Hello all, just registered for coffeesnobs today after buying a second hand gaggia classic espresso machine and gaggia (mdf i think) grinder yesterday.
Don't really know anything about making espresso, except what I've read in the past couple of days.
Please redirect me to another thread if this scenario has already been discussed. Have been hunting around forums trying to find answers but am a stay at home dad, studying full time online. i.e., have little time, need lots of coffee.
I'm getting the basics of the terminology but will no doubt make semantic errors.
The flow rate of my shots is really fast. Filling 60ml in maybe 10 seconds, and the shot is fairly watery with little or no creme. I know that grinding fineness affects flow rate, and I have tried several settings all the way down to 1 on the MDF (from 1-34).
I know that tamping pressure can affect flow rate (though the extent of this affect seems to be a matter of debate). I don't know exactly how much pressure I'm using, but I'm being pretty firm. Admittedly I'm using the plastic tamper which comes with the machine (which seems to be a little too small). I'm sure a proper tamper would be better but the poor results I'm getting seem to be pretty extreme.
What I'm doing is...
I had tested the machine out initially with some older beans (like a couple of months old, I knew they would taste no good but was just excited to try out the machine), But read that stale, dry beans can effect the flow rate. I bought some fresh beans today from a local roaster. This hasn't changed the flow rate.
Not sure if this is useful at all but I just tested running water through the machine with no coffee in the portafilter. Filled a 250ml cup in just under 30 secs.
I read something about the OPV setting being different on newer gaggia classics to allow for prepackaged pod things. not sure if this is an issue, surely it should still be able to produce a decent espresso from fresh beans.
I am a novice, it is no doubt operator error (and I hope it is).
If someone could let me know what I'm doing wrong from the steps above that would be fantastic. I'm sure I can improve every step, but there must be something drastic that is causing the issue.
Thankyou everyone
Thom
Don't really know anything about making espresso, except what I've read in the past couple of days.
Please redirect me to another thread if this scenario has already been discussed. Have been hunting around forums trying to find answers but am a stay at home dad, studying full time online. i.e., have little time, need lots of coffee.
I'm getting the basics of the terminology but will no doubt make semantic errors.
The flow rate of my shots is really fast. Filling 60ml in maybe 10 seconds, and the shot is fairly watery with little or no creme. I know that grinding fineness affects flow rate, and I have tried several settings all the way down to 1 on the MDF (from 1-34).
I know that tamping pressure can affect flow rate (though the extent of this affect seems to be a matter of debate). I don't know exactly how much pressure I'm using, but I'm being pretty firm. Admittedly I'm using the plastic tamper which comes with the machine (which seems to be a little too small). I'm sure a proper tamper would be better but the poor results I'm getting seem to be pretty extreme.
What I'm doing is...
- I heat machine for 10 mins or so with the portafilter in place,
- take out the portafilter, run a bit of water through the group head, dry that and the portafilter,
- grind my beans, fill the double basket portafilter until it is just overflowing, level it off with the back of a knife,
- Tamp it pretty firmly, and load it into the machine. (i need to turn the handle quite far to the right to get it to lock into place)
- run the machine and get the aforementioned crappy shot.
I had tested the machine out initially with some older beans (like a couple of months old, I knew they would taste no good but was just excited to try out the machine), But read that stale, dry beans can effect the flow rate. I bought some fresh beans today from a local roaster. This hasn't changed the flow rate.
Not sure if this is useful at all but I just tested running water through the machine with no coffee in the portafilter. Filled a 250ml cup in just under 30 secs.
I read something about the OPV setting being different on newer gaggia classics to allow for prepackaged pod things. not sure if this is an issue, surely it should still be able to produce a decent espresso from fresh beans.
I am a novice, it is no doubt operator error (and I hope it is).
If someone could let me know what I'm doing wrong from the steps above that would be fantastic. I'm sure I can improve every step, but there must be something drastic that is causing the issue.
Thankyou everyone
Thom


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