In the range of entry-level espresso machines, a review of the Solis Barista Gran Gusto is a must. The Solis Barista Gran Gusto belongs to the group of thermoblock espresso machines. At around 320 Swiss francs and 350 euros purchase price, it combines solid performance at a very competitive price.
Thermoblocks and the Most Important Test Questions
All Thermoblock-Espressomaschinen have two things in common. They are ready for use within a very short time and they are very energy efficient. Unlike boiler espresso machines, you don't need to heat a large and sluggish boiler full of water, but rather an aluminum block. This usually happens in three minutes. From this point on, the espresso machine can in principle draw water that is hot enough for brewing.
However, the big questions are:
- How consistently does the Solis Gran Gusto deliver the gewünschte water temperature of approximately 93 degrees?
- How hot is the portafilter and how do the heating intervals of the machine run?
- How is the milk frothing behavior of the Solis Barista Gran Gusto? Is it possible to create fine-pored milk foam for latte art?
Espresso Preparation with the Solis Barista Gran Gusto
The most important thing about an espresso machine is the taste of the espresso. This also forms the basis for all milk drinks such as cappuccino, latte macchiato, and flat white.
The Solis Barista Gran Gusto delivered us two good, three decent, and five poor espressos with standard extraction of 10 espressos. With adjusted brewing rhythm, the balance improved to three good, five decent, and two poor extractions.
As is often the case with thermoblock espresso machines, you need to get the brewing temperature under control. We've worked out some tips for this.
Getting the Brewing Temperature of the Solis Barista Gran Gusto Under Control
The Solis Barista Gran Gusto has no heat transfer to the portafilter. It remains cold while the thermoblock heats up. If you use it without first warming the portafilter, the brewing water loses its temperature to the portafilter. So the first important step when using the Solis Gran Gusto is:
Leave the portafilter locked in and draw water without coffee. This way the portafilter will warm up.
The first double espresso that is now drawn tasted best to us with darker coffees. The temperature briefly touches 95 degrees but then drops below 90.
Temperatur Solis Barista Gran Gusto.
If you want to immediately draw a second double espresso, we recommend flushing immediately before extraction. So first clean the portafilter, then add the coffee grounds to the portafilter and tamp. We've also described the exact procedure in our article on Zubereitung espresso preparation.
The next extraction now goes higher in temperature and then drops again, but not as low as the first extraction. The following extractions get progressively hotter. The graph of the temperature section shows the temperature spike at the 6th extraction if the flushing of at least 4 seconds is not done before extraction.
Build Quality and Dimensions of the Solis Barista Gran Gusto
From the outside, the Solis Barista Gran Gusto looks good. The body is stainless steel, the railing robust. Few sharp edges disturb the exterior. The drip tray is somewhat small and the unfortunately only laid-on base surface shifts quickly during cleaning. But all of this must be put in perspective with the truly very affordable price.
Much of what we find in a similar price range looks cheap and is dominated by plastic. Not so the Solis Barista Gran Gusto. This also applies to the accessories. Worth mentioning are especially the tamper and portafilter.
The Solis Barista Gran Gusto has a 58mm group head that accepts Faema E61 compatible portafilters. The portafilter itself is high-quality and stable. The included basket holds 19 grams of coffee. Really impressive! If you want some upgrades here, you're well served with the more precise IMS Competition baskets or VST baskets. It's great that these fit.
The included tamper also lives up to its name. 700 grams of weight feel substantial when tamping with it. There remains a small gap next to the tamper. If it fit even more precisely in the basket, the risk of channeling would be reduced. However, the gap is not so large that it causes automatic channeling.
Also included and absolutely usable: a 0.35 l milk pitcher for frothing milk. Let's put it this way: if the milk doesn't froth well, it's not the pitcher's fault. The milk pitcher is even very well suited for Latte art.
The quality of the milk foam masks the poor frothing performance here.
Milk Behavior in the Review
Besides temperature consistency, the milk frothing behavior of the Solis Barista Gran Gusto is challenging. The Solis Barista Gran Gusto delivers very little steam power into the pitcher. This makes it very difficult to trigger the rotation necessary for frothing milk.
In our test, Michel has to hold the pitcher extremely at an angle just to get any rotation at all. The rotation is part of the draw phase of frothing and thus the second step of a frothing process. In the first step, air is pushed under the milk during the so-called draw phase and volume is created. Even this is difficult but possible.
We conclude: Frothing milk with the Solis Barista Gran Gusto is not easy, especially for beginners. With practice it should work. But if milk drinks like cappuccino or flat white play a big role in your daily beverage habits, we would rather recommend the Sage Bambino Plus.
Descaling the Solis Barista Gran Gusto
Thermoblock machines are inherently less prone to scale buildup. This is partly because the thermoblock is emptied after each brewing cycle. If you compare the risk of scaling with single boiler, dual boiler, or multi-boiler machines, the thermoblock espresso machine is the least susceptible machine.
Nevertheless, thermoblock espresso machines can also scale up. You'll notice this in everyday use when the steam power gradually decreases.
A good choice for a descaling agent is one based on lactic acid. The Solis brand product called Solipol* works great and is made from lactic acid. The solution is food-safe and yet penetrating enough to dissolve scale. No-name providers work too.
Descaling the Solis Barista Gran Gusto in Five Steps:
- Add the solution according to the manufacturer's mixing instructions to the water tank of the espresso machine and fill to maximum.
- Place a large container like a pot under the outlet and draw approximately 150 ml of water in coffee mode by manually extracting.
- Switch to steam mode and wait until the button's light changes to a permanent glow. Now turn the steam up to maximum and blow steam into the still standing pot at full power for approximately two minutes.
- Next, let the machine rest for 15 minutes and let the descaler soak in. Then repeat the process several times until the liquid in the tank is largely used up.
- Now thoroughly rinse the water tank and fill it to the brim with water that is as soft as possible (Ideal: 2–5 German hardness degrees). Now repeat steps 2 and 3 until the water in the tank is consumed again.
Done. The machine is descaled and ready for use again after refilling the tank.
Conclusion on the Solis Barista Gran Gusto
There are as many different espresso and coffee habits as there are people. This makes it difficult for us to give an absolute recommendation for espresso machines. Unfortunately, one reason is that especially in the lower price segment, espresso machines have strengths and weaknesses.
The strengths of the Solis Barista Gran Gusto include:
- With our tips, you can relatively reliably brew a good espresso.
- The machine, like almost all thermoblocks, has low power consumption of only 0.10 kW per hour.
- It heats up quickly and is therefore ready for use.
- The external build quality is good and the included equipment is practical and very good.
- The compatibility of the portafilter with classic 58mm portafilters is appreciated and makes buying additional tampers and baskets simple.
Unfortunately, there are also some weaknesses:
- The machine's frothing performance is not enjoyable.
- The drip tray is difficult to clean because the plate is only laid on top.
- The temperature skyrockets without manipulation to over 100 degrees. This results in extremely bitter taste.
- The steam wand of the Solis Barista Gran Gusto drips.
Are you more of a milk froth drinker? Then definitely take a look at the Sage Bambino Plus. For espresso and the like, you should compare the Solis Barista Gran Gusto with the Quick Mill Orione 3000 and the New Gaggia Classic.
If you want to learn how to dial in the perfect espresso, visit our Home Barista Course. It's available as an Online online course as well as with us in person Ort in Basel. That's worth the trip!
We also recommend the following articles and videos:
Espresso preparation and Espressomaschine cleaning.
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