Had to choose between buying a new espresso machine or fixing my old one

My old Gaggia finally gave out last Thursday. The steam wand stopped working and water was leaking from the group head. I spent a whole evening comparing a $600 new machine versus a $150 repair kit and some elbow grease. Went with the repair kit and it took me 3 hours to replace the gaskets and o-rings. Now it pulls shots better than it did when I first got it 4 years ago. Anyone else debate fixing their old machine versus just upgrading?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_brian29d ago

Fixed my Breville twice now. First time was a clogged steam wand. Second time the pump went out. Replaced the pump for $40. Took me an afternoon. YouTube videos saved me. Most of these machines are fixable if you're patient. The repair kit route is smart. New machines have their own problems anyway.

amyb5429d ago

Oh man, I feel this one in my bones. My old De'Longhi started sounding like a dying lawnmower last month and I had to have a real sit-down with myself about whether to toss it or fix it. I went with the repair route too, and honestly I think I just wanted to prove to myself that I could do it without messing it up worse than it already was. Total disaster at first though, I accidentally put the gasket in backwards and spent twenty minutes trying to figure out why water was spraying everywhere. Got it sorted eventually, and now the thing works great, but I have to laugh at myself for how long it took to fix something that was supposed to be simple. It's a good feeling though, knowing you saved some cash and didn't have to learn a whole new machine's quirks.