# 1st day with a Classic



## Kutthrowt (Nov 5, 2018)

So my new Gaggia Classic just came in, and man-o-man was there a learning curve. I purchased a Baratza Sette 30 grinder to replace my Bodum Bistro I was using for my press pot. According to the Baratza guide, one should try a setting between 7-10 for espresso. I tried 9 for my first pour, and used what I thought was #30 tamp, and after 40 seconds with no coffee coming out of the PF, I decided it was time to stop and reevaluate my process. Water never made it through about half of the puck, so up went the grinder setting and down went the pressure on my tamp. After several more tries, I ended up with a setting of 21 and just enough tamp pressure to even out the grounds. Got about 2oz. in 28 sec. Now it's time to really get dialed in!


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## jimbojohn55 (Jan 15, 2016)

Ahh that first attempt - I did the same - try and get into a routine and then change one thing at a time - grind - tamp - extraction time- temp surf, the gaggia will give you a lot of enjoyment.


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## Muahahaha (Dec 20, 2016)

Love the Classic and still have one to this day. They are tremendous fun to play about with


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## Joha (Dec 3, 2018)

Did you buy 2015 model without solenoid? How much did you pay for this?


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## ContraCoffee (Dec 8, 2018)

Hi Kutthrowt, what version classic did you get? Did you go for new or second hand?


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## DH83 (Dec 17, 2018)

I am seriously considering a Classic, especially as they are currently on offer. I need to do a lot more research though before I take the plunge. Looking forward to getting things horrendously wrong when attempting that first pull though.


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## NT1984 (Jan 4, 2019)

I thought about a classic but opted for a Sage Duo Temp Pro. Hope it works out for you.


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## lhavelund (Dec 28, 2018)

DH83 said:


> I am seriously considering a Classic, especially as they are currently on offer. I need to do a lot more research though before I take the plunge. Looking forward to getting things horrendously wrong when attempting that first pull though.


General consensus seems to be to stick with old Classics. The new ones lack a 3-way solenoid valve, a poor quality boiler (thin-walled steel instead of cast aluminium), portafilter spouts are plastic, etc. You're better off buying one second-hand!


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