# Having trouble setting up Gaggia baby...



## stevenh (May 15, 2014)

Trying to set up grinder and coffee machine that I got from CFo in the forums...

I'm trying 14g in what appears to be a double basket though it doesn't look like it is Gaggia, it is a Rancilio double basket?

Even after going very fine on the grind I am still hitting the shower screen, I'm not getting enough clearance... the pour speeds up very quickly I assume due to channelling caused by hitting the shower screen...

With the same grind I tried 20g in a bigger basket (I assumed this is a triple) and the machine pretty much chokes with nothing coming out...

Already went through a bag of beans and don't seem to be close yet


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

What grinder are you using? Can you post a pic of the baskets?


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## stevenh (May 15, 2014)

I'm using an Ascaso I-mini... not sure if I should give up on this basket and use the bigger one at least with the bigger basket it's choking and not hitting shower screen so that's at least a better starting point but don't want to use the triple basket all the time...


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## stevenh (May 15, 2014)

I'm actually also wondering if maybe the Rancilio basket needs a 57mm tamper? The 58mm tamper he supplied doesn't go beyond the ridge so might not be able to compact deep enough? Going by the inscription on the basket, it looks like this one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rancilio-double-shot-14-gram-espresso-basket-p-n-40100102-laser-58mm-/370867269831


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## DannyMontez (May 19, 2014)

What coffee are you using?


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## stevenh (May 15, 2014)

Just bought some of the house blend from cc&t today, roasted this week..


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

DId you get a coffee there? I haven't been in.


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## DannyMontez (May 19, 2014)

so when you're tamping it's actually compressing the coffee into the basket?


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## stevenh (May 15, 2014)

Didn't have time to get a coffee just nipped in to get beans...

Yeh it was compressing the coffee but I'm thinking not enough as the tamper couldn't go beyond the ridge as the basket tapers in... will be trying the larger basket tomorrow and starting with 20g instead...


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

Can you take a photo of the baskets you have?


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## DannyMontez (May 19, 2014)

Also I was under the impression that Rancilio used 58mm baskets?


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## stevenh (May 15, 2014)

The double basket looks like this one (I searched based on the ID code on the basket)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rancilio-double-shot-14-gram-espresso-basket-p-n-40100102-laser-58mm-/370867269831

I heard that some Rancilio baskets needed 57mm tampers don't know if that was older ones or what...

The triple basket has no markings and is ridgeless... I can post a pic of it tomorrow...


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

stevenh said:


> I'm actually also wondering if maybe the Rancilio basket needs a 57mm tamper? The 58mm tamper he supplied doesn't go beyond the ridge so might not be able to compact deep enough? Going by the inscription on the basket, it looks like this one:
> 
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rancilio-double-shot-14-gram-espresso-basket-p-n-40100102-laser-58mm-/370867269831


Thats a double basket, 58mm will not go past the ridge.

Do you have one bigger?


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## stevenh (May 15, 2014)

Yeh got the ridgeless triple I can try tomorrow... With the double using 58mm to tamp it is too close to shower screen... not had this problem with double baskets in my Musica...

Might try the N.S double basket as well tomorrow...


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

Does 19g in your triple, see how you get on!


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## stevenh (May 15, 2014)

Thanks will do! Wasn't sure if OK to underdose...


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

*Dose!

13 baskets.


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## Charliej (Feb 25, 2012)

It sounds like you are grinding too fine, tamping far too hard or not putting enough coffee in the basket if your tamper is catching on the basket where it starts to taper in, a 58mm tamper should be fine in a 58mm basket. Froggy just a pointer here, when using the term ridge in connection with a basket it is used to denote whether or not the basket has a ridge in the edge of the basket to help it stay in the portafilter not to describe the taper of a basket.


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

I tend to dose 19/20 21 at a push with some beans in the triple.

Its all a learning curve!


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## stevenh (May 15, 2014)

Oh I thought 21 was standard dose on triple and maybe go higher? Oh well something new to try









Charlie, when I tried the triple basket it choked so yes the grind was too fine... With the double basket I am dosing 14g in which should not be too much but it gets plastered all over the shower screen if I lock in and remove to check... that's why thinking issue is that the tamper not reaching far enough down into the basket to compact the grounds... As mentioned this is not a Gaggia standard basket so not sure if this is slightly shallower or what... to my mind I think that 14g should never hit the shower screen when doing the lock and check especially if grind too coarse...


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## stevenh (May 15, 2014)

Ok here's the baskets:










Found that with the smaller basket I need to go ultra fine to prevent hitting the shower screen with 14g...

Using the bigger basket so far I've backed off on the ascaso I-mini at least 4 turns (from last try of small basket) and still need to back off more but the pours looks good just too long at about 35-40 secs...

I also tried a smaller plastic tamper on the small basket, no difference... Still need super ultra fine grind for 14g dose...


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

The smaller one looks smaller than a typical double. No wonder your having problems. Maybe try dropping the dose. The bigger certainly looks like a triple. Try dosing it between 18-20g


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## stevenh (May 15, 2014)

Think will be sticking with the bigger basket for now... keeping dose at 19-20g and slowly coarsening up the grinder but 1 turn a day... any idea what the retention is like for the Ascaso I-mini? I'm just flushing through around 5g after new grind setting then do 2 shots to make sure consistent before changing again but wastes a lot of beans in the process...


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## stevenh (May 15, 2014)

The height of the double basket is 21mm (external from base to top of rim)... anyone know what standard Gaggia double basket height is?


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

They looks like single and double to me, wouldn't bother with the single, try 16 in the double, although the tamper may struggle past the ridge,


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## stevenh (May 15, 2014)

Nope the bigger is definitely a triple... it's about same size as the one I have for my Musica.. when I underdosed less than 17g basket is much less than half full and too much space from shower screen...


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

Ok, here are my double and triple classic baskets, i did hve single but gave it to a forum member.









You can clearly see the one on the left (Double) i the same as yours on the right.


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## stevenh (May 15, 2014)

Hmmm what's the height of those two baskets?


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

Internal or external?


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## stevenh (May 15, 2014)

External... Thinking the thickness of the base isn't going to vary much...


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## stevenh (May 15, 2014)

Just did 16g on my simonelli double basket, result looks good about 30g in 27 secs


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## stevenh (May 15, 2014)

and using triple basket had to coarsen another full turn but got about same output with 20g so reckon can either coarsen more which would cause fast pours on any future double basket or underdose the triple basket...


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

All comes down to how you like your coffee, i like it strong so tend to dose 20g in the triple and aim for 30g + output.

Best advice is keep playing, get loads of the same bean to play with and stick with one basket, same weight and consistent tamp, then play with the grind to get the output v time right....

Most of all enjoy it!


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## stevenh (May 15, 2014)

Lol yeh thought would be quicker to set this one up than my Musica but too many variables for this setup where basket unexpectedly small so that wasted about a bag of beans









This setup is for a friend who doesn't actually like drinking too strong that's why was trying to avoid the bigger basket... but will just tell her to take from 1 spout for now until I can sort her out a more normal double basket... would've given her my Simonelli double when my strada basket arrives but the Simonelli lip is a bit tight on the Gaggia filter holder so harder to remove for cleaning etc...


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## CFo (Aug 25, 2013)

stevenh said:


> Lol yeh thought would be quicker to set this one up than my Musica but too many variables for this setup where basket unexpectedly small so that wasted about a bag of beans
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Steven, as I've said before I'm not a very sophisticated user, never weighed anything, but I always used the smaller basket, ground straight in so basket was just about full with loose grounds. Quick level off with flat side of a knife. In with tamper, gently at first to level off, then 30 lbs pressure. Bit hit and miss to get the grind right, but once right, this gave me good pours with decent crema. Never hit the shower screen, never had a problem with the tamper. Pucks were dry coming out.


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