# Gaggia Classic - newbie starting



## beesley121

Hi guys,

I got a gaggia classic as a xmas prezzie from my mum.

anyway guys,im after some help please, ive been reading through the forum and know i need to order a few things to get me goin but need a bit of help. here is a list

milk jug - any idea what size??

thermometer

tamper - where can i buy one of these??

tamper matt - again where can i buy one cheap??

Im also looking at getting a grinder cos i know im goin to need it in the end so any advice on what to buy would be appreciated.

also guys, having drunk many coffee's from starbucks and costa, does anyone know where i can get a list of the recipes they use and also where i can buy syrup flavorings to make the recipes. would also like to know how to make lattes, mocha's etc

im sorry for all the questions but as i said, im a complete newb and just cant wait to start knocking out some delicious coffee's. i have used the search button but was hoping there may be an ebook or something to help me get going


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## Glenn

What a fab Xmas present

Welcome to Coffee Forums UK. I'm sure you'll find a lot of answers and assistance here

The largest milk jug I advocate is 20oz - big enough to make 2 large milky drinks if required. A 12oz jug also comes in handy

Tampers come in all shapes and sizes - a 58mm tamper is required for the Gaggia Classic

Make sure you don't skimp on the budget for a *grinder*

For Jugs, Tampers, Mats and general accessories I'd try here and here


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## beesley121

thanx for the reply.

ive been having a mess around with my new coffee maker. lol

anyway, i let it warm up for 30mins, and then tried to make a latte. only problem im encountering is that i have to 'steam' the milk twice to get it to froth up and get upto temperature.

when i select the steam button, i wat till the light comes on and then turn the knob to start producing steam. when this light goes off i stop. i then wait for it to relight again(20 secs or so) and then use the steam again to get my milk up to temp

my milk is out the fridge?? does this make a differance. any ideas what im doin wrong??


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## RoloD

beesley121 said:


> tamper - where can i buy one of these??


 This is a very good value tamper from Happy Donkey


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## lookseehear

beesley121 said:


> thanx for the reply.
> 
> ive been having a mess around with my new coffee maker. lol
> 
> anyway, i let it warm up for 30mins, and then tried to make a latte. only problem im encountering is that i have to 'steam' the milk twice to get it to froth up and get upto temperature.
> 
> when i select the steam button, i wat till the light comes on and then turn the knob to start producing steam. when this light goes off i stop. i then wait for it to relight again(20 secs or so) and then use the steam again to get my milk up to temp
> 
> my milk is out the fridge?? does this make a differance. any ideas what im doin wrong??


I used to think that you should stop steaming when the light goes off but in general I don't think you need to. The pressure will be a bit lower but it'll still get the job done.

Also, you should always be using cold milk (ie from the fridge) as it gives you more time to get air into it and get it incorporated before you get it up to temperature.


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## Glenn

Don't stop when the light goes out. Just carry on through (ignore the light once you have started steaming)

You should purge the steam wand first too (until you get clear steam)

This may take a few seconds and will have reached temp approx 20 seconds after flicking the steam switch


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## Fran

Hello everyone,

I'm also a newbie to the forum, who also received a Gaggia Classic from 'Santa'. It's a beautiful machine, and a bargain from Argos for £200! I've started to play around with it, and after some faffing around have managed to get some good espressi from it. To be fair, I did work in my family coffee shop for 5 years in my teens, so I do have some instinct in making coffee!

I've paired it up with the Porlex Mini (after scouring the forums), and found it's overly capable of producing a fine enough grind.

However, I am currently using the supplied Gaggia coffee basket with a single hole. I did see some spluttering which other people have seen, but figured at the time that the grind was too coarse or that the the puc was undertamped. It went away after I found the right grind density and tamp pressure. It will be interesting to see if I need to recalibrate the grind/tamp pressure if I decide to change to a standard basket. I'm not sure if it's worth it yet....

Speaking of which, the supplied basket with a single hole is bizarre. On the inside of the basket, there are multiple 'dimples'/small holes. How do they all converge to a single hole?

I'm already pondering the same questions as the opening poster. Jugs, tampers, perhaps and upgrade to a conventional steam wand..... The supplied steam wand produces way too much froth for my liking, very difficult to control.

Anyways, I look forward to posting more on the forums!

I discovered


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## Glenn

Welcome Fran

You have the pressurised portafilter, and they do work when you get the right grind/tamp combo

For a sake of a few £ (literally just a few £) you can get the standard double baskets, which should give you room to play with the variables a wee bit more

You will need to change grind and tamp style a bit with this new setup

However, there is no need to change if you are happy with the results of the pressurised basket

With practice the standard steam wands produce mice milk

If you can, use a milk thermometer, introduce air (bubbles) until approx 30c then plunge deep and keep the milk swirling. This breaks down the larger bubbles leaving a nice dense foam for cappuccinos

Be careful not to let the milk set when you have steamed, by swirling in the jug then pouring immediately

To reduce froth plunge earlier


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## BanishInstant

Milk Jug - Stainless Steel. If you have the budget then Sandykt recommends the Espro Toroid jugs from Bella Barista and Coffee Hit. My jug is from the Gaggia Shop and some member recommend a Motta.

Thermometer - Have a look in Equipment Retailer Reviews forums for shops that sell them.

Tamper - A 58mm if you can find one. Expect to pay ~£20 for a basic one, and then the sky is the limit (e.g. Reg Barber)

Tamper Mat - I like the Motta tamping station since this lifts the portafilter off the surface and as a little area for your tamper

Grinder - Glenn has already pointed you in the direction of grinders.

No problem with questions being asked.

Glenn's advice on steaming is spot on as usual. Make sure you turn it on to let the initial water come out first. When you see steam, turn off (the steam knob) briefly, lower the wand into your jug of milk and turn back on. Steam unlike milk nicely frother and to just below 70 degrees C.

Gaggia basket. From all of the posts on this forum and across the internet, a minor investment into a non-pressurised basket is recommended.

Steam Wand. You can buy a replacement want which is meant for the Silvia (http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?2397-Gaggia-Classic-Rancillo-Steam-Wand&highlight=silvia+wand). Alternatively, I have seen a wand on ebay that may be an improvement (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Gaggia-Coffee-Machine-Spare-Parts-Pannerello-Steam-Wand-/160462444984?pt=Coffee_Machines_Makers&hash=item255c4e99b8)


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## Glenn

I'd steer clear of the panarello steam wand in the last link. Thats what most machines ship with and people upgrade from


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## RoloD

Rancilio Steam wand. £15 + postage from here. Easy to fit to the Classic and although it is initially not as easy to froth as the Gaggia panarello steam wand, with a bit of practice it can get you decent microfoam (I'm still learning but I'm very pleased with it already).


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## RolandG

I'm using a standard Gaggia Classic wand and a motta jug; there's a bit of a knack to getting microfoam, but once you've got it it's fine. My latte art isn't very good, but all the issues are with me rather than the kit


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## beesley121

lookseehear said:


> I used to think that you should stop steaming when the light goes off but in general I don't think you need to. The pressure will be a bit lower but it'll still get the job done.
> 
> Also, you should always be using cold milk (ie from the fridge) as it gives you more time to get air into it and get it incorporated before you get it up to temperature.


thanx guys for your advice

can i just ask how much milk you would consider to be the max that i could steam in one go without loosing too much heat/pressure from the wand??


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## Glenn

About 250 - 300mls and you should be fine

I have steamed a pint of milk (600mls) before, in 2 jugs, before loosing sufficient pressure to warrant giving it a flush, then letting it come back up to temp/pressure again


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## Joe Coelho

Hi, sorry to intrude, I too have a gaggia classic, got it for xmas 3 years ago(seems santa likes giving these to people at xmas







). I am enjoying it, i would recommend the iberital mc2 as a good grinder and a steam wand upgrade to the rancillo steam wand also allows for better steamimg! ! Just my 2 pence worth!


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## Fran

Thanks for the advice everyone! It's very much appreciated! I've ordered a tamper, jug and basket from Happy Donkey, and will let you know how it goes after a bit of practice.


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## BanishInstant

Glenn said:


> I'd steer clear of the panarello steam wand in the last link. Thats what most machines ship with and people upgrade from


I have seriously struggled to find a replacement for the steam wand on my machine. So I bought the wand from the ebay link and it is different from the one that came with the machine. The inner section is much longer than standard and enables you to steam milk without creating all of the excessive bubbles. If you use with the outer sleeve then be prepared to be swamped in bubbles


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## Zouche

I too have recently got a lovely Classic (although I bought my own, Santa doesnt know about my caffeine addiction!). I got it second hand from eBay and it has the black plastic steam wand which I believe is the panarello type. My question is how to make the dedent micro foam with this setup? I have used a pro machine before which had a bare metal spout to good effect but am not very sure on the technique for this one... Should i be buying one of the rancillo conversions instead?

Thanks all, as a newbie (joined today) the site looks great!


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## Glenn

Welcome to Coffee Forums and thanks for the compliments









With a bit of practice you can achieve nice milk with the standard steam wand. It's all about varying the depth that it is plunged, to ensure there is only a small stream of air entering the milk

Too little and it will squeal (drop the jug to introduce more air for a short period then plunge)

Too much and it's like a bubble factory (plunge then drop as required to regulate air flow)

The Rancilio Steam Wand conversion is recommended and at approx £20 is very affordable too. You'll notice the difference.


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## maarten_booij

I can testify to that. I just bought a Gaggia Classic as well (through ebay, just like the rest of the world it seems) and immediately ordered the rancilio steam want from happydonkey. It took a while to get it to fit, mostly sanding the tip, but it works so much better compared to the standard one. Definitely money well spend!


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## KRW

I'm such an idiot, I only realised today that I could use my kitchen scales to weigh the coffee (don't laugh, I didnt bother at first because I thought 'once i've poured the coffee onto the scale, how do I get it from the scale into the tamper?







). Today was the day I found the 'zero' setting....

Reason I mention this, is that I can't believe the difference it makes to the coffee, and is there a guide on here anywhere to how much you should be using? I'm using between 16-18g for a double shot, pouring 2oz in 25-30 seconds and mixing with about 6fl oz of steamed milk for a latte and it tastes fantastic, but do my measurements seem right? I seem to have picked 'em up from a variety of different sites.

I have also bought a cheap stopwatch from poundland and stuck on the bottom of my classic so I can time easily







another mod...


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## vintagecigarman

"... and it tastes fantastic."

There you are - of course you are doing it right! This is what it's all about - getting the result that pleases you. Worth the effort, eh?

Personally, I find about 16g works fine for me, but doseage is all about personal taste preferences. If you're pulling 2 ounces in 25-30 seconds it's going to be right!


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## Glenn

I would echo the comment directly above

If you're tempted to try and define the taste a little more try .02g increments each side of the 16g dose you are using (eg 16.1, 16.3, 16.5, 16.7, 16.9 and also 15.8, 15.6 etc etc) You can always go back to 16g for comparison - assuming your tamp remains the same


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## MonkeyHarris

Sounds like you're doing fine. I weigh the beans before grinding like you and have tried an assortment of different weights etc. I'm currently using 15g as this is all that will fit in my Silvia standard double basket but I've been experimenting and finding I actually enjoy grinding a bit finer and pulling 45-50ml in 25 seconds. It's all about your own taste. I know how you feel though, you wonder if the results you're getting would be considered good by someone with an experienced pallet so it's nice to have a ball park area to start in. The only thing I would add is watch the flow and as soon as it starts to turn watery cut the shot. As soon as I started doing this my shots improved considerably in taste. It's not so important for milk based drinks though as the milk can hide some of the bitterness.


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## KRW

Thanks - def worth the effort. Thanks for the replies.


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## Queenie

Hi I have just acquired a gaggia classic 2001. Been practising shots mainly today, crema not so good currently and seems to run very fast even though my vario grinder is set to what I would consider a fine setting. No3, D, for those that have one, using lavazza beans at the moment.

With regard to the above comments regarding weights etc, most talk is about double shots, .. usually I use the single basket ( for no other reason than habit I guess ) but no one mentions timings for that.

The other thing is that in e manual, it says one scoop of measure equals one shot... this is rubbish surely.? I had to fill the single basket up to the top before tamping which is way over one scoops worth.

Thoughts appreciated!


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## El carajillo

Very few people use the single basket as they can be "temperamental" to use, just go with the double basket.

From your statement it sounds as if you are overfilling the basket, use the double basket , fill, tamp place a 1 p piece on the puck and lock into the machine. REMOVE from machine and check to see if there is a coin mark in the puck, if there is it is too full.

You really do need a cheap jewelers scale to weigh in and out, coffee in gms drink out gms. Start at 1 to 2 ie 16 or 18 gms coffee 32 to 36 drink.

If the coffee is stale / dry this will give a fast flow.

Timing , initially try to aim for 25 / 30 secs most important is TASTE not time, even at 35 secs if it tastes good go with it.

How fine does the coffee feel between your fingers ? slightly coarser than table salt ?


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## johnealey

Hi Queenie

Scales are your friend here of the type that measure in 0.1g increments and can be bought off ebay / amazon etc for £5 and up.

Your Lavazza beans may not be the freshest hence running through quite quickly and requiring a finer grind, suggest some fresh ish beans from a roaster either local or advertisers on here would be a good start.

Singles are notoriously harder to pull as there is less grounds for the water to go through. If you wanted to stick with a single then one of the more specific baskets such as these sold here have been discussed as giving better results (this assumes you are in fact using the single and not the coffee pod basket which looks similar but has bigger holes), although personally would go with the double and discard any not required.

Hope of help and don't be afraid to grind finer if you need to, just stop if you here the burrs touching! :-(

John


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## Rigadon

Hi,

My first post and a complete newbie, so please bare with me if I get words wrong 🙂

I recently bought a second had Gaggia Classic from eBay. It was advertised as pre 2015. I wondered if there was any way to find out exactly what model I have, other than the sticker on the bottom (which isn't on mine). And do I need to know or is pre 2015 enough if I want to mod it later?

Wand had also been upgraded, but I don't know what brand/model it is. Does this matter?

I will probably attempt to dismantle it some time soon to give it a good clean and to see how it works.

in terms of descaling, I have read to use a 5% citric acid solution. What do I do with it? Just run it through the machine and wand for a while? Do I fill the tank with it and use it all?

I'm sure I'll have more questions in time, but I will try and scout the forums before wasting your time.

Thanks,

Alan


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## Alfieboy

Post a picture if you can - let's go from there

Does it have rocker switches or push buttons?


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## Rigadon

Hopefully you can access these. If not, it has rocker switches


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## Alfieboy

Okay so it's a good one - others may be able to ID it more accurately but I'd say it's probably after 2006 but before 2015 and it looks like a Rancilio wand

@ratty any ideas?

Tear it apart they're great to work on and rather than descale you know it will be spotless - I've got 3 to do!


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## ratty

Sometimes there is a date stamp on top of the boiler but it can be 'hidden' under the steam valve, plus who's to say the boiler is original?

Portafilters and the group head also sometimes have markings but there doesn't seem to be much consistency, plus, again they could be non original to the machine.

Like @Uncletits says, but lengthening it slightly, it would be after late 2004 and before 2015


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## Rigadon

Thank you @ratty and @Uncletits for your insight. I will keep these in mind when looking at mods, etc. I will also try and find dates in the places you mentioned.


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## Alfieboy

There are loads of examples of strip downs on the site too with pictures


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