Espresso lovers will fall in love with Gaggia Babila vs Saeco Xelsis not only for their impressive brewing speed but also for their easy-to-use features. Both machines can make other home espresso machines, especially those fully automated ones, mediocre.
But which is the better option between these two? The Gaggia Babila produces rich foam, delicious espresso, and is easy to use. The Saeco Xelsis is faster with a more advanced cleaning system, has a durable build quality, and an impressive lineup of coffee drinks.
So what you need to evaluate is what you prefer the most – convenience,, customization, or durability?
Gaggia Babila vs Saeco Xelsis: Comparision Chart
Last update on 2024-12-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Gaggia Babila vs Saeco Xelsis: Differences
According to my evaluations, the best super-automatic espresso machine is the Saeco Xelsis. It wins 3 – 2 against the Gaggia Babila as the most high-end, versatile espresso machine for beginners and intermediates alike.
1. Espresso Quality
The Winner: Saeco Xelsis
Temperature Control
The Gaggia Babila features a dual boiler which, when compared to Saeco Xelsis’s dual thermoblock heating system, is slightly slower. The reason being that the thermoblock retains more heat in the long run as well as for simultaneous espresso extraction and milk frothing.
Dual boiler systems have many advantages but some disadvantages too. Firstly, they are heavier and have a longer preheat time. The heating element must hold the temperature at the highest possible to level, constantly and consistently, the dual boilers are not the most energy-efficient heating systems out there.
The Gaggia Babila’s heating system permits 3 levels of temperature adjustment. You can pick from low, normal, and high temperatures. But, having said, my advice to you would be to keep it at the high settings – it’s better that way.
You can reduce the temperature if you are brewing a dark roast, but for light roasts always keep the temperature high.
On the Saeco Xelsis, however, the level of customization is more unique and accurate. The dual thermoblock does a really awesome job of producing the hottest water temperature. The espresso will stay hot for a long time, even when you start drinking it.
Thermoblocks, just like the ones in the Xelsis, offer quick and effective simultaneous brewing. This keeps the machine consistent, while also avoiding the risk of delay.
2. Dose Control
The Winner: Saeco Xelsis
Dose control refers to the amount of coffees you can make, their customizations, and the brewing capacity of the espresso maker. Keeping that in mind, the Gaggia Babila has 15 grinding settings and it can make 8 delicious coffee drinks.
To top it off, you also have 5 strength settings which means you can control the quantity of coffee grounds per espresso shot or a double shot. This gives you the opportunity to make your espresso as strong as you’d like it to be.
There’s even a premium flow knob that you can adjust to customize the flow of espresso. This is another impressive way to alter the intensity of espresso from very strong, strong, balanced, and light.
You can almost double what the Gaggia Babila has to offer you with the Saeco Xelsis. The latter features 12 adjustable grind levels and a whopping 15 delicious coffee drinks. It has 5 strength settings which is the same as the Babila. But you also have the unique 3 temperature levels with 6 user profiles.
It is a lot more customizable than Babila with more coffees and the 15 bar pump that will deliver strong espresso, no matter what changes you make to each drink.
3. Milk System
The Winner: Gaggia Babila
When you evaluate an espresso maker, assessing the milk system is just as important. You’ll love the Gaggia Babila for its automatic milk frother and steam wand. It has both with an integrated milk frother and a carafe to store milk before and after brewing.
You need not move the cup around for espresso and then for frothed milk. Both the milk spout and espresso spout pour directly in one place so it’s easier to clean too.
The carafe is quite accessible to keep the carafe back into the refrigerator if you have any milk left over.
The Saeco Xelsis comes with an automatic milk system. It features foam and density adjustment, which is something that the Babila does not have from the carafe.
You can, however, buy the Jura carafe but it does cost more money.
Frankly, I prefer the milk system on the Gaggia Babila. It’s versatile and easy to rinse and keep clean after every use. And the Babila has the steam wand which makes the milk extra hot and replicates barista use in that you can steam the milk to create smooth and creamy foam on top of your espresso.
There is automatic rinsing programs on both machines. But the glass flask the Saeco comes with cannot be stored in the refrigerator. But it does come with level markings so you know exactly how much you’re using per cup.
4. Cleaning
The Winner: Saeco Xelsis
Both espresso machines have automatic rinse cycles. Whenever you wish to make coffee on the Babila, you can rinse the machine once for better results.
The coffee drawer that holds used coffee pucks, internal drip tray, and the spouts are easy and quick to clean. A machine like the Babila does not require extensive cleaning cycles every time. It’s nice to know that you can remove certain parts and clean them up really up.
Having said that, the Babila does require tablet descaling/cleaning. Even with light use, it is not something you can forget about descaling. Though the descaling process is quite easy to perform.
All the important parts of the Saeco Xelsis come apart easily. It features an automatic coffee circuit rinse, milk circuit. And it lets you know when the drip tray is full.
But what really steals the show is the HygieSteam function. It uses hot steam to flush out any residue from the entire milk circuit. The spout, milk tubes, everything! And it does this every time you make an espresso with frothed milk.
5. Ergonomics
The Winner: Gaggia Babila
Both the Gaggia Babila and Saeco Xelsis are made of Thermoplastic material. Their used coffee drawer capacity is 11 and 15 pucks respectively.
So that is the Saeco Xelsis with 4 more coffee pucks than the Babila. And the bean hopper size is also different in that the Babila features a 300g coffee hopper and the Xelsis is 350g.
And Babila is also more compact with regards to its size, it’s narrower and more put-together than the Xelsis. The Xelsis looks like it will take up some room on your countertop.
However, there is no significant difference between the two with regards to their water tank capacity – it’s 1.5L and 1.6L respectively. Again, the Gaggia being slightly smaller in size than the Saeco.
But according to the ratings that both produces have received, it’s true that the Saeco Xelsis is the more durable one.
Gaggia Babila vs Saeco Xelsis: Similarities
1. Flat Ceramic Burr Grinder
A flat ceramic burr grinder, the one in both the Gaggia Babila vs Saeco Xelsis, offers fine adjustments for coffee grounds. It is a sharp, cool, and consistent grinder designed for daily use. And, thankfully, the grinding mechanism of both is quiet and fast, does not matter how many cups you drink in a day.
2. Adjustable Coffee Settings
By this, I mean that you can brew a double brew in both machines for 2 people. While the dual heating system ensures smooth and consistent brewing/frothing, you can also, by adjust the temperature, strength, and volume of coffee, brew double for 1-2 cups of espresso.
3. AquaClean Water Filter
Now both machines feature a water filter, namely the AquaClean water filter. It’s a patented water filter designed to keep the machine clean and the quality of water purified.
This does two things for you and your cup of coffee: maintains all the internal workings parts of the machine that are directly involved with extracting espresso and improves the taste of coffee.
But AquaClean water filters have another seriously positive advantage. And that is you can go without descaling the machine and not worry about clogging or build-up. This water filter purifies the water up to 5,000 cups worth.
Quick Rundown Of Saeco Xelsis SM7864/04
- With Philips Saeco Xelsis easily make up to 15 coffee varieties from common Espresso and Capuccino to specialty coffees like Flat White or Americano. Simply swipe the touchscreen to select the drink and customize it with our intuitive Coffee Equalizer.Filter type:Reusable.Power consumption stand-by : 0.5W, Drip tray capacity : 500 ml
- 15 Coffee Varieties at Your Fingertips: Explore the world of coffee - Espresso, cappuccino, macchiato, and a range of specialty drinks
- Personalized Preferences: Everyone’s custom coffee favorites can be saved in up to 6 user profiles for instant selection. Personalize each profile down to the finest detail
- LatteDuo Milk System: Prepare and enjoy single or double serving of any coffee recipe with one touch, including Cappuccino or Latte Macchiato
- Double Thermo Blocks: Dedicated for both brewing and steaming offer accurate temperature controls for every drink in your recipe book
Last update on 2024-12-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Quick Rundown Of Gaggia Babila RI9700/64
- One touch brewing and frothing: bean-to-cup feature. Milk carafe includes automatic milk frothing for cappuccinos, and milk froth. Manual steam wand doubles as a hot water dispenser
- ACCESSORIES INCLUDED: 1 bottle of Gaggia Descaler, 1 AquaClean Water Filter, 1 Water Hardness Test Strip, 1 Tube of Brew Group Lubricant, 1 Brew Group Brush, 1 Coffee Scoop/Grinder Key
- PROGRAMMABLE: 8 Programmable brewing options for espressos, espresso lungos, coffee, ristrettos, lattes, cappuccinos, macchiato, flat whites and milk foam
- Easy access to water reservoir: features a top Loading removable 50.7oz water reservoir; Brew Boiler Wattage: 1400
Last update on 2024-12-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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References
- Gaggia Babila RI9700/64 from Gaggia https://gaggia.com/automatic-machines/babila/
- Saeco Xelsis SM7864/04 from Saeco https://www.usa.philips.com/c-p/SM7684_04/xelsis-super-automatic-espresso-machine
Felix Hendricks is a skilled barista with over 12 years of experience. He excels in crafting coffee and has a strong foundation in coffee machine mechanics. Felix holds a Coffee Machine Maintenance Certification from the Coffee Equipment Technical Institute, showcasing his ability to diagnose and repair coffee machines. He’s also worked as a quality control specialist, selecting premium coffee beans for optimal flavor. Felix has a diverse work history, including stints at renowned coffee spots like Café Euphoria & Starbucks. His expertise in both brewing and machine maintenance makes him a respected figure in the coffee industry.