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Gaggia Classic Pro - General tips and steaming

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  • roosterben
    replied
    Quite a few questions in there;

    1. Grind - This is going to be hit and miss as it depends if the cafe has a bag grinder. Generally speaking your GCP should require similar grind setting to the Cafe coffee machines (although they may be using precision baskets like the VST 20 gram basket which is a bit of a defacto standard in Cafes). Not sure if you are using the stock Gaggia basket but if not you could consider a precision basket. If you try and find a Cafe that can grind at the same setting as their grinders for their machines you should go a bit better. Also counter-intuitive but you could buy some time by finding some 58mm pressurized baskets to fit your Gaggia (there are Sunbeam ones around for EM 6910 and similar models), this means prob getting less coffee out/shorter shots overall but the grind setting won't matter as much.

    2. Grinder - Throw in 1ZPresso JX Pro / JMax into the mix of grinders as this is a cheaper grinder which can do espresso grind and also the Eureka Mignon grinders, while they aren't single dose, the stock alignment/quality control is going to be better than DF64. You could look for a Macap M2D, Compak K3. Not sure what else is for sale in the Forum here at the moment but I think there is a Lido E hand grinder for $200 which is an excellent grinder. There are prob a couple more if you have a look through (https://coffeesnobs.com.au/forum/mar...dware-for-sale). I was using a BCG 820 Smart Grinder Pro with a Gaggia Classic but if you see yourself getting more into coffee there are better options, this would probably work but if you get a VST basket you may not get the best out of it.

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  • Brewster
    replied
    Hi deetee88, welcome to the forum.
    Have a look at this thread, it's a good place to start: https://coffeesnobs.com.au/forum/cof...reat-microfoam
    Not specific to any machine, but has helped many a snob over the years
    Cheers
    Mal

    Leave a comment:


  • deetee88
    started a topic Gaggia Classic Pro - General tips and steaming

    Gaggia Classic Pro - General tips and steaming

    Hi guys,

    So during this current lockdown in melbourne, I decided to really get into my coffee. I purchased a GCP and have had it for around 2 months now.
    I don't have a grinder yet, so really relying on the cafes where I buy my beans, to give me a grind that I can work with. When I say "work with", I've had grinds where it just runs super fast, and no matter what I do - increase the dosage, tamp harder, use different baskets - i just can't get the extraction close to the intended recipes (1:2 - 1:2.5).

    It seems like one cafe is able to consistently give me grinds where I can follow the recipe (18g in, 25-27seconds, 40-45g out). Their grind I noticed is very powdery, kind of like Turkish grind ? Did anyone else find that with their GCP, you need an extra fine grind or am I just being a noobie ?
    My plan is to probably get a Kinu M47, or a DF64. Haven't decided whether to go manual or electric yet.

    In terms of milk steaming, I am really struggling to get consistently creamy aerated milk with a shiny, glossy finish. And that in turn is making me unable to pour any decent latte art. Usually the art comes out as blobs, or very thing narrow "tulips". I can sometimes, very rarely, be able to get great milk, but this is very inconsistent. But no matter what, I don't see the froth coming out smoothly onto the surface of the coffee.

    Does anyone have milk frothing tips specific to the GCP in stock form ?
    How long should the hissing be? What angle of steam wand placement has worked best for you? Should I change to a 1-hole wand tip?

    Blob pattern = milk too thick?
    Runny fluid patter = milk too thin?

    Thanks in advance!





    Last edited by deetee88; 6 October 2021, 10:35 AM.
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