Gaggia Classic Upgrade Coming. What Else Do I Need?

murphyebass

I'm going to upgrade from my Gaggia Evolution to the Gaggia Classic on Amazon for £180 in the coming weeks.

Is there anything else I need? Want to make sure I'm not missing anything.

I have an MDF grinder and a tamper which I'm happy with.

• A Knock box has been on my list for a while. I currently fire it down the sink which I know I shouldnt...... http://www.amazon.co.uk/Grindenstein-knock-off-container-coffee-grounds/dp/B000WHC89M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1391088072&sr=8-2&keywords=coffee+bin

• A good cleaning implament. Suggestions welcome.

Theres one on the gaggia ireland website but looks cheap and is cheap. Surely theres something better. Well I'd assume there is.

http://www.gaggia.ie/range/accessories/

• A naked filter thing (sorry dont know the name of it but you know what I'm talking about.. maybe it is naked filter. )

• Lastly I think someone mentioned getting a different milk wand when getting the classic. Any ideas there?

cheers!

donnacha

You should definitely set a price watch on it using camelcamelcamel if you are buying from Amazon.

February last year saw frequent price drops with Amazon as the seller - at one point Amazon had it for £149.95 - if you look at the price history its well due a drop again:

http://uk.camelcamelcamel.com/Gaggia-Classic-RI8161-Machine-Professional/product/B0000C72XS

In terms of cleaning a 58mm group I can recommend the Cafelat: http://www.coffeehit.co.uk/cafelat-espresso-machine-brush and you should also buy a pallo http://www.coffeehit.co.uk/pallo-coffee-tool for cleaning the shower screen. The cafelat comes with a spare brush, the pallo you can buy spare heads for.

I really miss the ease of cleaning with the cafelat since I moved onto a 53mm group.

murphyebass

donnacha wrote: »

You should definitely set a price watch on it using camelcamelcamel if you are buying from Amazon.

February last year saw frequent price drops with Amazon as the seller - at one point Amazon had it for £149.95 - if you look at the price history its well due a drop again:

http://uk.camelcamelcamel.com/Gaggia-Classic-RI8161-Machine-Professional/product/B0000C72XS

In terms of cleaning a 58mm group I can recommend the Cafelat: http://www.coffeehit.co.uk/cafelat-espresso-machine-brush and you should also buy a pallo http://www.coffeehit.co.uk/pallo-coffee-tool for cleaning the shower screen. The cafelat comes with a spare brush, the pallo you can buy spare heads for.

I really miss the ease of cleaning with the cafelat since I moved onto a 53mm group.

Will do that on the camelcamelcamel cause I'm in not urgent rush. Could wait a couple of months if necessary, especially if you reckon its due a drop.

Thats cool on the cleaning. Just want to make sure if I get a nice machine I keep it nice.

jdburkedjburke

murphyebass wrote: »

A Knock box has been on my list for a while. I currently fire it down the sink which I know I shouldnt...... http://www.amazon.co.uk/Grindenstein-knock-off-container-coffee-grounds/dp/B000WHC89M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1391088072&sr=8-2&keywords=coffee+bincheers!

Kids got me one and its great.

Vexorg

The classic comes with a pressurised basket, its recommended you get a non pressurised basket. I got my machine at xmas and ordered some baskets this week.

The steam wand upgrade is from the rancilio silvia, cheapest I found was here http://www.myespresso.co.uk/product.php/419/ but delivery is expensive. If you are in Dublin and interested in splitting delivery costs on these, let me know, maybe someone else might be interested in a wand also.

And finally a blind filter for backwashing and cleaning powder, something like this http://www.myespresso.co.uk/product.php/521/blind-filter-disc-stainless-steel (not sure what size that one is btw, may not fit a classic, just an example

adrian522

Naked or bottomless portafilter here:

http://www.happydonkey.co.uk/gaggia-domestic-portafilter/

They only deliver to the UK officially but if you email him and ask they will usually ship here.

coylemj

Vexorg wrote: »

The classic comes with a pressurised basket, its recommended you get a non pressurised basket. I got my machine at xmas and ordered some baskets this week.

Could you elaborate on that please, I bought a Gaggia Classic last year, it came with a two-cup pressurised (one tiny pinhole) basket and a pressurised basket for ESE pods. What is the benefit of a non-pressurised basket and do you need to tamp one or the other or both?

Gran Hermano

They changed the portafilter from a standard to a pressurised one a while back -possibly around the time Philips bought out Gaggia/Saeco. I'm guessing it was to make it more consumer/home user friendly. A pressurised portafilter is designed to compensate for coffee that is not ground to exact requirements of a particular machine.

How are you sourcing/grinding your beans? If you have a decent home grinder and can fine tune the grind so it is dialld in correctly you'll get better results with a proper/standard portafilter, tamper and basket

coylemj

Gran Hermano wrote: »

How are you sourcing/grinding your beans? If you have a decent home grinder and can fine tune the grind so it is dialld in correctly you'll get better results with a proper/standard portafilter, tamper and basket

I recently bought an MDF grinder but am currently working my way through my remaining stock of pre-ground espresso coffee.

So when I start using the grinder for real I should get a non-pressurised basket?

Can you talk about the portafilter - what difference do the different models of that involve and what would you recommend?

Vexorg

I think portafilter can be replaced with basket here, the pressurised basket has a single pinhole which can "artificially" produce crema from less than perfect coffee (incorrect grind/old and possibly the fact the pressure is above optimal on the newer machines). Non pressurised baskets have lots of holes which go all the way through here is a video of a non pressurised basket, as you will see no single hole in the bottom. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ-zn5rfXHA.

This portafilter is a naked/bottomless portafilter, it allows you to see the extraction and if it has been tamped correctly so you can adjust the tamp and grind and see the results of the changes.

I will qualify this by saying this is all new to me and hopefully someone more knowledgeable will correct me if I have anything wrong

If you go the naked portafilter route, you may need to do the OPV (over pressure valve) adjustment. I am just waiting for the parts to do this adjustment myself.

coylemj

Vexorg wrote: »

I think portafilter can be replaced with basket here, the pressurised basket has a single pinhole which can "artificially" produce crema from less than perfect coffee (incorrect grind/old and possibly the fact the pressure is above optimal on the newer machines). Non pressurised baskets have lots of holes which go all the way through here is a video of a non pressurised basket, as you will see no single hole in the bottom. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ-zn5rfXHA.

Yes, I know what the physical difference is but if the coffee is ground properly, what difference does it make which you use and do you need to tamp when using one or both styles of basket?

Vexorg

I do not know the difference myself yet, still waiting for a non pressurised basket, you definitely need to tamp ground coffee to create resistance so when the water flows through you get the best possible extraction.

It may be the the grind for a pressurised basket and a non pressurised basket would be different, I would think that a non pressurised basket would have a finer grind as more holes = less resistence and the finer grind creates smaller particles which will tamp more creating more resistance. Im sure there is some science taking place here which is a little over my head at the moment:)

donnacha

coylemj wrote: »

Yes, I know what the physical difference is but if the coffee is ground properly, what difference does it make which you use and do you need to tamp when using one or both styles of basket?

Extraction - the ultimate goal is to get your extraction as even as possible throughout the whole of the puck. Hence people using naked portafilters so you can witness the extraction as it happens and learn/improve both your dose distribution and tamping technique. People then also start investing in different types of baskets (like VST) and types of tampers ...

In terms of a naked portafilter I'd say its an essential tool for someone that really does want to learn about these things and improve their techniques. It does make for a messy machine with gushers etc, but it'll be worth it. Finally its one less surface your brewed espresso will come in contact with before you taste it. Most peoples portafilters are absolutely filthy - go look at yours now and tell me how clean it is

okedoke

speaking of dirty portafilters, discountcoffee.ie sells big bottles of puly caff (cleaner) and puly grinds for a decent price