# Non-Pressurised Basket for the Carezza Deluxe



## cambscoffee (Mar 31, 2013)

Hello everyone,

I recently bought a Carezza Deluxe, which comes with a double walled pressurised portafilter, as opposed to the pressurised baskets I've seen elsewhere.

I'm keen to replace this with something non-pressurised, but having ordered the standard Gaggia replacement portafilter from HD (fits Classic etc), have found out that it won't fit. It's too big to fit on my machine.

Has anyone else got any experience of this? Might I be able to source a non-pressurised alternative?

If I can't, any advice on how to make the current pressurised portafilter a bit less crap would be appreciated. Gaggia for example, specifically say not to tamp the grounds, which I'm assuming I'm right to ignore.

Thanks in advance.


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## Fevmeister (Oct 21, 2013)

Very strange pf - i have this machine also and am looking for the same resolution as you


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

What is the inside diameter of your portafilter ?? Standard usually about 61 mm


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## Nijntje (Oct 2, 2013)

It's 54mm, I measured it when I was briefly in possession of said machine.


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

Deffinitely not standard P/filter.


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## Plevis (Mar 6, 2013)

Looks like it might be the Saeco PF they're using on everything now since Philips took them both over.

If it is, its the same PF used on the Gaggia Prestige, Cubika Plus (if I'm not mistaken) and Saeco machines like Poemia and Via Venezia (also the Starbucks Batista).

If it is, then you can get non pressurised PFs from the US -Seattle Coffee Gear do them

http://www.seattlecoffeegear.com/non-pressurized-portafilter-upgrade-for-saeco-and-starbucks-espresso-machines

Or even better, de pressurise it yourself!

http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DkV31qWRlBD4&cd=7&ved=0CEMQtwIwBg&usg=AFQjCNEFb-uoptpGQK5ldY6rJqN0wVzcxw&sig2=vEvxq9d7iAeZv4k-i2wQ1Q


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## chrisah1 (Nov 21, 2013)

Plevis said:


> Looks like it might be the Saeco PF they're using on everything now since Philips took them both over.
> 
> If it is, its the same PF used on the Gaggia Prestige, Cubika Plus (if I'm not mistaken) and Saeco machines like Poemia and Via Venezia (also the Starbucks Batista).
> 
> ...


When you say same PF they use on everything - does that include new gaggia classics? I guess a proper PF is not that expensive to try and at least is the standard size.

Op: can you return the Carezza? apparently from what I've read the classic has a better boiler and at least you already have a spare PF for it! when I was first looking at machines the carezza with the dial almost won me over until I looked into the detail. Phillips want home users to enjoy 'coffee aesthetics' (look of machine, look of shots) rather than taste/quality.


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## Charliej (Feb 25, 2012)

chrisah1 said:


> When you say same PF they use on everything - does that include new gaggia classics? I guess a proper PF is not that expensive to try and at least is the standard size.
> 
> Op: can you return the Carezza? apparently from what I've read the classic has a better boiler and at least you already have a spare PF for it! when I was first looking at machines the carezza with the dial almost won me over until I looked into the detail. Phillips want home users to enjoy 'coffee aesthetics' (look of machine, look of shots) rather than taste/quality.


All Gaggia Classics come with a proper commercial sized 58mm portafilter and then they ruin that with a pressurised basket and a stupid black plastic widget which must be in the portafilter underneath the basket or it sprays coffee everywhere, luckily this is an easy fix by buying a 58mm unpressurised basket and ditching the widget and pressurised basket.


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## chrisah1 (Nov 21, 2013)

So it doesn't spray coffee everywhere with a regular unpressurised basket? thanks. good to know. Easy enough. And it's weird because the old setup worked just as well with ESE pods (for ease and mess on the off occasion) as the new ones I presume.


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## Charliej (Feb 25, 2012)

chrisah1 said:


> So it doesn't spray coffee everywhere with a regular unpressurised basket? thanks. good to know. Easy enough. And it's weird because the old setup worked just as well with ESE pods (for ease and mess on the off occasion) as the new ones I presume.


Never tried ESE pods in my Classic which is an old pre Phillips one, the only time I ever tried them was when I sent the tour manager out to pick up some emergency beans for me on one gig and he came back with the Illy ESE pods for some reason , that was with my touring machine which was a Gaggia Cubika plus, they were just about ok and far better than the venue or our caterers coffee but I wouldn't choose to use pods.


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## Plevis (Mar 6, 2013)

Sorry should have clarified what I meant by "everything"...

I meant all the smaller, (dare I say entry-level?), newer Philips-influenced machines.

The Gran Gaggia series, Cubika Plus and as far as I can tell the Carezza, all appear to use the same 53mm grouphead and PF and are descendants of the Saeco machines.

The Classic - and it's descendants - i.e. all The Baby series and the New Espresso series machines still use the 58mm PF and associated grouphead (though as Charliej says, they do come with pressurised, double-walled baskets and PF "widgets" these days...).

I used to have a Gran Gaggia Prestige before I got the Classic, so I did quite a bit of research on depresurrising the PF and most of the info came from US based blogs etc. because the Saeco machines - and the Starbucks machines (rebranded Saeco) were quite big there.

Makes sense for Philips to use existing a smaller existing grouphead when they are trying to make smaller machines that they already have in the "family". I get the sense that they're pushing the size and pressurised PF thing because of all the competition from the wee pod machines - make it smaller and make it "easier"...


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## cambscoffee (Mar 31, 2013)

Sorry for the slow time to respond to the very helpful replies. I made do with the pressurised PF until yesterday when I acquired a new grinder and decided enough was enough. 10 minutes and the recommended YouTube video later and I am now the proud owner of a non-pressurised PF at zero cost. Thank you everyone.


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## dills (Jul 27, 2014)

cambscoffee said:


> Sorry for the slow time to respond to the very helpful replies. I made do with the pressurised PF until yesterday when I acquired a new grinder and decided enough was enough. 10 minutes and the recommended YouTube video later and I am now the proud owner of a non-pressurised PF at zero cost. Thank you everyone.


Hello, I'm trying to do the same with my Carezza and I've tried following the link to the video posted earlier but I can't follow it, any chance you could post the title of the video please? How well has the process worked for you?


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