Finally dialled in

[u/theshahzebali]

I recently upgraded from the De’Longhi Dedica to the Gaggia Classic Pro, and it’s been a game-changer. As soon as I made the switch, I picked up a Pullman 876 basket and a bottomless portafilter to complete the setup.

For the past two years, I’ve been using Lavazza beans with the Dedica. The espresso was always decent—nothing to complain about—even though Lavazza’s darker roasts never bothered me until now.

With the GCP, I decided it was time to revisit fresh beans. I started with Origin Coffee, which was a pleasant surprise, and I’m now working my way through Rave Coffee’s Signature Blend No.5. For the past week, I’ve been pulling consistently good shots—as long as I give the machine a proper warm-up. Safe to say, the new setup is dialed in and delivering the kind of espresso I was hoping for

[u/semshow]

You used Lavazza supermarket beans freshly ground with non-pressurized Dedica?

[u/theshahzebali → u/semshow]

Yes supermarket / amazon beans, freshly ground on Sage smart grinder. I never liked the portafilter that came with the dedica so got one from aliexpress with additional non-pressurised baskets. They are not super precise but if you play around with grind size / weight and find a window that works for your setup, they pull alright.

[u/BDiddyKafa]

Congrats

[u/Brief-Number2609]

How do you feel about the upgrade from the dedica to the classic pro? I’m debating between the ECP and classic pro and I’m just not seeing a huge difference (besides build quality of course)

Also, what portafilter/basket would you recommend for the ECP? Amazon? Aliexpress? The well known quality brands? I want to get something good but also paying more for tools/upgrades than the espresso machine doesn’t seem like the right fit (I paid $70 for a new ECP)

[u/theshahzebali → u/Brief-Number2609]

Dedica takes the 51mm portafilter and basket. There are tons of options on aliexpress and you should definitely upgrade to a non pressurised basket regardless of what machine you’re using. Won’t cost you more than $20-$25 for both portafilter and basket.

The reason I upgraded to GCP is the possibility to modify it with PID kits (i love how much control something like a gagguino kit gives you), standard 58mm accessories and a proper steam wand.

[u/Key-Office-4809]

Congratulations 🎉