Gaggia Classic Problem

garbanzo

Hoping for a bit of guidance from the wise and good folk here. I bought my Gaggia Classic last year and it has been working perfectly for me. Recently I copped that I had to backflush it every so often to maintain it. I got myself a blind basket and unfortunately I am still waiting for the Cafiza, but that's another story as Parcel Motel appear to have lost it.

Anyway, I tried out the blind basket just the once and followed the instructions to see how it works. Since then, any time I try and pour a shot of espresso the brewing liquid (i.e. coffee) sprays out the sides of the portafilter. Not from the top where the PF clicks in but from the two tiny spouts that drip the coffee into the cup. Made sh1te of the kitchen a couple of mornings ago.

I've given the PF a really good clean but there still appears to be a problem. Has anyone been down this road before and is there an inexpensive solution to it. I miss my coffee in the morning . . . .

zagmund

The "two tiny spouts" screw on to the body of the portafilter. If there's stuff spewing out the side then it sounds like they got loosened, so just tighten it again and you should be fine again.

z

donnacha

garbanzo wrote: »

Hoping for a bit of guidance from the wise and good folk here. I bought my Gaggia Classic last year and it has been working perfectly for me. Recently I copped that I had to backflush it every so often to maintain it. I got myself a blind basket and unfortunately I am still waiting for the Cafiza, but that's another story as Parcel Motel appear to have lost it.

Anyway, I tried out the blind basket just the once and followed the instructions to see how it works. Since then, any time I try and pour a shot of espresso the brewing liquid (i.e. coffee) sprays out the sides of the portafilter. Not from the top where the PF clicks in but from the two tiny spouts that drip the coffee into the cup. Made sh1te of the kitchen a couple of mornings ago.

I've given the PF a really good clean but there still appears to be a problem. Has anyone been down this road before and is there an inexpensive solution to it. I miss my coffee in the morning . . . .

The classics being sold the last few years have a pin and a pressurised filter basket that slots into the portafilter - its there for a fake crema effect. I'd say you lost it when you took the filter basket out? http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gaggia-Coffee-Machine-Perfect-Filter/dp/B004ZD4AC2

An option would be not to replace the pin and buy a proper filter basket?

livingthedream

As said, the classics come with a pressurised basket (only 1 tiny pinhole in the bottom of the basket) and also a little black plastic thingy that drops down into the spout of the portafilter.

It's the little black plastic thingy that you are now missing which is causing the spray...

As suggested replace with a normal basket...

LTD.

garbanzo

Thanks for the advice so far folks, genuinely appreciate it. Just to say livingthedream I never used the black thingy up to now so I can't see how it can be that causing this. Zagmund thanks but the two holes are fixed firmly and aren't screwable. Donnacha what's a proper filter basket?

My gut says I have done something to it since I backflushed it the first time with the blind basket as it is only since then the problem started.

I've just taken a short 10 second video clip to illustrate the problem. Almost got destroyed ! I've posted it here on Youtube, excuse the mild expletive at the end. Might help if you can see the problem visually.

Thanks again folks.

garbanzo

Anybody......???

livingthedream

Hi mate,

Again, I'd say try again with the little black thingy dropped into the bottom of the portafilter.

I looked at your video and it still looks like that's the issue.

I know because my other half decided to knock out the coffee from the portafilter into our bin and the basket dropped into the bin too. She wasn't aware of the little black thingy and so didn't notice that it was missing and only retrieved the basket.

Next time I made coffee, something very similar to your video happened.

I have since replaced the pressurised basket with an ordinary double shot basket.

Cheers,

~LTD

garbanzo

livingthedream wrote: »

Hi mate,

Again, I'd say try again with the little black thingy dropped into the bottom of the portafilter.

I looked at your video and it still looks like that's the issue.

I know because my other half decided to knock out the coffee from the portafilter into our bin and the basket dropped into the bin too. She wasn't aware of the little black thingy and so didn't notice that it was missing and only retrieved the basket.

Next time I made coffee, something very similar to your video happened.

I have since replaced the pressurised basket with an ordinary double shot basket.

Cheers,

~LTD

LTD, thanks again. No offence intended in dissing your suggestion earlier. I will try this so and revert re: progress. Any idea if I can get this handy somewhere in Dublin or is it an amazon purchase??

livingthedream

garbanzo wrote: »

LTD, thanks again. No offence intended in dissing your suggestion earlier. I will try this so and revert re: progress. Any idea if I can get this handy somewhere in Dublin or is it an amazon purchase??

No worries...

If you go to gaggia.ie you can get contact details. They are in City West. They will only sell you a basket + little black thingy though, they only come as a pack.

Probably easier to just buy a new regular basket on the Web...

LTD.

livingthedream

livingthedream wrote: »

No worries...

If you go to gaggia.ie you can get contact details. They are in City West. They will only sell you a basket + little black thingy though, they only come as a pack.

Probably easier to just buy a new regular basket on the Web...

LTD.

Actually, forget about that, just had a quick look and i found my old little black thingymajig. .. i dont use it anymore so you are welcome to it foc... just pm me your address if you want it and I'll pop it in the post to you. .. tis the season and all that!

LTD.

zagmund

Hmm, maybe they changed the design of the portafilter. I'm intrigued by this black plastic thing I've been missing all along. I've never had anything plastic in there. Or if I did, I lost it long, long ago.

Here's a photo of the spouts unscrewed from the body of my portafilter.

z

livingthedream

zagmund wrote: »

Hmm, maybe they changed the design of the portafilter. I'm intrigued by this black plastic thing I've been missing all along. I've never had anything plastic in there. Or if I did, I lost it long, long ago.

Here's a photo of the spouts unscrewed from the body of my portafilter.

z

You don't need to remove the spout for the little black plastic thingy, you just lift out the basket and drop it down the 'well' of the portafilter and put the basket back in.

AFAIK older models did not have this. It was only when the pods arrived on the scene that they moved to the pressurised basket and increased the pressure in the machine to be compatible with pods.

If you google around you will see that a lot of people with the later models swap out the pressurised baskets for normal ones and turn down the pressure on the machine (as I have done). I also replaced the standard steam wand with one for a Rancilio Silvia.

Cheers,

~LTD.

garbanzo

Solution hopefully arrives in the post from Gaggia.ie tomorrow. I'll report back on how LTDs suggestion worked.....

garbanzo

Well, I ordered the replacement crema perfecta filter and the black plastic fitting thingy from the good folks in Watermark Coffee Technology out in City West. It arrived at lunchtime. I fitted the stuff and hey presto . . . all appears to beworking perfectly again. Had my first decent espresso in about 20 days...bliss,and no mess.

I'm still puzzled that my machine worked perfectly for a year without having the black plastic thingy in it and the problem only started after I backflushed the machine for the first time a few weeks ago. Anyway, all's well that ends well.

Thanks to all who chipped in with advice, particularly LTD.