Gaggia Anima Review: An Affordable Super-Automatic Espresso Machine

Gaggia Anima Coffee and Espresso Machine, Includes Steam Wand for Manual Frothing for Lattes and Cappuccinos with Programmable Options

MANUAL FROTHING FOR MILK-BASED DRINKS: Pannarello steam wand for frothing milk
PROGRAMMABLE: Programmable brewing options for espresso and espresso lungo
TEMPERATURE CONTROL: 3 different temperature settings. Min/177.5 °F, Med/182.9 °F, Max/184.5 °F
EASY ACCESS TO WATER RESERVOIR AND BEAN HOPPER: Features a removable 60 oz water reservoir that can be accessed on the top left of the machine, and an 8.8 ounce capacity bean hopper with access from the top right of the machine
2 YEAR WARRANTY: Hassle free 2 year warranty handled by Gaggia USA directly. For Gaggia USA's call center, call 888-389-4123.

The Coffee Maven Conclusion

Easy to use? Yes. Compact design? Yes. Properly extracted shot? Maybe.

The Gaggia Anima is a solid option for anyone looking to get their feet wet on an introductory super-automatic espresso machine. It looks great, is easy to use and has some handy features (such as temperature and strength control) but the resulting shot just seems a little watery and underextracted compared to similarly priced machines.

Our recommendation? Check out the Breville BES800XL for a better espresso machine in the same price range.

The Coffee Maven Rating: 8.2/10

Design & Performance: 8.3
Appearance: 8.5
Durability: 8.8
Quality of Coffee: 7.0
Ease of Cleaning: 8.4

Pros	Cons
Packs super-automatic features into a semi-automatic price Easy-to-use, intuitive display Simple custom shot size selector Compact design	Fully plastic exterior Shots tend to be underextracted Bean hopper lid isn’t airtight

Gaggia Anima Review: Product Images

Gaggia Anima Review: 60 oz water reservoir

Gaggia Anima Review: dose bypass for pre-ground coffee

Gaggia Anima Review: Brew Group internal components

Features

Integrated grinder: conical ceramic grinder with 5 grind size settings and bypass
Bean hopper: 8.8 oz capacity
Water reservoir: 60 oz removable with water filter compatibility
Brew sizes: espresso and lungo buttons, which can be programmed for custom size
Adjustable exit valves: accommodates cups or mugs up to 6″ tall
Dose size selector: 6.5g-11.5g
Temperature control: 177.5°F, 182.9°F, 184.5°F
Auto-Off: 15 min – 3 hours
Spent puck drawer: holds up to 15 pucks
Frother: manual Pannarello steam wand
Drip tray: removable with 24 oz capacity and full tray indicator button
Removable brew group (internal assembly) for easy cleaning
Low-energy standby mode after 1 hour of idle time
Digital display
Plastic exterior
2 year warranty

Design & Performance: 8.3

With the Anima, Gaggia has packed every feature required on a super-automatic espresso machine into the least expensive package possible.

This has its pros and cons:

Pros: You get a super-automatic espresso machine for a great price
Cons: The machine a few obvious flaws

With the integrated frother, integrated grinder, adjustable grind size, 3 temperature settings, 5 dose size settings and easily programmable brew sizes, you can pull almost any kind of shot you want and make any kind of specialty beverage you desire.

The flaws in design I mentioned: I’m not a huge fan of the plastic casing, the bean hopper doesn’t have an airtight seal, and the espresso seems a little underextracted.

I have to give the Anima good marks for design — it really is simple to use and has a lot of features — but it loses some points for performance.

Appearance: 8.5

The Gaggia Anima looks great, though the machine is entirely cased in plastic. The black plastic front even has a chrome-like look to it. As always, appearance points are subjective.

Generally I give the Anima very good marks, but I have to deduct a few points because, in my opinion, plastic just never looks as good as stainless steel or chrome.

Durability: 8.8

With proper cleaning and maintenance, the Gaggia Anima will hold up for at least a few years. In this price range that’s pretty standard. Should anything happen Gaggia backs it up with a 2 year warranty.

Quality of Coffee: 7.0

If you’re strictly a cappuccino or latte drinker, the Gaggia Anima will do just fine. Max out the dose size and water temp and go fine with your grind, and you’ll get something that’s properly extracted. It may be a touch bitter, but you’re going to be mixing it with milk, which will mask any imperfections.

But for pure espresso drinkers? No matter how much I messed with the settings, I always got something that was more “meh” than “amazing.”

Ease of Cleaning: 8.4

Gaggia makes cleaning the Anima very easy, but there’s a good deal of cleaning to be done.

All of the typical stuff applies with this machine:

Wipe it down regularly
Monitor the drip tray for overflow
Empty the puck compartment
Soak the frother nozzle
Descale every 2-3 months

You also have to open the right-side service door weekly to clean out the brew group. This isn’t a huge deal. The brew group slides out effortlessly and just needs to be rinsed with lukewarm water and wiped down with a cloth, but you’ll also want to make sure the inside of the machine is properly wiped down and any ground coffee deposits are wiped away.

I can’t stress the importance of doing this as frequently as suggested. More often than not when someone complains that the machine isn’t working anymore, it’s because they weren’t up to snuff with their regular maintenance.

Standout Features

Easily reprogram brew size buttons to your custom size

I don’t like being confined to the default shot sizes by hard-to-reprogram espresso systems. That’s why I love the Anima’s custom size selector.

Simply press and hold the shot type you want to set, wait until the machine dispenses the desired amount of espresso, then press again to stop. The Anima will remember that size until you change it.

Overall, control panel is incredibly easy to use

The Anima doesn’t have any standout features that aren’t seen on other espresso machines. That’s not what Gaggia is going for with this model.

Instead, Gaggia’s goal is to take everything you expect to see on a super-automatic espresso machine and make it extremely user-friendly and intuitive.

The digital display and buttons are easy to navigate, and you’re never more than a couple clicks from easily adjusting a setting. You’ll figure out how to master the machine in just a couple uses.

Adjustable espresso exit valves provide clearance for cups/mugs up to 6″ tall

A lot of machines have a fixed height between the exit valves and the cup or mug tray below. Those that don’t typically use some sort of adjustable drip try on which the cup or mug sits.

The Anima goes about this a different way.

It has a telescoping exit valve, which can be adjusted up or down around 2″ to accommodate cups or mugs up to 6″ tall with minimal splashing.

Gaggia Anima exit value in the up position (left) and down position (right)

Potential Shortcomings

Bean hopper lid isn’t airtight

Freshly ground coffee beans are crucial for great espresso. With the built-in grinder and custom dose size selector you get the fresh grind, but the lack of an airtight hopper means the beans are a little more exposed to the elements than I’d prefer.

Drip tray fills up quickly with post-extraction rinsing water

You’re going to have to empty the drip tray frequently. I’d suggest doing it every couple days so it doesn’t fill up to the brim. At that point it’s difficult taking out the huge 24 oz capacity tray without spilling.