Philips - Classic (RI9403/11, SIN035U)

If you are also interested in the health part and getting good coffee out of it without making any modifications, I suggest the Gaggia Classic V2 (2015-2018), the model with the STAINLESS STEEL boiler, DOUBLE the aluminum one. Lots of people will say it's better to avoid them, but I recommend them, they are easy to repair, have quality build quality and work for at least 2 decades if you take care of them and of course service them when they require it

Gaggimate/Gaggiuino>Profitec Go>Gaggia in objective capability. Gaggia out of the box is great for Italian style espresso, but I found it lacks the control needed to properly enjoy a larger variety of espressos (eg lighter roasts). Profitec Go seems nice, and I almost bought it myself but went with Gaggia to save space. I’m glad I did because I then did Gaggimate, and the pressure/flow profiling plus temp control, brew by weight, etc etc far outdoes the Profitec for about the same price. Basically gives you capabilities similar to a $4k Decent. The mod does require some effort, but I think anyone can do it and there’s an active Discord if you need help. Be sure not to cheap out on the grinder either - DF54/64 are a really great value, aside from a few exceptions most cheaper grinders are not good enough to make good espresso.

I think what OP is alluding to is temperature stability. The Gaggia unmodded swings between more than 10c between boiler on and off and so even with temp surfing the temperature are vastly different. You can definitely taste the difference between a brew at 88 and 98c. And so yes, in this case I really do believe OPs shots taste different. I experienced the same going from the Gaggia without a mod to the Gaggimate mod installed. The taste improved significantly

IMO The GCP machines are great platforms. Stock they are meh (some say bad) but with mods they can become great machines. They are simple machines inside and easy to repair and work on and tend to last many many years. I bought mine as a first machine to mod with Gaggiuino and I'd absolutely do it again.

You are bot gonna hear this because GCP folks are a bit loyalist IMO. I have had one for about a year. It is capable of a really good shot, if you geek out and time everything perfect. But it’s performance issue is ,it is barely capable consistent heat that is high enough unless you make sure all the stars are aligned before you hit that brew switch (or you mod it). The other issue is it’s reliability. Just look around there are just as many leaky, broken, faulty, bent, janky GCP post as there are positive posts. If I could do it over again. I’d have spent another 3-400 on a more featured machine with a better track record of reliability. I’ll get hate for this cuz this is a gaggia classic reddit. But whatever, I’m speaking from experience here not bias.

True… But I had a funky brew switch from the factory and a leaky wand after a month or two. IMO it is a highly overrated machine and if you are going to buy one and mod it out, awesome, but I’d rather have just gotten the capabilities out of the box.

I say Gaggia and upgrade it .. you’ll probably get better results one it’s finely tuned

gaggia classic, if you wait you can pick a used one up on ebay for £150-£200 and they are amazing

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.

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 personally love hand grinding and you can get a lot better bang for your buck as long as you don't mind putting in the work. There are a few combinations that would work for you and they are suggested over and over here: 1. Machine - either the Bambino/Bambino Pro or the Gaggia Classic. The Gaggia Classic can be modded if you really get into it. 2. Grinder - DF54 if you want electric and J-Ultra if you are willing to hand grind. With any two of these you can learn to make a great cup of espresso and/or espresso based drinks and hit your budget. Good luck.

In terms of the ability to pull a 'perfect' shot of espresso and steam milk with good texture, I'd say the base Rancilio Silvia with any good grinder is the mark.  I've owned a range of lower end machines and for example I wouldn't recommend the Gaggia Classic to anyone, despite it pulling a good shot in the right hands. I have disassembled the boilers on several and the corroded aluminium inside after 5 years is the stuff of nightmares. But I've also used a Slayer as a barista and it doesn't objectively pull a better shot than my current Silvia with home-installed PID.  There are some big quality of life upgrades available a tier or two above the base Silvia, like built in PID, dual boiler etc. But the Silvia has solid components, everything is replaceable, and it can produce a latte 100% as good as what I could produce on the Slayer.