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Sponsored by Whole Latte Love |
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Contents |
| Introduction Espresso Performance Steaming Performance Materials and Workmanship Conclusion Appendix Videos |
I enjoyed the Achille from the first day of its arrival. Its espressos have the characteristic thick buttery mouthfeel that lever machines produce. Although I noticed less body than the shots from my Gaggia Factory, it compensates by producing more high notes and better separation in flavor. The Achille's pump can produce the volume of a true double extraction in one stroke and the espresso has more persistent crema. It also easily produces a brighter and cleaner cup than those of the La Pavoni style levers.
The Achille's solution to the overheating that limits most home lever espresso machines is a godsend. I have the machine on a timer so it is hot and ready in the morning. A couple of quick lever pumps to flush and it's ready for business. Five double shots in rapid succession will not have even a hint of overheating. My only disappointment has been with the stock steam wand. However, the shot properties more than make up for the steam wand's shortcomings.
As you would expect after reading the details leading to this conclusion, the Achille really shows its muscle in the exceptional espresso score. Compared to other home lever machines, the Achille outscores the majority with a firm 8.5. Espressos with thick and rich crema combined with the cleaner than most flavor makes the Achille a lever espresso lover's dream machine.
The morning after score captures what a modestly experienced barista can expect in the early days with the Achille. Thanks to its tolerance of less than perfect technique and its ability to run for long periods of time without overheating, the Achille earns an 8.0. This score is unprecedented among lever machines—for that matter, its one of the higher scores for all the espresso machines evaluated to-date on HB. As an added bonus, the 58mm group accepts a standard basket and is very forgiving. Even if you are half asleep, you will find the Achille easy to use. Simply load up the basket, level it off, smash it down with the tamper, flush a little water and lay on the handle. You will be rewarded with a good shot. Try again when you're feeling a bit more alert and you'll be rewarded with an even better espresso.
Thanks to the 1300 Watt heating element, the Achille will steam strong until the boiler needs refilling. With the original panarello frothing attachment, the Achille's cappuccino lover's score suffers, meriting a disappointing 6.0. The stock wand will produce volumes of foam, but it does not create wet latte art microfoam. For the novice user or espresso-centric person that occasionally creates a milk drink, it will give them a quick and easy foam. If you're the "serious" barista of the house and share the kitchen with a less demanding spouse, you may find the Turbo wand helpful for those days when you're not available to prepare a drink for your loved one. However, taking into account the optional pannarello extension from the Gaggia Syncrony Digital noted in Steaming Performance, the outlook is far brighter, raising the Achille's score to a very respectable 8.0. Given this modification, there's no doubt that with a little practice, you can produce velvety latte art quality microfoam.
As explained in the Materials and Workmanship page, the Achille is packed with innovative ideas, many of which directly impact the impressive convenience and features score of 8.5. In case you skipped that page, I'll repeat them: Near instant boiler recovery. Predictable brew temperatures. Continuous steam. Fresh brew water, not boiler water. Seamless stainless steel base. No-burn boiler cover. No portafilter sneeze.
That's a lot of smart features for such a small espresso machine. The most appreciated among them are the continuous refill of the water reservoir and heat exchanger design, which address two long standing lever machine limitations. Being able to run the machine for hours or pull shots back to back without the machine overheating distinguishes the Achille among home espresso lever machines. Although you'll use some water for the cooling flush prior to every shot, the refillable heat exchanger reservoir will keep the espresso flowing no matter how long your session lasts.
Gaggia's extensive use of stainless steel in the Achille bodes well for its longevity. Because the pump is isolated from the heat and dirt of the brew chamber, the machine will need very little maintenance other than routine group cleaning. The use of stainless steel and attention to details like placing the overtemperature thermostat inside the boiler, using copper plated boiler fittings, nylon lock nuts, and screws instead of pins indicate the Gaggia engineers really did their homework before building the Achille.
However, the Achille's base does flex slightly as you pull hard on the lever. As noted in Espresso Performance, I recommend that Achille owners counteract the downward force on the lever by holding the portafilter handle firmly with their other hand while pulling a shot to steady the machine. A thicker steel base could reduce this flexing and better convey the feeling of rock-solid sturdiness associated with premium levers like the Olympia Cremina. The Achille's materials and workmanship score of 8.0 reflects the notable list of quality components and attention to everyday details like ease of maintanence.
|
Exceptional |
Morning |
Cappuccino |
Convenience / Features |
Materials / Workmanship |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gaggia Achille |
8.5 |
8.0 |
6.0/8.0* |
8.5 |
8.0 |
|
La Pavoni PC-16 / Gaggia Factory |
7.0 |
5.0 |
8.0 |
7.0 |
8.5 |
|
Olympia Cremina |
8.0 |
7.0 |
8.5 |
7.0 |
9.5 |
|
Rancilio Silvia |
7.0 |
3.0 |
6.0 |
5.0 |
8.0 |
(*) Achille's turbo steam wand (pannarello) versus alternative pannarello extension from the Gaggia Syncrony Digital; see Steaming Performance for details.
In summary, the Achille is breaking new ground in the home lever machine market. It combines many of the sought after features of a lever machine while delivering some pump like shot nuances. And let's be honest—lever espresso machines have a reputation of being difficult beasts to master. For the Achille, that simply is not the case. It is very easy to learn and quite forgiving, even for a novice lever operator.
The Achille really shines as an espresso-centric machine. In terms of exceptional espresso, the closest comparison is the frighteningly expensive Olympia Cremina—and that machine still closes for business after four shots! With the ability to bang 'em out non-stop and a forgiving nature that shames many pump driven espresso machines, the Achille is the lever machine to watch.
My thanks to Whole Latte Love and Todd Salzman of Importika/Gaggia USA for providing the Gaggia Achille. I would also like to recognize Dan Kehn and Team HB for their technical and editorial support. Home-Barista.com would like to gratefully acknowledge the generous support of the following coffee roasters:
Finally, I owe a debt to the Lever Espresso Machines forum members who frequently offered valuable insight and posed difficult questions during this article's research. The enthusiasm of these Home-Barista.com readers spurred me to investigate much farther than I would otherwise, for which I am thankful.
The Appendix contains photos, cleaning guide and other espresso geek worthy information that goes beyond the scope of the 'typical buyer' information. The Videos are new to the Buyer's Guides; they include an unscripted start-to-finish preparation of an espresso, frothing in action, and a few examples of espresso extractions that look as good as they tasted. Additional information can also be found in The Bench forum in the Buyer's Guide to the Gaggia Achille.
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