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Consumer Reviews of the Gaggia Platinum Vision
The following reviews were collected from Amazon.com, WholeLatteLove.com, Costco.com, BeverageFactory.com, and Mercantila.com.
An overwhelming majority of reviews from consumers who have purchased the Gaggia Platinum Vision gave the espresso machine their enthusiastic approval and said they would recommend the product to their friends.
Buying the right espresso machine can be a challenge. To help you make a good decision we have gathered, from sites all over the internet, what we feel is a very fair and balanced collection of consumer reviews for the Gaggia Platinum Vision espresso machine.
We hope you’ll agree with us that reviews which are made made by actual owners of the Gaggia Platinum Vision espresso machine are the best source of honest, un-biased, and reliable feedback, which we think you will find to be valuable when choosing a home espresso maker for your kitchen.
By doing the research and collecting a wide variety of reviews for this extremely popular, easy to use, and attractive looking espresso machine, we hope that we can help save you many hours of time scouring the Internet yourself in order to gather this information.
Review By Morning Cup – Perfect Cappuccino, better than a coffee shop cappuccino
Pros: easy self service of brew group, optional milk island perfect froth
Cons: looks, many left handed operationsThe Cappuccino is some of the best I have ever had, better than most coffee shops. I had a Jura S9 Impressa before; it was a great machine but sent it back for a programming issue.
The Gaggia Platinum Vision is different in many ways, you could sense the difference in engineering between the two companies. As an engineer myself I was impressed with how the Gaggia brew group could be self serviced, not so for the Jura (advantage Gaggia). The Gaggia grinds the coffee directly over the brew chamber. What you grind is used for that cup. The Jura unit had a bit of travel in moving the grounds and some of the ground coffee would not always make it into the same cup. To be honest I could not make a bad cup with either unit, but the simplicity of the Gaggia impressed me, and I knew I was making the freshest cup possible. If you are a left handed person you will like the Gaggia Platinum Vision. I make mostly frothed milk drinks so the manual wand or optional milk island is on the left side; Jura’s is on the right. I got used to it and now I’m OK with it. The milk island does a great job, just be sure all parts are clean. I feel the Jura milk frothing system is simpler in comparison, but both do a fine job. I use the Gaggia frothing wand for only hot water now, so making tea is simplified.
Review By HardShopper – Nice machine!
Pros: makes really good espresso!
Cons: a lot of plastic; first machine had defectThe Gaggia Platinum Vision is a nice espresso maker. We just purchased one, and it had a problem with the tray lowering down. I got Gaggia on the first try (in New York) and they confirmed I had a problem and told me to return it to Costco and get another one, which I am doing. Gaggia’s customer service was great.
The machine is very sophisticated, with lots of neat options. all the coffee drinks we have made with it are great.
Review By Parametric – Awesome machine
The Gaggia Platinum Vision is a great product! Utterly reliable, fun (really fun) to use, looks great (I was worried about this from the photos but no sweat there).
In a party situation I find myself filling the water tank a lot, but this is minor.
Espresso quality: Amazing.
Caveat: I have ONLY had this machine for 2 weeks, so I DON’T know about LT reliability, but the signs so far are good.
Advice: Adjust the temp of all coffee presets to “high.” You can tweak the taste substantially with these settings, BTW.
Review By lawmom – Great Coffee — So Easy to Use!
Pros: makes better coffee than you can get at cafe., fits a travel mug — just remove the drip tray!, beautiful sleek stainless steel look
Cons: needs larger water tank, milk island should have variable timing on it, larger waste water container neededI love good espresso, but don’t have time to learn to pull a good shot on a semi-automatic. I’ve read all the reviews and comments out there that a quality semi-automatic is the way to go for truly excellent espresso. But I’ve got a 1 year old and a 5 year old and only a few seconds each morning to build my latte. So after searching far and wide for a super automatic that can match the quality of espresso out of a good semi-automatic and skilled barista, I think I’ve found it. This machine totally does it all. The touch screen is very easy to use. It takes a little while to program it to produce the exact type of coffee or espresso you like. I also changed up the beans and the fat content of the milk that I used. They all play a factor in how the final product tastes.
Use: Touch screen is very intuitive. You touch the cup once for one shot, twice for two shots. And unlike the Jura Capresso which “says” that it produces a double shot when you press their double shot button, the Gaggia Platinum Vision actually grinds and tamps 2 times for two shots. The Jura only ground and tamped one time but just pumped twice the amount of water through it for a double shot. The taste is just severely off that way. The espresso produced by this machine is just beautiful and delicious. Lovely thick crema on top, rich espresso on the bottom. The frothing wand is really nice as well, though not quite as easy to clean as the instructions make it look. The wand makes nice froth and the wand moves easily to accommodate larger pitchers of milk. I ended up buying the milk island later (from another vendor as Costco didn’t offer it) and use that regularly instead of the wand. I can put the milk in and leave for a minute and come back to beautifully frothed milk — with micro-bubbles like you get from a really good cafe. Definitely better froth than I can make, but then again, I don’t claim to have any barrista skills. The milk island shuts off after 2 minutes of pumping steam through it. In the video, there was no spillage of milk. However, what I found was, depending on the fat content of the milk you use, the milk island can overflow even if you don’t fill it to the max limit. So you can leave it for a minute but need to keep an eye on it to turn off the steam valve if it looks like it’s going to overflow.
Maintenance: Maintenance is relatively easy as well. The machine tells you when to empty the grounds and drip tray. The only problem (and another reviewer on another site also noted this) is that it doesn’t notify you until the water level is almost to the very top. When you pull the tray out, unless you are extremely careful and steady, the dirty water will spill out on the counter. I’ve taken to emptying it out every 5 shots just to avoid that. When you empty the grounds, you also take the brew unit out to rinse it. It sounds intimidating, but it just releases with a lever and snaps back in. Otherwise, there isn’t any other real maintenance (as far as I can tell for the month that I’ve owned it).
I had previously owned a Jura Capresso E7. It lasted 4 years pulling 3 shots a day, almost every day. It was decent. But it didn’t make coffee like the Gaggia Platinum Vision. Also, the steam wand started to go out on me toward the end and would explode off and scald me with hot milk. Dangerous and made me gun shy about steam wands. The Gaggia wand doesn’t do that, but the milk island is even better!
Before I bought my Gaggia Platinum Vision, I researched it and other machines, reading reviews by consumers and experts, for months. $1300 is a lot to spend on a machine, and I wanted to make sure that I was getting my money’s worth. I was worried about this machine leaking given previous Gaggia machines have had that problem. I bought it from Costco because I knew that their customer service is second to none. I’m glad I did so. When my machine arrived, it had a crack in the water tank that caused it to leak. Costco sent me a new one as quickly as they could. Given that I now prefer the espresso I make to what I can get at a Starbucks or a Peets’, I think it’s worth it.
Review By Bonaparte – GAGGIA Customer Service is Zilch
I had a problem with the functioning of my new Gaggia Platinum Vision bought less than four weeks ago. I left two phone messages to Importika (Importers of Gaggia in the USA) and sent three e-mail messages to the manufacturers in Italy – In Italian – and had no response whatsoever so far – Complete silence.
Review By Shane Rose
I love the Gaggia Platinum Vision. However, the milk island does not heat the milk adequately prior to building so much froth, that it must be turned off. If you had preheated milk, it would work wonderfully, however, I keep my milk in the fridge, and the canister is completely full to overflowing with frothed milk of a barely tepid temperature. To heat to a ‘normal’ temperature of 140-160, requires only a tiny amount of milk, otherwise, the froth overflows prior to thorough heating. I gave up early, and just use the steam wand, which works very well.
Review By B. Morgan
First, my buying experience with [...] was painless, great price and delivery on time. Second, I have blogged about my first experiences with this machine at www.baristagrande.com. I will be updating it now that I’ve used it regularly for about a month. So far I love my Gaggia Platinum Vision, but the “milk island” has definitely had some issues, particularly with leaking and varying heat. The coffee, however, continues to be the strong point of the machine. I agree with other posters who mentioned how good the steam wand is on this product. Even with the milk island foibles, the steam wand makes sure that you will always have a great milk source (and the boiler is so strong it does not take long to heat up).
Review By Paul Tebbe
I was reluctant to trade-in my double boiler, prosumer Expobar machine for a super-automatic, but so far I’m glad I did. The Gaggia Platinum Vision is super easy to use, and now I can easily make 2 cups of coffee with much less work in the time it would take to make one on the Expobar. Machine heats up literally in under 2 minutes. Steam is very strong and heats milk quickly. (I haven’t tried the Milk Island yet, but the wand is so effective I don’t really see a need to.) I was afraid I wouldn’t like the touch screen at first, but it is effective and the menus are easy to follow. It feels very sturdy and takes a firm press to activate. The menu system allows complete fine-tuning of your coffee drinks. I like a strong cup, and using a large dose, fine grind, and slow flow rate I get it just the way I like it. The other thing I like about this unit compared to some others is the reasonable cost of the water filters ($12 vs $20+.) My only complaints are with the exterior design of the machine. I don’t care for the platinum color because it looks cheap, like plastic spray-painted a gold-like-color with crappy paint. The platinum also does not blend well with the stainless on the front of the unit (which looks good if you like modern design.) Way too much plastic-y appearance for a $1200+ machine. The plastic door to access the internal parts and used grounds feels flimsy. The drip tray and overflow/rinse tray are too small and require relatively frequent emptying. The lazy-susan type base is nice for accessibility, but the machine doesn’t feel completely stable and starts to tip forward when you place a large ceramic mug on the drip tray. Again, not something I’d expect from a $1000-plus machine. My all-stainless Expobar at the same price has simpler lines, more elegance, and is much less cheap looking. The Expobar looks and feels restaurant-quality, the Vision….radio shack. But it WORKS great. I’ll be a happy customer IF it lasts.
Review By Mark Minkin
I had the good fortune to live and work in Paris and London with frequent visits to other cities across the continent. So, I am quite familiar with the notion of great coffee. On a trip to Italy, I discovered the ultimate coffee experience in Rome at the Saint Eustachio Cafe. This was a religious experience for me and henceforth the standard for what a superb cup of espresso should be. An experience that I have yet to duplicate in the USA. I’ve come close at places like Intelligensia Coffee and at some good places like Ink in Denver and some others in Portland, even a few in New York. Anyway, these experiences inspired me to find the espresso machine to deliver a similar coffee adventure. The more I investigated espresso machines the more complex became the whole effort. Single boilers, double boilers, bars of pressure, dosers, articulated steam wands, tamping techniques, milk steaming temperatures, Latte art!! Yikes, I just want a good cup of coffee not a science project. As a lover of old sports cars, I want to be involved with my machine and the driving experience. So, I don’t like automated things as a rule. I invested a lot of time reading reviews on this site before I made my decision to purchase the Gaggia Platinum Vision. It would have been much more in character for me to buy a Prosumer machine like the Expobar. While I awaited the arrival of the Gaggia, I began having doubts about my decision. I’m also an amateur chef and I don’t take shortcuts when I prepare meals. But I am happy to report that the Gaggia Platinum Vision truly delivers a fine cup of espresso and it does so effortlessly. Even the packaging was engineered smartly. The machine arrived in perfect condition and has worked flawlessly since. The set-up was very easy and the touch screen is very intuitive. It’s also very easy to make a cup coffee using ground coffee for those that don’t want an espresso. What a joy in the morning to come downstairs and enjoy a fabulous cup of espresso or Latte with that wonderful aroma! The customer service at WLL has also been excellent. Go ahead and take the leap!!
Review by Karyn Ward
I’ve been using my new Gaggia Platinum Vision for about a week now. The milk island has been an adjustment because my last machine had a milk pitcher that held the cold milk and only dispensed the milk to be steamed, so you could fill up the pitcher for several drinks and refrigerate the remainder, while the milk island only does one drink at a time and needs to be thoroughly rinsed out (and taken apart to do so) after each session. It’s not really a big deal, just a little more work than what I was doing. However, I think it is worth it. The creamy, steamed milk from the milk island is wonderful! I am still trying to figure the machine out, which is why I rated the instruction materials a little low. Having said that, this is my third brand of espresso machine and I’ve yet to find one with good instructions. We had a little trouble installing the water filter. I had already added the water and beans (following their instructions) and then saw they had to be removed to add the milk island. I still haven’t figured out how to get a double shot. I was a little concerned about buying from [...] because of the trouble I did have with previous machines purchased from Starbucks. SB was wonderful about replacing the machine and all I had to do was load it in my car and drive over to the closest location. I have saved the original shipping materials in case I have to send it in for repair or exchange. I don’t anticipate doing so except that I’ve had issues with several (non-Gaggia) machines in the past. Pros: Quick to heat up MUCH hotter end product than previous machines Touch screen is easy to use Milk island steamed milk is creamy and good!! Cons: Extra maintenance for milk island Not a quick way to figure out how to use all the functions — still learning after a week. I usually learn it all at one time.
Review By David Sheets
WOW – why didn’t I do this loooong ago! I LOVE the Gaggia Platinum Vision, and the Maromas Orphea beans are awesome!
Review By William Adler
Pros: Easy To Use
Cons: Small Water Container
Personal Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend the Gaggia Platinum Vision to a friend
The Gaggia Platinum Vision is a home use machine and is not commercial grade. It is however a fantastic espresso machine. The ease of use and high quality shot is evident at this price point. The amount of plastic is a little concerning in the build and it seems to be put together well. There is very little to nit pick and the ease of use is well worth the investment. The foam island works well and produces a good quality micro foam. The steam wand is easy to use and produces a quality micro foam as well. The bypass function is a must in this machine and works well. when you want to brew a shot of a different bean, this function is invaluable. We roast our own beans and are always doing a variety of pours. This machine will not disappoint you. the quality of the espresso shot is as good or better than a semi-auto machine. I traveled Europe and Italy for a living for 20 years and this machine will rival any of the baristas I have come across.
Review By Kathy Kaplan
I do not have a lot of experience with these automatic machines. However, I LOVE the Gaggia Platinum Vision. With the touch screen it makes it so easy to use. Set up was quick and I have enjoyed it every morning since buying it. One of the best purchases I have ever made.
Review By Niklas Brandt
Coming up on one year anniversary with my Gaggia Platinum Vision. Works like when it was brand new. Easy to use and easy to clean. Milk island also works flawlessly. Only wish the water tank would be bigger, especially if making regular coffees. I strongly recommend this machine. Compared to my neighbors Jura, the only thing the Gaggia Platinum Vision does not do is clean itself. And since the cleaning is a breeze that takes about 1 minute, I’ll keep the $1000 difference in my pocket.
Review By George Ireland
The Gaggia Platinum Vision worked right out of the box. I’ve been using it for more than a year and haven’t had one bad thing to say about it. My coffee comes out perfect every time, the espresso has great creme’ as well. Very little to clean up, just have to run water over a small portion of the brew group weekly, wipe excess coffee oil residue from the filter and run a cleaning tablet through it once a month. The machine lets you know when to do most of this including a descaling. My father is on kidney dialysis and is limited to how much fluid he can take in a day. The Vision puts out 2, one ounce shots of espresso and that’s exactly what dad wants. He was skeptical of this machine at first, especially its ability to even make a decent shot of espresso, but now can’t get enough of it.
Review By Michael Wilson
Excellent Machine! After doing a lot of research on a “super automatic” replacement for my Saeco Digital Italia, I decided on the Gaggia Platinum Vision. Features like the “in tank” water filter, touch screen and height adjustable tray, made the decision easy for me. It took me about 20 minutes to take everything out of the box to inventory and get it set up in its new home. I found the instruction manual to be very easy to read and understand. After priming the machine, and pulling a couple of test shots, I made my first latte. I was amazed how quickly it steamed the milk. The espresso shots came through with a great looking crema that made you want dive right into them! Cleanup was also very easy and straight forward. We had company over for the 4th of July, so I really got to put it through its paces. Latte’s & Cappuccino’s were flowing like the mighty Mississippi! Everyone was commenting on the quality and taste. They loved the look of the machine too! Even though its an advanced machine, it doesn’t look like the console of the Space Shuttle!
Looking forward to many years of use!
Review By Andrijana Brown
I love my Gaggia Platinum Vision. Now I cannot live without it. I just cannot imagine my day, my life without it. It is so easy to make espresso, cappuccino, or latte. I cannot describe how good this machine is. I just press the picture of the kind of coffee I want. Crema is so great. It is the same like in cafe shops in Europe. I am from Europe and I really missed good cappuccino. In Europe we spend hours and hours drinking and talking to friends over cup of cappuccino. Now I love when someone stops by and I can offer them real European cup of coffee, Espresso or cappuccino.
Review By Dennis Berry
We’ve had the Gaggia Platinum Vision for three days. It worked as advertised right out of the box. The coffee is good. The only complaints I have are that the machine seems like a lightweight plastic affair for this much money. Second, you really need to read the entire 36 pages of instruction before you brew as the setup summary up front skips a few fundamental steps. Third, there are no instructions for attaching the milk island. You have to turn the machine on it’s side to plug it in and that is awkward if you wait as I did to attach it after loading with water and coffee. Bottom line: this is our first advanced coffee machine and I am glad I bought it.
Review By Carmen Tennison
First super-automatic I’ve owned and I love it! It’s overall superb, and I have only very, very minimal recommendations for improvement. Serves up crema-licious espresso every time, even when I use inexpensive grocery store brand beans.
Review By MZ Barker
I had a Saeco Vienna for about 6 years. When the machine stopped operating, I knew it was time to upgrade. We used our machine every day and love to make latte’s and entertain. I called [...] and spoke with Beau. He suggested we take a look at the Gaggia Platinum Vision line of machines. We decided to buy the top of line model the Vision. This machine had everything we could ever need. The machine came with a milk island. It is so easy to use. Now when we entertain, I can just place milk in the island and all the work is done for me. The machine produces amazing froth and creates the perfect latte every time. We love the large display and it even has images on the screen. This machine is a lot easier to clean than our Vienna. The grounds container and water reservoir are located on the side of the machine and very easy to get too. The bean hopper has a sealed lid and keeps the beans fresh.
Review By Maria Mozano
the Gaggia Platinum Vision rocks! It’s so easy to use! I push a button and it makes me my coffee! I know my crema too, I’ve been to Italy several times and would not keep a machine unless it gave me that delicious tan thick creamy layer of crema on top. If your hesitating on buying this machine . . . DON’T!
Review By Stephen Torres
After 5 years with my Digital Synchrony I decided to upgrade. The Gaggia Platinum Vision is an amazing machine but there’s room for improvement. The water tank, the drip tray, and the dregs drawer are relatively small compared to the Synchrony but the machine is good about letting you know when they need to be emptied. There are more loose grounds to clean up when doing the weekly maintenance but a small handheld vacuum makes that relatively easy. I have yet to get the milk island to work and spoke with tech support today who is sending me a replacement once they receive the one I’m returning. On the plus side, the fine-tuning of the coffee strength is second to none. No place that I’ve been able to find can match the cup of coffee I can make at home. The steam wand is much more powerful than my previous and the froth is creamy and rich. The machine can be programmed to turn itself on and off if you’re just too impatient to wait less than a minute while it warms up. It’s quiet and relatively compact, sleek and stylish to behold, and a really really good reason to wake up in the morning.
Review By Caren Theodorakakos
I really did my shopping on this one. I went everywhere I could trying to find the best espresso machine I could find, the best bang for my buck. I’ve had my C3000 for 4 years now and I wanted something better tasting, not just the convenience. So I shopped online and in stores and finally came across the Gaggia Platinum Vision and I’m telling you, YOU CAN’T FIND SOMETHING AS GOOD TASTING AS THIS & AS EASY TO USE! My neighbor was over this morning and tried a cup and had me order him one right away!!! I’m telling you, the VISION is the only way to go!
Review By Brett Parker
I have used many super automatic machines and the Gaggia Platinum Vision makes by far the best espresso that I have ever had. The espresso comes out nice and slow and is dark and rich. The milk island makes a very creamy froth and is easy to clean but I normally use the steam wand, which also works great. The grinder is very quiet so I can use it and not wake up my wife (I get up early). I very highly recommend this beautiful machine!!!!!
Review By Bamajavaluvr
I love my coffee and am always on the look out for items that will make coffee drinking better. Up until recently I have used a “LaPavoni Europiccola” manual espresso machine. After many hours of practice I was able to pull a decent espresso shot with it BUT everything had to be JUST right. That all changed with the Gaggia Platinum Vision. I unpacked this jewel and within 30 minutes (most of it spent reading the instructions) I was pulling shot after shot of excellent espresso. The crema came out about 1/4″ thick and at the right temperature. The machine is capable of using pre-ground coffee, otherwise it has its own built in grinder. So far, everything has gone flawlessly with this machine and I’m very impressed.
Review By Malcolm
As good as Costa coffee, Coffee Nero or Starbucks
The Gaggia Platinum Vision will run out of water half way through a cycle the same with the discharge bin you must remember to check before making a coffee.
Review By Espresso Daily – Cafe Quality Espresso Maker!
I brew a lot of coffee every day. The Gaggia Platinum Vision brews a great espresso every time. I personally feel that it tastes better than a professional coffee shop. I bought this machine to experience a quality espresso every day. So far it has surpassed it. The LCD panel is easy to read and use. The frother is easy to use. Over all very happy with my experience.
Bottom Line: I would recommend this product.
Review By A. Jones – Great Machine
I consider myself an espresso lover. I have tasted espresso from several different machines and I feel that the Gaggia Platinum Vision makes the best espresso by far. I am particular about my grinding process and this machine features three different grind settings. The interface is easy to program and understand. The touch screen is easy to use and I can easily adjust the strength of the espresso cup. Every feature on this machine is great from the milk island to the quiet grinder. I am also impressed by the quality of the construction and design of the machine. I would recommend it and have yet to find a machine that makes a better one.
Bottom Line: I would recommend this product.
Review By Jim & Trudy
Pros: Easy To Clean, Great Taste
Cons: Small Water Container
Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friendWe have had our new Gaggia Platinum Vision now for about 8 weeks. We wanted to use it a while to really get a feel for not just the first few uses but the day to day grind of making drinks, cleaning, etc. We previously had a good machine but was totally manual. When it got old and tired we stepped up to this machine after looking at and reading reviews. This is what we have found.
Makes excellent coffee with good creme
Is fast and efficient
The filter in the water tank takes up a bit of room that otherwise would hold more water. If you have good water you maybe able to do without the filter.
We felt the steamer on the machine did just as well at steaming foam as the milk island so for us I wouldnt have bothered with the milk island.
The one thing I have problems is, making coffee with already ground coffee. In the evening we like a cup of decaf and the despenser on top for this does not always take the coffee. This at times is a little frustrating. The machine takes whole beans without any problem.
We really do like this machine and we feel like we have a personal Brista in our home.Review By Fred
Pros:Great Taste
Cons: Small Water Container
Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friendI had a Saeco machine for year. I hope the same from Gaggia (same company).
Long 1st set up but easy to use after….
fast delivery and great deal. came directly from the importer.
Review By GrNo – Makes a great cappuccino
Pros: Easy To Use, Great Taste, Quick Brewing
Cons: Lots of plastic
Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend the Gaggia Platinum Vision to a friendSo far, so good. This machine makes great coffee drinks — we’ve used it to brew regular coffee and espresso, and have made cappuccinos with the milk island. The programming instructions features are great; the menu hierarchy is a little confusing at first but is very efficient once you catch on.
Two things are disappointing: First, the machine has much more plastic than we thought, including the outside ‘stainless steel’ body. Also, it only accommodates a regular sized coffee cup (vs. a mug), so we find ourselves brewing 2 coffees and transferring to a mug.
All in all, this is a great machine but the price is quite steep considering all those plastic parts.
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