Gaggia Babila Review

The Gaggia Babila stands out in the crowded market of super-automatic espresso machines, promising an exceptional coffee experience for both espresso aficionados and casual coffee drinkers. With its sleek design, robust build, and a plethora of customizable features, the Gaggia Babila is designed to cater to a wide range of preferences. This blog post delves deep into the capabilities, features, and performance of the Gaggia Babila, highlighting why it is considered a top-tier choice for coffee lovers.

A Legacy of Excellence

Gaggia has a long-standing reputation in the espresso machine industry, tracing back to the invention of the modern steam-free coffee maker and the creation of espresso crema. The Gaggia Babila continues this legacy, embodying the brand’s commitment to quality and innovation. Priced at approximately $1,899, the Babila sits comfortably within the premium segment of super-automatic machines, offering a balance between cost and features that few competitors can match.

Design and Build

Constructed from stainless steel with chrome accents, the Gaggia Babila exudes a sense of durability and elegance. Its compact design ensures it can fit into most kitchen spaces without dominating the countertop. The machine features a simple text display and physical buttons, steering clear of modern touchscreen interfaces. This choice might seem dated to some, but it ensures reliability and ease of use.

The front face of the Babila has a brushed metal finish with chrome accents, giving it a sophisticated look that complements any kitchen decor. The spouts are adjustable from three to six inches, accommodating various cup sizes, including travel mugs. The water reservoir has a 1.5-liter capacity and can be filled at the machine or removed for filling at a sink. The bean hopper holds 300 grams of coffee, enough for roughly 30 coffees depending on the dose. On top, a door opens to a bypass doser for pre-ground coffee, which most will use for making the occasional decaf from pre-ground.

Advanced Grinding and Brewing

At the heart of the Gaggia Babila is a high-quality ceramic burr grinder with 15 adjustable grind settings. This wide range allows users to fine-tune the grind size to their preference, ensuring optimal flavor extraction whether you’re making a bold espresso or a mild regular coffee. The ceramic material helps to reduce heat buildup during grinding, preserving the delicate aromas of the coffee beans.

The grinder settings are accessed via a flip-top lid on top of the machine, with the bean hopper sitting underneath. This design not only makes it easy to adjust the grind size but also keeps the beans fresh. The choice of 15 grind settings is particularly remarkable for an automatic machine at this price point, offering a level of precision that is often found only in higher-end models.

Customizable Brewing Options

One of the standout features of the Gaggia Babila is its extensive programmability. Users can adjust the coffee strength, water temperature, and pre-infusion time, offering unparalleled control over the brewing process. The machine provides five strength settings, three taste settings (delicate, balanced, and full body), and three temperature settings (low, normal, and high). Additionally, the flow control knob allows for real-time adjustment of the coffee flow rate, which is crucial for balancing the extraction process for different types of coffee drinks.

• Strength Setting: The Gaggia Babila allows you to choose from five different strength settings. The higher the setting, the larger the volume of ground coffee used in preparation. This flexibility ensures that you can adjust the strength of your coffee to suit your taste, whether you prefer a light morning brew or a strong after-dinner espresso.
• Taste Setting: The machine offers three taste settings that adjust the pre-infusion time. Pre-infusion wets the ground coffee briefly before brewing, allowing carbon dioxide to escape and helping the coffee’s aroma develop more fully. The delicate setting involves no pre-infusion, balanced provides about two seconds, and full body extends to approximately four seconds. This control over pre-infusion time lets you fine-tune the flavor profile of your coffee.
• Temperature Control: Users can choose from low, normal, and high-temperature settings. This feature is particularly useful for experimenting with different types of beans. As a general guide, lower temperatures are ideal for darker roasts, while higher temperatures suit lighter roasts. This ensures that you can extract the best possible flavor from your coffee beans.
• Flow Control: The flow control knob near the spouts allows you to increase or decrease the flow rate of coffee during brewing. This capability is invaluable when switching between making espresso and regular coffee. A slower flow is ideal for deep espresso extractions, while a faster flow prevents over-extraction and bitterness in larger cups of coffee.

Milk Frothing Mastery

For those who enjoy milk-based beverages, the Gaggia Babila excels with its integrated milk carafe system. This system is designed for convenience, allowing users to froth milk automatically at the touch of a button. The carafe is easily detachable for storage in the fridge and features a self-cleaning function that simplifies maintenance.

The automatic milk carafe system is a highlight of the Gaggia Babila, making it an excellent choice for cappuccino and latte lovers. The carafe can be stored in the fridge when not in use and easily attached to the machine when needed. The self-cleaning function runs steam through the milk circuit after each use, ensuring that the system remains hygienic and ready for the next drink.

For those who prefer a more hands-on approach, the machine also includes a manual steam wand for creating custom milk froth. With a little practice, you can produce a very fine milk froth capable of pouring latte art. This dual system offers the best of both worlds, catering to users who want convenience as well as those who enjoy the art of manual frothing.

Specialty Drinks at Your Fingertips

The Gaggia Babila offers eight one-touch specialty drink options, including espresso, espresso lungo, coffee, cappuccino, and latte macchiato. Additional drinks such as ristretto, espresso macchiato, and flat white can be accessed through the machine’s menu. Users can further customize these drinks by adjusting the strength, amount of coffee, temperature, and milk volume.

The machine’s programmability extends to these specialty drinks, allowing you to fine-tune each beverage to your liking. The dedicated buttons on the front of the machine make it easy to access your favorite drinks quickly. Additionally, the special drinks button provides access to plain milk froth and hot water, which can also be programmed for volume and temperature.

The menu allows for the customization of coffee and milk amounts using the press-and-hold method. Simply press and hold a beverage button until “memo” appears on the display, then dispense the desired amount of coffee or milk. Press the check button to save this volume, which will be stored until reprogrammed. This feature ensures that your favorite drinks are always prepared just the way you like them.

User-Friendly and Easy to Maintain

Setting up the Gaggia Babila is straightforward, with a removable water reservoir and bean hopper making refilling and cleaning easy. The machine’s internal drip tray and used coffee box can be accessed from the front, and the display provides notifications for routine maintenance tasks such as emptying the used coffee box, adding water, or descaling the machine. The automatic milk system’s self-cleaning function ensures that maintaining the frothing components is hassle-free.

The Gaggia Babila’s user interface might appear simplistic, but it is highly functional. The blocky text on the digital display is clear and easy to read, and the surrounding buttons make navigating the machine’s features a breeze. The display also notifies you when it’s time to perform maintenance tasks, such as emptying the drip tray or descaling the machine.

Cleaning the Gaggia Babila is relatively easy. The drip tray, grounds container, and brew group can all be removed and rinsed with warm water. It is recommended to clean these components daily to ensure the best taste and performance. The automatic milk system’s self-cleaning function reduces the need for manual cleaning, but it’s still advisable to take the system apart and clean all components thoroughly at the end of each day.

If you’re using a water filter, the machine will alert you when it’s time to replace it. Descaling the machine is also a straightforward process, taking about half an hour. Gaggia recommends using their descaler solution, but there are other options available if you prefer. Regular maintenance ensures that the Gaggia Babila continues to deliver high-quality coffee and espresso drinks.

Verdict

The Gaggia Babila is a versatile and powerful super-automatic espresso machine that caters to a wide range of coffee preferences. Its extensive programmability, high-quality grinder, and reliable milk frothing system make it an excellent choice for anyone looking to enjoy a variety of coffee drinks at home. While it may not feature the latest touchscreen technology or app connectivity, its focus on delivering high-quality espresso and milk-based beverages makes it a standout option in the premium segment of super-automatic machines.

Whether you’re a coffee enthusiast who loves to experiment with different settings or someone who simply wants a reliable machine that can deliver a great cup of coffee with minimal effort, the Gaggia Babila is worth considering. Its blend of traditional design elements and modern functionality ensures that it can meet the demands of both novice and experienced coffee drinkers alike.

In conclusion, the Gaggia Babila offers an exceptional balance of performance, versatility, and ease of use. Its ability to produce a wide range of coffee drinks with a high degree of customization makes it a standout choice in the market. If you’re looking for a super-automatic espresso machine that delivers on both quality and convenience, the Gaggia Babila should be at the top of your list.

Gaggia Babila Specifications

• Manufacturer: Gaggia
• Model Number: RI9700/64
• Product Category: Super-automatic espresso machine
• Housing Material: Stainless steel with plastic parts
• Color Options: Stainless Steel
• Milk Frother: Integrated carafe and steam wand
• User Interface: Text display with buttons
• App: None
• User Profiles: Memo function only
• Removable Water Reservoir: Yes
• Water Reservoir Capacity: 50.7 fl oz / 1.5 L
• Number of Boilers: 2
• Pump Pressure: 15 bar
• Maximum Cup Height: 6.4 in / 16.3 cm
• Minimum Cup Height: 3.0 in / 7.6 cm
• Grinder: Ceramic flat burr grinder
• Grind Adjustment Levels: 15
• Bean Hopper Capacity: 10.6 oz / 300 g
• Pre-ground Coffee Bypass: Yes
• Grounds Discard Container Capacity: 11 pucks
• Specialty Drinks: 8
• Pre-infusion: Yes
• Adjustable Coffee Temperature: Yes
• Adjustable Milk Foam Temperature: Yes
• Adjustable Milk Temperature: Yes
• 2-cup Function: Yes (non-milk drinks only)
• Hot Water Function: Yes
• Hot Milk Function: Yes
• Milk Foam Only Option: Yes
• Water Filter: AquaClean compatible
• Power Consumption: 1500 W
• Weight: 29.6 lb / 13.4 kg
• Dimensions (W x D x H): 14.2 x 9.7 x 16.6 in / 36.1 x 24.6 x 42.2 cm
• Warranty: 1 year
• Included Accessories: Lubricant, Measuring spoon, AquaClean water filter, Instruction booklet
• Current Price on Amazon: $1,899.00