# Got My New Gaggia Classic



## Nick_GR (Nov 26, 2008)

Hi All,

Hope you all had great time during the holidays and I wish you all the best for 2009.

Santa brought me my new Gaggia Classic this year and that's thanks to you all and this forum. That's where I found the info for which coffee machine to go for.

Im not an expert and before my Gaggia I was the filtered coffee person (yeah-yeah I know). Now with Gaggia on board this will start getting better when I learn how to use it properly. No grinder YET but hopefully in a couple of months I'll get one too.

Down to my questions now







...

I followed the instructions to flush the machine as it was new, all done all set. I used african coffee beans by Starbucks, already grinded for espresso. But, when I try to make the espresso I don't get it as thick as I would like neither I get the froth on the top... What am I doing wrong??? I suspect it could be the coffee Im using...

I've tried the espresso pods that came with the Gaggia, those that look like tea-bags, and I have to say that either I don't how to use them or they are rubbish as I get hot water with a bit of coffee colour... I might have to try 2 pods at the time... I don't know...









With the milk frother I think Im doing fairly ok, as me and my mrs like the milky drinks (she loves latte), I get the froth nice and thick. I would prefer though the milk to be hotter, I use the milk straight from the fridge as it said on the instructions that warm milk doesn't froth up nicely.

Any advice to make better espresso with what I currently have or anything related to how to learn using the Gaggia and making the best coffee possible will be very much appreciated...

Thank you all in advance,

Nick


----------



## NickZaskar (Nov 23, 2008)

Hi Nick

I've had my Evolution for about 2 months now which i believe are the same internals as the classic and i have to say it just takes experience and a lot of wasted coffee! I find the the amount of coffee in the PF and how hard you tamp make the most difference. I was initially using some gaggia pre-ground stuff i got free with the machine but freshly ground stuff with your own machine is completely different. You'll get there!

Oh, and buy a thermometer for the milk! Common advice is 'steam until you can't touch the jug' well at the point where i couldn't touch the jug, it was flat cold once poured in the mug! Thermometers make it much easier and they are cheap.

Nick


----------



## Jamtart (Jan 5, 2009)

Hi Nick,

I'm still a newbie so maybe not really the one to give advice, but I will say - Get a grinder!

I got a Krups burr grinder for £40 and it seems fine to me. It has plenty adjustment so you can easily find the correct grind that will give you the correct flow that will give you a nice espresso.

There really isn't anything that could teach you more than spending an evening with a bag of beans, your grinder and gaggia, pulling lots of shots and looking, tasting and timing the results. It's only one evening and once you have learned all the right grinder settings, tamping pressures and dosing levels, it should all be automatic from then on.

A word on the coffee pods. It's essential that you use the special portafilter basket. Without this the water leaks round the side of the pod and you end up with coffee scented water. All of them give a weak cup but some are better than others. My wife likes the pods when she has the ladies round as they are definitely less hassle. The consensus is that the Illy ones are the best, closely followed by the Gaggia. The Lavazza Crema Gusto taste crap.

Cheers

Neil


----------

