 The Titanium is a gorgeous machine constructed from steel and stainless steel and sporting a cool looking blue digital readout.
There are two models the Titanium and the Titanium Stainless Steel (SS). The Titanium has a stainless steel front while the SS has a fully stainless steel case (front and sides). The additional stainless comes at a $200 premium to the the standard model. This is one of the best looking and most solidly constructed consumer espresso machines available. These models will fit nicely alongside your other stainless appliances.
Unpacking: The Titanium comes from Gaggia double boxed and well packed for shipping. This guy is heavier than most machines though at 26 lbs. This is likely because of the all steel construction.
You will need to install the dreg box and drip tray, rinse the water reservoir and fill with water. When you first set up the machine you need to run through the priming routine to prime the pump. To prime or "ventilate" you turn the steam dial counterclockwise 180 degrees and wait until the machine begins pumping water. The machine may indicate the need to turn the steam knob back to it's off position (prior to being primed and pumping water). You'll hear the pump and after a few attempts the machine will be primed and ready for use.
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| Front View: Beautiful stainless front panel(s). |
Rear View: 10 cup water reservoir is easily accessed by swiveling the machine. |
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| Right Hand View: Titanium model pictured. SS model has stainless steel on the sides as well as the front. |
Left Hand View. Power switch pictured in back rear of machine. |
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Top: From the top of the machine you have easy access to the bean hopper, cup warmer and bypass doser. The bean hopper comes with a tight fitting (clear cover) and hinged silver colored cover. The tight fitting lid helps keep the beans fresher a bit longer. The bypass doser comes with a stainless steel cover (not pictured here). The cup warming platform warms quickly in about 2 minutes after switching the machine on. You can configure various energy saving modes to control the cup warmer.
Rear: From the rear of the machine you access the water tank. The tank holds 10 cups or 80 oz. of water. This tank is larger than some of the the other superautomatics on the market. The water tank has a handle that swivels inside the tank, a water filter and silver colored plastic lid (pictured below).
Drip Tray and Dregs Box: The drip tray is made from plastic and holds up to 24 ounces. The built-in float will indicate when the drip tray is full and ready for emptying. Open the front panel to slide the drip tray and dreg box out to empty and clean.
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| View from top of machine with two doors to seal the bean hopper. |
Rear view with removable water tank and lid. |
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| Drip tray and dregs box. |
Removable brew group. |
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Accessories Included with the Titanium and Titanium SS models: Coffee scoop for dispensing preground coffee into the bypass doser, brush for cleaning around the bypass doser, cappiccinatore that automatically creates frothed milk from a container of cold milk, manual, water hardness test strip and wrench for removing and cleaning the brew group filter.
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Brew Group : The machine has an easily removed brew group. To remove the brew group open the front access panel, pull out the drip tray and dregs drawer. To remove the brew group slide the small lever marked "push" to the right and pull the entire unit out. You will need to use the enclosed wrench to remove the filter (pictured at the right) for cleaning. Gaggia recommends this be cleaned once per week. The rest of the unit can also be rinsed in water for easy cleaning. We noticed that some grounds fall down into the machine (behind and below the brew group which can easily be wiped out before replacing the brew group). After cleaning, the brew groups snaps back in place and is ready to go. The removable brew group as it is much easier to clean and maintain that the internal brew groups of some of the other superautomatic models from Jura and Capressa).
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Brewing: Brewing a crema or espresso is easy with the Titanium. You can select from espresso, small coffee, or large coffee from the buttons on the front panel. Each of these dispenses a different amount of water depending on the beverage you are making. You can easily adjust any of these by hold the button down while brewing...let up when you have the amount you want and the machine will remember this for subsequent brewing. The titanium brewed dark consistent espressos from 140 degrees to 156 degrees depending on using a cold cup or warmed cup. There are settings for hotter or cooler temperatures depending on what you need. You can also use the by-pass doser to brew already ground espresso or decaf. There is a button on the front to use the bypass doser. Press this button, add a spoon of ground espresso or coffee then press the button for the size of brew that you want to make. For a cup of hot watter press the hot water button and turn the steam knob and the machine will dispense hot water.
Frothing: The Panarella wand will accommodate larger milk pitchers up to 6 3/4" tall. A 32 ounce size or smaller works really well. The machine has a separate frothing boiler and can produce constant steam to froth a pitcher of milk in a few seconds. The next espresso can be brewed right away since it uses it's own boiler (many machines that use a single boiler require a cool down period).
Using the Automatic Frothing Attachment: The included automatic frother makes quick work of steaming milk. To use this attachment first remove the Panarello from the wand and attach the automatic frother. Be sure to snugly tighten it onto the steaming wand. Dip the frothing hose into a pitcher of cold milk and let a small amount of steam run through to drip water out and start steaming the milk. Place your freshly brewed espresso under the the steaming attachment and turn the steam lever to create perfectly frothed milk. The frothing attachment rinses easily.
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| Front View |
Rear View |
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| Right Hand View |
Left Hand View |
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Digital Display and Options: The Titanium has a built-in Cobalt Blue display. The display is easy to ready in all light conditions and allows for selecting desired languages, displaying the time, adjusting machine settings and provides several indicators like number of espressos brewed, dreg box full, add additional water, beans out, etc.
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| Specifications as Tested: |
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Dimensions:
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Width: 11.25"
Height 14.5" (18" with room for power cord.)
Depth: 16.75". (Additional room needed above machine to access water reservoir and coffee bean hopper. The swivel base assists with easy access in low counter height locations). |
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Weight:
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26 lbs. |
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Cup Warmer:
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Size: 6.75" X 8.5", metal. |
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Boiler(s):
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2 thermoblock boilers. Stainless Steel lined aluminum construction fro durability. |
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Accessories:
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Measuring spoon, automatic frothing adapter, Gaggia manual, brew group wrench, cleaning brush, water test strip. |
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Drip Tray:
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24 oz. plastic construction with stainless drip tray and level indicator. |
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Milk Frothing:
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Frothing through Panarello wand as well as automatic frothing adapter. |
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Construction:
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Titanium: Stainless front and steel sides
Titanium SS: Stainless steel front and stainless steel sides |
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Swivel Base:
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Plastic swivel base at the bottom of the machine allows convenient access to the water reservoir at the back of the Machine even in tight counter locations. |
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Water Reservoir:
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Gaggia claims 60 oz. although 80 oz. will fit below the fill line. |
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Self Cleaning:
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Yes. Hot rinse and self-cleaning cycles. |
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Brew Group:
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Removable brew group with easy clean to and maintain filter. |
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Digital Display:
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Bright Cobalt Blue two line display. |
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Controls:
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6 chrome plated push button controls across the front panel control espresso, steaming, hot water dispensing, by pass doser and access to the menu functions. |
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Bypass Doser:
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Located at the top of the machine allows for brewing from pre-ground espresso, coffee or decaf. Includes stainless cover. |
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Bean Hopper:
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Located at the top rear of the machine holds 8 oz. of beans and has controls for fineness of grind and adjustment for volume of coffee used in a shot. The machine has additional tight sealing lid for freshness. |
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Manual:
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Includes printed manual from Gaggia. |
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Brew Temperature:
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Brew temperature as tested on medium temperature setting. (Machine allows 3 additional temperature settings).
Into cold cup: 140-145 degrees F
Into warm cup: 150-156 degrees F
Hot water dispenser: 150-160 degrees F
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Brew Speed:
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32 espressos per 1/2 hour. Note: This was tested by brewing one cup at a time and without the "pre-grind" setting turned on. Machine has settings for brewing 2 cups at a time and pre-grinding of beans which would make this even faster. |
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Hot Water:
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Dispenses 8 oz. of hot water in 52 seconds. Water temperature on "medium" temperature setting 158 degrees. |
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Serving Count Indicator:
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Yes. |
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Energy Saving Mode:
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Yes. |
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Wow! I am impressed! 
