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  • #31
    Re: New to CS and enjoying the reading

    Originally posted by JavaB link=1180856580/15#27 date=1181366063
    vinegar, citric acid and other "home grown" descalers will damage your boiler.... so dont try them.
    Have you tried them on a Gaggia? White vinegar has had no damaging effects on any of mine (have pulled them down for various purposes so Ive actually seen the boiler innards) + a Gaggia rep recommended it as a cheaper alternative to retail descalers. Its probably not strong enough for a badly scaled boiler for preventative maintenance, it works judt fine.

    Sunbeam descaler should be fine for Gaggias it it says it is suitable for their single thermblock machines - these are aluminium too.

    If you really feel the need to buy a Iberital or more expensive grinder, then thats OK but a Sunbeam EM450 or EM480C will grind just as well for far less money and the only downside is that you will need to learn to adjust using the dose amount if caught between grind steps.

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    • #32
      Re: New to CS and enjoying the reading

      HAve read on the forum about some problems that people are having with the Sunbeam 0480, so I will wait to see if things improve with them (0481?) otherwise Ill save up for an Iberital or Rocky

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      • #33
        Re: New to CS and enjoying the reading

        Yeah, Ive seen that. If its true (I havent seen one with those problems), then its another case of pathetic underengineering by Sunbeam.

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        • #34
          Re: New to CS and enjoying the reading

          Just ordered a bag of seals (spare one for Deluxe, replacement for Baby), Double basket and springs for my Baby Gaggia. The deluxe is working really well.
          Pulling some good shots...but still learning

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          • #35
            Re: New to CS and enjoying the reading

            I would like o thank Coffeeparts for their extremely fast service! Only took one day for my bag of bits to arrive, all individually packed and numbered. Have to just figure out how to replace the group seal now on the Baby

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            • #36
              Re: New to CS and enjoying the reading

              Replacing the group seal was relatively stright forward. The only difficulty was getting the old one out which had got hard and brittle...nothing a couple of screwdrivers and pliers couldnt fix..had to destroy the old seal to get it out. Popping the enw one in was simple as the seal was new and pliable, noticed the Gaggia embossed logo on one side so figured that it should go on the back rather that on the side where the portafilter locks in to ensure smooth even sealing. Again this was achieved through this invaluable CS Forum which had been a fantastic resource for us newbies

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              • #37
                Re: New to CS and enjoying the reading

                So how is the Baby now compared to the Coffee Deluxe?

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                • #38
                  Re: New to CS and enjoying the reading

                  The Baby takes ages to warm up compared to the Deluxe. It is more fussy about the correct dosage and tamping IMO as I get wet pucks occasionally whereas the Deluxe seem to be more forgiving of dosage (double basket). I like the three way solenoid in the Baby as I have had PF sneezes on the Deluxe when I have forgotten to let the pressure bleed off first.
                  With my limited coffee skills, I think the Baby pulls a better, more rounder tasting shot. Extraction time for both before blonding occurs is about the same - 15-20 seconds. This is using what I think are quite fresh beans from Mocopan. They have Pasquale and Mokalux "beans" which I blend 50-50 and grind fresh each time.
                  Still looking at grinders (lack of $$$)

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                  • #39
                    Re: New to CS and enjoying the reading

                    Dont worry about wet pucks if the drink tastes good. You can get a wet puck simply by underdosing a touch with a finer grind and it wont hurt the drink too much.

                    Are you using the double or single basket and if the double, are you pulling double shots?

                    You should be able to get 2x30ml or 1x60ml shot without blonding using the double basket with the shot time determined by your dose/tamp. A single 30ml shot made with the double basket can rival shots from the best HX machines.

                    The single basket is much trickier to get right and will blond early if the tamp and distribution is not close to perfect.

                    Odd that the Baby takes longer to warm up. Does it take longer to transition from brew to steam as well?

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                    • #40
                      Re: New to CS and enjoying the reading

                      Kaanage,

                      I am using the double basket and pulling 1 x 60 ml(approx) shots ans I like lots of coffee!
                      The Baby takes a bit longer to go from brew to steam as well. Maybe the boiler is a bit bigger than the Deluxe? I have been alternating between machines each time I make coffee. Pucks are dry now as I am filling to the top and tamping to the line in the basket. My original Deluxe basket does not have a line but the new double one from Coffeeparts has a line around the inside.
                      Even frothing milk is a bit different between the two machines.

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                      • #41
                        Re: New to CS and enjoying the reading

                        Maxrob - you should be able to order the cafetto from coffeeparts or go to any of the site sponsors in Melbourne or most coffee suppliers and you can get it there.

                        You will not find good cofee cleaners in the supermarkets as it is not really a product they would sell a lot of.

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