# Help!!



## Tunn300 (Apr 10, 2013)

Hi all,

Have been looking around these forums for around a week now since acquiring my first ever espresso machine. I have always wanted good coffee at home and decided to take the plunge. I purchased a delonghi icona reasonably cheaply at sainsburys and have been trying to get the hang of it.

I purchased some pre ground espresso coffee from hasbean and have been trying to pull espressos of the Brazil Fazenda Cachoeira da Grama and can only get a bitter taste which I got my other half to try and she also agrees they are very bitter. The shot sea to take a long time to start pouring and then takes around 28 seconds to pull 2 1pz shots although they are often not equal. Have tried different strengths of tamping to no avail

My question is I have the option of returning the delonghi and my budget could stretch to a gaggia baby from amazon warehouse. Would this be worth doing and would I get better shots. Don't have a huge budget and only really just getting into this but am prepared to take the time to learn.

i have read many posts on this forum but just wanted others opinions. Thank for any help offered.


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## Spukey (Nov 4, 2012)

I am new too so can only really help from research rather than personal experience.

Basically to get a decent expresso you need a grinder and freshly ground beans. Pre ground really isn't the way forward.

I don't know much about your machine but the Gaggia Classic tends to be the starting machine.

If i was you i would research grinders and the basics of espresso making here, it is full of information.

The grind size of the preground will probably be incorrect for your machine, beans need dialling in to the machine by adjusting grind finer or courser depending on shot times etc. With pre ground you cannot do this as such you can only change dose amount and tamp pressure.

Spukey


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## bubbajvegas (Jan 26, 2013)

spukeys right,youre never going to get anywhere with pre ground,a porlex hand grinder will get you off and running till you do a bit more research into electric grinders and fresh beans from an online supplier if youve nothing local,avoid the supermarket,plenty of roasters are sponsers on here,

id definately return the delonghi and go for a gaggia,its the minimum entry into espresso really,the baby and classic are the same internals just different casings,i started out with a gaggia baby dose and it served me well till the dreaded upgraditis which will inevitably strike









edit:just reread your post and seen you got hasbean beans so ya made a good choice there,just need to be whole beans


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Hi Tun300 - welcome to the forum. What price are you being offered by AW for the Gaggia Baby? Gaggia Classics - a great intro machine on which to cut your teeth have been going for as low as £120 at AW which is a great deal.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Just had a look at Sainsbury's - if you spent £125 - take a refund and get a Classic.


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

I agree with Bubba and systemic. I was in a similar situation with a gaggia cubic (which was faulty) I returned it and got a gaggia classic via the amazon warehouse deals for about the same price.

I've got a feeling that your delonghi only comes with a presurised basket too. This would expain why tamping is making no difference.


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## Tunn300 (Apr 10, 2013)

I got the delonghi for £85. I can't find classics on Amazon Warehouse. How often do they come up?


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Tunn300 said:


> I got the delonghi for £85. I can't find classics on Amazon Warehouse. How often do they come up?


Here you go. http://www.amazon.co.uk/b?ie=UTF8&node=304071031

You just have to keep looking - it's a bit like buses - none come then three or four come at once.


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## Tunn300 (Apr 10, 2013)

This link just takes me to warehouse front page. Should it take me to a classic?


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

From that page, click on 'Appliances' left menu. Then click on 'More' on left which will bring up an A to Z of brand names. You can then see what's available.


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

The Classics have been on the Warehouse deals fairly regularly since I was looking at the end of Jan. There was usually at least 2-3 at a time, although I did notice about a week ago that there wasn't any showing.

If you can wait I would definitely recommend the Classic as it gives you lots of options.

You can pick up a non-pressurized basket for about £5 which will allow you to go down the full on obsessive coffee making route.

Even if don't want to do that to can use the pressurized basket with ground coffee or even use the coffee pod with the other basket it comes with (never tried latter).


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## Tunn300 (Apr 10, 2013)

Thanks for all the fantastic help!

Have just returned the Delonghi. Will wait a little while to see if a classic comes up but to just confirm it is definitely worth the extra investment over the baby which is on warehouse for £106?

Also would a hand grinder be better than ordering from somewhere like Hasbean pre ground with far superior equipment?


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## Godders (Dec 29, 2012)

Tunn300 said:


> Also would a hand grinder be better than ordering from somewhere like Hasbean per ground with far superior equipment?


Yes. Coffee goes stale very quickly after grinding, finer ground (i.e. for espresso) even more so (think seconds and minutes rather than hours and days). So the fact somewhere like hasbean might have really snazzy grinders is neither here nor there really.

The Porlex is very good.

http://www.coffeehit.co.uk/porlex-tall-hand-grinder/p401


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## bubbajvegas (Jan 26, 2013)

Deffo hand grinder over pre ground,once ground the coffee deteriates in as little as 5 minutes,

The grinder and fresh beans are way more important than the machine


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## Gangstarrrrr (Mar 4, 2013)

Tunn300 said:


> Thanks for all the fantastic help!
> 
> Have just returned the Delonghi. Will wait a little while to see if a classic comes up but to just confirm it is definitely worth the extra investment over the baby which is on warehouse for £106?
> 
> Also would a hand grinder be better than ordering from somewhere like Hasbean pre ground with far superior equipment?


My understanding is that the internals of the classic and baby are identical.


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

Classic is a bit more robust


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

On that subject I've just seen one of these on the warehouse deals....

I know they're similar to the Gaggia Classic but don't know how they compare / differ

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B001442BF8/ref=sr_1_1_olp?ie=UTF8&qid=1365634167&sr=8-1&keywords=gaggia+baby&condition=used


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## Tunn300 (Apr 10, 2013)

Ok sounds like I will need a hand grinder then. Where is best to get a porlex from and what should I expect to pay? The coffe hit link above is around £35 but they are out of stock. Only place I can find them in stock want nearer the £60 mark.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Tunn300 said:


> Ok sounds like I will need a hand grinder then. Where is best to get a porlex from and what should I expect to pay? The coffe hit link above is around £35 but they are out of stock. Only place I can find them in stock want nearer the £60 mark.


Try Bella Barista - price is around the £32.00 mark. Had them in stock last time I looked.


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

http://www.bellabarista.co.uk/porlex-grinder-with-ceramic-burrs.html


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## Tunn300 (Apr 10, 2013)

Thanks for the help, have just ordered one and some freshly roasted beans. Looking forward to hopefully tasting the difference over pre-ground


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## Tunn300 (Apr 10, 2013)

Thank you everyone on the forum for your fantastic help!

Have gone ahead and ordered the Gaggia baby from Amazon Warehouse and its being delivered tomorrow. Thought if I really get into this (which I think I will) can always upgrade and the baby will hold a fair price to sell on.

I have also ordered the Porlex grinder for delivery tomorrow to and some freshly roasted beans from Hasbean. So all setup for a fun weekend experimenting.

i have 2 other questions if people would be kind enough to help.

1) should I be ordering a tamp to replace the one that comes with the gaggia?

2) someone in an earlier post mentioned swapping the pressurised basket for a non-pressurised one, should I do this as a total newbie and if so what are the benefits and things to be aware of?

thanks again all.


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## Spukey (Nov 4, 2012)

You will probably get a plastic tamper with the gaggia which is probably best living in the bin. A decent tamper needs some weight to it. I am sure it will do something but i would look to buy a proper one when you can.

I can't answer your other question but i am sure someone else can.


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## Gangstarrrrr (Mar 4, 2013)

Tunn300 said:


> Thank you everyone on the forum for your fantastic help!
> 
> Have gone ahead and ordered the Gaggia baby from Amazon Warehouse and its being delivered tomorrow. Thought if I really get into this (which I think I will) can always upgrade and the baby will hold a fair price to sell on.
> 
> ...


Swap out the basket for a double non pressurised one. There's a few places where you can get both to save on postage. Else keep an eye on the sales section of the forum.


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## Gangstarrrrr (Mar 4, 2013)

Forgot to say the pressurised basket has to be used with the fake crema device and the surface area of the base of the basket is much smaller in the pressurised basket so I think you don't get the most out of the coffee.


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