Philips - Classic Pro E24 (RI9380/46)

The Gaggia Classics from Europe come with 11-12 bar springs. The OPV will release any excessive pressure, that's what they do. Hundreds of persons with modified Gaggia Classics (Gaggiuino, Gaggimate, Crematune) without any boiler longevity issues. The common issues I have seen have to do with aluminum boiler pitting due to frequent descaling and other issues, not a slightly increased pressure or temperature.

A study? I think you are taking it too seriously. While you await for studies, people are enjoying their mods. The boiler itself will not be affected by 12 bar pressure or the increased temperature. The gaskets / o-rings are made for high temps. Suppose that the gasket should last 5 years... Maybe replace it in 3 years if that makes you happy. In the meantime, enjoy the improvements! I have 2 machines (GC and E24) Gaggiuino modded and love the features and the results.

A study? I think you are taking it too seriously. While you await for studies, people are enjoying their mods. The boiler itself will not be affected by 12 bar pressure or the increased temperature. The gaskets / o-rings are made for high temps. Suppose that the gasket should last 5 years... Maybe replace it in 3 years if that makes you happy. In the meantime, enjoy the improvements! I have 2 machines (GC and E24) Gaggiuino modded and love the features and the results.

This one has a solenoid because the metallic pipe is there on the back-left of the drip tray. I think this one will have an adjustable OPV, but I may be wrong. That is the thing I would validate before buying, as I would be interested in modding it with Gaggiuino or Gaggimate and the OPV is needed. If it has the OPV and it is new, unused, I think this is a very good price. Edit: If you could get a picture of the sticker with the year and model of the machine, we could check. The sticker is usually on the bottom of the machine. There is a table here that shows which models are ready to mod or not for Gaggiuino. https://gaggiuino.github.io/#/?id=home

I understand it is basically a Gaggia Classic and can be modded without issue. Are you in a country with 220/240V? I also read that this machine is more prone to rusting, specially on the bottom, under the drip tray and water tank.

It is new. But take care when you use it. Take special attention to not leaving it wet, etc.

I powder coated my second hand GC before it got any rust. https://preview.redd.it/llejdej2nn8g1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2a6b4800a50f9f4c3e0265386e2ca67fecc23ff6

I think so — yes, it has a steeper learning curve and a longer daily routine…but it’s really satisfying. I don’t mind taking out a few extra minutes a day to have a great cup of coffee. But if I didn’t have the time or energy; I’d probably buy a Jura. Or go cold-brew all the time.

Also a modded GCP user since 4 year with a new itch to get a Bianca (or go the Meraki way) — a really unusual idea came the other day to solve the dual boiler problem: Get another used stock GCP to use for milk steaming 😂

first set up is e24 and df64 v2. i immediately got the gaggiamate mod but while i was waiting for the mod to arrive for a week, i wish i had the bambino. so if you’re not planning on modding the bambino might be best. if you can mod then 1000% gaggia.

better than a gcp for a beginner to make espresso. unmodded gcp has serious temp issues that can make consistency a huge problem for someone that doesn’t want to go through the process of learning all the little tricks to get the stock machine to turn out a good shot. bambino can be very beginner friendly for someone starting out.

Maybe a Gaggia Classic Pro E24 if he likes to tinker. Cheaper than the Silvia and more durable/repairable than the Bambino. Crema is more a function of the coffee than the machine.

Probably the Gaggia for accessories, modding, and repairability.

Gaggia e24 and Gaggimate can do all of this for $600

GCP is a tank of a machine. If you like to tinker then the internals can be customized to make it one of the best machine that can compete with 4000USD machines. (Look up Gaggiuino). Some cons: The stock machine has 12 bars of pressure which many consider quite high so need to buy a low pressure spring, like 9 bar. Also there is no PID so have to temperature surf for lighter roast. For steaming milk, the stock steam gets empty quite fast, so need to time that as well. If you want just espresso then Flair is a good choice. Lelit Anna is another option within your budget with PID but the portafilter is 57mm.

It was the older model, the e24 has the brass boiler vs Aluminium in the previous one.

I sold my Mara X and bought a Gaggia E24. Best choice ever for me. For my personal use, I’m much better served with this.

Assuming you have a very good grinder, both will give you great coffee. If you don't have a good grinder, get the Gaggia and spend $500 on an electric grinder like the DF64. I don't think anyone would say you get coffee from the Profitec that is twice as good as the Gaggia. There are definitely diminishing returns but the Profitec has the edge in steaming milk and the PID/pressure sensor are nice. Gaggia has been around for years and the machine is repairable and moddable. I dont know if the same is true for the Profitec Go. Hope this helps!

If you were to save up a few extra quid, you could grab a niche zero grinder and a gaggia classic (Classic Evo Pro 2024 or Classic Pro E24 if you want new). The niche zero is a modern coffee grinder that has basically blown away the competition. Most other grinders are going to be much bigger or cost a lot more. The gaggia classic has a huge fanbase about it and there are lots of mods and upgrades if you like to tinker but this set-up will easily last you 10-20 years until you decide to spend stupid money on something [decent](https://decentespresso.com/overview) IMO if you go for anything less than this, you will be back within 2 years asking about which machine/grinder to upgrade to Edit: you could go full manual espresso if you want cheaper but the workflow is going to be much slower, you won't be able to do multiple drinks back to back and you lose the ability to do proper milk-based drinks

I started with E24 and DF64v2 and I’ve been loving my experience. I have a gaggiuino kit that just arrived, but in no rush as I’ve quite enjoy the work flow and process (my 2yo and 4mo also seem to prefer I don’t 😅). Not sure when I’ll carve out the time to do the install, but I’m looking forward to it. As someone who is fortunate and could afford to go to a higher end machine out the gate, I much prefer to learn the art and have a quality built machine with room to grow for both of us.