Gaggia Anima Prestige vs Velasca Prestige: Which is better? Both are great automatic coffee machines from Gaggia, but I would choose the former if I had to choose either of those.
Both machines have similar prices, but the Gaggia Velasca Prestige is better than the Anima Prestige in most categories. For example, it has a better water filter, a larger coffee bean hopper, a more adjusted coffee customization, and more.
The runner-up, Gaggia Anima Prestige, is well worth the investment as it has a compact design that shares almost every feature of the winner. So why did it lose? Let’s get into the details!
Gaggia Anima Prestige vs Velasca Prestige: Comparison Chart
Last update on 2023-05-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Gaggia Anima Prestige vs Velasca Prestige: Main Differences
With a score of 3-1, the Velasca Prestige defeats the Velasca Prestige. I tested these machines based on three big categories and the former won at “espresso taste” and “cleaning and maintaining.”
ESPRESSO TASTE
The Winner: Velasca Prestige
Grinder
One of the factors that most influence the flavor of coffee beans is the grinder and grinding settings, as how fine and coarse the ground will dictate how much flavor can be extracted from the beans.
Both machines feature ceramic grinders, which have a reputation for being durable and minimizing overheating during the grinding process.
The Anima Prestige only comes with 5 grind settings, while the Velasca Prestige delivers more adjustability and versatility with 10 grind levels. Plus, both have five different aroma settings.
More grind settings will allow you to adjust your espresso more according to your preference. So the Velasca Prestige has the edge over its competitor in this round, and I bet other coffee aficionados will agree with that.
As for the Anima Prestige, I think 5 settings are enough for any grinding process. So just because this model loses in this round doesn’t mean it’s inconvenient.
Pump Pressure
Apart from the grinder and grinding settings, the attainable pump pressure also affects your cup of coffee’s espresso flavors and aromas.
I was glad to know that both the Velasca Prestige and Anima Prestige can reach 15 bars of pump pressure, which is considered perfect for producing the best espresso. Anything less or more than 15 bars can produce coffee with a non-concentrated or bitter flavor, respectively.
UTILITIES
The Winner: Tie
Adjustable Coffee Spout
The adjustable coffee spout is quite essential for a coffee maker, as it allows you to slide cups of any size in like a piece of cake.
The adjustable coffee spout of the Velasca Prestige can vary from 110 millimeters to 70 millimeters. Meanwhile, the Anima Prestige sprout can be raised up to 150 millimeters to fit my travel mugs and lowered as low as 110 millimeters to match my espresso shot glass.
As we can see, the Anima Prestige can fit taller coffee cups, so it is better here.
Capacity
The winner: Velasca Prestige
- Water Tank
The Anima Prestige’s water tank can hold up to 60 ounces or 1.8 liters, which is higher than the tank of the Velasca Prestige (50 ounces or 1.5 liters). Higher capacity means less frequent tank refilling and more coffee served. So I believe the former is ideal for cafe bars and office settings.
On the downside, I had a headroom issue in my countertop space as its water tank is loaded from the top. It’s not a big deal, but it’s something to consider.
Although the capacity of the Velasca Prestige water tank is lower, it satisfied me because it is front-loading, which eliminated my headroom issue.
It is a tie as the Velasca Prestige’s water tank is smaller but has a convenient placement, and vice versa for the Anima Prestige.
- Beans Hopper
Gaggia Anima Prestige can load 250 grams (8.8 ounces) of coffee beans, while the Velasca Prestige can carry up to 300 grams (10.5 ounces). When it comes to the coffee puck container, the first one can hold up to 15 pucks, while the second one can only hold up to 10 pucks.
This means less frequent topping up of the Velasca Prestige’s coffee bean hopper, but it will require emptying its coffee puck container more often.
The Velasca Prestige wins this round thanks to its higher coffee bean container capacity.
CLEANING AND MAINTAINING
The winner: Velasca Prestige
Both devices will make your life easier since they have the same cleaning cycles that will save you time manually washing the built-in milk carafe. Their sturdy milk carafe is also removable and dishwasher-safe for easy deep cleaning.
Both the Velasca Prestige and Anima Prestige have a water filter that softens the water by getting rid of its sediments. Furthermore, removing sediments will reduce scale buildup, and the frequency of descaling these machines is decreased as well.
The Velasca Prestige comes with the superior AquaClean water filter, which can serve up to 5000 cups of coffee before requiring you to descale your device, provided the water filter is replaced regularly. As a result, the need for maintenance is less frequent.
The Anima Prestige, on the other hand, uses the Intenza+ water filter, which is considered inferior to Velasca’s filter.
Gaggia Anima Prestige vs Velasca Prestige: Similarities
FRIDGE-FRIENDLY MILK CARAFE
The milk carafe of both can hold up to 1/2 liter of milk and is fridge-friendly. So it is possible to transfer the milk from the carton to the carafe and keep it in your fridge. It is a huge time-saver for drinkers who want to make quick cappuccinos and lattes.
CONTROL PANEL
There is no technological leap in the control panel, as both the Gaggia Anima Prestige and Velasca Prestige are equipped with an LCD panel on the front that can help you fine-tune and adjust the coffee at will.
Interacting with this LCD panel is simpler than I could have expected. All I had to do was press the large and visible buttons on the panel to make my favorite coffee. Even though it’s not a touch screen with the latest and greatest features, it’s still very useful, easy to use, and very convenient.
The panel will also give you important notifications, such as when the coffee puck container is already full, your machine needs to be descaled, the water container is empty, and so on.
Last but not least, both devices have programmed buttons that can do things like control the grinder, run an automatic rinse, and change the temperature. This makes them perfect for people with a specific coffee preference.
Quick Rundown of Gaggia Velasca Prestige
- Note: 1)Too coarse a grind, too little coffee, or insufficiently tamping the grounds before brewing can all lead to inadequate pressure for a proper brew. 2)It is important to note that the amount of espresso extracted will vary depending on the grind size and amount and reprogramming may be needed when the size and amount are adjusted
- One touch brewing and frothing: bean-to-cup feature with automatic milk frothing for cappuccinos, baby cappuccinos, and milk froth
- Programmable: programmable brewing options for Espresso and Espresso Lungo, cappuccino, and milk froth, with 3 different temperature settings
- Ceramic burr grinder and brew unit: ceramic burr grinder with 10 fineness settings, 5 brew strength settings, and bean hopper with 10.5oz capacity
- Front loaded water reservoir: features a 54oz capacity and pulls out from the front of the machine, ideal for low hanging cabinets
Last update on 2023-05-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Quick Rundown of Gaggia Anima Prestige
- Note: 1)Too coarse a grind, too little coffee, or insufficiently tamping the grounds before brewing can all lead to inadequate pressure for a proper brew. 2)It is important to note that the amount of espresso extracted will vary depending on the grind size and amount and reprogramming may be needed when the size and amount are adjusted
- ONE TOUCH BREWING AND FROTHING: Bean-to-cup feature with automatic milk frothing for cappuccinos, macchiatos and lattes
- PROGRAMMABLE: Programmable brewing options for lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos and espresso
- TEMPERATURE CONTROL: 3 different temperature settings. Min/177.5 °F, Med/182.9 °F, Max/184.5 °F
- EASY ACCESS TO WATER RESERVOIR AND BEAN HOPPER: Features a removable 60 oz water reservoir that can be accessed on the top left of the machine, and an 8.8 ounce capacity bean hopper with access from the top right of the machine
Last update on 2023-05-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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I am Ralph Mason and I am a passionate coffee drinker. I worked as a barista for a few years and since 2012 I have been trying to convince as many people as possible of good coffee.
I started writing on the barista blog on RepublikCoffeeBar in 2018. It was a pure hobby site and I tested coffee products like coffee machines, beans, mug, and other accessories. After the first year, my blog is becoming a well-known coffee site with about 100 thousand visits per month.
In 2019 I decided to focus on RepublikCoffeeBar only. I became a full-time coffee blogger and was declared crazy by many.