I get calls all the time, people asking “what’s the difference between the Gaggia Classic, Baby Class And New Baby Semi Automatic Espresso Machines.” Well, in this articles I’m going to explain the differences, so let’s get started. The first thing I’m going to go over is all of the similarities, Of course we know that all three of these machines all have a passive cup warmer on top, they all use the same 3.5 ounce aluminum boiler with dual elements externally for a total wattage of 1370 watts. All three of the machines use a three way solenoid to help relieve pressure on the brew group and the porta filter after brewing. They all use the same 15 bar vibration pump to allow you to brew at 8 to 9 bars of optimal pressure.
The brew group is the same in all these, it’s brass chrome plated, you also have the brass, chrome plated 58 millimeter porta filter which will lock in heat. That’s very important in brewing as we all know. These machines are all internally the same, so now let’s talk about the differences of these machines. The Gaggia Classic has brushed stainless steel housing. The Baby Class has a stainless steel housing. And the New Baby has a stainless steel ABS plastic housing and it comes in black or ivory. The other difference between these machines will be the reservoirs. The Gaggia Classic has a 72 ounce reservoir, the Baby Class and the New Baby have a 60 ounce reservoir. The Gaggia Classic reservoir is removable from the front, but for easier filling you can also fill it from the top. The Baby Class and the New Baby have removable reservoirs for filling. Or if you choose you can just fill them in place. The next thing I’d like to go over is the controls, as you can see there are some differences between the two machines.
The Gaggia Classic uses rocker switches. The Baby Class uses push buttons and the New Baby also uses push buttons. Remember I mentioned that all three of these machines have Pannarello wands for easy frothing and steaming. There’s one subtle difference between these three machines. The Gaggia Classic steam arm is a straight, forward back type movement, while the Baby Class and the New Baby have a ball joint so you get a little more mobility and movement. All three of these machines have stainless steel drip tray covers, while the drip trays themselves are made of different materials. The Gaggia Classic is made of plastic, the Baby Class is made of metal, it also has a little float in the reservoir to let you knowwhen the drip tray is getting full. The New Baby has a plastic drip tray and it also hasa little float that lets you know when it’s getting full.
The next thing I want to compare of the differences between these machines is going to be the weights. The Gaggia Classic weighs 20 lbs. The Baby Class weighs 17 lbs. And the New Baby weighs 14 lbs. Now another thing that may be important to you, you may say well how much room do I got on my counter? The Gaggia Classic measures 14 ½ by 8 by 9 ½. The Baby Class and the New Baby are both 15 ¾ by 9. 6 by 10. 4 so they’re a little taller and of course a little lighter. Well that wraps up the comparison of the Gaggia Classic, the Gaggia Baby Class, and the Gaggia New Baby. Now, I’ve talked to customers who’ve had their Gaggia Classic for a number of years and it’s been around for about 15 years, the Gaggia Classic’s kind of the flagship of the Gaggia semi-automatic home machines. The Baby Classic and the New Baby have been around about five years, but be confident that the same quality and engineering that goes into the Gaggia Classic also goes into these other machines.
