The Gaggia 14101 Classic Espresso Machine retails for $599 at list price, but is available for $499 from Amazon and some other online retailers. It is a robust and high quality unit made of brushed stainless stell. It used to be called the “Coffee Gaggia” and has been produced in almost exactly the same design for over 20 years, but the name was changed to Gaggia Classic because of that (now there is a different machine called “Coffee Gaggia”). That kind of longevity indicates the popularity of this machine and customer satisfaction.

It is a home-unit, but based on commercial-grade machines. Its stainless steel housing, 58 mm filters, high powered 17 1/2 bar pump, and fast-heating boiler are all features required of a commercial machine. It also has a large 72 ounce resevoir, so it’s good for groups, and that resevoir is removeable so you can clean it easily and quickly. It works with both coffee grinds and coffee pods.

This machine produces good coffee, but its steaming wand is its weak point. Its construction causes some spillage (not serious spillage, but a little bit of overflow, etc.). Some people complain of the plastic frother not producing fine enough microfroth.

But I enjoyed using this machine and thought it was a good value for the money. It also produced a nice cup of espresso, which is the one thing I really hope for in a machine.

Learn more about the Gaggia Classic Espresso Machine.

Krups is another great maker of kitchen appliances who are very active in the coffee maker and hot beverage sector. This Krups kettle is a popular unit you can use to make hot tea, cocoa, instant coffee (the thought makes me shudder, I must admit!), or use it to preheat water for your thermal coffee maker.

This Krups kettle has a capacity of 54 ounces, which is enough to serve a fairly large group of people. It is made of stainless steel, allowing for good preservation of heat over an extended period of time. The heating element is 1750-watt powered, so it heats quite quickly. It is cordless, so you don’t have to worry about yanking it out of the electrical socket when serving. Electrocution always ruins my day, so I’d assume just avoid it. Other safety features include an automatic shutoff so you don’t have to worry about the kettle running dry.

The kettle also has a built-in lime scale filter, so you don’t need a descaler solution to remove scale from inside the kettle (more information on lime scale here).

The complaints about this kettle mainly have to do with the quality of construction. The top inch or so of the kettle is made of plastic, as is the lid. The lid can be somewhat awkward to fasten and can get stuck during insertion and removal, and a stainless stell lid could have helped. The spout also has an openable plastic door so you can pour from the kettle at will, but it is somewhat prone to breakage because it is plastic. The 360 degree swivel base is also a weak point in design, with many customers reporting that eventually the kettle’s electricity will not start unless you move the swivel base to a certain angle. This is a sign of impendng breakage.

This kettle does the trick and if you are used to cheaper kettles then you might not realize the flaws of this one, and you may not be expecting years of durability. If however you like to buy only quality items with solid workmanship that will last a long time without issue, then you are probably better off with a different kettle. It’s also my opinion that the list price of $90 is too high for a kettle of this quality, but that it is a reasonable value at the discounted rate of $54.99.

Read more about the 54 oz. Krups Kettle

More Krups Kettles here