My verdict on the Gaggia Carezza Deluxe vs Classic debate is here! After weighing cost, extra features, and espresso extraction, the Gaggia Carezza Deluxe is the more advanced model.
Gaggia Carezza Deluxe is designed with a front water tank that can easily slide out of the machine, and it can make great espresso with thick crema. The compact size is also a plus.
Gaggia Classic is a truly formidable opponent. This machine impresses with the size of the water tank, up to 71, and the automatic steam wand capable of creating perfect milk foam.
Gaggia Carezza Deluxe vs Classic: Comparison Chart
Last update on 2023-05-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Gaggia Carezza Deluxe vs Classic: Differences
The Gaggia Carezza Deluxe wins 5-1 against Gaggia Classic thanks to its balanced coffee flavor, smart water tank construction and compact design. Read the analysis below for more details.
espresso extraction
The winner: Gaggia Carezza Deluxe
Heating System
Although Gaggia Carezza Deluxe and Gaggia Classic both use a single boiler for heating, their performance points out some differences.
The Carezza goes from turn-on to ready for brewing in about a minute and raises the temperature to steam milk in about 30 seconds. While waiting for the machine to heat up, you can go grind and tamp the coffee.
Meanwhile, the Classic takes more time to heat up. It is advertised as ready to brew in five minutes. However, I recommend leaving it on for about 10 to 15 minutes if you want to ensure a hot cup of coffee for the morning.
Brewing Technique
While competitors often use filter baskets that hold only about 12 grams of coffee, Carezza Deluxe’s double basket can hold up to 18 grams. Thanks to that, the extracted coffee is also much stronger. In addition, the machine is also equipped with a pre-infusion function, which pre-wets the coffee briefly before extraction. This is to ensure that the water penetrates the entire amount of coffee grounds, resulting in coffee with a deeper and fuller flavor.
With the Gaggia Classic, the most prominent feature of brewing technology is probably the 3-way solenoid valve. To be frank, this feature doesn’t really make the coffee taste better, but in return, it enhances the machine’s handling. In short, this device relieves the pressure from the brewing process. The water used in brewing is sucked out and leads to the drip tray, leaving the coffee pucks so dry that just knocking the portafilter on the sink wall will automatically remove all those pucks. Thus, it also becomes easier to clean the portafilter.
Espresso Flavor
In terms of flavor, my preference is for Gaggia Carezza Deluxe espresso since it has a rich, balanced, and slightly sweet flavor and a beautiful crema layer. The flow of the coffee is also very even and steady, neither too fast nor too slow.
The espresso produced by Gaggia Classic tends to be darker and more bitter than Carezza Deluxe. For those who have a strong palate and enjoy the intense espresso flavor, the Classic’s taste is a great option. The “bitter” sensation is also not unpleasant, but for my personal palate, I still prefer the balanced taste of the Deluxe.
milk system
Tie
There is not much difference between the milk system of these two machines. For steaming milk, both Carezza Deluxe and Gaggia Classic comes with an auto-frothing wand, which will automatically pump air into the milk and create the perfect foam for cappuccinos without having to possess as much skill as a professional barista.
If you want to create the micro-fine foam for latte art, you can remove the wand and steam the milk directly with the steam pipe. However, since this is a manual steaming milk operation, it will require a bit of skill.
water tank capacity
The winner: Gaggia Carezza Deluxe
Both machines have water tanks that is big enough to satisfy 1 to 2 people’s daily coffee needs. However, for tank capacity, the Gaggia Classic has a larger capacity of 71 ounces while the Carezza Deluxe only holds 47 ounces. With the Classic’s nearly double the tank capacity, you don’t have to refill the water tank constantly and this is a plus for convenience.
Nevertheless, with Carezza Deluxe, you can access the water tank more easily by sliding it out. Meanwhile, with Gaggia Classic, you need to remove a blowdown tube and the drip tray to get the tank out. In addition, the Deluxe is also designed with a water level indicator that shows how much water is left in the tank for easy monitoring and you can’t find the same thing on Gaggia Classic.
In this aspect, you can see that each machine has its own advantages and disadvantages and it offsets each other. But, Carezza Deluxe still seems to be a bit better thanks to its smart and convenient indicator design.
portability
The winner: Gaggia Carezza Deluxe
When it comes to portability, Gaggia Carezza Deluxe once again takes the cake. From the comparison chart above, you can see that the Classic weighs 20 pounds, much heavier than the Deluxe which is only 12.78 pounds. Carezza Deluxe’s light weight advantage makes it easy for users to move and arrange it whenever they want without too much effort.
Besides, while having the same width, the Gaggia Classic is a taller machine, so obviously it also takes up more space to display than its opponents.
Intergrated water filter
The winner: Gaggia Carezza Deluxe
There is still a small difference between these two machines that I want to note for you and that is the integrated water filter.
While Gaggia Carezza Deluxe has a built-in water filter, Gaggia Classic does not. With an integrated water filter, it is obvious that you will get purer filtered water to brew without worrying about the quality of the water affecting the delicious taste of the espresso. In addition, a water filter also helps prevent limescale formation, thus making cleaning the skirt easier.
With the Classic, you’ll need to filter the water before you fill it up to make coffee. In case the water from your home’s faucet is good enough, you can also get water from there.
Quick Rundown Of Gaggia Carezza Deluxe
- 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
- FROTHING FOR MILK BEVERAGES: Pannarello wand frothing for cappuccinos & lattes. Wand doubles as a hot water dispenser for Americanos & tea
- Brewing features: pressurized porta filter brews both ground Coffee and ESE pods. Pre-infusion function pre-wets grounds before brewing for rich, even extraction
- AUTOMATIC POWER DOWN: The Carezze will power down after 9 minutes of inactivity to save energy
- FRONT LOADED WATER RESERVOIR: Features a 47oz capacity and pulls out from the front of the machine, water level is visible, and the reservoir is compatible with the Mavea Inteza water filter system
Last update on 2023-05-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Quick Rundown Of Gaggia Classic
- Rugged brushed stainless steel housing
- Commercial three-way solenoid valve
- Commercial-style 58mm chrome-plated brass portafilter and Brew Group
- Easy-to-use Turbo-Frother steam wand attachment
- Easy-to-use Turbo-Frother steam wand attachment
Last update on 2023-05-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Product Video
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References:
- Gaggia Carezza Deluxe: https://www.gaggia.com/manual-machines/carezza-deluxe/
- Gaggia Classic: https://www.gaggia.com/manual-machines/new-classic/#
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.