino plus, but then again, a well maintained Classic is likely to last decades.
In terms of espresso quality, they're both capable of great espresso, if you pair them with a great grinder, and use great coffee beans.
Longevity & Maintenance
Which one will last the longest, to be honest I don't think there are many machines that will outlive a classic if well maintained.
This isn't to say that a Bambino Plus won't last long, but they are built to perform more like modern kitchen appliances, than old school machines.
It's very possible to repair them, the only issue with Sage machine up until now is that they have one out of warranty partner, who you have to deal with if you want your machine repairing out of warranty.
The minimum fee with no guarantee of fix, tends to put people off having their machines repaired, and since the parts haven't usually been accessible for home repair or for independent engineers to offer repair, a lot of Sage machines that simply need a simple part swapping, for instance a triac board or a Solenoid valve, have been put on eBay as spares/repair, for people to recondition & re-sell.
Saying that, some may have been skipped, I do hope not as in many cases it's just a £10-£20 part required!
Thankfully Sage have recently started to change this, parts are starting to be made available for home repair.
Vs the Gaggia Classic, though, the main thing to say is there is a lot more parts on the Bambino Plus that could need replacing, and some of them aren't cheap.
The thermojet heater, for example, is quite susceptible to limescale damage, and if you have to replace that, it's a £70 part. It's very unlikely you'd have to replace the boiler on your classic, and if you did, it's about £50.
The Bambino plus has quite a lot of non-standard parts, the fact you can get hold of them now is a big plus, but generally speaking I'd expect it to be more cost effective to keep a Gaggia Classic going strong for 20 years, vs the same with a Bambino Plus.
So there you go, if you were wondering whether the Gaggia Classic Pro or the Bambino Plus was going to be the best espresso machine for you, hopefully this has helped.