Bialetti Gioia Capsule Coffee Maker Review – Is It Worth It?

A deep review of the Bialetti Gioia capsule coffee maker, covering design, ease of use, coffee quality, pros, cons, and for whom this Italian machine is best.

An Introduction To The Bialetti Coffee Maker

I have had the opportunity to review a number of capsule coffee makers and none of them have made me want to replace my moka with a capsule model. This model, in particular, was one that I avoided for reasons I will get into in more detail below.

These capsule coffee makers are definitely inexpensive, but that is because they require the purchase of coffee capsules that are made specifically for their type of coffee maker. Usually, in the US coffee makers try to copy the Keurig standards, and here in Europe the Nespresso is the capsule standard that most capsule coffee makers are compatible with.

This coffee maker, the Bialetti Gioia, was a bit surprising and I’ll explain why down below. It should be considered because it is a very inexpensive machine with a simple design that I suspect will be durable. That is only a guess, since I used it for only a few days.

This capsule coffee maker is good for anyone that only needs a single espresso cup to start their day. I’ve mentioned that I need my 3-cup Moka every morning, so it would need to be an amazing product to get me to switch.

Bialetti Gioia Review First Impressions

I didn’t unbox this coffee maker, so I can’t speak to the packaging. The style is minimalist, but seems to be built well. It is made mostly of plastic on the outside, which is consistent with its competitors. Unlike other coffee makers, to empty the reservoir of used capsules,  you don’t risk losing a small piece in the garbage. Everything is well contained and easy to use.

For usability, you should definitely read the instructions. The power switch is mounted on a rear-facing side and it is flush, so you will need to know what you are looking for. The indicator lights also aren’t 100% intuitive, but a quick read of the instructions should clear up any questions. Apart from that, it is pretty simple to use. 

Key Features Of The Bialetti Gioia

There are two size settings for this coffee maker. I prefer the 25ml single espresso shot, but there is also a long espresso setting that dispenses 40ml of espresso. You can adjust these amounts, but I felt like the default settings were good enough.

The water tank needs to be full (or at least not empty) for usage. It can hold ½ Liter of water, which should last you a good number of shots. It will also automatically shut off after 9 minutes of hold time. There is no milk frothing, so straight espresso is all you will get from it.

This big difference between this Bialetti coffee maker and many others are the capsules. Most others here in Italy have licensed the Nespresso capsule style, and many coffee roasters make their coffee available in this “format”. Bialetti uses their own proprietary capsules, so the number of roasters are limited.

We were happy that some of the roasters we like are available in the Bialetti-style capsules, but the list is comparably shorter. You should definitely find out if, and how easily your favorite coffee is available for this machine. 

Review Of The Bialetti Gioia Coffee

I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the entire experience of using this coffee maker. The brewing was surprisingly fast, the taste was as close to coffee bar quality as I’ve ever had with capsule coffee makers and there was a long lasting crema on top of every cup (tazzina) we made during the week. I’m glad the coffee available was a roaster we knew and liked (albeit, not our favorite) so that made the comparison to other coffee makers easy.

Bialetti Gioia Pros And Cons

Hopefully you can tell that I am pretty positive on this coffee maker. The pros and cons are pretty simple because I want to compare it only to others in the same category. This isn’t compared to a moka nor something quasi professional. It is only compared to other capsule coffee makers. 

• The Pros:
  • High-quality espresso coffee
  • Long lasting crema
  • Fast brewing time
  • Consistent espresso quality
  • The machine is inexpensive
• The Cons:
  • The proprietary capsules that limit roaster selection.

Final Verdict: Should You Buy The Bialetti Gioia?

Yes, this is a quality product that you should buy if you are in the market for an espresso only, single cup capsule coffee maker. The only caveat is that you should make sure the coffee you enjoy is available in the Bialetti pods and that they are easy to buy, either online or in your local grocery store.

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