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New Gaggia Classic Pro - consistently weak coffee

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  • javafox
    replied
    With regard to the power switch, there’s a difference between the US and the EU/UK versions of the machine. I think it’s the EU version that has the rocker switch that presses and moves back up. My switch stays down, like the brew and steam rocker switches do. Out of interest, does you machine auto switch off after a certain amount of idle time? If so, you definitely have an EU model as they have a requirement to save energy. If not, perhaps you have a hybrid! Having a switch that remains in the ‘on’ position is good if your Gaggia is plugged into a wifi power switch. It means you can turn your machine on remotely or even verbally at home from another room if you have a google or Alexa devices. I didn’t think I’d ever need that but working from home during the pandemic it has been great to mute meetings and turn on the machine by voice from another room, or start hearing the boiler when on my way home from somewhere so it’s ready to brew when I get in. You can mod the switch if you ever wish to change.

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  • EddieF
    replied
    Thanks amberale. I just watched the YouTube video from Alternative Brewing, you are correct the power switch does not stays down.

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  • amberale
    replied
    Mine is 20 years old and the switch stays down.
    On the “Alternative Brewing” website, their demo picture shows the power switch lit up but the rocker sitting up so yours seems to be working as designed.

    Leave a comment:


  • EddieF
    replied
    Thank you both for your input. I will try to understand what you are saying and trying out the suggestions.

    BTW is the power rocker switch of the machine supposed to stay down when you switch it on? With mine, when I press it down, the power light comes on but the rocker switch flicks back up, it does not stay down. The power still comes and stays on though.

    Leave a comment:


  • LeroyC
    replied
    Originally posted by EddieF View Post
    Hi coffee experts,

    I have been using a Sunbeam EM6910 machine and a Sunbeam EM0480 grinder for the past 11 years, getting inconsistent coffee, some days good while other days not so. Over a week ago, I got a new setup - Gaggia Classic Pro and Eureka Mignon Silenzio - from Coffee Parts, but I have only been producing consistently weak coffee. I usually only make one coffee for myself each time. I was using the same leftover Santos coffee bean from the previous Sunbeam setup, I felt the Sunbeam setup produced stronger coffee. I only use the single cup porter filter for my one drink. The coffee ground from Mignon Silenzio seems more consistently fluffy and less clumping than the EM0480, so I don't think the grinder is a problem. I have a new scale to weigh between 9g to 10g of coffee ground. The coffee coming out from the Gaggia seems diluted and not much crema. Now I have changed to a new bag of Campos beam, the coffee still behaves the same. I normally drink milked base coffee - latte, it doesn't taste as strong as those I made with my Sunbeam setup.

    I am a bit lost as to how to diagnose my problem here. Is there any place where I can bring my Gaggia to demonstrate my coffee making routine, so someone can tell if I am doing anything wrong or is it a problem with the machine? Not sure Coffee Parts will do that kind of service, but I will have to give them a call next week. Quite disappointing experience so far.
    Hi Eddie,

    I very much doubt that there's something wrong with the machine, it's more likely that you just need to get used to it and work out the best way to use it. So let's diagnose the issue based on what you're doing. I note that you use the single cup filter basket. While this might be what you want to use to give you the strength of flavour you're after without excessive caffeine intake one issue with single cup filter baskets is that they are notoriously difficult to use and prone to delivering inconsistent results at best. To find out what the issue is I'd suggest switching to the double shot basket for now. You can always split the shot between two cups so that you're still getting the sort of drink that you like and you can switch back once you have everything sorted.
    With this sort of stuff I always suggest people go back to the basics of GRIND-DOSE-YIELD. You work your way through each parameter and go back to the start whenever you need to make a change.

    GRIND: Set your grinder roughly where you think it needs to be for espresso. It's quite often a bit of a guess at the start with new equipment or a new coffee, but you'll learn the general range that you need to operate in the more you use your new equipment.

    DOSE: Set your dose and weigh it in the basket rather than before you grind it. Ideally weigh it each time, but a lot of people will just weigh the first couple of shots of a new coffee then set the timer on their grinder and eyeball it until the next new bag of coffee. I weigh it each time as I have some scales that make that easy to do, but it's up to you really. If you stick with the single shot basket I'd suggest a dose of 10-12g for the Gaggia Classic. If you switch to the double shot basket I'd suggest a dose of 16-19g. I'm not sure what the current Gaggia Classic filter baskets are like, but the couple of old ones that I had would've worked quite well with these weights for the dose. Obviously you may need to adjust outside that range if the baskets look overly over or under-filled within those ranges.

    YIELD: Yield is the weight of coffee in the cup at the end of the shot. Start with a ratio of 2:1. So if your DOSE is 17g your YIELD should be about 34g (it doesn't have to be exact, just close to it). And this should be achieved in about 25-35secs. I always found my Gaggia Classic worked well with a slightly slower running shot and slightly shorter yield, but that is all personal preference. 2:1 is just a starting point that you then adjust to taste if necessary.

    MAKING ADJUSTMENTS: The first and easiest thing to adjust is yield. If you get the right yield in the right amount of time, but don't really like the flavour then try both a slightly shorter and slightly longer yield. For example if you get 32g in 30secs from a 16g dose, but don't really like the flavour then try another shot, but stop it at 25secs and then another stopped at 35secs. You might get the result you're after doing this, but if you don't you go back to the start and adjust the grind before changing anything else. Any time you make an adjustment make sure you only adjust one variable at a time. If you change your grind setting and dose at the same time you won't know which one influenced the result, or if it was maybe both of them.

    Hopefully this all makes sense and you can start working towards getting the best out of your new gear. All this sort of stuff is readily available online, so if what I've just written doesn't make any sense maybe jump on You Tube and watch some espresso basics videos by the likes of James Hoffmann or Coffee Fusion. Let us know how you get on.

    Leave a comment:


  • amberale
    replied
    You have almost exactly the same set up as me except that my Gaggia is 20 years old and has a PID and the OPV has been adjusted for 8.5 bar.
    I use a double basket with 20.7 grams of coffee.
    I grind very fine, -0.5 on the scale on my silenzio.
    My Silenzio burrs touch around -1.0.

    I made a single shot for my neighbour a couple of days ago at 13grams.

    Buy fresh coffee(Beanbay is great and Peru Ceja de Selva is a favourite.

    I believe the Gaggia likes to be overdosed.
    If I comply with the 5cent test I get sloppy pucks and no crema.

    Leave a comment:


  • EddieF
    started a topic New Gaggia Classic Pro - consistently weak coffee

    New Gaggia Classic Pro - consistently weak coffee

    Hi coffee experts,

    I have been using a Sunbeam EM6910 machine and a Sunbeam EM0480 grinder for the past 11 years, getting inconsistent coffee, some days good while other days not so. Over a week ago, I got a new setup - Gaggia Classic Pro and Eureka Mignon Silenzio - from Coffee Parts, but I have only been producing consistently weak coffee. I usually only make one coffee for myself each time. I was using the same leftover Santos coffee bean from the previous Sunbeam setup, I felt the Sunbeam setup produced stronger coffee. I only use the single cup porter filter for my one drink. The coffee ground from Mignon Silenzio seems more consistently fluffy and less clumping than the EM0480, so I don't think the grinder is a problem. I have a new scale to weigh between 9g to 10g of coffee ground. The coffee coming out from the Gaggia seems diluted and not much crema. Now I have changed to a new bag of Campos beam, the coffee still behaves the same. I normally drink milked base coffee - latte, it doesn't taste as strong as those I made with my Sunbeam setup.

    I am a bit lost as to how to diagnose my problem here. Is there any place where I can bring my Gaggia to demonstrate my coffee making routine, so someone can tell if I am doing anything wrong or is it a problem with the machine? Not sure Coffee Parts will do that kind of service, but I will have to give them a call next week. Quite disappointing experience so far.
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