Suggestions Please: Should I buy this used Gaggia Evolution Espresso Machine?

[que288]

[FONT=&quot]Hello,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I have an offer for someone selling a Gaggia Evolution espresso machine for 50 dollars. They are also including a real tamp, cleaning brush, descaling solution, etc. The thing is, they said they have not been getting a good crema out of it lately. However, the steaming wand works just fine. They don't know if its the brew pressure, the beans, the grind, the water, or the tamp that is causing it. Do you think it is worth it for me to purchase this machine? What could be some issues with the machine itself, and would it be hard/expensive to fix?[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Thanks,[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Alex[/FONT]

 

[PinkRose]

Hello Alex,

The problem with buying anything that's used, is that you don't know if it was properly maintained and cleaned, or what problems you will experience once you get it home.

Maybe it would be a good idea if you were to do some research before you pay $50 for an espresso machine that may not be fixable. If you do a Google search, such as the one below, you will see some links (manuals, troubleshooting tip etc.) that may be useful to you.

https://www.google.com/search?sourc.......0...1..64.psy-ab..0.1.71....0.Lws6ZLtILxI

Rose

 

[shadow745]

Yeah I can agree that buying used can be iffy IF you're not familiar with things of this nature or mechanically inclined to some degree. Lacking crema is 'usually' stale coffee as I could use 4-5 day post roast coffee, pulverize it with a mortar/pestle and hardly tamp and still have plenty of crema. Provided the pump is OK, the basket/screen is relatively clean and allows good flow/pressure the machine should be able to extract decent espresso. Surely it would benefit from a descaling, but NO backflushing as that machine doesn't have a solenoid.

$50 is a decent price for a used machine like that. If you could get it dropped another $10 that would be great. If you do get it you will need a decent grinder and fresh coffee to maximize what it has to offer.

The Gaggia line use pretty much the same components internally (boiler/group/pump) and all work the same except for minor differences in switches/cosmetics. Main exception (that I can think of right offhand) would be the Classic and Baby having the 3-way solenoid. That doesn't make the espresso any better, just allows the user to dump the puck rapidly to get ready for another extraction. Gaggias are easy to work on and parts not too costly as they are plentiful/popular.