u/linkmodo

This is probably more of a question for current Gaggia Classic GT owners, and more about the machine itself than the grinder upgrade.

Am I making the right upgrade? More importantly, am I going to regret it and end up going back to the GCP E24?

Location: USA | 110V
Drinks: 2 lattes every morning, plus 1 latte or Americano in the afternoon
Countertop clearance: 20.5"
Experience: Pulling shots daily since 2019, probably around 5,000 to 6,000 shots at this point

I have been using various versions of the Gaggia Classic Pro since 2019 and have owned the E24 for the past few months. I really like the new brass boiler. Shot temperature feels more stable than previous generations of the GCP, and it has plenty of steam power for what I need.

I have tried upgrading to a fancier single boiler machine before. I owned a Profitec Go but eventually sold it and went back to the GCP. The Go was simply too slow to warm up for my routine, and despite playing with different OPV and PID settings, I never noticed a significant enough improvement in shot quality to justify the change.

The main reasons I am considering the Gaggia Classic GT are that it still appears to heat up quickly for the limited number of shots I make, gives me plenty of steam power, and lets me quickly dispense hot water for tea or Americanos. I also like the ability to customize an automatic on and off schedule without relying on a smart plug.

On the grinder side, my Ceado with 64mm burrs has been very reliable, but grind by time is not always perfectly consistent. Moving to a grind by weight setup should improve consistency there.

The financial side is where I am hesitating. My current setup retails for about $1,420 after tax, while the new setup would cost about $2,750. I would obviously sell my current equipment to recover part of the cost.

For those who moved from a GCP, especially the E24, to the Classic GT: did it feel like a meaningful upgrade in daily use, or more like a much more expensive version of something the GCP already does very well?

I'm getting the sales for Dual Boilers are not as crazy as entry level single boilers due to significant increase in price, so not a lot of actual user reviews out there, and mostly from shops who sell them, or from influencers who review these machines for a living, and I'd rather hear honest opinion from actual owners.

Thanks in advance!

https://reddit.com/link/1v0ek4f/video/6aeqjmzkl3eh1/player

It's a nice surfski, super stable and easy to paddle, even with windy and choppy waters near shore.

My Current Designs Solstice GTS touring sea kayak has been sitting on my home rack for over a year. Particularly because while it is exceptionally stable and tracks really well for my close-shore kayaking, at the same time it also feels quite clunky and hard to turn, and since I rarely load any gears in the storage compartment, besides bungeed safety stuff, it floats quite high in the water so paddling experience hasn't been ideal.

Someone in my region is selling an Epic V5 surfski kayak, which I think might be better suited for what I use kayak for (3-8 mile trips). It's sit-on top, carries minimum gears, near shore excursion in mild waves that would provide high maneuverability without a rudder.

The only thing I'm not sure is for primary stability. Would really appreciate someone who have sat in both kayaks to comment on if the Epic V5 will require constant active adjustment to stay up.

Much appreciated.

I currently have the PlusTek 8300i Ai film scanner with Silverfast workflow to handle my 35mm negatives. It's rather slow with each frame requiring individual adjustments and 6 film stripes of loading and unloading for 36 exp.

Would upgrading to an Epson V850 Pro increase my workflow speed?

Currently the only viable option to get V850 Pro is buy the Japanese domestic version GT-X980 at about half the cost ($950ish USD) of a retail V850 in the US

If V850 is faster then I would sell the 8300i and recoup some cost.

Thank you for your input.