Author Topic: Tuning a Gaggia consumer espresso machine for proper brew pressure & temperature  (Read 47313 times)

CAGurl

  • Guest
What's this 11 bar valve thing?

And if they could why not put in a 9 bar valve?

 :icon_scratch:

I think it's because "___bar capable" is a rating when comparing espresso machines, and uninformed consumers (which includes almost all Gaggia buyers) will think that a higher bar rating is a better thing.....

If it was only capable of producing 9 bar, someone might think that a machine capable of producing 15 bar was better....
(well, duh....that's what I would have thought back then.....)

Susan

Offline John F

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If it was only capable of producing 9 bar, someone might think that a machine capable of producing 15 bar was better....

An option would be nice.

Yes, I'll take the 9 bar machine...thanks!  :angel:
"At no point should you be in condition white unless you are in your bed sleeping with your doors locked."

Lee Morrison

CAGurl

  • Guest
If it was only capable of producing 9 bar, someone might think that a machine capable of producing 15 bar was better....

An option would be nice.

Yes, I'll take the 9 bar machine...thanks!  :angel:

Just buy a Classic.
The adjustable OPV comes with it and you can tune it as you like it....
Susan

Tex

  • Guest
Just buy a Classic...

...for $499.99.

Or can one buy a used Gaggia Espresso/Coffee for <$100 and buy a Classic OPV for ~$50 and have the same brewing capabilities for a lot less money? Maybe one could use the remainder to buy a good espresso grinder & PID kit? Just a thought.

edited: The only advantages a Classic offers are a s/s chassis and a 3-way valve. Some like the brushed s/s look and some don't.

The 3-way valve has nothing (as in zilch) to do with the quality of the coffee. It'll give you a drier puck and makes pulling back to back shots seem faster. In reality it takes ~30 seconds between shots for the brew temp to stabilize; more than enough time for the group pressure to bleed off between shots. Of course, if you don't have a 3-way valve and you remove the portafilter too soon after pulling a shot you'll get the dreaded portafilter sneeze!

« Last Edit: April 28, 2010, 12:16:07 PM by Tex »

yorel23

  • Guest
Just buy a Classic...

...for $499.99.

Or can one buy a used Gaggia Espresso/Coffee for <$100 and buy a Classic OPV for ~$50 and have the same brewing capabilities for a lot less money? Maybe one could use the remainder to buy a good espresso grinder & PID kit? Just a thought.
+1. 

Get a decent machine for cheap and use the money saved on a grinder!
« Last Edit: April 28, 2010, 12:17:24 PM by yorel23 »


CAGurl

  • Guest
...for $499.99.
Or can one buy a used Gaggia Espresso/Coffee for <$100 and buy a Classic OPV for ~$50 and have the same brewing capabilities for a lot less money? Maybe one could use the remainder to buy a good espresso grinder & PID kit? Just a thought.

Been there.
Done that.

But that's not the route for everyone.
Not everyone wants to bake their own bread.
Not everyone wants to change their own oil.
Not everyone wants to build their own house.

I went the do-it-myself route before I bought the Classic, and I spent W A A A A Y more than the $399 I paid for the Classic buying clunkers, buying parts that did and didn't work, buying tools, etc.  It was fun and I learned a lot, but it is not for everyone.  Anyone who wants to do it should;  for everyone else there's.....The Gaggia Classic  (and darn, even then you have to add a PID....)

Actually, right now the very best thing anyone could do would be to buy the one Tex has FS right now.  Dang...that's a good deal.  And/or bid on the one Larry has donated for the auction.  Now why weren't THEY available when I was buyin'?????
« Last Edit: April 29, 2010, 01:42:15 PM by CAGurl »

Tex

  • Guest
...for $499.99.
Or can one buy a used Gaggia Espresso/Coffee for <$100 and buy a Classic OPV for ~$50 and have the same brewing capabilities for a lot less money? Maybe one could use the remainder to buy a good espresso grinder & PID kit? Just a thought.
f

Been there.
Done that.

But that's not the route for everyone.
Not everyone wants to bake their own bread.
Not everyone wants to change their own oil.
Not everyone wants to build their own house.

I went the do-it-myself route before I bought the Classic, and I spent W A A A A Y more than the $399 I paid for the Classic buying clunkers, buying parts that did and didn't work, buying tools, etc.  It was fun and I learned a lot, but it is not for everyone.  Anyone who wants to do it should;  for everyone else there's.....The Gaggia Classic  (and darn, even then you have to add a PID....)

Susan

And even then you've got to tune the Classic to get the most from it. If you want a plug & play machine you can figure on spending at least a $1,000 more.


Tex

  • Guest
Just buy a Classic...

...for $499.99.

Or can one buy a used Gaggia Espresso/Coffee for <$100 and buy a Classic OPV for ~$50 and have the same brewing capabilities for a lot less money? Maybe one could use the remainder to buy a good espresso grinder & PID kit? Just a thought.

edited: The only advantages a Classic offers are a s/s chassis and a 3-way valve. Some like the brushed s/s look and some don't.

The 3-way valve has nothing (as in zilch) to do with the quality of the coffee. It'll give you a drier puck and makes pulling back to back shots seem faster. In reality it takes ~30 seconds between shots for the brew temp to stabilize; more than enough time for the group pressure to bleed off between shots. Of course, if you don't have a 3-way valve and you remove the portafilter too soon after pulling a shot you'll get the dreaded portafilter sneeze!


Oh yeah, one very important thing:
If your machine does NOT have a 3-way valve you'll never have to worry about back flushing. A 3-way valve is the ONLY reason you have to back flush; a group valve equipped machine cannot be back flushed.

« Last Edit: May 11, 2010, 02:44:39 PM by Tex »

Tex

  • Guest
Just buy a Classic...

...for $499.99.

Or can one buy a used Gaggia Espresso/Coffee for <$100 and buy a Classic OPV for ~$50 and have the same brewing capabilities for a lot less money? Maybe one could use the remainder to buy a good espresso grinder & PID kit? Just a thought.

edited: The only advantages a Classic offers are a s/s chassis and a 3-way valve. Some like the brushed s/s look and some don't.

The 3-way valve has nothing (as in zilch) to do with the quality of the coffee. It'll give you a drier puck and makes pulling back to back shots seem faster. In reality it takes ~30 seconds between shots for the brew temp to stabilize; more than enough time for the group pressure to bleed off between shots. Of course, if you don't have a 3-way valve and you remove the portafilter too soon after pulling a shot you'll get the dreaded portafilter sneeze!


Oh yeah, one very important thing:
If your machine does NOT have a 3-way valve you'll never have to worry about back flushing. A 3-way valve is the ONLY reason you have to back flush; a group valve equipped machine cannot be back flushed.

There's always an exception isn't there? :)

If your machine has a Classic adjustable OPV (whether stock or modded), then you'll need to backflush it when you descale the boiler. This will force descaling fluid through the OPV, cleaning it.


roastingnerd

  • Guest
Last month I bought what I think was a black plastic version of the current SS Classic.  It came with no instructions and when I downloaded them, there was no discussion about OPVs or backflushing.  I can't get much creama out of it, so I probably need to figure this out.  I don't even know hot to get at the OPV.  Can I get that kind of info at the Gaggia users group, or here.?

HeartsKing

  • Guest
The cause of so many problems, the Gaggia self-priming valve (SPV) is one of Gaggia's worst ideas; right up there with the Baby Twin. Simply stated: The valve doesn't work; it leaks, robbing Gaggia's of steam and brewing pressure.

I developed a simple fix: http://tinyurl.com/Gaggia-SPV-fix


For anyone who's done this mod, did you purchase the .45 piece from McMaster-Carr?  If so, how much was shipping?  Were you able to find a local source like home depot?

Irwin

Tex

  • Guest
The cause of so many problems, the Gaggia self-priming valve (SPV) is one of Gaggia's worst ideas; right up there with the Baby Twin. Simply stated: The valve doesn't work; it leaks, robbing Gaggia's of steam and brewing pressure.

I developed a simple fix: http://tinyurl.com/Gaggia-SPV-fix


For anyone who's done this mod, did you purchase the .45 piece from McMaster-Carr?  If so, how much was shipping?  Were you able to find a local source like home depot?

Irwin



Try your local Fastenal or hardware stores. I do so many of them that I buy them by the box from McMaster.

milowebailey

  • Guest
I normally just unscrew the barbed fitting and tap the center of it to 4-40 and then buy a 4-40 stainless screw... add a little teflon tape to the threads of the screw, problem solved.  I also put a nut on the end of the screw, but I don't think that it's necessary.

HeartsKing

  • Guest
I normally just unscrew the barbed fitting and tap the center of it to 4-40 and then buy a 4-40 stainless screw... add a little teflon tape to the threads of the screw, problem solved.  I also put a nut on the end of the screw, but I don't think that it's necessary.

Great suggestion, but I don't want to invest in a tap set too; well, I want to, but I probably shouldn't.  I'm already getting a pressure kit and the adjustable OPV.

I'll keep that in mind though.  Think I like the teflon tape idea, just in case my coffee making habits have irreversibly been synced to having the hot water flow back into the reserve tank, then I can go back to the stock setup.

Irwin