Wierd Gaggia Classic problem - Please Help
Aaron Arnett
I have a Gaggia Classic that I got about 3 months ago. When I first got it
it made good coffee. Then I started roasting my own beans. Even better
coffeee!!! But lately (the last few weeks) the machine doesn't seem to be
putting out the pressure that I'm expecting. Same grind, same tamp, same
coffee and yet it just dribbles out rather than flows and far less crema.
While the pump is running, I can see water dripping (actually running) back
into the reservoir from what I can only assume is a pressure relief. I took
off the top and can see that the tube that is draining the water back into
the reservoir connects to the water hose comming out of the pump as that
hose joins the boiler assembly.
I've cleaned the portafilter, taken off the shower head and cleaned it and
scrubbed the group head well. I've only ever put reverse osmosis filtered
water in the machine and yet still it seems to be unable to give me the
pressure it did when I started using it.
Does anyone have any ideas as to what is going on? Is there something else I
need to take apart and clean? Or should I be thining about giving Gaggia a
call?
Thanks for any help,
Aaron
colin newell
> Hi...
> I have a Gaggia Classic that I got about 3 months ago. When I first got it
> it made good coffee. Then I started roasting my own beans. Even better
> coffeee!!! But lately (the last few weeks) the machine doesn't seem to be
> putting out the pressure that I'm expecting. Same grind, same tamp, same
> coffee and yet it just dribbles out rather than flows and far less crema.
Try one thing first please:
Try your previous blend of commercial grade and ground espresso.
Then get back to us here at alt.coffee
c o l i n --
www.coffeecrew.com Coffee - Espresso Resources
Deep thoughts----------
"I hope if dogs ever take over the world, and they chose a king, they
don't just go by size, because I bet there are some Chihuahuas with some
good ideas."
Barry Jarrett
<aaar...@bellsouth.net> wrote:
>putting out the pressure that I'm expecting. Same grind, same tamp, same
>coffee and yet it just dribbles out rather than flows and far less crema.
if you've been using the same grind all along, perhaps it's time to
adjust the grind a bit coarser?
Eddie
ba...@rileys-coffee.com wrote on 12/17/01 11:18 PM:
What grinder are you using?
Eddie
Jim Wildeson
> it made good coffee. Then I started roasting my own beans. Even better
> coffeee!!! But lately (the last few weeks) the machine doesn't seem to be
> putting out the pressure that I'm expecting. Same grind, same tamp, same
> coffee and yet it just dribbles out rather than flows and far less crema.
> I've cleaned the portafilter, taken off the shower head and cleaned it and
> scrubbed the group head well...
Aaron, my experience is with a Gaggia Coffee which I bought 6 or 7 years
ago. Every so often (maybe every 100-200 shots), I have what appears to be
the same problem. When it happens, I not only have to clean the parts you
mentioned, I also have to clean further up (although that depends on how
much you're including when you say "shower head"). For my machine, taking
off the shower head screen reveals a metal puck which has 4 holes through
which the water flows. It is held on by 2 allen wrench-type screws. I
unscrew those and take off the puck. This usually requires a bit of gentle
prying with a screwdriver to get it free. Once it's off, I can easily clean
it up, especially the holes, which can become at least partially plugged up.
There have been times when I couldn't see light through any of them! A
paper clip cleans up the holes adequately. Then, there's one final bolt
which lies above the metal puck. I unscrew that, and inside the bolt, which
is hollow, is a little rubber stopper at the end of a little spring. It
usually looks pretty clean (compared to the metal puck), but there are times
when I only get the machine working again by cleaning that up as well.
Sometimes I'll find a tiny bit of sediment which might have been making the
rubber stopper stick to the hole it's covering, thereby preventing the water
flow. This cleaning process has worked for me. If your Classic is
similarly constructed, you might need to do the same thing. Good luck!
danny
instructions, with pictures....
Jim Wildeson wrote:
> Aaron, my experience is with a Gaggia Coffee which I bought 6 or 7 years
> ago. Every so often (maybe every 100-200 shots), I have what appears to be
> the same problem. When it happens, I not only have to clean the parts you
> mentioned, I also have to clean further up (although that depends on how
> much you're including when you say "shower head"). For my machine, taking
> off the shower head screen reveals a metal puck which has 4 holes through
> which the water flows. It is held on by 2 allen wrench-type screws. I
> unscrew those and take off the puck. This usually requires a bit of gentle
> prying with a screwdriver to get it free. Once it's off, I can easily clean
> it up, especially the holes, which can become at least partially plugged up.
> There have been times when I couldn't see light through any of them! A
> paper clip cleans up the holes adequately. Then, there's one final bolt
> which lies above the metal puck.
I never went this far with my Gaggia Baby - what an explorer :)
> I unscrew that, and inside the bolt, which
> is hollow, is a little rubber stopper at the end of a little spring. It
> usually looks pretty clean (compared to the metal puck), but there are times
> when I only get the machine working again by cleaning that up as well.
> Sometimes I'll find a tiny bit of sediment which might have been making the
> rubber stopper stick to the hole it's covering, thereby preventing the water
> flow. This cleaning process has worked for me. If your Classic is
> similarly constructed, you might need to do the same thing. Good luck!
--
Regards,
Danny
http://www.gaggia-espresso.com (a purely hobby site)
http://www.dannyscoffee.com (UK advert for my mobile espresso service)
swap Z for above characters in email address to reply
JR
If I'm not mistaken (been a couple of years since I took a Gaggia
apart), that assembly controls back-pressure relief. Sticky valve
would be exactly the thing to produce the problem you describe. I
wouldn't be surprised if it was created in part by the greater oil
levels in your home roast. The price of great coffee -- more
maintenance.
JR
Ken Wilson
quantity of water in 10 seconds. I think it should be 70 ml. (someone
correct me if i have the wrong number - its THIS much)
If not you have a machine problem.
If thats ok, adjust the grind.
--
Ken