hugh Senior Member Joined: 12 Jan 2008 Posts: 1 Location: Dublin Expertise: I like coffee
Posted Sat Jan 12, 2008, 6:38am Subject: gaggia classic problem
i got one of these a few weeks ago and had been using only the pods. they made wonderful coffee with a nice crema, coming out in the perfect 18-23 seconds time. So no problems there. however, i recently started using the loose ground stuff. I made sure it was suitable for espresso machines. i measure it and put it into to the correct filter head( i've tried both the 7g and 14 g filters) and tamp it down as hard as i can. i turn the button and the coffee rushes out in less than 10 seconds. the coffee is terrible and has no crema. i had thought it was not being compressed enough so i spent about 5 minutes this morning pressing the coffee with the tamp as hard as i could, its the plastic tamp that came with the machine. I got more or less the same results, it took a little longer to come out but still rubbish coffee. My other problem is that afterwards half the coffee is stuck to the shower head in a big gungy mess that's not easy to clean up. is my problem my tamping, the grind of the coffee or is it the machine. any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks.
kitt2000 Senior Member Joined: 29 Apr 2007 Posts: 67 Location: nelson, new zealand Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Grimac mini la uno Grinder: macap mx Roaster: Gene cafe
Posted Sat Jan 12, 2008, 11:05am Subject: Re: gaggia classic problem
Hi, the gaggia classic can make great shots, but you need freshly roasted coffee, (less than 2 weeks old) , freshly ground in a good quality burr grinder.Ground coffee goes stale within approx 15 mins, so store ground coffee won't do. Without these, you will struggle. read some of the reviews for this machine on this site to get plenty of tips for that machine.
Troll Senior Member Joined: 30 Dec 2007 Posts: 50 Location: Toronto, ON Expertise: I like coffee
Espresso: Silvia Grinder: Rocky Doserless
Posted Sat Jan 12, 2008, 1:45pm Subject: Re: gaggia classic problem
You're not supposed to tamp with all your might. You're supposed to use 30 lbs of force. You can practice on a home scale to see how much force that is.
And yes, freshly roasted beans will get you best results. Grind them just before use.
cjbrubaker Senior Member Joined: 12 Sep 2007 Posts: 139 Location: Cincinnati, OH Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Rancilio S24, Silvia PID,... Grinder: Mazzer Mini E type B Vac Pot: Yama 4-cup
Posted Sat Jan 12, 2008, 2:39pm Subject: Re: gaggia classic problem
Sounds like your grinds are too coarse, and everything that's been said before regarding tamp is correct - get a bathroom scale out to see how much pressure you're using. It's really hard to get this right with store-ground beans, as a very slight change in grind setting can dramatically change the time per shot. So get a grinder, or expect to spend a lot of money getting your store grinder dialed in. ;)
welone Senior Member Joined: 18 Dec 2006 Posts: 12 Location: Zurich, Switzerland Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Olympia Maximatic, Gaggia... Grinder: Compak K10, Gaggia MDF
Posted Sat Jan 12, 2008, 2:46pm Subject: Re: gaggia classic problem
i second the previous anwers; your post suggests that you don't have a grinder and use preground coffee, is that correct? if so, then it is no wonder your espresso comes out withing 10 sec. like everyone who takes espresso pulling seriously I would strongly suggest to buy a grinder! decent one's start around $250 - and if you're not willing to invest in a grinder you're probably better off with the halfhearted pads than using preground coffee -sorry if this sounds overly harsh but it's just like that
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