At Cape Coffee Beans, we take a hands-on approach to coffee. We enjoy the time and intention involved in manual brewing and its many steps, so automatic bean-to-cup machines make up a smaller part of our range. We also value convenience when it doesn’t come at the cost of quality. Gaggia offers a range of bean-to-cup machines that bring convenience to home espresso, and the Anima is part of that range.

Gaggia is a familiar name in home espresso, known for manual machines such as the Gaggia Classic. The brand also makes automatic bean-to-cup machines. The Anima is one of its entry-level models, designed for one-touch espresso brewing at home.

About the Gaggia Anima

The Gaggia Anima is a straightforward automatic bean-to-cup coffee maker. It brews two espresso drinks: an espresso and a longer lungo-style shot. Each shot includes a short pre-infusion to saturate the coffee puck before brewing, supporting even extraction. The machine also dispenses hot water for Americanos. For milk drinks, the Barista Plus has a steam wand, while the Prestige has an integrated milk carafe.

The Anima has ceramic burrs and five grind settings, so you can adjust the grind to suit your beans. Its “Optiaroma” feature offers five coffee-dose settings to adjust the intensity of your drink. You can also change the length of each shot by holding down the relevant beverage button for a few seconds. The machine saves that setting for the next time you use the same button.

For cleaning, the Anima runs an automatic cycle when you switch it on or off. It also alerts you when descaling is due and guides you through the process on the LCD display. The brew group can be removed for manual cleaning.

About the Gaggia Anima Barista Plus

The Barista Plus is for people who prefer to steam and froth milk themselves, whether for latte art or to suit their preferred texture. Its adjustable stainless-steel steam wand lets you steam milk manually.

About the Gaggia Anima Prestige

The Prestige replaces the Barista Plus’s manual steam wand with an integrated milk carafe. The carafe heats and foams milk, and the Prestige adds two milk-based drinks to the one-touch beverage buttons. You can also select milk frothing on its own from the LCD menu.

The carafe is detachable, so you can store it in the fridge when you’re not using it. After a milk drink, the machine runs a cleaning cycle for the milk circuit.

Our recommendations for your Gaggia Anima

• Use it as intended: it’s a home machine rated for up to 10 cups per day.
• Clean it regularly with products such as Caffenu, or Gaggia’s own cleaning tablets and descaler, following the manual. Regular care helps prevent residue from building up, particularly in bean-to-cup machines.
• Use filtered water, for example from a BWT jug, or suitable bottled water.
• Use fresh, high-quality coffee beans.
• Avoid very light-roasted coffee, which can be less suitable for bean-to-cup machines.
• Adjust the settings to your taste; some experimentation may be needed.
• Automatic bean-to-cup brewing differs from coffee prepared by a professional barista.
• For the Anima Prestige’s integrated milk carafe, note that milk is dispensed at a drinking temperature. If you prefer it hotter, you may need to heat it separately.

Gaggia Anima features

• Designed and made in Italy
• LCD interface and one-touch beverage buttons
• Brews two espresso drinks and dispenses hot water; the Prestige adds two milk drinks and a milk-frothing option
• Steam wand (Barista Plus) or integrated, self-cleaning milk carafe (Prestige)
• Five adjustable ceramic burr settings
• Optiaroma dose control with five settings
• Adjustable coffee spouts (110–150 mm)
• Memory function for personalised brewing preferences
• Pre-brewing function (pre-infusion)
• Automatic cleaning and descaling cycles
• Three adjustable brew-temperature settings
• Compatible with Gaggia’s Intenza+ water filtration system
• Includes grease tube and grinder adjustment key/measuring spoon

Gaggia Anima specifications

• Unboxed weight: 7.9 kg (Barista Plus) / 8.7 kg (Prestige)
• Dimensions (L × H × D): 22.1 × 34 × 43 cm
• Body: black ABS (Barista Plus) / black ABS and stainless steel (Prestige)
• Drip tray: ABS and stainless steel
• Boiler: stainless steel
• Power and voltage:
  • Barista Plus: 230 V, 50 Hz, 1850 W; 120 V, 60 Hz, 1850 W
  • Prestige: 230 V, 50 Hz, 1500 W; 120 V, 60 Hz, 1850 W
• Power draw on standby: <1 W
• Water tank capacity: 1.8 L
• Milk carafe capacity (Prestige only): 500 ml
• Hopper capacity: 250 g
• Puck container capacity: 15