Siliconslave's how to make espresso thread

I think you may have persuaded me. I'll try out the dualit and then probably return.

I hadn't considered buying the Iberital 2nd hand. So if anyone is selling please let PM me ? or if you know of any other sites other than the bay that people exchange this kit please point me in the right direction.

thanks again for all your help
 
the only downside with the Iberital is the adjustment, its insanely fine grain which is great for espresso but if you want to switch between a couple of different brew methods its nigh on useless...
 
Well you could probably get away with a fine grind for both. You'll certainly need it fine for the Gaggia, and you can make Aeropress with a fine grind (how fine I don't know) but I'd look here and here for some recipes on recommended process. I pretty much always go for a medium-coarse grind with my Aeropress.
 
So.. You all know i'm a total noob so forgive me. I have also tried to read as much of the thread as time permits. It seems there is masses of information and actually building a PC from scratch is easier than making a decent espresso.

The classic arrived and i let it warm up. I also discarded the little black peg which i remember reading somewhere.

I ground the coffee, tamped a decent amount, locked in and pressed GO.

Net result my walls now looks and smells of coffee. What was in my glass tasted nothing like it. The coffee was spraying out of where the little nozzles are that the espresso is supposed to come out of.

I tried about half a dozen times and given up for the afternoon. Any ideas?

I suspect that i need to put that black nozzle thing back in as it has something to do with the pressure. Do I need to buy something else?

Cheers

Adam
 
Yes, use the black nozzle for now, the pressurised filter basket you have needs it.

What you can then do is get a regular non-pressurised basket and when that arrives, ditch the pressurised one and black nozzle. I did the same, it gets rid of the fake foamy effect so you can see the proper crema to know when you're pulling a good shot.
 
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I think I got mine from CoffeeHit originally, Happydonkey also sell them, or you could try giving Phillips a ring and saying you are unhappy with the pressurised basket and they might send you one free.

Also worth getting is a proper metal tamper if you're using the plastic thing that came with the Classic (I'm happy with my wood handled Motta tamper which was relatively cheap) and maybe some shot glasses / espresso cups - just mentioning as you can usually save on postage if buying a few bits at once.
 
yimpster said:
I think you may have persuaded me. I'll try out the dualit and then probably return.
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I got into espresso probably a couple of years ago now (the exact date will likely be in this thread somewhere). I'm still happy with the Classic - although I can see a Silvia wand mod in it's near future - but looking to upgrade from the Starbucks Barista grinder I got at the time, while I can make decent coffee with it it's the limiting factor now I feel. I'd say go for the better grinder now if you can, in hindsight I probably should have.
 
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i got a kitchen craft metal tamper - feels comfy to use. a thermometer and milk jug.

at this point i'm reluctant to spend anymore money as mrs yimpy was upset that she didnt think she would ever be able to use it - unlike the bean to cup we had for a few weeks which just did the whole lot for you (was actually pretty tasty)

i'm not too worried about the quality of crema at the moment - just want to get something i can drink and say wow that tastes good. maybe ill get the silvia wand and non pressurized basket in a few weeks.

so far i prefer my nespresso and aerocino but i've obviously not understood the mechanics of the classic yet.

you guys are awesome and thanks for the support
 
yimpster said:
At this point i'm reluctant to spend anymore money as mrs yimpy was upset that she didnt think she would ever be able to use it - unlike the bean to cup we had for a few weeks which just did the whole lot for you (was actually pretty tasty)

i'm not too worried about the quality of crema at the moment - just want to get something i can drink and say wow that tastes good. maybe ill get the silvia wand and non pressurized basket in a few weeks.

so far i prefer my nespresso and aerocino but i've obviously not understood the mechanics of the classic yet.

you guys are awesome and thanks for the support
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With time and practice, you'll get the hang of it and will soon be making lovely espresso. Have a look on YouTube, I'm sure there are a few videos of how to get the best out of the Gaggia Classic.
 
yimpster said:
So.. You all know i'm a total noob so forgive me. I have also tried to read as much of the thread as time permits. It seems there is masses of information and actually building a PC from scratch is easier than making a decent espresso.

The classic arrived and i let it warm up. I also discarded the little black peg which i remember reading somewhere.

I ground the coffee, tamped a decent amount, locked in and pressed GO.

Net result my walls now looks and smells of coffee. What was in my glass tasted nothing like it. The coffee was spraying out of where the little nozzles are that the espresso is supposed to come out of.

I tried about half a dozen times and given up for the afternoon. Any ideas?

I suspect that i need to put that black nozzle thing back in as it has something to do with the pressure. Do I need to buy something else?

Cheers

Adam
Click to expand...

Strange, I got mine a few weeks and got good results immediately. I set mine up using this guide: http://www.coffeecrew.com/learning/255-gaggia-classic-step-by-step . Now i'm using some Rave beans, i'm making coffee better than anything ive had from any cafe.
 
When you tamper, you don't need to press THAT hard.

You only need enough so the shots takes around 20 or so seconds. If nothing comes out after about 10 seconds, I stop it and disgard that shot totally, turn down the grinder setting and press it down less hard and try again.

Coffee don't spray out but merely drip out (faster than drip but slower than gush) at a constant flowing speed.
 
Raymond Lin said:
When you tamper, you don't need to press THAT hard.

You only need enough so the shots takes around 20 or so seconds. If nothing comes out after about 10 seconds, I stop it and disgard that shot totally, turn down the grinder setting and press it down less hard and try again.

Coffee don't spray out but merely drip out (faster than drip but slower than gush) at a constant flowing speed.
Click to expand...

The spraying mentioned above was due to the use of the default basket that comes with the Classic along with removing the little black nodule thing from between it and the portafilter. I did the same to my friend's walls a while back. It was a fun afternoon :p
 
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