Gaggia

Gaggia invented crema. In 1948, Achille Gaggia patented the high-pressure system that turned bitter espresso into a creamy drink. The Classic became every home barista's rite of passage. Acquired by Philips/Saeco, the soul has shifted, the legend remains.

On September 5, 1938, Giovanni Achille Gaggia, barista at Caffè Achille in Milan, filed patent n° 365726. He named it "Lampo". The principle was simple and radical: extract coffee under hot water pressure, without steam. The result was something no one had seen before. A golden, dense, natural foam. The crema.

The idea was not entirely his own. The mechanism derived in part from the work of an engineer, Antonio Cremonese, who died prematurely. His widow, Rosetta Scorza, sold the patent to Gaggia for 1,000 liras. The history of modern espresso begins with this transaction.

In 1947, Achille perfected his system with a hydraulic piston lever. The inspiration reportedly came from American army Jeeps, whose piston system he observed after the Liberation. A spring, a lever, a pressure of 9 bars: extraction time dropped from 45 to 25 seconds. Espresso changed its nature.

The company was formally created in 1948 with entrepreneur Carlo Ernesto Valente, under the name "Officine Faema Brevetti Gaggia". The first model, the Tipo Classica, was installed in Milan's most elegant bars. At Motta, at Biffi, in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Gaggia hung immense signs there: "Crema caffè naturale - Funziona senza vapore." The back of the machine, facing customers, served as an advertising medium. Marketing ahead of its time.

In 1952, the Gilda became the first domestic espresso machine. Its name came from the Rita Hayworth film. Entirely handmade, with a piston. Coffee left the street and entered kitchens.

After Achille's death in 1961, his son Camillo took the reins. The company continued to innovate with the Orione, America, Galassia models for bars. In 1991, the Classic laid the foundations for what would become the brand's domestic icon, with its 58 mm portafilter compatible with the professional ecosystem.

Then the acquisitions. Saeco in 1999. Philips in 2009 for 242 million dollars. Resale to N&W Global Vending in 2017, rebranded Evoca Group. The Milanese brand now belongs to a Bergamasque vending group. Independence is a distant memory.

The Classic Pro remains a phenomenon nonetheless. A consensus emerges among enthusiasts: it's the best value for money in entry-level semi-automatic espresso, with a lifespan of 10 to 15 years if properly maintained. The modding community is exceptionally active - PID, OPV, steam wand. But the absence of an integrated PID on a 500 euro machine grates on some. The accessories provided are unanimously judged mediocre. And some feedback reports an increase in plastic on recent models, in contrast to the brand's historical robustness.