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  • New Gaggia Classic... confused!

    Hi all,

    After churning thru a number of cheap Sunbeams, I decided to lash out (for me anyway) and get a Gaggia Classic.

    It arrived today and I excitedly unboxed it, only to end up confused.

    It took me a few minutes to find the power cord curled up in the water tank! Who would think to look there? Anyway... alls well that ends well in that respect.

    Secondly, the modified instructions refer to something called a crema enhancer which looks to be a small plastic nodule thing that fits down the inside of the hole of the group handle - Ive got one, but it sort of rattles around between the handle and the basket... not necessarily wrong, but not what Id expect!

    Thirdly, the instructions have diagrams that clearly show a ring of some kind that seems to fit between the basket and the group handle - I dont seem to have one of these at all.



    Is this normal for these machines, or am I missing something?

  • #2
    Re: New Gaggia Classic... confused!

    The creme enhancer sounds like something you wouldnt want. Can you remove it?

    The ring could be a little spring that goes around the inside of the group handle and holds in the basket. It looks like a little bit of wire. Can you see that?

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    • #3
      Re: New Gaggia Classic... confused!

      Yeah, I can remove it - but the ring still remains a mystery... oh well, I figure that as long as the seal is not springing leaks, it doesnt matter at all.

      I was a bit a taken back to see that the basket was one of those with a single hole in the middle, which I always thought was to froth up artificial crema in stale coffee.

      Even in my cheap Sunbeams, I replaced it with a multi holed one and managed to get a 1/2 a proper crema (I prefer that over a fake one).

      The other little annoyance is that most of the time, I only make coffee for myself, since the Missus doesnt drink coffee at all ( ) - so Im having trouble finding anything that is low and wide enough to fit under both spouts of the group handle... what do other owners use?

      Also the milk frother is kind of strange - I can see why people dont like it. I havent really had the chance to practice with it, but the general feeling out in the internet is that its stupid.

      I figure that coffeeparts com au  holds the solution for all problems by selling traditional baskets, Rancillo wands and also short single spouts.

      Maybe I should lash out and replace all three bits? The basket, the spout with a single and the steam wand

      Regarding the spout... I gave mine a good yank, and it didnt seem to unscrew. I guess I could take it down to the shed and put it in a vice... but do they all come off? I wouldnt want to break it!

      Having said that, Im overall really pleased with the taste of the coffee, its obviously a order of magnitude better than my old Sunbeams, and hopefully will last longer than 2 years.

      edit: one other thing... why on earth did they include a tamper that is too small?

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      • #4
        Re: New Gaggia Classic... confused!

        ok - twisted off the spout today. Boy, it took a vise and a really good heave - I was concerned that the handle was going to snap off. FYI, if the group handle is facing up in the vise, with the spout between the vise jaws, like its in the group head, turn the handle anti-clockwise to unscrew the spout.

        It was so difficult to unscrew at first I had to be sure of myself which was to turn it!

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        • #5
          Re: New Gaggia Classic... confused!

          I had the same issue with the spout when I took it off. You dont think its going to happen then, pop.

          Interesting about the basket. I dont remember my one being like that. Does anyone else know if theyve changed recently?

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          • #6
            Re: New Gaggia Classic... confused!

            On reading around the internet, it seems that there is a lot of variation in whats in everyones Gaggia box - and whats in the box doesnt necessarily co-incide with whats in the manual. Like I found.

            That little crema "enhancer" is really just a plug thing to stop the jet from the pressurised basket squirting down the spout and splashing the wall next to the coffee machine - hah!

            Bought all of my upgrade stuff (2x baskets, a Racilio wand and a short single spout) and looking forward to getting them today. Was about another $90 on top of the purchase price, which is sort of irritating - since none of what Im buying would cost any more to produce.

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