Temperature of water without portafilter

[Kmcogar]

Hey all, I bought a used espresso machine. When i run the water through it without the portafilter, it does not seem to be that hot. Only 160 degrees F (71 Celsius). What is the temperature suppose to be?

[sprezzatura]

Good question! How about 198°F?

[sprezzatura]

Are you in the States?

[sprezzatura]

PM me - I'm a technician. We'll sort it out.

[noidle22]

PM's already? What happened to the community assistance that the forum is designed to offer.....

OP, what machine do you have? If we can know this then we can know what system it uses to heat the water. It will make it easier for us to diagnose possible causes and provide solutions.

[Kmcogar]

Its an old machine. I can't find much information on it. But its a Coffee Gaggia. Most people compare it to the Classic. The first trial was not too bad. The initial taste of the espresso was good. I know if I get some fresher beans, then it would be even better. But, as the espresso cooled it became very sour. Undrinkable sour. I thought it was very strange since it taste pretty good to bring with.

[Kmcogar]

Are you in the States?

Yeah, I'm in the states. Well, kind of. I live in Hawaii.

[chokkidog]

Hi Kmcogar, greetings from Oz and welcome to CS!

It would help if you posted your question in the same thread you started about the machine you bought.

http://coffeesnobs.com.au/brewing-eq...tml#post543349

By having all the info in one thread it helps those who can help you and it keeps things in a logical and tidy state.......

[chokkidog]

So to follow up on your question.... chuck it out.

Your post re the machine you bought is pretty self explanatory; i.e. you get what you pay for! ;-D

[Kmcogar]

I wouldnt say chuck it out just yet. Its worth some experimenting. I would love to spend $1500 on a new espresso machine. But that budget is not in my life right now. SO I bought a cheap old espresso machine hoping it could give me something decent. If the machine could heat up a little better it could be worth way more then what i paid for it.

[TOK]

Hey all, I bought a used espresso machine. When i run the water through it without the portafilter, it does not seem to be that hot. Only 160 degrees F (71 Celsius). What is the temperature suppose to be?

Put your mind at rest, I'd say machine working as designed... That is a pretty realistic temperature reading, if all you have done is to flow water out of the group and stick a thermometer in the flow or in the bottom of a cup that is catching the group water.

Also as it is a Gaggia "Coffee", it will be all over the place temperature wise anyway, so what you read will fluctuate depending on where the temperature curve is at any particular time.

If the thing works, use it and don't waste time trying to fix something that probably aint broke. All you need do is work out the point (in the temperature cycle of the machine) at which you should make coffee. The info should be all over the net. Start by looking up "temperature surfing".

Hope that helps.

[Kmcogar]

Put your mind at rest, I'd say machine working as designed... That is a pretty realistic temperature reading, if all you have done is to flow water out of the group and stick a thermometer in the flow or in the bottom of a cup that is catching the group water.

Also as it is a Gaggia "Coffee", it will be all over the place temperature wise anyway, so what you read will fluctuate depending on where the temperature curve is at any particular time.

If the thing works, use it and don't waste time trying to fix something that probably aint broke. All you need do is work out the point (in the temperature cycle of the machine) at which you should make coffee. The info should be all over the net. Start by looking up "temperature surfing".

Hope that helps.

That actually did help. The espresso was much hotter this time. Now for me to work on the tamp. The first pull was pretty good. This time it flowed a little too fast. Practice Practice Pratice

[chokkidog]

My comment re chuck it out may be a little brutal..... but it was meant in terms of any potential parts/repair costs.

Using TOK's advice; see if there is a point in the heating cycle ( element light on/off ? ) where the water is hottest.

Although your machine is probably out of production here is a link to Gaggia user manuals that might be of some help. (See Baby)

GAGGIA

[Dimal]

The machine maintenance guide on that site is very useful too....

Mal.

[Kmcogar]

FYI. With a little practice, I just pulled an amazing shot of espresso. I have some new tools and fresh beans coming in next week to improve the flavor even more!