# New to Gaggia Classic (and espresso machines in general)



## Kyle T (Jan 6, 2016)

Hi guys,

Just purchased a refurb Gaggia Classic from Mark @gaggiamanualservices and I cannot wait to start using it. That being said I honestly don't have much of a clue about it other than it makes espresso.

Until now I have used a CCD or aeropress. So, is there anything I need to do straight away? Ive had a look at some of the links provided in the sticky on the Gaggia page so I will get back to those also. I believe the one I have purchased comes with upgraded steam wand and new valve. I have a stainless steal milk jug, I think I will need to buy a tamper but should I get a new portafilter? I have read something about a double portafilter being better? Also I am currently using a Porlex to grind my beans, will this be suitable for the Classic?


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## Kyle T (Jan 6, 2016)

Hi everyone. I know this thread kind of bombed but now I've actually got my Gaggia and I'm having some teething problems. I'm sure it's likely me rather than the machine but I am slightly concerned with the steam wand. Below is the steps I have taken so far to make my coffee.

I started by using 18g of beans and grind with my porlex on the finest setting possible.

I already have the machine switched on and warming up.

I tip the coffee into the portafilter and tamper

i quickly flush through some water in the machine wait for the light again and then connect the portafilter, glass underneath and switch on. Now at this point I have already noticed it only takes about 18seconds to produce 36g of coffee. I know this is too fast. I assume it's either my prolex is not up to the job or my beans are old (I'm using old beans to get use to the machine).

I still ill get a decent looking double shot with good crema.

Then i switch the steam to allow the machine to heat up.

Once the light is back on I quickly vent the steam for a few seconds and then close the valve. I get the milk in the jug and wait for light to come back on to steam. However it's here things get strange as the valve doesn't seem to close properly and steam continues to vent out of the wand. Then when I open it again to steam the milk it's extremely loud and doesn't seem to froth properly at all. Again I know the frothing is something I will need to learn but the leaking steam is a concern.

After ive done attempting to froth milk I remove the portafilter and flush through some more water.


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

What does the coffee taste like? You don't need to do a cooling flush before the first shot on a Classic - only after you've had it up to steam temp and are now ready for the second shot. If you cool it too much it will be under extracted and might be a bit thin and bright or even sour. Classics want 20 mins from switch-on to first shot to get the group warm. That said, if you're using old beans that won't help either taste or speed of shot.

Not sure about the leaky steam wand - better ask Mark. Very noisy steaming (screeching) is usually a sign you've got the steam tip too far into the milk. Try at a slight angle, just under the surface. You want to introduce air bubbles and then 'smash' them into tiny microfoam bubbles by getting the milk to spin in the jug and watching the bigger bubbles go back under the steam tip to get whirled into the foam.

Hope that's some help at least. I think fresh beans will make a difference though. Using stale beans may make your shot run faster and won't really help you get used to the machine as they are not what you'll be using from now on - a 'false baseline' if you like.

Also, if shots are running too fast and you can't grind finer, you could try tamping harder, or maybe going to 18.5-19g in. Check the distribution is good (flat and even) before tamping, and make sure you tamp level (flat).


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## Riz (Oct 19, 2015)

I thought a cooling flush was recommended if the machine has been sitting there for thirty mins prior to first shot?


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## Riz (Oct 19, 2015)

@Kyle T if steam is coming through even when you have closed the valve you probably have a leaky steam wand. Do you find that you have some water escaping through the steam wand when the machine is idle?


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## Kman10 (Sep 3, 2014)

Always try to start steaming before the light comes on, no loss of steam power that way


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## Kyle T (Jan 6, 2016)

@hotmetal it tasted....erm....strong. But seriously it was strong. I didn't particularly like the taste when I tried it. I would only be able to compare if I used my better beans I suppose. But it did appear to be a good colour with good crema. I do think I might knock the dosage down eventually though. 18g seemed too strong for me.

@Riz yes I did find after opening and closing the valve in particular that I would get water dripping. Sometimes even when I was doing the initial heat up I would occasionally get a drip.


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

Get freshly roasted beans, rest them and try again... If its still pouring as fast then you need to think about swapping the porlex.


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## StuartS (Jan 2, 2015)

I normally flush for a second or two but it's probably not necessary.

agree with suggestions so far re beans. The "strength" isn't related to the weight of beans. Its flavour really and related to the ratio of espresso weight to grinds weight and the time it takes to pour. Espresso is a concentrated drink so could be called strong - you're looking for a balanced drink with some sweetness, not bitter or sour.

if you can't get a 1:2 ratio in around 25-30s, you're grinder will be limiting.

what you are brewing might be okay with milk?

on the classic, after brewing, flick the steam switch and wait around 20s max, purge the condensate and then start steaming. You dont want the light to come on. If it does, the boiler has gone off and steam will dry up and ateaming will become very noisy.


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## Kyle T (Jan 6, 2016)

I am away tonight but once I am back tomorrow I will give it another go. I will try with my rave coffee beans and hopefully get the steaming right. Because it's a new toy I am not use to I always panic that if I'm doing something wrong I will break the machine but hopefully I can get on the right track with the advice on here.


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## wilse (Nov 14, 2013)

I used similar set-up, best money spent on good beans, grinder, scales and tamper.

I used to use the hario, was OK, but it's much easier to get going with a more consistent grinder. I'm still using the classic.

I aim for 18g and double 36g for the finished shot, around 25-30 seconds. My smaller shots 14g are reserved for cap/latt's.

I don't use the big basket, for anything under 18g, as the extraction goes to pot!

Which beans from Rave are you using? I ask, as I bought a kilo of Italian, and thought it was awful... until I was approaching the end of the bag... what a difference! I was too impatient, and wasn't letting them rest [around a week]

I found with most of Rave's offerings, if used early they extract very foamy.

Don't get disheartened, stick at it!


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## Kyle T (Jan 6, 2016)

I am using Raves signature blend at the moment. Also have a bag of the Italian too.


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

Maybe suggest getting the espresso right and forgetting milk for now, only one thing to concentrate on can help?


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## Kyle T (Jan 6, 2016)

So its definitely not the beans. Tried with my Rave signature blend beans less then a month old from roasted. Grind 18g of the beans on the finest setting on the Porlex, tamped pretty hard and had a 36g espresso in under 12 seconds! I am guessing the Porlex isn't up to the job so I am gonna order a Graef CM702 over the weekend. Maybe not the best grinder in the world but fits my budget and its got to be 10x better than what i am currently getting.


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

Sounds good. I've never tried one but I think a few people on here have used them for espresso and had good results. Hopefully you'll find that there is plenty of adjustment to get the grind right.


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## Kyle T (Jan 6, 2016)

Yeh I spoke to a few people on here who have/had one and they seemed happy. Can anyone explain portafilter baskets to me? I think I'm using a double basket as I can easily fit 18g in there. It has loads of little holes at the bottom of the basket. I read about people buying vst baskets or pressurised or even bottomless portafilters?


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

Don't get confused between portafilter and basket. A PF is the handle that the basket clips into. They come as bottomless (aka naked) so you can see the bottom of the basket to check your pour for distribution faults, or more commonly, with 2 spouts to split one double basket's output into 2 espressos. Spouted portafilters are usually 2 spouts but one spout ones are also available. I believe I've seen a triple but I have no idea why - how you'd get 3 cups on a drip tray and how much espresso you'd have would explain their rarity.

Baskets. A basket can be pressurised or not. Pressurised is only available with 'entry level' machines where the manufacturer thinks there's a likelihood it will be used with supermarket pre-ground beans. The basket artificially restricts flow and emulsifies the coffee oils to create an illusion of crema. You only need this if you don't have a grinder. As the Classic is aimed at home users, it comes with the 'widget' but because it's a perfectly capable machine when paired with a good grinder, people here will use the non-pressurised one.

Non-pressurised baskets are what you use with a decent grinder and beans. VST is s manufacturer of precision engineered baskets that are designed for a particular amount of grinds, and the shape and size of the basket and its holes is tightly controlled. They cost more than the similar looking standard baskets supplied with prosumer machines, but help to get the best from your coffee. They usually work best with a load that is +/-1g from the size stated (eg 18g VST correctly dosed is 17-19g).

A double basket is maybe 15-18g. 20g might be considered a triple - its extra depth *may* require the use of a naked PF, but the amount of coffee might be required because you want 2 drinks. Single baskets are harder to get right because the puck is thinner, making good grinds and perfect distribution much more important. And at a 1:2 ratio, 7g in gives a drink that's just 14g which is tiny. Some people like it that way but doubles are much more common. The idea that 15-18g is a double is based on the fact that a traditional Italian espresso shot is deemed to be 7g. This, coupled with the fact that almost all shops use a double basket to pull a shot, leads to all sorts of confusion when ordering a single/double espresso. If I order an espresso in a shop I clarify by saying I mean the full output from their 17-18-19g basket. (If they're using a La Marzocco machine I believe the baskets are odd numbers - Artisan in Ealing use 19g on their LM, for example).

Hope that explains it!


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## Kyle T (Jan 6, 2016)

Definitely explains it. Thanks for the info.


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## Jumbo Ratty (Jan 12, 2015)

I dont know what size basket you have, but perhaps try upping the dose.It could be a 20g basket, I dont know, even if it is an 18g basket it could easily take + - 1g either way, maybe more

You say you are putting 18g in the basket, try upping it to 19g.

What you want to see after you have pulled the shot is an indentation of the shower screen screw on the puck, but not the shower screen.

I have a 15g VST and can fill it with 17.5g and to me thats perfect for the coffee im using. being a VST its meant to have a tolerance of +- 1g either way, so im already going way above that, but have found it works for me

also, 1:2 is a common ration, but you could try 1:3 and find this suits your taste more. I prefer the 1:3 ration myself, also called a lungo

so, try 19g in and 57g out, see what you think


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