# Newbie needs help with steamer



## Blinkinhek (Apr 22, 2009)

I have received a gaggia for my birthday. According to the registration card it is a Gaggia Baby 06. It has 2 switches and 2 lights on the front panel. The far left when pressed and released activates the pump, and brews the coffee. I press and release again to stop the pump. The next item is a lamp which just shows that the machine is switched on. The next is a light which seems to switch on and off when heating. The final item is a switch which has a hot water/steam symbol. There is a rotating control on the top of the machine which when turned clockwise pushes steam or hot water out of a nozzle/wand

Anyway ... to my problem ...

Interpreting the english instructions in the manual, I press the rightmost switch (which then lights up) in order to get steam to froth/heat milk. I find that there is very little steam, and runs out after 5 or 10 seconds ... and I have to turn the valve on the top of the machine off, and wait for the heating light to go off and on again before trying again. Does not seem right somehow. Cutting to the chase ... I find if I press AND HOLD the steam/hot water switch I get loads of hot steamy steam!! Is this correct? Should I be holding the switch on? If I press and release the switch it does keep the light on, and I have to press and release again in order to switch the steamer light off..... This is confusing, the manual is unclear and so I am not sure what I should be doing ... and I am afraid of destroying the lovely birthday present by misuse.

I have tried to go to the gaggia.uk.com website but my Anti-virus program keeps rejecting the page as being virused.

I hope I am making sense with my description above.

TIA!


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Welcome (great username)

How long has the machine been on for before you try creating steam?

The manual states 6 minutes but realistically you will get better results after 10-15 minutes.

Hopefully you are extracting the espresso before using the steam wand.

Steps to get the steam working:

Press the Steam Button (the light may go on)

Give it 20-30 seconds to build up pressure

Turn the knob on the top anti-clockwise

A bit of water may come out of the nozzle first (I normally use a glass to catch this)

Once this has cleared, place your milk-jug under the steam wand

Turn the knob back to centre to shut down the steam.

Where are you based?


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## Blinkinhek (Apr 22, 2009)

Glenn said:


> Welcome (great username)
> 
> How long has the machine been on for before you try creating steam?
> 
> ...


Thanks for your response Glenn. I am based in Reading, Berkshire.

I have allowed the machine to settle for longer and longer periods (up to half an hour) before trying the steamer, and does not seem to make much difference. I have also tried pressing the steamer button and leaving it for a few minutes, and although I do get 'foamed' milk, I cannot get the milk itself hot. The manual says that the time to wait should be upto about 20 seconds - so I have tried much longer than that. By the time I get warmish milk + foam, my espresso is cold!

When I press and hold the steamer button, the heater light goes out ... so I presume that means it is heating up ... so maybe yours, and the manual's, instructions mean I should actually hold the button pressed for upto 20 seconds, release, then use the steamer?


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Sounds like a fault in the machine as the button should only be preseed like you are turning on and off a light switch (momentarily)

I would be inclined to find out where the nearest Gaggia Service Centre is to you and have it looked at (under warranty)


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