# Gaggia Classic



## gmason (Aug 9, 2012)

Thanks to the wealth of information, insights and tips on this site, I bought a Gaggia Classic yesterday. I lost out on a few auctions on eBay, but ended up buying a new machine from Comet for £149.00, so extremely pleased with the outcome. Now it's just a case of replacing the baskets, buying a tamper and other critical necessities and we are in business!


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## oldroaster (Jun 19, 2012)

Good choice, good price. What amazing machines these are.

I've just serviced an old Classic - must be eight years old which had never been cleaned! It belongs to a friend, not a great coffee lover, who was wondering why it had given up the ghost. Well no wonder it was really bunged up. I had to use an eight inch extension lever on my 5mm allen key to shift the screws to get the group gasket out. This gasket was still serviceable too no leaks. A good clean/backflush with Preparation X from Pennine Tea and Coffee(in my opinion far better than Puly Caff) and it was soon producing really good shots with excellent crema after a bit of dialling in with my stepless Macap. It will need a new gasket so do I get an 8.5mm or 9mm does it matter? Where's best place to buy? Help please from you Classic experts out there.

Thanks,

OR.


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## lookseehear (Jul 16, 2010)

http://www.happydonkey.co.uk/hd6005.html

I bought this one from Happy Donkey but I think its a bit thin. My PF seals fine but has to rotate past halfway. I would go for a thicker gasket if its an old classic as I believe the lugs wear down over time.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2


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## oldroaster (Jun 19, 2012)

Thanks for that LSH. I'll give the 9mm a try. I'm always impressed with this forum.

OR


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Wow, £149 new is a steal!

Looks to be available online at Comet too


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## gmason (Aug 9, 2012)

Yes, it's a fantastic price and now actually cheaper than many of the 'toy' espresso machines on sale at electrical outlets and kitchen shops. I bought online at Comet and picked up locally. The Coffee Forums guide made setting up and priming a breeze. Tamper, new baskets, knockbox, cleaning materials and fresh beans now ordered which brings the machine in at about £200.00 in total.


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## jimbow (Oct 13, 2011)

That really is a great price! Have you looked into grinders yet?


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## gmason (Aug 9, 2012)

Current eight-year-old grinder holding up fairly well, but aware it will need upgrading - possibly around Xmas...

As a all-rounder in terms of coffee, I do use Hario pourover and plunger methods when not making espresso, so well aware that it requires an appropriate machine that can cope with both ends of the grind scale. Looking at the Baratza as feedback is good and the price is manageable.


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## jimbow (Oct 13, 2011)

Cool, sounds like you have it all covered


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