# Unable to turn portafilter when full of choice



## neilsolaris (Sep 1, 2017)

Hi,

I bought a brand new Gaggia Carezza Duluxe coffee machine two days ago, and I'm wondering if there's a fault with it.

Basically, if I fill up the filter full or almost full with coffee, I can only turn the portafilter until just left of centre. It feels as though there's something solid preventing it from moving further. This is strange, because with less coffee or an empty filter it turns fine.

Does anyone have any idea what the problem could be? Luckily I only live five minutes walk from the shop, but I'd need to take my machine plus coffee with into the shop, so I'm leaving this option as a last resort!

Many thanks for your help.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Your portafilter should not be full to the brim.

Is it still full after you have tamped the puck?

Reduce the weight of the coffee you put in the portafilter until the tamped puck will go in/out of the machine easily, with just a little space between the dry puck & the shower screen above it. Some like to put a 5p or 10p piece on the tamped coffee bed, insert it into the machine, then remove it to see if the coin leaves an imprint. Reduce coffee weight until there is no imprint.

Using some 0.1g scales to weigh the coffee into the portafilter will make this repeatable.


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## neilsolaris (Sep 1, 2017)

Thanks for your reply. I'll need to do a little research first to absorb those technical terms!

When I watched a demonstration on YouTube, the guy filled up the portafilter to the brim, then brushed off the excess. He didn't seem to have any difficult turning it. I'll see if I can try what you suggested though. Thanks again.


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## neilsolaris (Sep 1, 2017)

Ok, I know what tampering the puck means now! Yes, we pushed the coffee down, so it was a bit lower. The instructions with this machine say pucking is not necessary, as it has a mechanism internally to do this. But I've read on forums that some people puck it anyway.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

Didn't the person in the video tamp (compacted the grinds in he basket) afterwards?


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## neilsolaris (Sep 1, 2017)

MediumRoastSteam said:


> Didn't the person in the video tamp (compacted the grinds in he basket) afterwards?


Not that I noticed. Here's the link. You can skip to 3.40.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

Just make sure there's enough headspace to lock the PF into place. Seems it's a pressurised basket or ports filter. You don't want they flying off the other way due to pressure!


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## neilsolaris (Sep 1, 2017)

Thanks, I'll experiment with that! By the way, I forgot the full description of the machine till now. It's a Carezza Duluxe.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

neilsolaris said:


> Thanks, I'll experiment with that! By the way, I forgot the full description of the machine till now. It's a Carezza Duluxe.


Do yourself a big favour...try ignoring videos from that site...really the advertorials and videos are not helping you at all and contain no real useful information. you will get quite a bit more useful help on here. This is also the place you should have asked for advice and your budget before purchasing a machine.


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