# Gaggia Classic - minimum maintenance



## 2971 (May 7, 2012)

Hi all,

I'm considering getting my first espresso machine, and the Gaggia Classic is the front runner. I want the flexibility that comes with being able to fiddle around and get your coffee just how you want it, but to be honest I don't want to spend too much time and effort on maintenance.

Some reports seem to indicate that you have to regularly backflush, and unscrew shower heads and decalcify on a regular basis. I'm just curious whether it's possible to have a somewhat sloppy maintenance schedule (say once a month or two) and still expect the machine to be reliable.

All answers appreciated. If it sounds like too much hard work, I may just stick with my Aeropress and Moka pot









Thanks,

Simon


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## MikeHag (Mar 13, 2011)

Stick with your current kit. All espresso machines need regular cleaning and maintenance.


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

The maintenance on home espresso machines is not onerous.

If only making a coffee or 2 per day - As a minimum;

*Daily*

Use a Pallo Coffee Tool to remove any grinds around the shower screen (less than a minute)

Flush with hot water (less than a minute)

*Weekly*

Backflush weekly with water (less than 3 minutes)

Backflush fortnightly with cleaning product such as Puly Caf or Cafiza (less than 5 minutes)

*Bi-Monthly*

Remove showerhead and soak in Puly Caf Cafiza (less than 3 minutes)

Descale your coffee machine (set aside an hour - you will only be at the machine for about 10 minutes)

Reattach the showerscreen (less than a minute)

Cleaning and performing routine maintenance is an essential part of the coffee making process.


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## chimpsinties (Jun 13, 2011)

As stated above. It's certainly not so much maintenance as to put you off. Just a bit of cleaning here and there. At the end of the day, you're drinking the stuff that's coming out of it so you should want it to be clean


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## 2971 (May 7, 2012)

Thanks all for the advice. I also checked the manual for the Classic, which says nothing about backflushing. From looking online, it also seems like Gaggia aren't recommending backflush with this model. Slightly confused, but perhaps there's no absolute truth on this.


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## chimpsinties (Jun 13, 2011)

Think about it like this. With a machine with a 3 way solenoid when you turn the pump off the pressure (and remaining coffee) is released into the drip tray. This means that there is coffee inside the tubes that lead from the group head up to the 3 way solenoid. Rancid coffee oils are really bad for the taste of your espresso. You definitely want to get rid of them. Back flushing cleans this bit of machine that nothing else will. You can literally taste the difference when you do it. Just don't forget to do a conditioning shot that goes down the sink afterwards because Puly Caff (although not harmful) really doesn't taste very nice.


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## MikeHag (Mar 13, 2011)

The manual is shite.

You can go months without cleaning and maintaining it. Many people do. But the machine will one day (sooner than necessary) just stop. In the meantime the espresso will taste like poop.


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## 2971 (May 7, 2012)

chimpsinties said:


> This means that there is coffee inside the tubes that lead from the group head up to the 3 way solenoid.


Surely that would also be cleaned out by a "forward" flush?


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## 2971 (May 7, 2012)

MikeHag said:


> The manual is shite.
> 
> You can go months without cleaning and maintaining it. Many people do. But the machine will one day (sooner than necessary) just stop. In the meantime the espresso will taste like poop.


Mike thanks, I really appreciate the honesty and directness in both your responses. Glenn has also kindly given me a very good picture of what maintenance I would face, and chimpsinties is right that it doesn't sound tooooooo bad. I'm on the edge, 50:50 at the moment.


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## gaggiamanualservice.com (Dec 22, 2009)

the only problem with backflushing these small manual machines is a possibility that the solenoid will block, specially with the awful small solenoid. if you use descaler every 6-8 weeks, you should have years of uninterupted use. remove the shower disc and holding plate evey month and clean in warm water. takes 5 mins. go for classic, they are very reliable

mark


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## chimpsinties (Jun 13, 2011)

wintoid said:


> Surely that would also be cleaned out by a "forward" flush?


No it won't. Hot water alone will not clean the rancid coffee oils. The only way to get cleaning solution down those tubes is to put cleaning solution in the blank basket and create pressure by running the machine then when you turn off the pump it sends it up through the tubes into the waste tray. Then rinse it out with clean water. It takes all of about 5 mins to do and gives you a very nice feeling once you've done it.


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## 2971 (May 7, 2012)

Ahhh I don't think I had understood that that was what a backflush is... Thanks!


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## chimpsinties (Jun 13, 2011)

wintoid said:


> Ahhh I don't think I had understood that that was what a backflush is... Thanks!


That's ok. What else are we here for but to expand your mind?!


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